In This Issue:
1. Letter from the President: Tom Davies
2. Your Invited: Winery Events & Experiences
3. Summer Wine Specials
Letter from the President: Tom Davies
My wife, Cara and I recently returned home from hosting our 4th V. Sattui Winery Cruise in eight years. We sailed from Lisbon, Portugal with stops in La Coruna and Bilbao, Spain, as well as Saint-Jean-De-Luz and Bordeaux in France. Lisbon opened its arms to us as we enjoyed its narrow streets, colorfully-tiled buildings, trolley cars, amazing restaurants and wines, Fado music and seven hills along with the classic Portuguese Belem custard pastries sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. We discovered and consumed the greatest vintages of Taylor’s, Churchill’s and Grahams Port, one 90-years old. We visited the world-renowned Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, ate in a Michelin-starred restaurant and spent a day visiting Left Bank Chateaux in Bordeaux, France followed by a multi-course Estate dinner at Chateau Giscours in Margaux. Our cruise ended with a visit to Stonehenge, after we disembarked in South Hampton, Great Britain. Yes, I have a great job!
Our cruises always include our best wines, as we ship ahead a pallet of V. Sattui wine for onboard dinners, cabin gifts, wine seminars and tastings. This last cruise included a wine-paired, five-course Winemaker’s Dinner, a Big Bottle Extravaganza of our vintage magnums, double magnums and imperials and a vertical seminar of 6 vintages of Paradiso. Our 2019 cruise will be announced shortly – stayed tuned.
This weekend, June 24-25, we are releasing our 2014 La Merica, a new wine that honors the winery’s Italian heritage and embraces the importance of immigration. La Merica is a modern interpretation of a classic, pre-prohibition blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. This wine celebrates the bravery of Italian immigrants like Vittorio Sattui who risked everything to come to this country in the late 1800s virtually penniless and speaking only Italian. Sattui was just one of many courageous Italians who left a home filled with poverty and political hardship for a new home filled with hope and opportunity. In the dialect of their native tongue, they affectionately referred to their new home in America as “La Merica”.
This new-world blend steers these classic grapes away from the rustic, old-world style, and boldly produces a wine filled with deeply, dark-fruited flavors, inky-purple color and lingering textures. I’m a big fan of this wine!
We hope your summer travels include a visit to the Napa Valley and V. Sattui Winery. We’ve expanded our experiences, including our new Terrace Tastings, added new offerings in our Vittorio Room and have many great new releases to share, including a stellar lineup of 2013 Cabernets and 2014 Zinfandels. Be sure to make your reservations now for our annual Festa Italiana on July 29 and our famous Harvest Ball on September 16th. These events are always sellouts, so please make your reservations quickly.
Here’s to a great summer with family, friends and of course, V. Sattui!
Tom Davies, President
You’re Invited: Winery Events & Experiences
From our newly launched Terrace Tasting to our exclusive member’s-only experiences, there are plenty of reasons to plan a trip to V. Sattui this summer. Here are some of our favorites:
The Terrace Tasting: This is the al fresco wine-country experience you’ve been waiting for! Enjoy a gorgeous view of Vittorio’s Vineyard while you sample your choice of five wines from our top-tier portfolio. Mixed olives and almonds are included in the $35 tasting fee or you can elevate your experience with a cheese and charcuterie platter curated by our new Culinary Director, Joe Schneider. This experience is for guests 21 and over only. Please allow 45 minutes for this tasting. Seatings begin at 11am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with a final seating at 3pm.
NEW Concierge: As our portfolio of tastings and unique experiences grow, we’ve added a team of experts to help you make the most of your next visit. Our knowledgeable concierges will greet you upon arrival and guide you to the perfect experience for you – be it a barrel tasting in the Cellar Club, a tasting of our most coveted releases in the Vittorio Tower or table tasting on the Terrace – they’ll help you make the perfect selection. Ready to relax in our beautiful, shaded picnic grounds with a glass of wine? Our concierges will show you the way to our famous Italian Marketplace and our Weekend BBQ so you can select the perfect accompaniments to your favorite V. Sattui wines.
