Wine Club Newsletter - September 2023
Two Winemakers Aged Their Wine in the Sea
Two Winemakers Aged Their Wine in the Sea
But ‘underwater aging’ business was a crime, California authorities said
Deep-sea divers happened upon a shipwreck on the Baltic Sea floor in 2010 and, from the wreckage, recovered 168 bottles of 170-year-old champagne. According to scientists, they had “aged in close-to-perfect conditions at the bottom of the sea.”
Emanuele Azzaretto spent years hunting for one of those bottles to taste what the sea had created, Santa Barbara Magazine reported in 2020. When he failed, Azzaretto decided to replicate those conditions as best he could by plunging bottles of wine into the Pacific Ocean, letting them sit there for a year and pulling them back up to drink.
That led him and Todd Hahn to create a business out of the “underwater aging” of wines.
But their business was a crime, according to California authorities.
Prosecutors in Santa Barbara County this month announced they had reached a plea agreement with Azzaretto and Hahn, co-founders of Ocean Fathoms, regarding their “illegal underwater wine aging and sales operation.” As part of the agreement, the pair pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors: illegally discharging material into U.S. waters, selling alcohol without a license, and aiding and abetting investor fraud.
Azzaretto and Hahn also forfeited some 2,000 bottles of wine and other alcohol. Authorities disposed of the booze at a wastewater treatment plant before recycling the bottles.
“The defendants operated with complete disregard for laws designed to protect our coastline from harm,” said Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch. “In fact, nearly every aspect of their business was conducted in violation of state or federal law.”
Ocean Fathoms, Azzaretto and Hahn did not respond to requests for comment from The Washington Post.
As early as 2017, Azzaretto and Hahn started depositing metal cages of wine on the ocean floor about a mile off the “environmentally sensitive” Santa Barbara coast, prosecutors said in a news release. They left them on the seafloor for a year, long enough for the reef’s ecosystem to grow on the bottles, prosecutors said. After a year, they allegedly pulled up the crates and sold the wine for as much as $500 a bottle. According to Santa Barbara Magazine article, they put the bottles at depths of more than 70 feet to keep the corks in place and maintain pressurization.
Azzaretto and Hahn did so without obtaining the required permits from the California Coastal Commission or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, prosecutors said.
When combined with salt water, the metals Azzaretto and Hahn used to build the cages created an “underwater battery” that discharged electricity through the water and the bottles of wine, according to the Ocean Fathoms website. They claimed that the ionization broke down tannins, a sediment of mostly grape skins, creating a smoother wine much faster than if the bottles had been aged in a cellar. On its website, Ocean Fathoms describes the process as “a beatifically symbiotic relationship with the ocean.”
In 2021, the state coastal commission found out about Ocean Fathoms’s underwater aging project and sent Azzaretto a letter ordering him to remove all of his wine from the ocean.
The commission eventually forwarded the case to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, which charged Azzaretto and Hahn in December 2022.
Andrew Waterhouse, a wine chemist and professor emeritus in the department of viticulture and enology at the University of California at Davis, does not see a need for underwater aging.
He said while there are benefits to the technique — calm conditions, limited sunlight and consistent, low temperatures — winemakers can get those things with traditional wine cellars without incurring the cost of packing, transporting and depositing thousands of wine bottles on the ocean floor and then doing it all in reverse a year or so later.
In the end, the chemistry of the resultant wine is “not very different or not at all different,” Waterhouse said. But chemical composition isn’t everything, he added. In theory, someone could create a wine that’s chemically identical to one from a famous high-end vineyard, but it still wouldn’t have the same terroir — the entire natural environment that goes into making a wine, including soil, climate and topography.
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Rombauer Sells to E & J Gallo
When we first opened The WineSellar & Brasserie, we were visited by Koerner Rombauer and his son. They would fly down in Koerner’s private aircraft and camp at the wine bar for a long lunch. We did Rombauer Winemaker Dinners back in 1990-1991. Also, we were invited to stary in their guest house at the winery, and BBQ’d with them a few times.
