FEB 2018 As the oldest winery in the state of Michigan, St HELLO WINE CLUB MEMBERS! We hope you are having a great start to 2018 and are as excited as we are for the start of another amazing year surrounding award-winning St. Julian wines. Thank you to all who took the Wine Club Member survey back in the fall. We received some great feedback and in light of your suggestions, we resolve to make the Club better than ever in the coming years. We appreciate all of you and are honored that you are a part of our St. Julian family! Here are just a few of the exciting things planned: 2 NEW TASTING ROOM LOCATIONS. We look forward to the opening of new St. Julian tasting room locations this year in Michigan; one just north of Grand Rapids in Rockford and the other on the east side of the state in Troy. CUSTOM CASE CLUB OPTION. One of the best things about Wine Club is the opportunity to try new and exclusive wines that are chosen for you by the winemaking team. So with our new Custom Case Club, you will still be given the opportunity to try these new wines, but you get to select the ones you want for a total of 12 delicious wines. More details will be coming soon! ST. JULIAN APP. We have this awesome new St. Julian app being rolled out in the next few months. Using your mobile device, everything St. Julian will be right at your fingertips: membership details, order history, events, Wine Club calendar, newsletters, ability to purchase wine and event tickets, text messages sent to you with tracking information and winery notifications.. and your loyalty points! LOYALTY POINTS. We know you have a choice in where you choose to spend your time and your hard earned dollars. In appreciation of your support and loyalty, we will be offering loyalty points for your engagement with St. Julian. The more you interact, the more points you receive. More details coming soon. NEW MEMBERSHIP CARDS. You will all receive a new St. Julian Wine Club membership card in the coming months. This card will allow the team to scan your information and make visiting quicker and easier. Please log into your account at www.stjulian.com to verify that your address is correct, or give the Wine Club office a call!
SPOTLIGHT ON: 2017 MT. RD. ESTATE RIESLING This is the inaugural bottle sporting the new Mountain Road Estate Winery label, taking the place of the Braganini Reserve label from last year s vintage. And it s incredibly fitting because Riesling was one of the first varietals planted by Dave and John Braganini on their 30 acre estate vineyard in Coloma back in 2008. Since this time, the 3 acres of Mountain Road Riesling vines have been producing award-winning wines that are highly sought after year after year. In order to say Estate on the label, the grapes must come from this vineyard. In our quest to marry innovation with tradition, the 2017 Mountain Road Estate Riesling is made using a whole cluster technique. Instead of crushing the grapes first and then pressing the juice, the clusters were pressed intact, producing not as much juice, but the quality was pure and second to none. Nancie added a special strain of yeast to highlight the flavors and aromatics in a unique way; something that has become the hallmark of this wine. Fermentation was stopped at 0.9% residual sugar to balance the classic acidity and minerality found in Rieslings. The 2017 Mountain Road Estate Riesling is a gem! It s bursting with aromas of ripe peach, tropical fruit and grassy notes. Reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc, it is semi-dry, yet incredibly balanced with flavors of passion fruit, gooseberry and tangy citrus. You will find that this 2017 vintage finishes drier than the 2016 vintage from this vineyard; with a brighter pop of acidity and brightness. But don t worry it will still go wonderfully with candy bacon! ( come to one of the Vino in the Vines events to see for yourself!) MINGLE sweet rosé wine At St. Julian, we pride ourselves on creating not only beautiful single varietal wines, but fun and exclusive blended wines; like the new MINGLE sweet rosé wine. For this Wine Club Exclusive selection, Nancie started with the Frenchhybrid grape, Maréchal Foch. Foch has a beautiful deep inky purple color, with red fruit flavors and a nice acidity that makes it naturally food-friendly. ( Think Nouveau, which was made from Foch) For MINGLE, the Foch juice was only kept in contact with the skins for a short amount of time, creating the rosé color. This limited skin contact produced a wine that is less intense and tannic, and kept the flavors fresh, playful and perfect for our sweeter wine lovers. But you know what they say it takes two to tango, or in this case MINGLE. To the Foch rosé, fresh Traminette juice was added to create the perfect blend of flavors and aromatics. Traminette adds the floral components that balance with the strawberry and cherry flavors of the Foch, creating more depth to the wine. The Traminette also lends the sweetness, giving this rosé an easy drinking 12% Residual Sugar. MINGLE is meant to be enjoyed slightly chilled in order to make the flavors pop. You can absolutely chill it cold, if you prefer the wine to have less fruity characteristics. Add a splash of cranberry or sparkling water to make it less sweet. Serve it alone or with the rich flavors of the decadent Ham & Gruyère French Toast Sandwich found in this newsletter. Life is better when you MINGLE!
