AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2008

Saturday, August 9th: Pegasus Bay Seminar & Vertical Tasting
With Winemakers Matt & Lynnette Donaldson

"Our aim is to grow grapes of the highest quality, which fully express the features of the vineyard, and to handle these with the utmost respect."
-The Donaldson Family of Pegasus Bay

On Saturday, August 9th we are very pleased to welcome husband and wife team Matt and Lynnette Donaldson, winemakers for Waipara's Pegasus Bay.  If you're a fan of kiwi wines and don't know Pegasus Bay, then clearly you've been living under a rock far from a decent bottle shop as theirs are some of the most loved and most sought-after wines from New Zealand.

Located on the South Island 30 minutes drive from Christchurch, the Waipara district which Peg Bay calls home is renowned for its pinots and, more recently, for its aromatic varieties such as riesling. Sheltered by mountains to the east and to the west but still close to the sea, Waipara enjoys warm days, cool nights and a dry autumn during which the grapes are allowed a prolonged ripening period.  This creates intense flavor development, optimal ripeness, and good natural acidity.  At Pegasus Bay Winery itself you'll find glacial soils that are free-draining and of low fertility, which helps reduce a vine's natural tendency towards excessive growth.  Pegasus Bay is also proud to be a member of NZ's sustainable viticulture program, using natural methods to combat pests and disease rather than chemical pesticides and herbicides.

On Saturday, August 9th from 3pm to 5pm, Matt and Lynnette will be conducting a talk about the region and the winery.  They'll then take you through a five-year vertical of their estate Pinot Noir encompassing the years 2002 through the current vintage, 2006.  We'll also have a look at their cult pinot, the 2004 "Prima Donna" (rarely poured) as well as their 2006 Riesling.  Come find out why we at The Jug Shop find the wines from Waipara region to be some of the most exciting in New Zealand and some of the most Burgundian in character (not that we're measuring!)

Unlike our regular drop-in format for tastings, we ask that you arrive promptly at 3pm so that the seminar can begin on time.

Space is limited for this special event and RSVP by phone is required.
Call today to reserve your space!  415.885.2922

Pegasus Bay Winemaker Seminar & Pinot Noir Vertical
Saturday, August 9th
3pm start - finish 5pm
$20 per person in advance*


*Please note that due to the value of the wines being poured and the limited number of guests, we cannot accommodate refunds should you be unable to attend.  For additional information, please contact Paige Granback.

 Wednesday, August 13th: Italian Eco-Wines!

Natural...Green...Sustainable...Organic...Biodynamic

These terms are getting thrown around a lot these days and wading through the terminology used to describe what is essentially a return to Mother Earth practically requires a degree in agriculture science.  It's all a bit counterintuitive to what should be so...well, natural! While each of the terms above actually carries specific definitions and regulations, what it all boils down to wine-wise is growing grapes and producing wines with as little human intervention as possible. 

On Wednesday, August 13th, we'll have a look at some fabulous Italian examples of natural wine.  These producers represent some of the most extreme and most radical of the viticultural "greenies", so much so that the Italians often refer to them collectively as "The Crazy Club".  Each of the producers we'll show you follows their own path, however as a rule none uses sulfur* (allergy sufferers, see footnote), acid, sugar, color agents, irrigation, pesticides, herbicides, filtration or cultured yeasts.  Some go so far as to age their wine in amphoras- large terracota pots which are set into the ground so that the wine remains in contact with the earth.  Others follow the cycle of the moon and stars as a guideline for planting, pruning, and harvesting and do not interfere with the wine at all until bottling time.

While it has become very trendy in recent years to talk about organics and lately, biodynamics, these principles of viticulture are certainly not new.  The land that is now known as Italy has been making wines this way for over 2000 years, pre-dating the conquest of the Romans.  Of course back then, they didn't have much choice! The point we're getting at is that it's only been since modern agriculture was developed that we've gotten away from practices that for centuries worked just fine.  Obviously it's not possible to produce, say, millions of loaves of Wonder Bread "naturally", but that's a subject for another essay.

