| WineSpace -
Social Networking meets the Vineyard Donati Family Vineyard has launched the first winery specific social networking site to enhance communication with their customers and wine club members concerning vineyard news, upcoming special offers and unique events. |
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Paicines,
CA - May 21, 2008 -- Donati Family Vineyard is leading the
way with social networking in the wine industry by implementing a full
featured, Web 2.0, online community for their customers and wine club
members. • Learn
about wine
• Chat with Donati staff • Hear about new special offers • RSVP for upcoming events • Participate in unique online events • Invite and socialize with your friends When joining you will
automatically receive your own customizable
profile page and will be able to send messages to your friends and
Donati Family Vineyard staff. |
| Paicines
AVA 25th Anniversary Paicines, CA – It’s the 25th Anniversary of the Paicines (pie-SEE-ness) Appellation, and Donati Family Vineyard is committed to raising the awareness of their pride for American wine making history by passing something that’s memorable onto their loyal fans. Every month until September, Donati Family Vineyard is offering a 25 percent case discount on a specific wine, which is chosen by the winery as their “Silver Anniversary Selection.” Owner and family viticulturist Matt Donati states, “Our philosophy is to grow grapes of the highest quality, so wines made from our fruit can meet the superior product expectations of wine maker Dan Kleck. This requires that I pay close attention to detail, evaluate the potential of new varieties that will thrive in our climate, and give Dan everything he needs to succeed with his wine making processes.” Donati Family Vineyard is located in the Paicines AVA (American Viticultural Area) located in San Benito County. It is part of the larger San Benito AVA, and is located near the central part of the county. The Paicines area is warmer than other nearby regions in San Benito, but cooler than the wine regions of the Central Valley. Designated by federal government on September 15, 1982, the Paicines appellation is currently celebrating 25 years of existence. In celebration, during the month of August, Donati Family Vineyard is offering a 25% discount on 12 bottles or more of our 2005 Claret. Be sure to get yours! |
Special
Release 2004 Meritage
(Paesano's wine club only)
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| How
does the Current Harvest Affect the Winery? Although we have 400 planted and 330 producing acres of grape vines, we only use about 12% of our grapes for our own wines and sell the remaining 88% to other wineries. In essence, we have a small, finite amount of fruit to work with and making the most of a year’s crop is integral to the winery business. For example, we recently looked at our Chardonnay program and decided that we would be better off making fewer cases of Donati Family Vineyard Chardonnay rather than dueling it out in the market with the uber-competitive wineries playing “Let’s Make a Deal”. One phone call to a happy Chardonnay grape customer of ours, and we trimmed the future production of the 2008 Donati Family Vineyard Chardonnay to 260 cases! |
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| Other winery factors that affect vineyard decisions are current inventory, future market expansion, current and near-term market economies, current demand and to a small degree, competition. We’ve recently opened Florida and will soon open North Carolina and the success of our wine will inevitably cause our decisions in the vineyard to harvest grapes destined for the wines we envision them becoming a part of. Popular wines like Claret need a certain blend and tonnage to satisfy our demand forecasts and greatly affect our ability to increase production in other wines. |
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Big
Chill Early spring freeze was annoying! We had to run frost protection more often and further into spring than ever before. Even then, we were fortunate to lose so little, only about 1% of the Chardonnay crop. Our phone was ringing off the hook from a few Sonoma wineries looking for Chardonnay after the disastrous freeze up north We had some excess shatter in Cabernet Sauvignon but not at a level where we expect any drastic shortages. A quick viticulture lesson: when the caps (calyptras) fall from the flowers, a cloud of pollen is released and eventually germinate and become berries. Cold and rainy conditions will prevent some caps from falling and after bloom, these unfertilized pistils and impotent berries will “shatter” from the cluster. A good amount of shatter is important so there is sufficient space between berries—too compact and you get mold and mildew problems. However, too much shatter can be a disappointment. |