Ask Winemaker Nancie s When St. Julian s late President David Braganini and his brother and current President John Braganini set foot on the 25 acre piece of land off of Mountain Road in Coloma, they knew they had found something special. Located 5 miles from the shores of Lake Michigan, the land sits high upon a hill with the perfect slope and air movement needed for more tender European varietals. The soil is almost 100% gravel, which allows for great drainage so that roots can dig deep and stay dry; something needed to develop elegant and aromatic wines. So in 2007, they purchased the land and named it the Mountain Road Estate Vineyard. They planted 3 acres of Riesling, 3 acres of Pinot Noir, 5 acres of Sauvignon Blanc and 2 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, realizing the next step in St. Julian s story; to have premium estate grown wines. Fast forward 11 years to 2018 and the now 30 acre vineyard has become synonymous with high quality, exceptional wines made with the same passion the Braganini family has poured into the land. Fruit grown here, which will include Syrah and Pinot gris this year, has become part of St. Julian s awardwinning Braganini Reserve line, with the added distinction of Estate on the label. As St. Julian moves towards the future, we continuously look for ways to honor and grow the Braganini family legacy. The Braganini Reserve wines are some of the highest quality products on the market; however, as many of you know, the name can be hard to read and even harder to pronounce! For this purpose the Braganini Reserve line of wines will be transitioning to the Mountain Road Winery label with the 2017 Mountain Road Estate Riesling being the first. Managing this brand evolution means staying true to the pride, quality and satisfaction of the wine while also marketing to a greater audience. The hope is that this will fuel future growth of St. Julian s legacy. The new label serves to honor the hard work, hopes and dreams Dave and John had when they first purchased Mountain Road! Members of St. Julian Join Winemaker Nancie Oxley on a Wine Club member exclusive trip of Tuscany, Italy! Discover for yourself the sprawling vineyards and Italian wine making styles that St. Julian was founded upon. Explore charming medieval hill towns, partake in Tuscan cooking classes, relax in the countryside and explore the many cultural treasures of the region. Savor some of Nancie s favorite local wines and cuisine, while getting a unique and personalized perspective from YOUR winemaker. This is Tuscany as you always imagined it! Space is limited. APRIL 27- MAY 5, 2019 INFORMATION MEETING - PAW PAW APRIL 17, 2018 @ 6 PM Connect with us on Facebook Instagram #stjulianwinery Twitter wineclub@stjulian.com
AMAZING more beautiful. Share your story HONOR! atnews Glass BR PINOT NOIR CHOOSEN FOR PIGS & PINOT St. Julian continues to impress on a national and international stage! St. Julian s 2015 Braganini Reserve Pinot Noir has been selected to participate in Celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer s 13 th Annual Celebration of Pigs and Pinot in Napa Valley, California. Every year, 60 of the top Pinot Noir wines are chosen to participate in this event, where a cast of Master Sommeliers and international celebrity chefs showcase some of the country s greatest Pinot Noirs with perfect pork pairings. St. Julian s invitation is the first time that a winery has been asked to participate outside of the West Coast! Acclaimed winemaker Daryl Groom had the opportunity to try the 2015 BR Pinot and was incredibly impressed. As he said, I showed it during a blind tasting at dinner to Charlie Palmer, Tom Rochioli and Peter Seghesio and their wives. Everyone loved the wine and were blown away when I revealed it was from Michigan. We had quite a few old Burgundies (wines from Burgundy France) and your Pinot was better than many of them. So to Sonoma we go! Held at the award-winning Hotel Healdsburg, this celebration has become a tradition among pork and wine enthusiasts eager to experience the creations of over 60 wineries and 20 chefs who showcase their talents each year. Tickets to this once in a lifetime event are available at www.stjulian.com/events. How amazing would it be for you to be there with YOUR winery represented. We would love to see you in California! PIGS & PINOT MARCH 16/17, 2018 NAPA VALLEY, CA TECHNIQUE 2015 BIG BARREL CHAMBOURCIN At St. Julian, we love innovation and