The Buds are Bursting! The snow has melted and the vines are waking up and getting ready to do what they do best. The soil begins to warm and the sap starts to flow in the vines, pushing out the tiny leaves that will make our 2016 vintage wines. Bud break is nature s way of telling us that the fun is just beginning. The excitement of this year s ups and downs, with all its unknowns, begins with this small bud. In the tasting rooms, our teams are busy with spring cleaning, training new Wine Consultants and planning great new educational events. We hope to see you at one of these fun experiences. In the back of the winery, the crew has been adding some new tanks and bottling equipment. In addition to having baby Emilie in January, Winemaker Nancie, along with her lab team, have been closely monitoring the progression of the wines in barrels and tanks, making adjustments as needed. Many wines are in the final stages getting ready for botteling. Still Master Larry has been working on some new rum and gin to be released this spring- another great reason to plan a visit! The spring also has many of our taste buds craving lighter wines. We are excited to share with you some of our new releases which are perfect for the season, like Sauvignon Blanc, Sweet Nancie Blueberry, Serious Rosé and the return of. So many delicious reasons to be excited about spring! April is Michigan Wine Month Celebratewith St. Julian! As Michigan s oldest and most awarded winery, St. Julian has been making wine from 100% Michigan fruit for 95 years! We are proud to work alongside our growers, winemakers, distributors and all lovers of wine who support this amazing industry. Cheers to the Great Lakes State & Great Wines!
Nancie Oxley, Winemaker This past winter was unseasonably mild, yet our vines were able to harden off for the winter and rest for the coming season. That s great news as we are hoping to recover from the significant damage to the vines sustained during the harsh winters of 2014 and 2015. With spring comes the warmth and sunshine needed to awaken the vines. We are cautious with the warm weather projections since the vines are primed for bud break. Early bud break means greater potential for spring frost damage. Fingers crossed that our Michigan warm up is slow and steady, giving the vines an unhurried wake up call to start the 2016 vintage. ( As of the second week of March, when this newsletter went to print, the weather was cooperating!) Our April new release wines come from the 2015 vintage. While 2015 was limited on quantity due to the winter damage, the quality of the fruit we did harvest was exceptional. Many of you ask how we determine which wines to feature each quarter for Wine Club. Priority access to new-release and limited quantity wines is one of the great perks of Wine Club! While we wish we had enough of every wine to give to every member, Mother Nature does play a hand in the selection process. Harsh weather means less wine to share. New release wines are allocated for different clubs depending on the number of bottles produced and the number of members in each club level. All members receive exclusive selections, but for some of the extremely small lot wines, we reserve them for our 4 and 6 bottle club levels due to availability. Here are a few favorites we are excited to share this quarter! Those of you lucky enough to have experienced in October 2014, know that this wine quickly sold out. It became one of our most requested wines to bring back. We heard you! It s out of love for our sweet wine members that we decided to re-release this wine. Pure Michigan honey from Christensen Family Apiaries in White Pigeon, MI, is infused into the blend of Vidal, Seyval and Cayuga wine, which is a very difficult and involved process. It takes over 1 pound of honey to make 1 gallon of wine! The result is flavors of honey with hints of peach blossom and honeycomb, perfect with so many spring dishes! One of our staff s all-time favorites for the warmer weather is a nice, crisp dry Rose and we are so excited about the return of this wine. The 2015 BR Serious Rose is made in the traditional saignee method, or bleeding off method, from the red varieties Chambourcin, Pinot noir, Merlot, Cabernet franc and Chancellor. This juice only comes into contact with the skins and seeds for a short amount of time, producing a light and fruity wine that is pink in color. This refreshing dry blend gains beautiful color and structure from the Chambourcin and Chancellor. The Pinot noir gives it the bright flavors of strawberry and raspberry, as well as the acidity. The Merlot and Cabernet franc add a touch of complexity. This wine is seriously perfect for spring and summer. We have many favorite wines here