San Jose- 2006 Vintage Release Party

What's Up with the Chardonnay?

TreViti's 3rd annual San Jose release party was held this past Saturday. Matt's parents, Tony & Barbara, once again graciously opened their home to an ever growing guest list.

On tap: TreViti Wines' 2006 line-up.... and a lot of appetizers.

The day unfolded smoothly & the wines performed beautifully. This was the first time all 4 wines: 2006 Stolo Family Vineyard Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, & 2006 Wolff Vineyards Syrah, were tasted by people other than the family. I was a bit nervous because I knew that the reds were still young- definitely drinkable now- but will be smokin' in about 6 months.

I should have never doubted the taste buds of our loyal followers. They loved the vintage. We drank and ate the afternoon away. Matt and I received glowing responses to all 4 of the wines; but the orders don't lie. The clear favorite of the event was the 2006 Stolo Family Vineyard Chardonnay.

It's always interesting to me that the TreViti Chardonnay garners the same two comments, year after year:

1. " I love Chardonnay and yours is really good. Can I have another taste?"

2. " I'm not a Chardonnay drinker, but I really like your Chardonnay. Can I have another taste?"

What? I feel like our Chardonnay has a split personality. It appeals to Chardonnay lovers, but also entices those who don't like Chardonnay. No matter where or when I pour it, I either get one or both of those comments. So, I just smile and nod in agreement... kind of puzzled.

Let me clarify by saying that there is a definite line drawn between people who like and drink Chardonnay and people who don't. I would say it's as defined as the line drawn between people who don't drink white at all and people who do. Usually, wine lovers who don't like Chardonnay, really don't like Chardonnay. They tend to swing toward Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier for a white wine choice. This is what is so puzzling to me. Our Chard is a classic Burgundian style chard; light body, low alcohol, bright and acidic with hints of stone fruit- it's delicious! It should appeal to the avid Chardonnay drinker and not to the non-Chard drinker. Are they just being nice? Not likely- most of the non-Chard drinkers end up ordering bottles of Chardonnay. So do the Chard drinkers.

What is it about this wine that breaks the barrier?






more pictures here

The Pinot Report Chimes In

Nervously we submitted our two 2005 Pinot Noir's to The Pinot Report a few months ago. The Pinot Report is a wine lovers publication that is written by Gregory Walter. He focuses solely on Western Pinot Noir. Meaning, he mainly tastes and scores high end Pinot Noir grown in California and Oregon. If there ever were an expert on Western Pinot Noir, this guy is it. So off they went.

It's stressful sending wines in for review. It's like putting a little piece of your heart and soul out there for scoring. We take so much care, from vineyard to bottle, to create the highest quality wine. We want people to enjoy it; we want customers to have a little piece of our vineyard. You, your friend's, neighbor's, and people at tasting events may love them, but the expert's have the final say- and it's public. If they don't like it, the readership will know about it. If they do like it.... well, that's what you hope for. Getting a good score is like getting an "A" on that calculus final you endlessly studied for. The validation that you are doing a great job and bringing forth a quality product that the experts would highly recommend to others is well worth the stress.

Below are the scores and notes that we received in Issue #53 of The Pinot Report. We are very proud. Receiving 90pts. as a relatively unknown vineyard and winery is outstanding, especially on only our second vintage. Gregory Walter is right. The Bien Nacido will be amazing if held for another year or so. Read on....

TreViti
Pinot Noir Central Coast 2005
Medium-deep ruby color; spicy, herbs and stewed cherry aromas; ripe, rich, spicy stewed cherry flavors with some herbs and sweet oak notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Rich, balanced style of Pinot with layers of flavors—quite nice to drink by itself.
98 cases made $30 Score: 90

TreViti
Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard 2005
Deep ruby color; deep, closed, cocoa and spice aromas; ripe, closed, bit tight, deep cherry cocoa flavors; moderate oak and tannin; long finish. Deep style that's a bit closed right now. Make sure to give it plenty of air in the glass and be patient in the cellar.
146 cases made $30 Score: 87

2008 Pinot Harvest a Success

October 4, 2008

5:30am (alarm sounding) Do I really have to crawl out of bed and pick grapes for the next 8 hours?

5:45am (still laying in bed) Is it raining outside?
5:46am (jumping out of bed) Oh no, it is raining outside!
5:50am (out the door) I wonder if Starbucks is open yet?

This is how harvest 08 started, rain.... not ideal. We do live 45 minutes away from the vineyard, so there was a good chance that it didn't get hit very hard. Upon arriving at the scene, I realized that thinking optimistically actually paid off. The vineyard did get some rain, but not very much. It was time to get my clippers and head up with the crew.

The morning went by really smoothly- we picked for about 5 hours and brought in 3 bins of Pinot (1.3 tons). It was muddy though. The soil in the vineyard is clay-like, so when it gets wet, it's super sticky and slimy. By the end of the day, my jeans were crusted stiff with dry mud and my boots were absolutely caked.

The grapes looked fantastic. I'm going to geek out here for a minute, so feel free to skip this paragraph. The clusters were tight and consistent. The berries were small and ripe. There was minimal bird damage (thanks to the bird netting system we started using in 2006) and some raccoon damage- but nothing compared to the carnage they left us last year. The brix and ph were where we like to pick at. Overall, a really great looking harvest.