experimenting with different winemaking styles. As you might recall from the November newsletter, barrels are one of the greatest tools that a winemaker has in his or her winemaking kit. Not only does the type of wood, the cooperage who makes the barrel and the charring of the wood greatly influence the wine; but also the size of the barrels used. Most of the wine barrels that we use hold 60 gallons. We also sometimes use big barrels, called puncheons, which hold 132 gallons. Using a bigger barrel increases the volume to surface ratio of wine to oak contact. A single barrel at 60 gallons has a surface ratio of 51 inches per gallon of wine. If you double the number of gallons by using a puncheon, the surface area reduces to 39 inches per gallon of wine. That means the Big Barrel wines are aging with far less surface interaction with the wood, resulting in subtle oak and greater fruit characteristics. At least in theory! Last year we made a Big Barrel Chancellor and it was this beautiful red with soft tannins. This year, we wanted to use the same winemaking technique but with the Chambourcin grape; a French- hybrid varietal that is similar to Cabernet Franc with boisterous fruit and pepper flavors, soft tannins and nice acidity. In the making of the 2015 Big Barrel Chambourcin, the puncheon used was brand new French oak, which is where an interesting curve ball came in. We expected this wine to have some oak influence, but not as much as it did. WOW! The result is a wine full of warm cocoa, dark berries and soft tannins in a word LUSCIOUS! SHIPPING ISSUES SOLVED NEW OPTIONS FOR WINE DELIVERY Having delicious St. Julian wines sent directly to your door is a dream come true! As long as you keep in mind that Federal law requires an adult signature on all shipped wines upon delivery. Here are some suggestions for getting your wines into your glass! 1.When at all possible, we suggest shipping to a business address. 98% of shipments sent to businesses are received on time the first time! 2. Send your wines directly to a UPS Store or FedEx Ship Center near you. They will sign for your wines and hold it for 3-5 business days. That way you can pick it up! 3. Walgreen s is now in conjunction with FedEx! You can have your wines shipped directly to the Walgreen s nearest you to pick up on your way home. Please call your Walgreen s first to make sure they are participating. 4. The shipper will attempt to deliver the package 3 times. You can contact them to make special delivery arrangements. Try FedEx Delivery Manager or UPS My Choice. Also, if you know you will not be home, just contact us and we would be happy to hold your shipment until your return. Our goal is to get your wines into your hands in a timely and pain-free manner; thus, we have chosen only to pass along what the carriers charge us. St. Julian has some of the best shipping rates and as members, you do get a shipping discount! And with our flat rate shipping, you can take advantage of getting the most wine for your shipping dollars! To further discuss shipping solutions, please give the Wine Club office a call.
Please visit www.stjulian.com/events for more details & to RSVP & purchase tickets. WINE CLUB POKER RUN PARTY February 17 th in Paw Paw Members and up to 4 guests are invited to our exclusive pick up party. Sample the newly released wines and small bite pairing. Play along with the poker run and collect cards to be entered in a raffle for prizes! $5 per peson in advance. RSVP required. WINE & CHOCOLATE Starting February 1 st through Valentine s Day, join us for 6 chocolate truffles paired with 6 of our wines at all St. Julian tasting room locations. We will be offereing a sweet and a dry pairing guide option! The wines and chocolates are $5 for members (up to 4 people per membership) and $12 for additional guests. Not able to join us in the tasting room? Purchase the 6 selected wine options for shipping and we will send you the truffles complimentary.. just for Wine Club Members! WINES OF MOUNTAIN RD. March 21 st @ 5:30-7:30 pm It s no secret that our Mountain Road Estate Vineyard produces some of the most amazing wines in Southwest Michigan. Join us as we discuss what makes this vineyard so special. Taste through our estate wines, as well as, get a sneak peak of our future plans for Mountain Road! Wine Club 101 Wine Club members are invited to join us for free Exclusive Guided Tastings held in each tasting room. Taste and learn about the wines you love in a fun and relaxed setting. Each month will focus on a different topic. 