at the winery, but this may be our alltime most loved white wine. The 2015 BR Sauvignon Blanc is Estate grown on 2 acres at our Mountain Road Vineyard in Coloma. This variety LOVES the Mountain Road Vineyard. The soil is gravely, which allows for good drainage so the roots can dig deep and don t get what we call wet feet. Located on a hill, Mt. Road s elevation gives the vines good sun exposure during the day, which builds the citrus flavors, and then cools them off at night. This temperature shift helps to build the beautiful acid that is classic to this wine. Also, this higher elevation helps reduce winter kill on the vines. Crisp flavors of grapefruit and passionfruit are perfect for the warmer weather. Our Sauvignon blanc is very limited. We actually painstakingly hand bottled this vintage so as not to waste a drop! St. Julian President David Braganini and his brother John have plans to expand the Sauvignon blanc vineyard at Mountain Road. In the future, we will have more to enjoy! Also, we do plan on having some available at our Vino in the Vines events this summer. This is another great reason to come visit us at Mountain Road! What wines would you recommend for people who think they only like beer? Cassidy Browning Fargo, ND So many people identify themselves as only a beer drinker. Yet beers and wines have many of the same flavor profiles. For every style of beer, there is a complimentary style of wine. Here are some suggestions to try! Light Beer (lagers and pilsner): Known for being light, crisp and refreshing this is the most popular style of beer in the world. Light beer is usually lower in alcohol content and is light in color, making for an easy drinking beer for any occasion. A great wine choice would be an easy drinking one that is refreshing and bubbly like Sweet Nancie Sparkling Traminette or MI Brut Champagne. Also, our SJ Reisling doesn t have bubbles but it s crisp & refreshing. Indian Pale Ale (IPAs): Pale ales are richer, heavier and fruitier. They can be sweet while being bitter. A wine that compliments an IPA would have a nice balance of fruit and tannin. Our Braganini Reserve Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc are lighter in body and have balanced tannic (bitter) notes that are popular among IPA beers. Wheat Ale: This style of beer is only lightly hopped and offers a smooth, creamy texture with a range of flavor profiles from slightly sweet to notes of citrus and coriander. Wheat ale drinkers should consider trying our Braganini Reserve Chardonnay, which offers a smooth buttery sensation with notes of citrus and oak. Dark Beer (porter and stout): This style of beer is dark, earthy, robust and known for having chocolate and coffee notes. Dark beer drinkers will enjoy a strong wine to accompany their strong taste, something like our Braganini Reserve Syrah, Meritage or Chancellor could be very satisfying for their palate.
Meet our Grower Great wines come from great fruit. At St. Julian, we pride ourselves on being a Pure Michigan winery. We use 100% southwest Michigan fruit grown by local farmers, many who have been working with St. Julian for generations. The healthy relationships that St. Julian has with its growers is a key factor to the quality of wines we produce year after year. We would like to introduce you to Dan Nitz. He, along with his father Jim and daughter Ashley, have been growing grapes on their land in Baroda, MI since the turn of the century. How did you get involved with growing grapes? Dan: It s a family business. My great grandpa had juice grapes dating back to the early 1900s. My dad is 3 rd generation, I m 4 th and Ashley is 5 th generation. Ashley has a son, so technically we have 6. We now have 368 acres with 268 acres being wine grapes. We began selling grapes to St. Julian back in the 1970s. Ashley, what is your role in the family business? Ashley: I run errands, clean the equipment, mow and paint posts. I m just trying to learn as much as I can. We are building a Wedding Barn on one of our vineyards and I ve been working on that. What grapes do you grow? Dan: About 20 varieties. We grow vinifera, hybrid and juice grapes. Our vinifera are Riesling, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Albariño, Cabernet franc and Merlot, The hybrids are Traminette, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Foch and Vidal blanc. A lot of our wine grapes died last year from the cold. We pulled all the Cabernet sauvignon and Syrah. Syrah was pulled out by just about everyone. They make a nice big bunch and are easy to grow, but the winters make them tender. We ve just begun to pull down sprouts and then fold them down and cover them with straw. That way if there is another cold spell they don t