The Winemaker: Bargetto Winery
"In Vino Veritas" (Truth in Vine)
Updated 04/06/2007
The Founders
The Bargetto winemaking heritage began with brothers Phillip and John Bargetto who emigrated from Castelnuovo Don Bosco, a small town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. They brought with them years of winegrowing experience when they established BARGETTO WINERY on the banks of Soquel Creek in California.
Phillip was the first to depart Italy in 1891 at the age of seventeen. In the early years, he worked in the vineyards of Casa Delmas Winery in Mountain View. In 1909, he was joined in California by his brother, John. By 1913, they had become partners in an apple ranch near Zayante in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where they grew and sold fruits and vegetables.
Phillip and John purchased the present site of BARGETTO WINERY in 1918 and began making wine out of an old barn on the property. During Prohibition (1919-1933), the brothers continued to make wine for family and friends, while they continued to sell produce to local customers. They also grew apples at the family ranch in Soquel.
When Prohibition ended in 1933, the brothers devoted more time to the wine business. They began a wine wholesale business, while they continued to sell produce wholesale.
Phillip Bargetto passed away in 1936 and John was left the sole owner of the business throughout the 1940s and 1950s. He continued to produce wine and sell wholesale and retail. He was joined by his sons Ralph and Lawrence during these years.The Next Generation
The Bargetto Family winemaking heritage continued with John's
son Lawrence during the 1960s and 1970s. He introduced modern technology such as
stainless steel fermentation, barrel aging, and added new Santa Cruz Mountains
varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. He also created the CHAUCER'S
line of dessert-style wines.
Today
The third generation of Bargettos now direct the operation of
the winery. BARGETTO WINERY represents the oldest continuous-operation winery in
the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their pioneering spirit continued with the
establishment of Bargetto Regan
Vineyard Estate, near Corralitos, California in 1992. Here, cool-climate
varietals like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio are carefully nurtured
to produce BARGETTO WINERY's estate wines. In keeping with the family heritage,
the winery has also begun to experiment with northern Italian varietals grown in
it's estate vineyard.
Source: Bargetto History + Facts Copyright © BARGETTO WINERY. All rights reserved.
Note from Fred McMillin's Wine Day, April 21, 1997 - "Today, the Bargetto family still operates the winery. Their Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon draw the most attention...but they have another winner, a BIG winner. It's won nine successive Gold Medals. The 1992 beat all the competition for most awards for that varietal, which is Gewurztraminer. They produce both a dry and an off-dry (has a tad of sugar). My tasters gave a slight edge to the dry."
About the Writer: Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College and is Northern California Editor for American Wine on the Web. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.Also from Fred: Years ago in Europe, there was a grape variety named TRAMINER. "Gewurz" ("spice" in German) was tacked on to draw attention to a clone of the grape which sports a spicy character. Winegrowers find Gewürztraminer (geh-VURTS-trah- meen-er) is almost as hard to produce as it is to pronounce. The grapes don't attain any character until fully ripe, and make a flabby, uninteresting wine when over-ripe. The difference between these two events can be just hours; one exasperated winemaker says, "to pick Gewürztraminer at its peak, you have to SLEEP IN THE VINEYARD." ...Vinifera Wine Growers Journal. Postscript: Think Pink - For those who like the nitty gritty, there are three Traminers, white, pink and blue. Only the pink is spicy. For further details, see the Oxford Companion to Wine, p.446. And who were the first to appreciate the Traminer enough to take some home from its hideaway in the Alps? It was those wine-loving Romans.
If you have additions/corrections/comments to the information, please contact me with your information Thank you, Mike Reilly
According to winery information received 2/4/2005, Bargetto has been producing Gewürztraminers since the 1970's. Wines listed by descending vintage year,
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Gewürztraminer Monterey County 2004, $12; The welcome return of the off-dry Gewurztraminer has been eagerly anticipated by many. This year we were able to secure several tons of grapes from the premium Monterey County grower, Schied Vineyards. The resulting wine is pure Gewurztraminer. It has a spicey nose with lemon, honeysuckle, and floral notes that are mirrored in the mouth. The 2004 vintage is slightly less sweet than previous vintages. Even so, it still has a healthy 1 gram per liter of residual sugar.
Gewürztraminer Santa Cruz Mountains Dry 2002,
Bianca 2002 blend of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and a pinch of Gewurztraminer, this wine is aromatic with citrus and honeysuckle. $12
Gewürztraminer Dry 2000, Monterey County, DALLAS MORNING NEWS WINE COMPETITION: Silver Medal; SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: Lychee, peach, apple with orange-peel aromatics and some spice; good lively fruit, rich in mouth; round body, long and intense; clean finish.
David Marglin - 2000 Bargetto Gewürztraminer Monterey California. Sharp, tight, tingly, not overly fruity, but still has enough peach notes to flatter spicy foods and shellfish. Try it with kung pao delights of three.