Join Italian wine specialist Floribeth Schumacher who will take you through these producers and discuss each of the particular eco-prinicples the winery follows.  We'll have examples from rock-star producers such as Gravner, Vodopivec, Damijan, Zidarich, Radikon and Movia from Fruili; Massa Vecchia from Tuscany; Emidio Pepe and Valentini from Abruzzo; Dettori from Sardinia; Cos from Sicily; La Stoppa from Emilia-Romagna; ello di Lispida from the Veneto; and Burlotto from Piemonte.  These are wines Floribeth has been proud to carry for over ten years, as indeed they showcase some of the best of Italy.  So even without the eco-angle, this is an amazing tasting and not to be missed!

Italian Eco-Wines: "The Crazy Club"
Wednesday, August 13th
6pm to 8pm
$30 per person

*Please note that although most of these producers do not add sulfur during the winemaking process, sulfites occur naturally in low levels on grapes. It is a common misconception that natural, organic, or biodynamic wine is entirely sulfite-free.  If you have an extreme allergy or adverse reaction to sulfites (for example from commercially packaged dried apricots or apples, wine vinegar, molasses, grape juice, bottled lime or lemon juice, beer, cocktail onions or maraschino cherries, dried potatoes, or wine in general) we regretfully recommend that you do not participate in this tasting or do so at your own risk.

Tuesday, August 19th: Calvert Vineyard Pinots
With Winemaker Mike Weersing

Three Wineries. Three wines. One vineyard.

One of the unique aspects of New World pinot noir is that we are often given the opportunity to taste interpretations of the same grape from the same vineyard, but made by different winemakers. It is fascinating to taste the differences in wines made from a unique site while searching for common threads that link them all together. One of the first vineyards in California to see the effect of multiple winemakers on pinot noir was at Rochioli in the Russian River. The practice is now widespread, with a prime example being Garys’ Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, a joint operation between Gary Franscioni and Gary Pisoni from which no less than 18 wineries purchase fruit for their own “Garys’ Vineyard” bottling. While this practice has bloomed to proportions that can create confusion among some consumers, pinot noir enthusiasts enjoy these bottlings as well as the endless debate about the differences between them.

The young wine industries of Australia and New Zealand have not had the opportunity (or the marketing savvy of land owners) to find those sites that winemakers would be willing to share with their competitors--that is until now. Owen Calvert and his partner Michelle McNabb planted a vineyard about a kilometer from Felton Road’s vineyards in the Bannockburn region of Central Otago. The vineyard and the nearby nut trees seemed a perfect backdrop for raising their children. Owen and Michelle are internationally recognized experts in disaster relief and an opportunity to assist efforts in Africa has led them frequently overseas to Washington DC and Mozambique. Knowing that their job would keep them away for extended amounts of time, Felton Road agreed to manage the vineyard for them and to use biodynamic viticulture methods in growing the fruit. And to learn more about the vineyard, it was agreed that portions of the fruit would be sold to multiple winemakers.

Late last year, Felton Road released their 2006 Calvert Pinot and later this year, we purchased the Calvert Pinot from Pyramid Valley as well as the only allocation of Calvert Pinot Noir from Craggy Range available in the US. The wines have rarely been tasted together in America and only by a few members of the wine trade- we haven’t tried them yet ourselves! The winemaking differences between the three have primarily to do with the use of stems, oak regimes, and length of maceration. (Click to see Bob Campbell’s detailed notes about the wines as published in Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine.)

Tuesday night, we are fortunate to welcome back Pyramid Valley winemaker Mike Weersing, who will be pouring each of the three Calvert Vineyard pinots and leading the discussion. As all three of these wines are limited in availability (please see below) priority for purchasing will be given to those who are able to attend Tuesday night's tasting. We apologize for the last minute notice, but hope to see you there!