freeze. So we could go back to growing these picky ones like Syrah, Cabernet sauvignon and Pinot blanc. What are some of your favorite varietals? Dan: To drink, I like Albariño, Sauvignon blanc and Riesling. To grow, it s Chambourcin. It s easy and doesn t get disease because it has a nice big bunch. It s loose, so you don t get bunch rot. The tight cluster ones, like Riesling and Pinot gris, are so tight that if you get half an inch of rain, they split and start to go bad. Since you ve been in the business, how has the Michigan Wine Industry changed? Dan: In the 1980s and earlier, we treated the wine grapes like we do the juice grapes. We trimmed, sprayed and harvested them. Today is very different. We pull the leaves around the grapes at least 3 times to make sure the sun exposure is constant because it builds color, sugar and flavor. We never used to thin before. Now, if the vines are producing too much fruit, we trim off extra bunches so the fruit flavors concentrate. We ll take the top bunches and leave the bottom bunches because you get better quality closer to the cane. We ve learned that if we go over 4 tons per acre the quality of the juice goes down hill and St. Julian won t accept the grapes. You have to have good quality fruit to make good quality wine. We go to lots of growing and wine conferences and are always learning. Every year we are getting better. Michigan was hanging 40 or 50 years behind the rest of the world and now we are catching up and our wines are really really good. We compete with the world now and everyone puts their heart into it. What do you want people to know about Michigan wines? Dan: Southwest Michigan makes some really great wine! We keep the acids in the grapes because of the cold nights. Out west, it s just so hot that they bake all their fruit flavors out. It s always warm and their acid drops out and they have to add citric acid to balance their wines. Our acid is natural and the cold nights keeps our fruity flavors. Our white wines we have down to a T and the reds are getting better and better. St. Julian puts the growers names on the bottle and that gives us pride and makes us do a better job in the vineyard. It shows in the quality of the wines and we make some darn good wines.
GET IN THE Spirit s We are excited to announce that Still Master Larry Gilbert has crafted 2 new spirits using our Christian Carl Copper Still! Named for Winery President David s children, Angela and Gene, A & G Rum and A & G Gin will be released this spring. Last summer, Larry experimented with some prototype stills creating small batches using botanicals like fennel, black pepper, juniper berry and vanilla. After many experiments, the final formulas were determined. Look for updates on its release at www.stjulian.com A & G GIN In order to make gin, Larry starts with our vodka made from grapes. He then takes his secret blend of botanicals and puts them in a basket. The vodka is then distilled again, steeping it in the botanicals throughout the distillation process. This added distillation makes for a very smooth spirit. It is through the addition of these herbs and spices that the vodka becomes gin. So delicious with aromas of juniper blossoms and wildflowers, this gin has nice fruit flavors with anise seed and a great lemon finish. Here at the winery, we are loving it on ice with a splash of soda; or straight up as Martini. It s very refreshing and perfect for warmer weather! A & G RUM Rum MUST be made from cane sugar, cane juice or molasses. Larry used white cane sugar mixed with water and then fermented this mixture. When fermentation was complete, it was distilled and stored in barrels. The rum was then aged in oak barrels to give it a nice vanilla finish. This rum is amber in color with aromas of toffee, mocha and spice. It s a delicious, lightly spiced rum perfect with tropical flavors, like pineapple and orange. Try a Michigan Tornado Warning: 2 oz. A & G Rum, 5 oz. Ginger Beer or ginger ale and fresh lime. Then hang on! Members of St. Julian St. Julian has Wine Club members across the nation, each with a unique connection to the winery. It s through these individual stories that we realize we are part of a shared culture; one where the experience of enjoying wine makes life more beautiful. Share your St. J story and connect with us! I m a southwest MI girl with a small business and I love supporting all things local; from the ingredients I use in my products to the wine I drink it s Michigan-centric. What s good for the community is good for me and that s why I ll always be a SJ lover! BR Traminette & Niagara are my favorites! Indy Huggett; owner OrganicSkinShop Three Rivers, MI We can t wait to get our St. Julian wines every time here in Montana! Our grandkids, Tylee and Turk, like the juice. We shared 3 bottles of Sweet Nancie Cranberry at our family Christmas dinner soooo good!!! My daughter liked it so much she had me order 2 cases of it and she s sharing it with her friends. Dan and Teresa DeLong with their grandkids Tylee & Turk, on Tylee s horse Cricket Ismay, MT We love coming to the events and going to the vineyard where we can actually taste the grapes. We even volunteered at the Wine & Harvest Festival. We love everyone in the St. Julian family! Mike and Jeannie Hewitt Battle Creek, MI Connect with us on Facebook Instagram #stjulianwinery wineclub@stjulian.com Twitter