Bucko's New Releases © 2002 by Randy Buckner, Nov. 23, 2002, 2000 Bargetto, Gewurztraminer, Monterey, California, $10, 1,500 cases. A very delightful bouquet, filled with lychee fruit, grapefruit and floral notes. Off-dry at 1.6% residual sugar, the wine offers honest fruit flavors and decent acidity for the grape. 85/86.
Gewürztraminer 1999, Monterey County
Gewürztraminer Regan Reserve Vineyard 1999, won Bronze at Santa Cruz Mountains Commercial Wine Competition. Regan Vineyards is BARGETTO Winery's estate vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. With nearly 40 acres planted with twelve different varieties and clones, Regan Vineyards is one of the largest and most diverse vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation. The fifty-acre site sits atop a hilly knoll and receives cool breezes off the Monterey Bay.
Gewürztraminer Dry 1998, Santa Cruz Mountains, RESTAURANT WINE: A fine Gewurztraminer. It is supple, full-bodied, dry and intensely flavored (litchi nut, rose petal, pineapple), with a very long finish. Excellent.
Gewürztraminer Monterey County 1997, CA, Style - Fred McMillin's Wine Day, June 23, 1999 This was the off-dry, which I find increases the honeysuckle charm of the grape. Bargetto also makes an Alsacian-like dry model, which sells very well. Rating - RECOMMENDED. Excellent value at $9. Food Affinities - My students enjoy it with spicy cuisine, be it Mexican or Asian. Price - $9.
Beverage Corner by Dave DeSimone Thursday, November 18, 1999; 1997 Lawrence J. Bargetto Winery, Dry Gewürztraminer, "Barrel Fermented," Santa Cruz Mountains, California (Specialty 3477, $12.69): The wine has classic aromas of citrus, rose petals and lychees with hints of smoky oak. Flavors of citrus and honey combine with excellent acidity leading to a lingering, dry finish.
Gewürztraminer Santa Cruz Mountains Dry 1996, CA, $12
Gewürztraminer 1995, Med. Dry
Gewürztraminer 1994, Med. Dry
Gewürztraminer 1993, Med. Dry
83JL Gewürztraminer Monterey County 1992, Santa Cruz Mountains, ?AGewürztraminer 1991, Med. Dry
Gewürztraminer 1990, Med. Dry
Gewürztraminer 1989, Med. Dry
Gewürztraminer 1988, Med. Dry
73RP Gewürztraminer 1987, Med. Dry, Santa Cruz, Gold medal, Los Angeles County Fair
Gewürztraminer 1986, Med. Dry, Gold medal, International Eastern Fair
Paul Wofford, Bargetto Winery (Winemakers in the kitchen, Vintners explore their chef side By June Smith Special to the Sentinel)
For Paul Wofford, winemaker at Bargetto Winery, wine making
and cooking are similar. He starts with a mental image of how he wants the
finished product to taste and appear. When creating an enjoyable meal, he blends
the differing components of the food, adding the nuances of spices and cooking
techniques to enhance the overall enjoyment.
He follows a similar process in making wine. In the end, presentation, aroma and flavor have all been combined to please the senses. With food, however, he gets to enjoy his accomplishments much sooner.
"The ultimate in self-gratification is to be able to share a splendid meal and a wonderful bottle of wine, both of which you have created," says Paul.
Another of Paul’s passions is fishing in Monterey Bay. This recipe for Chinook (King) salmon is an old favorite.
Grilled Salmon with
CilantroYogurt Sauce
½ cup olive
oil
1 cup chopped cilantro
16 oz. plain yogurt
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup chopped green onion Lemon juice (2 lemons)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 large grapefruit (see alternative grilling method)
Marinate the salmon in the olive oil and half the cilantro for 1 to 4 hours. Mix together the yogurt, remaining cilantro and green onions. Slowly mix in the white wine and lemon juice. Warm slightly on the stove or next to the grill.
Grill salmon steaks or fillets as you normally would and top with the yogurt sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro and nasturtiums.
As an alternative for grilling the salmon, cut a grapefruit, orange or other citrus into rounds. Place the rounds directly on the grill and place the salmon steaks or fillets on top of the citrus rounds. This allows the salmon to slowly steam on the grill. Add more rounds when you turn the salmon. It’s almost impossible to overcook the salmon using this technique. You will not get the grill marks unless you put the fish on the grill for a short period and then transfer it onto the citrus rounds. Serve on a heated platter covered with the sauce.
This grilling technique works exceptionally well with a whole salmon, and nothing is more impressive than bringing a whole fish to the table. Sauce serves 6 to 8 people.
Paul says many wines can complement this dish, but his two favorites are pinot noir and Gewurztraminer, from Bargetto Winery of course. The bright cherry and smoky oak flavor of pinot noir provides a balance to the richness of the fish and the cilantro sauce. Dry Gewurztraminer’s pronounced forward-spice aromas, and crisp delicate finish also work well with the richness of the salmon. Not recommended are oaky Chardonnays or heavy red wines.
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