2 people per membership. RSVP to the tasting room you wish to attend to reserve your spot. Walk-ins welcomed if space permits. RED to ROSĖ April 18th @ 5:30 pm As we transition from red wine to rosé wine season, we thought it would be fun to taste the differences between wines made from the same grape. Can you detect some similarities between Cabernet Franc and Rosé of Cabernet Franc? Merlot and Rosé of Merlot? Chambourcin and Rosé of Chambourcin? WINE & CHEESE February 24 th in Dundee Join us as we pair 7 cheeses from the Great American Cheese Company with 7 St. Julian wines. Choose between a dry or sweet pairing and learn to match cheese and wine like a pro! $20 per person/ $15 per Wine Club. RSVP required. CASE SALE WEEKEND March 2-4th at all locations Members receive 25% off mix & match cases for pick up or on shipping orders. WINE CLUB EXCLUSIVE: GOOD vs. NOT SO GOOD March 10 th in all tasting rooms 7pm Enjoy 3 small plates each pairied with 2 wines; one that tastes delicious with the food and a wine that does not pair well. Learn what makes a great match. RSVP required. Pricing on website. MARCH MADNESS Starts March 15 th in all tasting rooms Kick off March madness by tasting through 8 wines in a bracket to help us crown the St. Julian Wine Winner! The winning wine will be featured for 30% off the weekend of the big game! WINE CLUB TUSCANY TRIP F & Q MEETING April 17 th in Paw Paw 6 pm We are going to Tuscany in April 2019 with Winemaker Nancie! Join us for an informational meeting to learn all the details regarding this once in a lifetime experience! Not able to go, no worries. Infomtaion will be added to the website as it becomes available. The trip is a Wine Club Member Exclusive opportunity and space is limited.
MINGLE sweet rose HAM & GRUYÈRE FRENCH TOAST SANDWICH Smoky, salty ham and sweet, nutty Gruyère are perfectly complimented by the bright red fruit flavors of this rosé. The spiciness of the mustard pairs with the contrasting sweetness of the wine. 2/3 cup milk 2 large eggs, beaten ¼ cup maple syrup ½ tsp. ground cinnamon 8 slices of hearty white bread 6 oz. sliced Gruyère cheese ½ pound sliced smoked ham Dijon mustard In shallow bowl, mix the milk, eggs, syrup & cinnamon. Dip the bottom of one slice of bread into mixture and then place on buttered skillet. Spread with Dijon & top with cheese and ham. Top with bread soaked in egg mixture on one side. Toast until golden brown on a side and then flip. Serve while still warm. 2017 MT. RD. ESTATE RIESLING TURKEY & BALSAMIC MANGO MEATBALLS This off-dry wine has tropical flavors of passionfruit and citrus with a great acidity that compliments the the tangy sweetness of the glaze. Meatballs Balsamic Mango Glaze 1 small onion, grated 1 mango, peeled & cubed 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 cloves garlic½ cup breadcrumbs ½ cup balsamic vinegar ½ cup grated Parmesan ½ cup water 1 pound ground turkey ¼ cup honey 1 ½ tsp crushed red pepper 2 tblsp unsalted butter 2 mangos, peeled & cubed Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine all ingredients for the meatballs. Roll meat into 1 inch meatballs and bake for 15-20 minutes. While meatballs are cooking, in a food processor, pulse together the mango, garlic, balsamic, water and honey. Pour into saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes until begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour over meatballs and serve with mango cubes. WHAT WE ARE DRINKING IN VINEYARD SELECT 2015 BR Cabernet Franc 2017 Mt. Rd. ESTATE Riesling 2015 Big Barrel Chambourcin Cock of the Walk 2015 BR Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 BR Chardonnay- LIBRARY PERFECTLY PAIRED 2017 Mt. Rd. ESTATE Riesling MINGLE 2015 BR Cabernet Franc 2 Paws Red Cock of the Walk 2 Paws White SWEETER HARVEST 2 Paws Red MINGLE 2 Paws White 2016 BR LH Vidal Blanc 2 Paws White MINGLE VINEYARD SELECT RED 2015 BR Cabernet Franc 2015 BR Chancellor 2015 BR Merlot 2015 Big Barrel Chambourcin Cock of the Walk 2015 BR Cabernet Sauvignon PERFECTLY PAIRED WHITE 2017 Mt. Rd. ESTATE Riesling 2 Paws White 2016 BR Traminette 2016 BR Vidal Blanc Sparkling Michcato 2017 Mt. Rd. ESTATE Riesling Read about a wine you didn t receive? Wine Club members have access to any wine, in any shipment, if available. 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 May s shipment! 800.732.6002 ext. 785 wineclub@stjulian.com