It looks like the Chardonnay will be ready in a week or so and the Syrah still has some time left (we usually pick it in early November). So as far as 2008 being a "light" year- which is what has been reported across the state since harvest commenced, we are right on target and looking strong. Here are a few pictures- you can click here to see the album

Harvest Time is Almost Here

Harvest time reminds me of getting close to your due date. Every day is greeted with anticipation, “Is it ready yet?” Then, bang! The brix, the acitidy, the seeds & skins, everything falls into place and it’s time to pick- NOW. There is lead up to the actual day- testing, measuring, and forecasting- but it always seems that when it arrives, it’s time to move, move, move! This year is no different. The flurry of phone calls, emails, lab results, walks through the vineyard have begun to intensify. We are getting close, my friends, and it is so exciting.

No one can be more excited than my father, Don. He is the one that heads up the Stolo Family Vineyard operation. We do have a vineyard consultant and manager who are absolutely pivotal to the quality of the vineyard- but my dad is the driving force. He is focused on quality and, quite honestly, perfection in the vineyard. His determination to achieve the most optimal harvest has him tirelessly up in the rows scrutinizing, taking notes, pulling off random growths, checking the irrigation lines, etc. His efforts do not stop there. He works hand in hand with the teams that come in to leaf thin, prune, put up the bird nets, harvest, and sort. It is really hard work- I’ve done it too, but my dad is out there all the time.

I mentioned in my first post that my father went into the cabinet business with my grandfather and uncle. I believe that viticulture is his true calling. He is a fantastic business man, but his heart is in horticulture. It always has been. Growing up in Orange County, I remember my father constantly creating gardening concepts for our yard (he did this more than once). He only had so much space to work with, but he did everything from lay the irrigation to choosing and planting the plants. He also started a vegetable garden in our backyard that I used to love. He would take us kids out there and show us how to determine if the corn, snap peas, and tomatoes were ripe. He would teach us about carrots growing underground and when to pick the perfect zucchini. I loved picking the vegetables with him.

Having a vineyard to cultivate is, I would imagine, his dream come true. He learned all of what he knows through extensive reading, note taking, talking to other vineyard owners, and following our consultant, Bill, around. With a few harvests under his belt, he now also has experience to rely on as well. But all the knowledge in the world does not compare to the amount of heart he has invested in the progress of the vineyard. It is his baby.

Here We Go

Matt and I have been going around and around about what "the blog" should be like. I've finally decided to chuck the master plan and just write- so, Hi!
My name is Maria and I am the middle of 3 kids. Justin is the oldest, and Breanna is the youngest. Bre is married to Steve and I am married to Matt. All three of us have children of our own. Our parents are Don and Charlene Stolo and we are all involved in TreViti Wines. (The dog is a family friend's)

Now that you've got the family tree, let's get to the basics. If you want indepth background info please visit our website. TreViti is my family's boutique winery. It stems from my parent's 2002 purchase of a parcel of land in Cambria, CA. The property had an existing 9 acre vineyard, a really cool but old farm house that we all think might be haunted (now under renovation), and a gigantic rundown dairy barn (now home to our tractor and two barn owls). The previous owner planted the vineyard and proceeded to sell the grapes to local winemakers. My parents decided to rework the vineyard and keep the harvest to create a family wine label. We renamed the vineyard Stolo Family Vineyard and created the label TreViti Wines. Our first vintage was in 2004. Sounds easy, right?

Well, first off- we are a family business (insert groans and tentative looks here). Actually, it's not as bad as it sounds. My brother, sister and I grew up in a family business atmosphere. My grandfather started a small cabinet business back in the day and my dad and uncle worked with him to help it grow. We, being the kids, used to work there during the summers- sweeping the shop, etc. Not glamorous, but we did have access to nail guns and industrial strength glue. As we grew, the business grew. It is still in operation today and going strong (my brother an sister still work with my dad). So, as far as mixing family with business, we have a little experience with it. Not to say that it's easy, but we know what to expect.

Second, we are growing grapes. I don't care how you pretty it up; large magnums, fancy labels, high prices. The wine business starts in the vineyard. We are at the mercy of nature; the frost, mold, excessive heat spikes, early rain, birds, and raccoons. All of which we have already had a taste of. Again, not glamorous, but worth it. Running up the vineyard with your fiance to feverishly hand pick the remaining few acres of Syrah before the giant looming storm overhead commences is exhausting and stressful. Tasting that same Syrah in the bottle a year later and thinking "wow, this is good" is rewarding.

Third, and finally, we are in the wine business. I started out working in a tasting room in Napa to learn the basics, moved on to work in a wine bar & shop in San Francisco to polish my skills, jumped to selling boutique wines to San Francisco restaurants and wine shops to toughen up, and was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to help craft my family's boutique label. I do love the wine industry. It is full of people who are open, honest, helpful, supportive, and fun. It is competitive, but not like you would think. Sometimes we bounce ideas off of others in the business and I always feel that we are getting an honest answer.

So, there it is. We are a family who gets along and enjoys working together. We are extremely proud of our vineyard and our wine. We are working hard to create a quality product that we can share with others. Here we go.....


I promise my future posts will be much shorter, but I am Italian.....