Amador Foothill Winery

Amador Foothill Winery and Chef Beth Sogaard invite you to

A Mediterranean Feast

Friday, March 2nd, 2012, 6:30pm

at Amador Vintage Market, Plymouth, CA

Appetizers in the Wine Bar
2009 Dry Semillon and 2010 Rosato of Sangiovese

Caponata Bruschetta
tender roasted peppers, eggplant, capers and tomatoes
on parmesan toasts with fresh basil
Albondigas in White Wine Parsley Sauce
pork tenderloin meatballs with aioli
Caprese Salad Skewers
a specialty skewer with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil

 Dinner in the Vintner’s Room 

Paella with Lobster, Mussels & Chorizo
saffron tomato broth, fennel and paprika breadsticks
2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Woodland Mushroom & Prosciutto Salad
baby arugula, shaved parmigiana, porcini balsamic reduction
2007 Sangiovese

Grilled Lamb Tenderloins on Petite Lentils du Pays
grilled seasonal vegetables, chevre, onion confit and pancetta demi glace
2008 Aglianico

Wine Poached Pear
stuffed with gorgonzola mousse, candied walnuts, spiced wine drizzle
2008 Late Harvest Semillon

Vegetarian/Special Diet Alternative Available with Advance Notice

Price Per Guest: $72.00 all inclusive

Foothill Fanatic Club members: $62.oo

Tickets may be purchased by calling the winery at 1-800-778-9463

Seating is limited.  No Refunds.

Amador Vintage Market is located at 9393 Main St, Plymouth, CA

We had over 50 photo entries for our first Fall Colors photo contest.  The majority of images were taken in the Aglianico vineyard.  When we planted this Southern Italian grape variety in 2003, we did not know we were getting the added reward of such brilliant red foliage.

Daniel D’Agostini, noted local photographer and author of Into the Earth – a Wine Cave Renaissance, was hard pressed to select the winners:

1st Place, Teresa Yost, Folsom, CA

2nd Place, Tie, Terry Neville, Oakland, CA

2nd Place, Tie, Mishi Watanabe, Jackson, CA

3rd Place, Steven Tze, Ione, CA

California wineries are used to near perfect growing conditions year after year. However, 2011 has been a challenge: this was the second year in a row with cool spring and early summer weather conditions, delaying bud break and diminishing fruit set.  Most grape varieties had much lower crop levels throughout the state.

At Amador Foothill Winery the low crop levels had an up side: Zinfandel purchased from the Esola and Clockspring vineyards had smaller clusters and were harvested well before any rainfall. Both lots had sugar levels of 25 degrees brix with excellent flavors.  Plus, we got the tonnage we requested from both vineyards.

The estate Sauvignon Blanc was also harvested before the rain. All our other grapes survived the rains without mold or rot and did not seem at all dilute in flavor.  In particular, the estate Sangiovese, Aglianico and Grenache grapes yielded juice with fine concentration and good color.  Sugar levels at harvest were generally lower than many years, and the resulting lower alcohols should ensure well-balanced wines.  While we experienced some estate varieties with lower yields, all and all, we expect the 2011 vintage to be exceptional at Amador Foothill.

State Fair Gold, 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Gold and Best of Region, California State Fair

Silver, Orange County Fair

2010 Rosato of Sangiovese

Gold, Orange County Fair

Silver, Amador County Fair

2007 Sangiovese

Silver, California State Fair

Silver, Amador County Fair

Silver, Riverside International

Bronze, Orange County Fair

2007 Katie’s Cote

Silver, California State Fair

Bronze, Orange County Fair

Jim Gordon’s new masterpiece, Opus Vino, is the first major wine book since Hugh Johnson’s Atlas of Wines published in the 1970s.  It is about 800 pages and covers over 4,000 wines world wide.  The focus is on producers with consistent high quality, as well as rising stars.

Amador Foothill Winery  Amador County

The husband – wife team of Ben Zeitman and

Katie Quinn release the finest single-vineyard Zinfandels in the Sierra Foothills.  The elegance for which these wines are known is also evident in one of the few clear and vigorous Sangioveses to emerge from the Foothills, and in the complex Katie’s Cote, an almost 50/50 blend of Syrah and Grenache.  The Semillon comes close to these, but others do not quite attain the same level.

Katie’s Cote Rhone Blend

Wine blends abound throughout the world: Bordeaux whites and reds, Super Tuscans, and of course, the great wines of the southern Rhone.  Winemakers over the years have combined individual varietals into more interesting and complex products.

In 1999 and 2000 at Amador Foothill, we planted Syrah and Grenache, mainly from the renowned vineyards of Chateau de Beaucastel.  Originally, there were no specific plans for these two varieties, other than to upgrade some of our vineyards with high quality plantings.

When the first barrels of Syrah and Grenache were evaluated in July of 2004, we had an epiphany: every barrel was very good on its own, but when all the Syrah and Grenache were combined, the blend was surprisingly enhanced.  The Syrah, blended with the pretty fruit of the Grenache, bestowed a stronger structure and a firm, tannic grip.  This held true in subsequent years regardless of the ratio. (Blends have ranged from 46% to 60% Syrah.)

Wearing his marketing hat while preparing the wine label, Ben suggested the name “Katie’s Cote”.  They both enjoyed Cote du Rhone wines. Why not market this wine as Katie’s take on a Rhone blend?  This moniker has worked well, aiding in brisk sales of the early releases.

Food pairings:  Katie’s Cote is an ideal wine for hearty dishes such as roasts, stews, game, lasagna, and cassoulet.