Julie Pedronelli

Julie Pedroncelli joins Harry Duke and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. She is the President of Pedroncelli Wines. The Pedroncelli family has been making wine for nine decades. They are into the third generation of active winemakers. They are well known for grape growing as well as winemaking.

The Pedroncelli 2022 Rosé of Zinfandel comes from a single vineyard that they have been using since the 1940s. They changed the packaging in the 2022 vintage too. Dan says, “I can not tell you how good this is!” He says Zinfandel demands to be made into Rosé and this one is bone dry and crisp with raspberry and strawberry, instead of the aromatics you get from a big dark red Zin.

Montse Reese, their winemaker, says this one is the most challenging and the most rewarding wine to make. They have to pick the grapes early. She has also been selecting the best vineyards and has settled on this Bushnell vineyard. Montse trained with Julie’s late uncle John, and succeeded him as winemaker. Dan hails her great sensitivity as displayed in this Zin Rosé.

Today’s labels

The next wine is the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc. It tells the story of their founders Giovanni and Giulia, on the label. They farm 11 acres of Sauvignon Blanc grapes in Dry Creek Valley. Julie describes how Montse picks one block a week or so before the other. This allows her to make Sauvignon Blanc that has some characteristics of both sets of grapes that have ripened either less or more. It’s good now, but Dan says it’s beautifully structured to age, as well.

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Julie describes how she majored in English in college and worked in the East Bay in publishing, while commuting to Geyserville to work in their tasting room, on weekends. That is when she accepted her father’s suggestion that she come work at the winery, in 1985.

They are located in Geyserville where their tasting room offers three different flights for tasting. Every flight starts with a splash of Rosé and ends with a taste of their Port wine.

The next tasting is the Mother Clone Zin. They farm 33 acres on the home ranch and they also use fruit from other vineyards. The oldest vines are 100 years old, most are second generation and are 40 years old, and a smaller vineyard is 10 years old. Their Zin has always been blended with a small amount of Petit Syrah.

The Sonoma Classico is the last wine tasted today. It is a blend that honors their roots in the red wine blends that were popular in the past. They grow all four of the varietals in this blend. They intend to maintain the integrity of the brand as they begin a 10-year growth plan. That includes the adoption of a sustainability plan.