| Our winter efforts of composting (mix of last year's must) and adding gypsum have paid off. Working hard in the winter also allowed us to use less water in a dry year by having better water retention with the compost and using the winter rains to deliver the needed nutrients rather than using the drip irrigation. |
| Creamy
Farfalle paired with Donati Family Vineyard 2005 Chardonnay This sauce-less pasta relies heavily pm mascarpone which melts into the pasta, creating a creamy “faux-sauce.” This quick and easy, yet elegant, side dish pairs with the fresh and nutty character of our Chardonnay enjoy! Ingredients:
Kosher Salt 1 pound Farfalle Pasta (you could also substitute a penne or fusilli here) 3 tablespoons Butter 1 pound Cremini Mushrooms, sliced thick 1 pound thin Asparagus, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces 1 cup Mascarpone Cheese Pinch of freshly grated Nutmeg ¾ cup Walnuts, toasted ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese Instructions: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add Farfalle and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving about a cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender and most of the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and sauté until the asparagus is crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add the Farfalle, then stir in the mascarpone and nutmeg and toss until the cheese coats the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water ¼ cup at a time to moisten. Stir in ½ cup of walnuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve family style in a large bowl and sprinkle with the parmesan and remaining walnuts. |
| Place a Wine
Order TO PLACE A WINE ORDER: Call (877) 511-WINE (9463) or visit http://www.donatifamilyvineyard.com/shop 2006 DFV Rosato Estivo-Paicines $10 The 2006 Rosato Estivo is a rose of Cabernet Sauvignon that has loads of bright fruit and floral notes while finishing dry and crisp on the palate. 2005 DFV Chardonnay-Paicines $18 Delicate in overall feel, medium in weight, this wine is richly textured and flavored, and is immediately accessible. 2006 DFV Pinot Grigio-Paicines $20 Clean and crisp, with notes of citrus and pear. This is the first vintage of Pinot Grigio for the Donati Family. 2004 Sorelle Per Sempre- Paicines $18 “Sister’s Forever” Matt’s 3 young daughters were the inspiration for this Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. Lush berry fruit and a smoky nose. 2005 Claret-Paicines $22 With a nose of ripe red fruit, dark fruit, chocolate and dusty notes are highlighted. GOLD-BEST OF CLASS Winner at 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition! 2004 Merlot- Paicines $25 Richly expressive in character, deeply fruity and solidly colored, our Merlot expresses exactly what this fine Bordeaux variety is all about. 2005 Syrah-Paicines $25 Dense in color and rich in tannins and flavor intensity, this Syrah is small-lot fermented to extract every nuance of character from the berries. 2004 Meritage- Paicines $35 (Paesano’s Wine Club Only) A classic Bordeaux blend, this wine truly shows the strength of character and integrity of quality that is the focus of our wine making effort. |
| DFV Events Stay up on our fun events and RSVP at http://winespace.donatifamilyvineyard.com/events. Tasting Room Art Show with Diana Ahrens– September 9th, 12 noon View and purchase unique pieces of Wine Country Art by contemporary artist, Diana Ahrens. Enjoy small bites and live music all afternoon. West Fest Wine and Blues Festival 2008, September 13th, 4– 7 pm Join Donati Family Vineyard and the 46 West Wineries at Peachy Canyon for afternoon of Wine, Food, and live music by the Guy Budd Blues Band. Tickets are $45 or $80 for a couple and available by calling toll-free 877-511-WINE or email Mitch at mbakich@donatifamilyvineyard.com Annual Donati Family Vineyard Harvest Party- September 27th Celebrate the 2008 Harvest with us in Templeton… Sample and savor newly release wines (unveiling of the 2005 Ezio Blend), Winery tours, Live Music, Italian style lunch for $15. Purchase the Special Harvest 4 pack and lunch is on us! (Please RSVP for lunch by September 16th.) |
Paicines
Paesano's Wine Club - to join or for more information call (877)
511-WINE (9463) or visit http://www.donatifamilyvineyard.com/shop Join Donati Family Vineyard’s charter Wine Club, Paicines
Paesano's, named as a tribute to our home, Paicines, and to
the homeland of the Donati’s ancestors.
“Paesano's” literally translates to
“Countrymen,” an apt name for those who choose to
become part of the Donati wine family. The benefits are four
shipments a year plus optional holiday shipments, two bottles a
shipment, newsletter and e-newsletters, and there is no charge to
enroll. |