Lovely people, and happy for the family . . . GP
Rombauer Vineyards, one of the most recognizable producers in Napa Valley, has been sold to the massive wine company E. & J. Gallo Winery, the company behind brands including Barefoot Wine, Andre, and Dark Horse. The North Bay Business Journal reported news of the sale on Wednesday, noting that the purchase price was undisclosed.
Rombauer has been a family-owned winery since its founding in 1980 and operates a cozy tasting room perched above the Silverado Trail, as well as a second, newer tasting room in the Sierra Foothills. Both were included in the sale along with the Rombauer brand, “three winery and production facilities ... and more than 700 acres of vineyards in Napa, Sonoma and Amador counties,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Rombauer is best known for its heavily oaked and buttery chardonnay, a style that the winery is widely credited with popularizing and has since become synonymous with “California chardonnay” — for better or worse. Founder Koerner Rombauer, who was the great-nephew of Joy of Cooking author Irma Rombauer, died in 2018, after which his son, K.R. Rombauer, took over running the family business. K.R. tells the Chronicle the family decided “the best path forward for the winery was to transition it to another family-owned business with greater resources.”
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Cheers!
Gary Parker, Owner
The WineSellar & Brasserie
2022 Pinot Grigio, Cold Creek Ranch, Laird
Growing Region Los Carneros, Napa Valley, California
Varietal Composition 100% Pinot Grigio
Fermentation 100% Stainless Steel
Alcohol Content 13.8%
Suggested Retail $25.00
WineSellar Club Price $21.59
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: For consulting winemakers Paul Hobbs and Julian Gonzalez, the attraction to help the Laird’s craft their own wines began simply with their family. With Ken having over 40 years in the business, they recognized that he truly understood the ‘ins-and-outs’ of the industry and were able to meet the unique trends and challenges of the wine business. Paul and Julian saw Ken’s determination and knew he was in it for the long run, not simply for hobby’s sake. They also believed the combined vineyard expertise of Justin and Ken was tough to beat. Lastly, there was a shared vision and goal to produce great, estate wines.
The site got its name from vineyard workers that had reported seeing children between the rows of vines, and when approached, they would vanish.
Appearance:
Clear bottle and screw cap, two of my favorite packaging components for a soon to be consumed white wine. You can see what you’re getting, and you can get right to it. The dye cut label is distinctive, but I find the font more difficult read than it should be. The wine has a nice clearness, with straw hue, excellent viscosity, dripping slowly down the wine glass bowl.
Nose:
Beautifully sweet and fresh, kind of like a rainwater character with melon and exotic fruits. Got a touch of macadamia nut and sesame along with the honeydew melon, tangerine, orange blossom and kumquat.
Texture:
Lively acid on this medium bodied white wine. Smooth on the palate, with a well-crafted edge of acidity pulling the leanness of the grape into a well-balanced affect.
Flavors:
Some tropical notes of guava, kiwi, Honeydew melon and pineapple make first appearances. Refreshing feel, the rainwater comes through on the palate as well. Very consistent wine over the years I have had it.
Serving Suggestions:
Summer is still here! Drink in the back yard, by the pool of grill, or enjoy indoors with light appetizers.
2020 Shiraz-Tannat, Eagles Cliff - Arendskloof
Growing Region Breed River Valley, South Africa
Varietal Composition Shiraz and Tannat, Unspecified
Fermentation 8 Months in French Oak
Alcohol Content 15.0%
Suggested Retail $26.00
WineSellar Club Price $23.39
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Eagle’s Cliff Wine Cellar has existed since 1882 and is situated in the beautiful Breede River Valley. The company New Cape Wines was founded in 2000 by owner and winemaker, Christiaan Groenewald, who lives and works on the estate with his two sons. Christiaan Groenewald is one of only five winemakers to have received the prestigious Diners Club Winemaker of the Year award, twice!