Calvert Vineyard Pinots with Mike Weersing
Tuesday, August 19th
6pm to 8pm
$10 per person

The Craggy Range Calvert Pinot is extremely limited, so much so that we will be selling it only as part of a three-bottle Calvert Vineyard set containing one each of the three wines. We have 18 of these sets available, with a limit of one set per customer. The Felton Road and Pyramid Valley are also limited, however these are restricted only to first come, first served until they’re gone.

THE COUNTRY VINTNER U.S. TOUR
ONE SHOW ONLY! SUNDAY, SEPT. 14TH, 2008

Presented by The Jug Shop & South Food + Wine Bar

Featuring the incomparable wine stylings of:
Rob "Gibbo" Gibson with LOOSE END
Nick "Kilo Man" Stacy with WEST CAPE HOWE
Barbara "The Law" Lawson with LAWSON'S DRY HILLS
Peter "The Adelaide Longhorn" Saturno of LONGVIEW VINEYARD
George & Liz "The Country Duo" now on tour with PICARDY

Come on down South!

While away a Sunday afternoon with The Jug Shop and our mates at South Food + Wine Bar as we host the Traveling Winemakers of the Country Vintner at the first stop of their U.S. tour. You'll be treated to a tasting of very diverse wines from five wineries hailing from Pemberton and Denmark, way out Western Australia-way, over east to South Australia's Adelaide Hills, a few clicks north to the Barossa Valley, then across the Tasman to NZ's famed Marlborough district.  Ticket price includes nibbles from South Food + Wine Bar, Luke Mangan's acclaimed down under restaurant. Details are below! Be there, or be square.

Headliner Yarns...

Rob Gibson - LOOSE END - Barossa Valley, SA
If Peter Lehmann is the Grandfather of the Barossa, then "Gibbo", as he is affectionately known, is surely the Affable Uncle. With 35 years of winemaking experience under his belt, Rob certainly knows quite a lot about the Barossa Valley and its vines. During his 23 years at Penfolds working with John Duval and Don Ditter, Rob spent 8 years developing a viticulture project aimed at sourcing high quality shiraz grapes for Penfolds Grange. In 1997, he left to establish his own label, Gibson BarossaVale, which now includes a new project, Loose End. The Loose End label has given him an opportunity to let his freak flag fly, to experience his creativity and to share his meticulous yet unpretentious winemaking philosophies with the next generation.

Loose End varietals and blends are expressive of Australian winegrowing traditions, being accessible and over-delivering on value. The SF International Wine Competition and respected Australian wine critic James Halliday agree, having awarded the 2006 Loose End Shiraz a Gold Medal and a 5-Star Winery rating respectively.

Nick Stacy - WEST CAPE HOWE - Denmark, WA
Besides being known for his amazing prawn-eating abilities, Nick "Kilo Man" Stacy has seen his fair share of wine sales in his native Western Australia. Nick reveals that after allegedly being born in East Fremantle during an earthquake, his real education most certainly did NOT involve his Hospitality and Tourism diploma; rather it involved travelling throughout Australia working at various restaurants in various capacities before returning to his home town to run an already successful restaurant. On a rare restaurateur’s summer holiday ‘down south’ in Denmark, WA, Nick shared a bottle of wine with John and Wendy Wade and a day later became the West Australian Agent for then unheard of Howard Park and Madfish Wines. A decade passed and Nick’s wholesale wine business had seen a "Who’s Who" of wineries launched and put on the map by his company. In 2003, Nick decided to change career paths and joined one of his best producers, West Cape Howe, as the Sales and Marketing Manager.

Apart from his ‘vices’ (sports cars, prawns by the kilo, blue snake-skin boots, women and dirty vodka martinis), Nick’s infectious enthusiasm, relaxed professionalism and wealth of industry experience have made him an asset to West Cape Howe where he continues to provide growth and new opportunities for this cool-climate producer of Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot and Shiraz.  Another Halliday 5-Star Winery!