HOW It Is! RSVP required 5$/ person Come pick up your Wine Club Wines, Meet the Winemaker, Enjoy Small Bites & celebrate St. Julian s history. April 23 rd Frankenmuth 1-4 pm July 23 rd Dundee The Jefferson Cup Invitational is a national wine competition that is invitation only. Honoring the best of the best from all of America, it s kind of like the Olympics of Wine. We are honored to announce that out of 740 selected wines from 24 different states, St. Julian s and brought home top honors and were awarded Jefferson Cups! In addition, the following wines also won at the event Double Gold 2013 BR Merlot Join our winemaker & President at St. Julian s Mountain Rd. Estate Vineyard as we walk the rows and sip wines made from those very vines. Enjoy small bites and the breathtaking view. RSVP required. $35/Person $30/WC Gold 2014 BR Mt. Rd. Riesling 2013 BR Chardonnay 2012 BR Porpetto Envy Silver 2013 BR Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 BR Dry Riesling Sweet Revenge Amazing wines are being produced by St. Julian, but you don t need medals to tell you. You know when you pour a glass! Winemaker Nancie is excited to educate you on the Cap Drain process used in making our SJ Dry Red Blend. Sample our Cap Drain wines right out of the barrels while enjoying cheeses paired with the wines. St. Julian Winery s Red Wine Cellar Paw Paw May 15 th 2 pm $25/ person $20/WC Space is limited. RSVP required to 800.732.6002 ext 785
Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry & Thyme INGREDIENTS Dressing: 2 T. balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. sugar 1 T. fresh chopped thyme ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt & pepper to taste Salad: Grilled chicken, shredded Spring greens ¼ red onion, thinly sliced 8 large strawberries, cut 1 cup fresh goat cheese, crumbled Handful of chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) DIRECTIONS Put all ingredients for dressing into a mason jar with lid and shake vigorously until combined. Grill the chicken and shred. Mix the spring greens with the onion, strawberries, goat cheese and nuts. Top with the grilled chicken and drizzle with the salad dressing. Enjoy with a cold glass of Braganini Reserve Serious Rose. WINE PAIRING BR Serious Rose The savory notes of the chicken and goat cheese compliment the acid of this crisp, dry Rose. The strawberries bring out the bright red fruit flavors of the wine. Together they make for a perfect way to celebrate the beginning of spring. Sweet Nancie Blueberry Lemonade INGREDIENTS 2/3 parts Sweet Nancie Sparkling Blueberry 1/3 part Lemonade A squeeze of fresh lemon for garnish Fresh blueberries for the bubbles to hold onto. DIRECTIONS Place the blueberries in the bottom of your glass. This will give the bubbles something to hang onto which will keep your drink fizzing longer. Pour in the Sweet Nancie Sparkling Blueberry and lemonade over the blueberries. Garnish with fresh lemon to taste. A refreshing sparkling drink can also be made by mixing the SJ Michigan Brut Champagne with lemonade or other fruit juices. Experiment away! WINE PAIRING WHAT WE ARE DRINKING IN Sweet Nancie Blueberry Blueberry and lemon are a classic combination. The sweetness of the Sweet Nancie compliments the tartness of the lemonade. Very refreshing! VINEYARD SELECT 2013 BR Merlot 2013 Cap Drain Cuvee #3 2015 BR Sauvignon Blanc Brut Champagne VINEYARD SELECT RED 2013 BR Merlot 2013 Cap Drain Cuvee #3 2013 BR Chancellor Noir 2013 BR Pinot Noir PERFECTLY PAIRED Sweet Nancie Blueberry 2013 BR Merlot 2015 BR Sauvignon Blanc Frankenmuth May Wine PERFECTLY PAIRED WHITE 2013 SJ Traminette Frankenmuth May Wine 2014 BR Riesling 2015 Sauvignon Blanc 2013 BR LH Vidal Blanc SWEETER HARVEST Sweet Nancie Blueberry Frankenmuth May Wine 2013 BR LH Vidal Blanc Frankenmuth Rose Read about a wine you didn t receive? Wine Club members have access to any wine, in any shipment at a discounted rate. Call to check availability @ 800.732.6002 ext 785 Seasons change and so do our tastes. If you see a club that looks more tempting, call now to change before July s Shipment!
