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In this Issue:

  Fall 2009

ü  Love for the Sangio

ü  New Wine Released this Fall

ü  Winery News

ü  Vineyard Update

ü  Winemaker’s Corner

ü  The Perfect Match:  ’06 Cab & Rib-Eye Steaks

ü  Calendar of Events

Highlights:

Ø  Wine Spectator rates ‘07 Sangio 90 points

Ø ‘08 Maddily Rosè sold out Spring Release weekend – more to come next Spring! 

Ø  ‘06 Cab sold out!

Ø  Wine Enthusiast rates ‘07 Cali, Sangio & Cab 88 points

2009 Crush is Done!

It’s November, and another crush is behind us.  As our winemaker, Don Redman, stated on our Facebook page, life is good now. 

Crush this year began with four tons of Seven Hills Merlot in mid-September.  After six weeks, and with the help of friends, family and neighbors, 48 tons in all were picked, sorted, crushed & destemmed, punched down and pressed before the juice was put into barrels for aging.  It was a little hectic when the freeze hit in early October, but luckily we were able to pick quickly and, thanks to “The Beast” (the newest piece of Mannina machinery, read more and see pictures here), Don was able to crush the last of this year’s crop before the freeze could harm the grapes.

In May 2011, we’ll release 2800 cases of the 2009 vintage, including the always popular Cali Cab/Merlot/Sangio blend, the new RoseAnne’s Red (see below for more about this new blend!), and another sure-to-be-award-winning Sangiovese.  We’ll also make more of our limited release Cab, and a little Merlot, too.  Coming in May 2010 will be more Maddily Rosè as well, which doesn’t age as long as the reds, so we get to drink it sooner.  Good news for those of you that weren’t lucky enough to get some before it sold out Spring Release weekend – Don is making twice as much of the Maddily Rosè this year.  It’s sure to go fast again, so email us to pre-order yours today!

While the economy is still lagging, we at Mannina are tightening our belts so we can avoid increasing prices for our next vintage.  We continue to pinch pennies and look for opportunities to keep costs down without sacrificing quality.  Our focus remains producing the best wines, using all Walla Walla fruit, at some of the best prices.  Stop by the winery sometime and you just might see the winemaker, Don, welding, mowing, mopping or scrubbing toilets to help keep prices down.

Don loading grapes into the crusher/destemmer.

The Redman family and friends all help with the sorting.

Cellar Rat, Jason, and neighbors Jim and Jean also lend a hand.

Love for the Sangio  

Wine Spectator:  90 Points for 2007 Sangiovese

We were extremely pleased to hear that Wine Spectator rated our 2007 Sangiovese 90 points in the August 19 edition of Wine Spectator Insider.  They described it as “smooth and round” with “black cherry and floral flavors”, that “balances the tarry fruit against lively acidity, lingering well.”  Sangiovese has always been our best-seller, so if you haven’t tried it, or if your wine cellar is running low, click here to order some now before it’s all gone!   

While we are always appreciative to hear that others, especially wine critics, think our wines are worthy, we try not to get too distracted by scores.  It is often easy for a winery to get caught up in chasing high scores while losing track of their core style.  We continue to focus on our style of less oak and somewhat under extracted wines that pair great with food.  Our wines tend to be on the lighter side, yet well-balanced with nice acidity, allowing the quality vineyards of Walla Walla to shine through.

Sangio in the Seattle Times

Paul Gregutt recently mentioned the 2007 Sangiovese in his Sunday column in the Seattle Times, “Washington Wineries help restore Chianti’s image”.  The 2007 Mannina Cellars Sangiovese was listed among several other reputable Washington producers of the popular Italian style wine.  Read more about it here.    

New Wine Released this Fall

2007 RoseAnne’s Red

Released this Fall is a new blend – RoseAnne’s Red.  Named after the winemaker’s mother, the RoseAnne’s Red is a blend of 58% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cab Franc sourced from Golden Ridge and Birch Creek vineyards in Walla Walla, Washington.  This wine is elegant and stylish, with racy acidity and fleshy stone fruits that lend to a full-bodied and complex wine that turns silky smooth and elegant on the finish.  At $20/bottle, the RoseAnne’s Red is sure to be a new favorite!  Stop by the tasting room or click here to order yours today!

And if you’re wondering, yes, there are actually men in the Mannina family.  It just so happens to be that the women have more “wine friendly” names (Mannina, Cali, Maddily, RoseAnne).  Stay tuned to find out if one of the men are honored with our next new wine.

