Birth of a Winemaker, San Fernando Valley Style - 2007
It is
October and time to make Pinot Noir in The Valley. Which “Valley”, you
might ask? We are talking about the “one and only” San Fernando Valley,
of course. With so many “Valleys” in California laying claim to the best
winemaking, we tend to forget that Burbank was the hub of an active
winemaking scene prior to Prohibition, in the 1930’s.
Since
the early 1970’s, some hardy pioneers have again been making wine in
“The Valley”. Tom Shudic, proprietor and winemaker at Chateau Burbank
has turned out some memorable reds and whites, including the still
available 2003 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay.
More
recently, Tom has donated his time and expertise to a new Valley
winemaker, Ralph Demartinis, proprietor and master bread maker at Wheatland Baking, Inc.
in Sun Valley. Next time you pick up a loaf of sourdough bread at
Trader Joe's in the LA area, think of Ralph and his family
recipe. Wheatland Baking supplies much of the fresh bread to Trader Joe's Markets and to other local markets, restaurants and airports.
Now,
let us get back to our winemaking story. With help from Tom, Ralph
procured half a ton of hand-selected Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
grapes. Crushed near the field, they transported the resulting juice and
skins to Wheatland Baking, under temperature-controlled conditions.
On
Saturday, October 13, when fermentation was complete, we joined Tom and
Ralph at the bakery, to sample fresh sourdough bread and selected wines
from Ralph’s personal collection. As the day went on, Tom and Ralph
transferred the unfinished wine from the blue plastic fermentation
barrels to French Oak cooperage.
As the
free run of new wine ended, it was time to press the remaining wine,
gently separating the precious liquid from the grape-solids. When doing
this task, it is best to wear wine colored shirts, since it can be a
messy affair.
By day’s
end, the new wine was safely indoors, resting and aging in the oak,
prior to bottling, perhaps late next year. We promise to follow this
story and keep you apprised of progress on the 2007 Wheatland Santa
Barbara Pinot Noir.
Author's Note: On December 4, 2010, Ralph Peter Demartinis,
husband, father, friend, baker and winemaker died. Read his obituary HERE.
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