416750 April Tasting Notes Serious Rosé Vintage Dry rosé is all the craze! Made using the saignee' method, Vineyard Varietals Appellation Blend of 5 red Varieties Lake Michigan Shore our BR Serious Rosé is made from 5 varieties: Pinot noir, Alcohol 11% by Volume Chambourcin, Chancellor noir, Merlot and Cabernet franc. 9.1 grams/liter It's bursting with aromas and flavors of ripe cherries and 3.25 strawberries. The crisp, dry finish is refreshingly light. This pink wine made from red grapes, is a great alternative to Residual Sugar 0.5% heavier red wines when paired with seafood, grilled foods and lighter fare. Retail Value $19.99 900 Grilled seafood, Grilled or Sautéed Vegetables, Fried Chicken, Antipasti Platters with Cured Meats & Cheese, Pizza, Spring Salads, Burgers 2015 Nathan & Julie Nitz John & Dave Braganini Merlot Vintage 2013 Vineyard Joe Herman Varietals Merlot This vintage is complex with cocoa, sandalwood and spice aromas that fill the nostrils with delight. Flavors of currant, black cherry and raspberry round out the acidity of the wine. Aged in oak for 18 months our Merlot has creamy vanillascented notes and soft tannins. The 2013 Braganini Reserve Merlot is perfect to drink now or save to enjoy in years to come! Appellation Alcohol 3.47 Residual Sugar 0% Retail Value $24.99 673 Lake Michigan Shore 13% by Volume 7.1 grams/liter Aged Cheese, Goat Cheese, Grilled Burgers and Steak, Pasta with Tomato Base, Pork Roast or Chops, BBQ Ribs, Lamb with Mint,Pizza, 43775008 42975014 Sauvignon Blanc Vintage Vineyard 2015 David & John Braganini Varietals Sauvignon Blanc This refreshing white wine is one that many of us have been Appellation Lake Michigan Shore waiting for all year and is very limited. Bold aromas of Alcohol 12% by Volume grapefruit rind and fresh cut grass enhance the crisp, 9.53 grams/liter mouthwatering flavors of gooseberries, peach and passion 3.00 fruit. Deliciously pure and featuring a zesty edge to the lasting finish. A vibrant Sauvignon blanc from our Residual Sugar 0.3% Mountain Road Estate Vineyard that you would swear comes straight from New Zealand! Retail Value $19.99 125 Spring Vegetables like Asparagus, Fried Chicken, Garlic Shrimp and Lemon, Grilled Whitefish, Pesto Pasta, Basil, Greek and Mexican Food. Sweet Nancie Blueberry Varietals Blueberry The fresh aromas of blueberries with the sweet, yet tart finish Appellation Lake Michigan Shore on the tongue makes this the perfect wine to welcome spring. Alcohol 11 % by Volume The blueberries used in making this come from Wine Club 9.8 grams/liter Member, Randy Adkin and his farm in South Haven. Made from 3.23 100% blueberries, you will notice a touch of eucalyptus flavor that is present in real blueberries. Within the flavors you will Residual Sugar 9% find lively sparkling notes of blueberry jam, berry sorbet and pure spring fruit. Retail Value $14.99 400 White Chocolate, Pork, BBQ, Spicy Food, Asian Cuisine, Rosemary and Thyme, In a Mimosa. 415075