The Estate’s premium wines are marketed under the Arendskloof label, whilst the primary estate wines are marketed under the Eagle’s Cliff label. Arendskloof bottles display the word ‘Voetspore’ on the front. This literally translates to “footprints”. The Groenewald family are so passionate about sustainability that Christiaan says when he leaves his vineyard one day all he wants left behind are his footprints.
Appearance:
Nice looking package overall, accented by silver embossing. Clear and concise label in appropriate shape and sized bottle. The wine has very dark red hue on the edges and is black (opaque) at the core.
Nose:
Fruit forward, black fruits are quite expressive on first pass. Hints of wood are subtle and well-integrated with dark plum, black cherry, blackberry fruits. Spice notes of cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper.
Texture:
You can feel the power of the fruit from the Shiraz and Tannat grapes, but they are kept in line and the palate feel is actually quite smooth, even at 15% alcohol. Medium full on the palate, lingering wide open fruit mix for the finish.
Flavors:
Plum fruit comes through as spicy. Blackberry, black pepper, white pepper, currants and black cherry fruit provide a lovely middle palate. The wood seems to impart a notion of vanilla-chocolate on the finish I find very delightful.
Serving Suggestions:
This big, easy going brute would be fun with spicy Asian foods that can deal with a red wine, along with soft cheeses and a juicy burger.
2018 Sangiovese, Le Vigne
Growing Region Paso Robles, California
Varietal Composition 100% Sangiovese
Fermentation Wood Barrel Fermentation
Alcohol Content 13.5%
Suggested Retail $42.00
WineSellar Club Price $35.99
Broad Strokes: 96 Points Double Gold, Best of Class,
Sunset International Wine Competition, 93 Points Wine Enthusiast
From the Winery: The Filippini family history in the Paso Robles area began in the early 1960’s when winery owner, Sylvia Filippini’s, family purchased the property where Le Vigne winery now stands. Hay and cattle were the main commodities until 1982, when the first grapevines were planted. That time was the catalyst for what evolved into the current Paso Robles wine region. Early on, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were planted to supplement the growing demand of other wine growing regions like Napa and Sonoma. As the vines matured, growers and winemakers began to see real potential for the area with its unique soils, climate and coastal influence.
Appearance:
I love the soulful, personable feel the label gives you. It makes you reflect on the hard work and thought that goes into the production of a gem such as this. Unique style and shape of bottle. The wine is typical looking for an Italian or Californian Sangiovese, with a transparent, lightish hue of cranberry and grays.
Nose:
Strawberry, Raspberry, violets and notes of black tea. I enjoyed the more earthy, unique components of the wine, such as leather, shoe sole, hibiscus, iron, tobacco and yes, asphalt!
Texture:
This is what a Sangiovese wine should feel like in the palate. Medium in body, active, lively acid, balanced on the palate but with a slightly drying finish. There’s a nice silky feel in the middle palate. The wine leveled out wonderfully after about twenty minutes, and I enjoyed the long mouth-watering finish.
Flavors:
Nice black cherry component, with raspberry and pomegranate fruit. Almost like cherry compote with firm acid. The tobacco and cigar leaf has some presence on the palate, along with the black tea, leather, and some Asian spice. The wine has a fabulous, complexity that just keeps coming on with taste sensations.
Serving Suggestions:
Italian foods, what else. This is a winner on your dinner table, making most dishes excel!
2019 Petite Sirah, Source & Sink
Growing Region Sonoma Valley – Sonoma County, Ca.
Varietal Composition 100% Petite Sirah
Fermentation Wood Barrel Fermentation
Alcohol Content 12.6%
Suggested Retail $35.00
WineSellar Club Price $29.69
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Rande Feldman and Aaron Cherny, headed west after growing up in the Windy City and met serendipitously during the 2017 Sonoma grape harvest. Their desire was to develop a new winery to bring their love of Sonoma wines back to their hometown of Chicago. The two are a perfect team with Rande skilled in the Vineyards and Aaron’s knowledge of business. Rande brings in a deep understanding of the wine world from his time in France, New Zealand, Napa, and Western Australia. Aaron was a banker who left his finance life in Chicago for the 2017 harvest and never looked back. Source & Sink functions on the principle that there is a direct positive flow of energy created by the vine's sources (photosynthesis through the leaves) that is later translocated to the vine's point of interest (roots, trunk and ultimately fruit) known as sinks.
