Settembre Cellars Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 1

Testing
It feels like crush was just yesterday, we can't believe it's almost summer and budbreak is beginning in the vineyards!  The 2009 red wines are all in Barrel and we've been busy testing earlier vintages to get them ready to bottle.  The 2008 Syrah, 2008 Sangiovese and 2009 Riesling are all nestled in our cellar and bottle aging.

Last year's 2008 Riesling was extraordinarily well received, and long since sold out. The 2008 Riesling was dry by style; it had about 1% residual sugar which was balanced by high acidity and low pH in such a way that one's palate perceived the wine as dry.  Although a style we prefer, we weren't sure how well the wine would be received given so many of the commonly available Rieslings are very noticeably sweet.  This year we've gone a step further and produced a Riesling that is dry by residual sugar as well, and to maintain balance the wine has a bit lower acidity yet maintains a round mouth feel.

In addition, coming this summer watch for the  release of our 2008 Sangiovese, 2008 Syrah, and two 2008 Cabernet Sauvignons that  were produced from two different vineyards (both from Palisade, one upon the Mesa and one from the Valley floor near the mouth of the canyon).  Like all of our wines these are produced with 100% Colorado grown grapes: Colorado Grapes, Boulder Wine.

Bicicletta
We have recently expanded our bicycle delivery zone to include most of Boulder in addition to an updated bicycle delivery pricing which includes free bicycle delivery for qualifying orders. If you're right near the winery, you can get a single bottle delivered for free. For those of you who prefer, or are outside of our bicycle delivery zone, we also ship via FedEx to Colorado, California, and North Dakota. If you have a state you'd like to see us ship to, let us know!

Futures
To address the requests of those who expressed interest in purchasing our next vintage of Sangiovese & Riesling, both of which previously sold out quickly, we are offering the option to purchase these bottles before they release. Not only will you be assured you won't miss out, you'll also receive 5% off the release price. Check out our on-line store and place your futures orders for the: 2009 Riesling , 2008 Sangiovese , and 2008 Syrah . All futures purchases will be shipped the week following release.

Mangiamo
One of the great attributes of Boulder is the multitude of very good restaurants. If you're going out to dine in Boulder, you can now ask for Settembre Cellars wine at two of our favorite Boulder restaurants Black Cat & Trattoria on Pearl. If you missed out on our 2008 Chardonnay , you can find the last remaining bottles for sale at the Black Cat .

Crush Crew
For those of you who were part of our Crush Crew, and now members of our Friends and Family club, we'll have a Thank You party this summer. Watch for the invitation! Want to be a member of our Friends & Family club? It's easy, simply sign-up today for the Crush Crew. When you receive the invitation for a volunteer day at the winery, RSVP, spend a morning or afternoon sipping wine and sorting grapes and you're in: folks who participate in one of these volunteer work days become members of our Friends and Family club. Register for a website account and then choose the Dashboard from your user account to add the Crush Crew to your groups.

80304
Wondering how to get your hands on our extremely limited über local red wine, 80304, which is grown in our tiny North Boulder backyard? Here's your chance! This summer Settembre Cellars, in partnership with 63rd Street Farm, introduces a Wine Share, and while supplies last, a bottle of the 2008 80304 will be included in the mezza, dozzina, and venti wine shares.

We are offering 3 share sizes: mezza (6 bottles) , dozzina (12 bottles) , and venti (20 bottles) . All wine shares purchased will come with case-discount pricing (10%) on additional bottles purchased during the upcoming 20-week CSW season. In addition, the venti share will include not only Settembre Cellars wines, but also wines from other Colorado wineries that we have hand selected to showcase some of the finest wines being produced in Colorado. You'll be able to pick up your wines Thursdays at the 63rd Street Farm along with farm fresh veggies from their Community Supported Agriculture CSA share.

If you'd like to sign up for a share check out our online WineShop . For those of you in our Bicycle Delivery Zone and zipcode 80304, if you prefer we will offer bicycle delivery of your wine share at no charge.

Pairing Suggestions
Our Friends & Family Club members may experience déjà vu with this pairing suggestion. We're big fans of good pizza, which to us is thin on the crust, light on the cheese, and topped with simple garden fresh ingredients. Our 2007 Syrah , which many tasters have noted is in the style of a Syrah from the Northern Rhône, has both spice and an acid balance that can sing with food. This pizza is one such pairing, where the spice of the sauce can compliment the wine. The first 'secret': yeast is for wine not our thin crust pizza!

2007 Settembre Cellars Syrah & Thin Crust Pizza
	8 Diced San Marzano (or Roma) Tomatoes Sprig of Rosemary 2 Basil Leaves 5 tbls Olive Oil 5 Cloves Garlic tsp Crushed Red Pepper tsp Crushed Aleppo Red Pepper pinch of Salt 2 Cups Flour 3 tbls Olive Oil 1/2 cup Water (perhaps a touch more) tsp Salt 4 Garden Fresh Tomatoes one-dozen Basil Leaves Shredded Mozzarella Parmigiano-Reggiano Pecorino Romano hot pepper infused olive oil 2007 Syrah (a limited number of cases remain)
For the sauce the main ingredient is time, it needs to simmer long and low, the longer the better to allow the flavors to integrate. I like to start with the garlic, crush, and place in pan with the olive oil heated to medium and cook until a very light golden color (be careful not to overcook, the garlic should remain soft) and then reduce the heat to low. Add the fresh chopped tomatoes, leaves of the rosemary sprig, 2 leaves of ripped basil, the crushed red peppers, and simmer uncovered. In Boulder you can find a selection of great olive oils at Olive You & Me and the spices right next door at Savory Spice Shop . Un-cork the Syrah pour a glass and give it some time to open, it serves best at room temperature so if you're pulling the bottle from your cellar it will require a couple of hours to reach serving temperature. Preheat the oven with the baking stone to 425F. Mix the pizza crust, it should be supple, and not sticky (it's a balancing act between the flour and water, add the latter sparingly) and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Break the dough into about 3 equal sized pieces. Roll out the dough nice and thin (about 14" in diameter), sprinkle semolina on the pizza peal and then transfer the dough to the peal. Lightly cover the crust with sauce, add a restrained and dispersed covering of mozzarella, a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and just a touch of Pecorino Romano. For toppings: garden fresh sliced tomatoes and basil leaves (whole or ripped). Brush the edge of the crust with the hot pepper infused olive oil and bake until the crust just begins to turn golden. We drizzle the finished pizza with the hot pepper infused olive oil as well. Buon Appetito!

Facebook
If you use facebook and haven't already, please join us by selecting the "Like" button on Settembre Cellars Facebook Page. We have a special announcement about a new opportunity for enjoying Settembre Cellars wine in Boulder: we'll post the details to our Fan Page (and website) as soon as the details are solidified.

Twitter
Do you Tweet? Follow us at: @SettembreVino (Blake) and @BoulderWinery (Tracy) we look forward to following your tweets too!

If you've made it this far, we hope you've enjoyed the latest edition of Settembre Cellars Newsletter!

Until next time, here's to sunny summer days for sipping chilled Chardonnay giving way to star-filled skies under which to sip Colorado Cabernet!

Ciao!

Blake & Tracy