Barbara Lawson - LAWSON'S DRY HILLS - Marlborough, NZ
Ross and Barbara Lawson founded Lawson's Dry Hills in 1992 where they had been growing Gewürztraminer grapes for other wine companies on their Alabama Road vineyard since 1980. Their first vintage was a wee 15 tons and was managed by Ross out of the old tin shed on the property. That shed is still standing and forms part of the winery cellar door (shown on their label). Their Gewürztraminer has gone on to be recognized as one of the country's finest and has firmly established Lawson's Dry Hills on the national and international wine stage.

Other plantings soon followed and the company now produce a benchmark range of Marlborough wines including Sauvignon Blanc (a Jug Shop customer favorite!), Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, as well as outstanding Gewürztraminer. (The 2007 Gewurz was awarded 5 Stars by Winestate and 5 Stars by Cuisine Magazine NZ.  See our website for full text from these reviews.)  All the grapes for Lawson's Dry Hills are sourced from Marlborough's Wairau, Waihopai, Omaka and Brancott valleys. Ross and Barbara have a very simple company philosophy - "To produce Marlborough wines of great character at a fair price“. Lawson's Dry Hills has one other distinction, it was the first winery in the world to seal all it's 750ml bottles with a screw-cap as a means of avoiding cork tainted wine.

Peter Saturno - LONGVIEW VINEYARD - Adelaide Hills, SA
Peter Saturno and brother Mark grew up in the hotel industry ("hotel" meaning pub, down under) and were encouraged to enjoy good wine and food from an early age – there really was no other way, being of Italian origin! They lived above the Norwood Hotel in Adelaide in their formative years and from the tender age of 12, Peter cut his teeth working in the wine shop doing all manner of odd jobs. From these humble beginnings, his passion for good wine was firmly established. Later the Saturno Family went on to establish a chain of very successful wine retail outlets, the fabulously named “Booze Brothers”.

After graduating from high school, Peter studied Wine Marketing at Adelaide University after which time worked in fine wine sales. After 4 successful years slogging juice on the road, Peter decided he needed a fresh challenge and applied for a US Green Card under the ‘lottery’ system.  He and Mark left Oz to live and work in Manhattan where Peter worked with respected wine distributor Frederick Wildman and looked after some of the Big Apple’s most important retail accounts.

The opportunity arose just recently for Peter and Mark to return to South Australia when the Saturno Family purchased the stunning Longview Vineyard Estate, producers of some pretty delicious Sauv Blanc, Cabernet, and other varieties suited to the cool-climate area.

Liz Mencel & George Winkler - PICARDY - Pemberton, WA
Picardy winemaker Dan Pannell (of the Moss Wood Pannells) will be joining the tour later in the month. But sitting in on this stop we have Country Vintner roadies Liz Mencel and George Winkler. Mencel & Winkie combine the Best of the West, hailing from Australia and America. They'll be showing cool-climate Burgundian varieties from Pemberton's Picardy - Chardy and Pinot Noir. In fact, The Jug Shop crew manned a table of Aussie pinot at Pinot Days 2008 held recently at Fort Mason and the Picardy was found to be one of the most interesting wines in our flight--dare we say, the whole room.  Our assessment has been vetted, as the 2005 Picardy Pinot is being served in Qantas' first-class cabin.

Picardy was established in 1993 and is one of Australia's leading boutique wine producers. Leading WA wine writer Peter Forrestal says, "Anyone with a serious interest in wine should take the time to make an appointment to visit the Pannell family’s Picardy operation. The immaculate vineyard and classy small winery are worth seeing, and a conversation with any of the Pannells will provide an insight into their enthusiasm, drive and determination to make the best wine possible."  Enough said.

Country Vintner Winemaker Tasting at South
Sunday, Sept. 14th, 2008
4pm to 6pm
Tickets: $35 per person

Space is limited!
RSVP to South Food + Wine Bar at 415.974.5599
Or by email to: info@southfwb.com

South is located at 330 Townsend St, San Francisco, 94107

Our in-store tastings are informal, no RSVP is required.  Tasting fees are generally between $10 and $20 per person except where noted.