Appearance:
Clever name. Perhaps one of the more unique wine labels I have seen for a while. The image and font seem to come from the late 19th Century Plumbers Catalog. Or one of the first Sears Catalogs. I don’t mean that as cruel, I kind of like it. Opaque wine, dark garnet on the edges.
Nose:
Dense aromatics need a lot of time to show all the various scents the wine has to offer. Deep fruit, much like that of Marion berry compote. Some cardamom and cinnamon, herbs and underbrush blend with floral and stone ingredients.
Texture:
Medium to medium full body, this Petite Sirah has a little tannic acid for just a few minutes, and then resolves more to a wine that has five years of aging on it: smooth, complex, acids resolved and melded into the fruit. Long, even finish is very nice.
Flavors:
Look to the notes from the “Nose”, as that translates into the flavors of the wine: Dark berry compote, spices, herbs and hot stones. I also detected a very pleasant smokiness, a touch of vanilla, white pepper, and espresso bean. I really enjoyed the fabulous finish, which is even and long lasting, and I know will improve over time.
Serving Suggestions:
Food pairings: ripe cheeses, BBQ meats with spicy and sweet marinades.
2018 Chianti Classico Riserva, Tenuta Arceno
Growing Region Tuscany, Italy
Varietal Composition 90-10% Sangiovese / Cabernet Sauvignon
Fermentation Ten Months Neutral French Oak
Alcohol Content 14.5%
Suggested Retail $46.00
WineSellar Club Price $41.39
Broad Strokes: 93 Points James Suckling
Through its history, the estate subsequently passed through the ownership of two historically prominent Italian families – the Del Taja family, followed by the Piccolomini family. The Del Taja family purchased the land parcel by parcel in 1504, expanding the estate and adding architectural enhancements.
In 1829, the Del Taja family sold the property to one of the most illustrious families of Siena, the Piccolomini’s, who added to the grandeur of the estate – they built gardens, lakes, and many of the villas that stand on the property today. Continuing its legacy of family ownership, Tenuta di Arceno was acquired by Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke in 1994. It was one of the first estates the Jackson Family purchased outside of California.
Appearance:
Typical bottle shape for Chianti Classico Riserva. Sporting the DOCG necktie and the ethos of the Chianti Classico, the black rooster. Speaking of classic, the etched drawing on the grounds, prototypical, with plenty of verbiage on front and back labels: in Italian. Dark red/purple in color.
Nose:
It is gorgeous, SO Sangiovese! Full, forward & fragrant nose of violets and roses. Ripe fruit aromas of forest floor, red cherries, blueberries & plums with overtones of dried herbs and earthy notes of soil and dust, tea, spices, minerals and a hint of cedar in there somewhere.
Texture:
Medium in body, this is a full modern day styled Chianti Classico, lush, ripe, with exceptional extraction of fruit. Smooth tannins, rich and elegant in the middle, savory on the finish.
Flavors:
Dark fruit, wild cherry, raspberry, red plums, leather, spice, earthy note of gravel-like soil, mineral, tobacco, and herbs of oregano and thyme. Really folks, this is just a fabulous Chianti Classico Riserva, and is deserving of its accolades.
Serving Suggestions:
This will keep nicely for 10-15 years, perhaps more. Serve with pastas!
2019 Zenith Bordeaux Blend, Midnight Cellars
Growing Region Willow Creek District Paso Robles, Ca.
Varietal Composition 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 13% Petite Verdot, 13% Malbec
Fermentation French Oak, 75% New
Alcohol Content 15.5%
Suggested Retail $83.00
WineSellar Club Price $74.69
Broad Strokes: 92 Points Wine Enthusiast
Midnight Cellars is home to the Hartenberger Family, and their small production of award-winning wines. The 28-acre estate is situated in the newly established Willow Creek District, known for its strong maritime influence, mountainous landscape, and calcareous soils. The climate, topography and soil composition create an environment for growing quality, low yield, sustainably farmed grapes. As a family-owned winery for about 20 years, Midnight Cellars prides itself in providing fine wines at enjoyable prices.