The Cellar Club: As the summer sun beats down, there is no better place to escape the heat than our Member’s Only Cellar Club. This haven on the lowest level of our stone Italian-style building will keep you nice and cool while you savor a barrel tasting with fellow club members, sample the latest releases and enjoy the famous hospitality of the Cellar Club team. As a member, you can even enjoy a complimentary daily tour at 10:30am (advanced reservations required) to kick off your day. It’s good to be a member! Not a member yet? We can help you with that…
Daily Tours: Enhance your visit by joining one of our Daily Tours for a fun and informative experience. Our knowledgeable guides will walk you through the winemaking process from start to finish and share the rich history of the Sattui family and V. Sattui Winery, which originated in the 1800’s. Stops will be made in our Estate vineyard and production room and end in our barrel aging cellar where you’ll enjoy a flight of hand-selected wines. Please engage with our tour guides; ask them all the things you’ve ever wanted to know about the fascinating world of winemaking. Enjoy our terrific edu-tainment and fantastic wines! We recommend advance reservations for our popular daily tours.
Weekend BBQ: Ready for something a little heartier to go along with your favorite bottle? This time of year, our BBQ is in full swing Saturdays and Sundays. Billows of amazing aromas will draw you in the moment you arrive – leading you to a veritable feast of BBQ classics. You’ll find succulent, smoky-sweet BBQ ribs and juicy Tri-tip steak, both of which are simply incredible with a generous glass of 2014 Black Sears, Howell Mountain Zinfandel. Our famous Salmon Sandwich and Jalapeno Skewers will beckon you back for seconds. Italian-style thin crust, wood-fired pizzas are made to order and will please everyone in the family – down to the youngest guests.
Still hungry for more? You won’t want to miss our hand-pulled mozzarella – all done in-house – with heirloom tomatoes, grilled bread & basil and your choice of sauces. And, as always, you’ll discover an incomparable cheese selection in our Italian Marketplace and Deli along with beautiful house-cured charcuterie and all of the final touches needed for a perfect picnic. No reservations required.
Festa Italiana: Plan your visit for Saturday, July 29th and complete your day in wine country with our highly-anticipated, mid-summer celebration. Join us from 6pm to 10pm, as we gather under the oaks for a mid-summer celebration in honor of friends, family and all that is Italian! Indulge in house-made pastas, salads, grilled tri-tip and fresh salmon, courtesy of our resident chefs Gerardo Sainato and Stefano Masanti. Guest chef Angelo Ibleto, the infamous “pig man” from Petaluma, returns to astound you with his succulent roasted wild boar. All this extraordinary food will be served alongside your favorite V. Sattui wines – including our two newest releases, both dedicated to our Italian heritage – 2014 La Merica and 2016 Rosato di Sangiovese. Dance under the stars to live music, feast with abandon, revel in the festivities and make memories that will last a lifetime. We hope to see you at this summer event. Secure your reservation today! Members: $98 / Non-Members: $119.
To learn more about our calendar of events and new tasting experiences at V. Sattui Winery, please call (707) 963-7774 or visit us online.
Summer Wine Specials
The sun is shining … and the wine is fine! We have selected five refreshing, food-friendly wines ready for pool parties, beach bonfires, and just about anything fresh off the grill. What else is shining and bright? 25% OFF these wines, when ordered by the case (mix-or-match):
2016 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc: $26 – NOW $19.50
Refreshingly crisp with tropical aromas that follow into a delicate minerality, soft acidity, and silky texture.
92 Points – Wine Enthusiast
2015 Dry Riesling: $25 – NOW $18.75
This food-friendly refresher has flavors of lime zest and nectarine. Beautifully balanced with vibrant acidity.
94 Points & Double Gold – San Francisco International Wine Competition
2014 Napa Valley Grenache: (Estate): $37 – NOW $27.75
A limited-production Rhone Valley variety, this light-bodied red offers herbal and blackberry aromas, sweet oak and a little smoke.
2013 Pilgrim Vineyard (Old-Vine) Zinfandel: $37 – NOW $27.75
Elegant and well-balanced with fruit sourced from Lodi, known for vibrant and delicious early-drinking Zins.
Best Zinfandel, 93 Points & Gold – Winemaker Challenge
2016 Moscato “Frizzante“: $29 – NOW $21.75
Lightly sparkling with delicate aromas of orange blossom and just enough sweetness.
Visit our WINE SPECIALS online for additional wine sales offered throughout the season or phone (707) 963-7774.