447622 Cap Drain - Cuvee #3 This bold dry red blend is made using a technique called Cap Drain where the tank of wine is drained and the "cap" of skins remains in the tank. We let nature take its course for 24 hours and gravity slowly presses the skins, releasing the most beautiful balanced wine. From the Cabernet sauvignon we gather natural acidity, from Cabernet franc allspice and cherries, and from Syrah have hints of tobacco. Come to our Cap Drain event to learn more about this process! Vintage Vineyard Varietals Appellation Alcohol Residual Sugar Retail Value 2013 Ed Oxley, Ron Nitz, Dan Nitz, Mike & Sandy Nitz 34% Cabernet sauvignon, 33% Syrah, 25% Cabernet franc Lake Michigan Shore 12% by Volume 7.7 grams/liter 3.48 Goat Cheese, Blue Cheese, Grilled Steak, Pasta Marinara, Grilled Tomatoes, Blackened Fish, Pizza, Rosemary, Cherries, Cranberries and Mocha. 0% $27.99 73 Vineyard Christensen Family Varietals Honey, Vidal, Seyval & Cayuga is a sweet honey flavored wine named for St. Julian owner Dave's niece, Isabelle (a.k.a ""). Made with pure Michigan honey, it has flavors of peach blossoms and honeycomb. Originally a Wine Club exclusive; it became one of the most requested wines to bring back. is perfect for warmer weather and a delicious wine to accompany many meals, the sweetness of it pairs great with spicy food and Eastern Cuisine. Appellation Alcohol 3.30 Michigan Residual Sugar 8.5% Retail Value $14.99 11% by Volume 6 grams/liter 500 Fruit, Salty Cheese, Ice Cream, Teriyaki, Glazed Meat, Stone Crab, BBQ, Coconut Thai and Spicy Vindaloo Curry, Almonds. 410375 467750 Frankenmuth May Wine Vignoles, Chardonel, Chardonnay & Seyval Made in the traditional German style for our Frankenmuth Varietals Appellation Lake Michigan Shore tasting room, our May Wine has herbal, heather and dried Alcohol 11% by Volume apricot aromas. Flavors of pineapple, tropical fruit, and 6.3 grams/liter woodruff are balanced with a fresh acidity. It's a sweet white wine that s great with fresh fruit and exclusive to our lucky 3.45 Wine Club Members. Look for the slushy recipe on the label. Residual Sugar 9% It's a favorite drink served at Wine and Harvest Festival every Retail Value $12.99 year! 180 Truffles, Mushrooms, Risotto, BBQ, Grilled Chicken, White Meats and Fresh Fruits like Strawberries. Late Harvest Vidal blanc The Braganini Late Harvest Vidal Blanc has aromas of dried apricot, warm honey and delicate pineapple. The flavors of this sweet wine are pure golden raisin with caramelized apple. Our 2013 vintage is balanced with a nice acidity and mineral finish creating a full-bodied wine. This is a sumptuous, delicious late harvest wine that is a Wine Club Favorite! Vintage 2013 Vineyard Dan Nitz Varietals Vidal blanc Appellation Lake Michigan Shore Alcohol 3.09 Residual Sugar 5.5% Retail Value $19.99 11% by Volume 7.6 grams/liter 135 Seafood, Poultry, Feta and Goat Cheeses, Salty Cheeses, BBQ Chicken, Smoked Salmon, Sushi, Cheesecake, Apple Cobbler. 41275013