Winery News

“The Beast” Joins the Mannina Fleet

It was a slow and stressful drive from Olympia to Walla Walla, but Don and Assistant Winemaker (aka Cellar Rat), Jason, almost made it all the way home before breaking down with the latest to join the Mannina Cellars fleet – “The Beast”, a 1968 milk truck.  After fourteen long hours on the road, creeping over White Pass, The Beast broke down near Wallula, just 22 miles away from home.  Now that it’s back up and running, it has already proven to be a tremendous asset to the winery.  It was useful when space was needed to hold seven tons of grapes when we had to rush to pick before the frost and all fermentation tanks were full.  Punch downs are easy with swervy, stop-and-go drives around the block (if you can actually drive it, which definitely takes some practice).  The Beast will also come in handy when it will serve as a holding tank at bottling time. 

Also new to the fleet is a flat bed Volvo truck, used for hauling grapes from the vineyards, as well as other heavy, bulky stuff, saving Don’s pick-up truck from additional wear and tear.  Co-owner/Cellar Rat, Chad Griepp, was especially excited to test drive all of the new big rigs at the winery this fall.

Teri Griepp with The Beast.

Ashlyn & Makenna Griepp
exploring the one-seat cab.

The new Volvo flatbed.

Vineyard Update

Fall at the Vineyard

The first year at Cali Vineyards has been an exciting one.  A lot of work went into the planning and preparation of the site before any vines were planted, and the hard work paid off.  The vines really took off and we were able to get tremendous root growth from the vines during their first year.  Next year all the vines will be cut down to only two buds and allowed to gain more root growth, and then trained onto the cordon wire.  The following year we will get a little fruit off these vines.

Don’s hands-off approach to wine making will be carried out to the vineyard as well, through weed and pest control measures.   We just finished seeding a cover crop of Sheep Fescue in between the vine rows.  This will help with weed control and soil erosion.  We are also planting the rest of our land, 18 acres, in native upland grasses for bird habitat.  We will continue to plant native flowers and bushes to attract beneficial insects to help decrease the need for pesticides.  In addition, compost tea will be applied on the soil to increase beneficial microbes, and we will hand weed the vineyard as much as possible to cut down on chemical use for weed control.

Great wines are made from great vineyards, and we are striving to make Cali Vineyards one of the best in the valley! 

Winemaker’s Corner – A Few Words From Don

A Tour of Mannina Cellars

Click here for a personal tour of the winery hosted by our winemaker, Don Redman.  Learn a little about the history of Mannina Cellars and our style of wines.

Check this section in our next newsletter for more from our winemaker about the latest winemaking buzz, such as “Settling the Score about Scores”, and “Corks:  what’s better - real or fake?”.

To hear more from our winemaker visit our Facebook page for updates on the latest news around the winery and Cali Vineyards, and view pictures of all the action. 

The Perfect Match:  ’06 Cab & Rib-Eye Steaks in Red-Wine Sauce

Nothing pairs well with a Cab like a great steak.  We loved these Rib-eye Steaks in Red-Wine Sauce with our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Click here to view the recipe, courtesy of epirurious.com.  (We added sliced mushrooms and it was even more delicious!) 

Crack open a bottle of our 2006 Cab and enjoy it with a fabulous steak dinner tonight!

Calendar of Events

Hope to see you at these upcoming events!

November 14 –Fine Wines & Cigars, Redmond, WA

Don will be pouring our latest wines at Fine Wines & Cigars in Redmond Town Center.  Stop in and taste the new RoseAnne’s Red!

November 24 – Verve Wine Bar & Cellar, Seattle, WA

Visit Don, taste some great wines, and grab a delicious bite to eat at Verve Wine Bar in Seattle. 

December 4-6 – Holiday Barrel Tasting, Walla Walla, WA

Stop by the winery and taste our next releases straight from the barrel!  Don thinks these will be our best yet!  If you’re coming from out of town, be sure to book your reservations early.  This is one of the most popular weekends to experience Walla Walla wines.  We hope to see you then!

January / February 2010 – Bottling, Walla Walla, WA

Put on your warm hats and gloves, and swing by to check out the bottling process.  Contact us for the date if you’d like to help!

March 27-28 – Taste Washington, Seattle, WA

We’ve enjoyed this event the past couple of years and plan to attend again in 2010.  Click here for ticket information as the date draws near.

April 30 – SAVE THE DATE!  Wine Club Spring Release Open House, Walla Walla, WA

Last year’s open house was so much fun, we want to make this an annual event.  Put the date on your calendar and check our next newsletter for more details.  Not a Wine Club member?  Click here for details on benefits and how to join!

May 1-2 - Spring Release Weekend!  Walla Walla, WA

Come experience our new releases at one of the biggest wine events in Walla Walla.  Be sure to make reservations for your accommodations early, as for many wine lovers this is an annual trip to stock up on some great Walla Walla wines.