The Paso Robles Willow Creek District sits to the West of Paso Robles and Templeton. The topography is high elevation mountainous bedrock slopes across a more erodible member of the Monterey Formation.
Appearance:
I do love the Midnight Cellars packaging. Not all are the same. For the Zenith, we have the midnight package with the moon and cleverly placed stars on the heavy bottle. The wine is very dark, black really, with a dark ruby rim.
Nose:
Beautiful beginnings, the black and red fruits aromas pop through the surrounding vanilla oak. I like that a lot. Some black and white pepper notes, chocolate, hints of crushed herbs and dark soil earth tones are very pleasant.
Texture:
Big entry on the palate with a solid, large, commanding presence. The powerful, concentrated fruit is laced with firm tannins and lively, still youthful acids. The finish is tight and balanced, leaving a large impression.
Flavors:
Beautiful flavors of dark berry, blackberry and blueberry are solid and ripe. The oak adds the vanilla and perhaps a touch of chocolate as well, with the dark soil notes we got on the nose. Nuances of herb, underbrush and black and white pepper. The finish has a bit of cherry-cola flavor, which I think is really cool.
Serving Suggestions:
Keeper in the cellar for 6-15 years, depending on the style of aged wines you like.
Tuna, Chive Oil, Asparagus, Lemon Risotto
Serves six
RISOTTO
Ingredients
- 1 1/2# fresh green asparagus
- 4 oz. sweet butter (1 stick)
- 1 small Spanish onion, minced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- Grated rind of one lemon
- 6 1/2 cups chicken stock (homemade)
- 1/4 cup grated Reggiano parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and ground white pepper
Method
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Trim the asparagus stalks four inches from the tip, Blanche the tops in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes or until cooked, refresh in ice water.
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Slice thinly on the bias and set aside.
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Put the bottoms of the stalks through a juicer and strain the juice through a fine sieve.
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In a large heavy saucepan melt half of the butter over medium-low heat, add the onion and lemon rind, cook until softened but not browned, about three minutes.
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Meanwhile, bring the stock to a simmer in another saucepan.
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Add the rice to the onions, stirring to coat each grain with butter.
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Add 1 cup of the hot stock, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring constantly, until the rice is just tender adding more stock 1/2 cup at a time as the rice absorbs the liquid, about twenty minutes.
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About three-quarters of the way through the cooking process, add the asparagus juice in place of an addition of stock.
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When the rice in tender but still firm (al dente), add the asparagus pieces and heat through.
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Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter and parmesan cheese, season with salt and white pepper.
CHIVE OIL
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 bunches fresh chives, minced
Method
-
Combine olive oil, 2 bunches chives in a small saucepan, heat slowly just until warm, set aside to cool.
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Strain oil though fine sieve into a blender, add the remaining bunch of chives and puree until smooth, push through a fine sieve.
ROASTED TUNA
Ingredients
- 2 1/2-3# fresh sashimi-grade ahi tuna loin, trimmed of all skin and dark red flesh
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 bunch of minced chives
- Small, diced tomatoes or red pepper
Method
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Pre-heat the oven to 450º F.
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Heat the olive oil to just below the smoking point in a large non-stick skillet.
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Coat the tuna with salt and pepper, sear the whole loin in hot pan on all sides, transfer to oven and roast until medium-rare, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the loin.
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Remove tuna from the roasting pan and transfer to a cutting board.
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If desired, a bit of chicken or fish stock can be added to the pan to produce a light jus.
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Divide risotto among six warmed dinner plates, slice tuna loin into twelve pieces and place two pieces in front of the risotto. Top with the pan jus.
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Drizzle with chive oil, minced chives and tomatoes or red peppers.