A taste of Italy from Lanza Musto Vineyards
{Lanza-Musto Brunello Clone Sangiovese going through veraison}
Can’t make it to Tuscany this year? Don’t worry, you can make some fabulous Sangiovese right here in the US! Lanza-Musto Vineyards has been producing Brunello Clone Sangiovese for the past 4 vintages. One of the big reasons we planted this varietal is because the valley provides hot days and cool nights. The temperature can swing over 50 degrees depending on the time of year. Sangiovese eats this type of weather up! This high producing varietal soaks up the sun and enjoys the break under the cool night air.
When producing Sangiovese wines keep in mind that even though it is a bold tasting wine, it can easily be overtaken by oak infusions. Both the Musto Wine Grape Co. and Winemaker Magazine suggest using small amounts of oak or aging your wine in neutral barrels. The oak flavoring can overpower the wine and you will lose the delicate acidity and bright cherry notes that Sangiovese is known for. Also, blending in a little LMV Barbera or Merlot can help give it a little extra structure and complexity.
Since Sangiovese originated in Italy, the wines pair famously with anything tomato–based. We suggest pasta, pizza, or any meat dishes that have a tomato sauce. Frank Musto from Musto Wine Grape Co., LLC. personally enjoys his Sangiovese with Pepe’s Pizza from New Haven, CT or a great Chicken Marsala.
Sangiovese is one of the hottest up and coming varietals being produced in the United States. Make sure to secure your order of Brunello Clone Sangiovese for Fall 2016. You will not be disappointed!
Cheers and Happy Winemaking!
{Lanza-Musto Brunello Clone Sangiovese ready to ship to Musto Wine Grape Company}
Preparing for Harvest 2016
Download Your FREE Checklist Here –> Prepare for Harvest 2016
Mini Harvest Update from California:
Central Valley – Preparing to start harvesting Thompson Seedless, Alicante, Syrah, and Grenache
Lodi – Will start harvesting around August 15th Chardonnay, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat
Paso Robles – Looking like the 1st of September for the red grapes.
Suisun Valley – Will begin harvesting Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat Cannelli around August 15th
Cheers to Lodi, CA – 2015 Wine Region of the Year!
Recently named Wine Region of the Year (see video above) & voted Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine Lodi is certainly on the rise! Some notable wineries to check out are Mettler Family Vineyards, Zinderella Vineyards, Michael David Winery, and Lange Twins Winery just to name a few.
Our growers will have NEW Italian Wine Grape Varieties available which will be sourced from the Mettler Family. These varieties include Aglianico, Montepulciano, Nero d’Avola, and Dolcetto.
Zinderellla Vineyards will be making her debut! The Old Vine Zinfandel grapes that create this fabulous wine are over 35 years old! We are very excited to offer these prestigious and complex grapes this fall.
Make sure to contact the Musto Wine Grape Co., LLC. staff for more information on how to secure your Lodi grapes.
Please see below for some photos from the our growers in Lodi. Harvest will be here before you know it!!
Yeast Starter Instructions Up on Youtube!
Hello Winemakers!
We are excited to release our newest video – “Yeast Starter Instructions.” In the video Winemaker Frank Renaldi teaches us how to correctly create a Yeast Starter for your fermentation. Please feel free to visit our YouTube Page for more videos HERE.
Cheers! 🙂
Oak Additions Video Up on Youtube!
Hello Winemakers!
We are excited to release our newest video. In the video Winemaker Frank Renaldi goes over all the different Oak opportunities available to winemakers.
White Wine Grapes from Chile
Hello Winemakers!
Below are the Brix numbers for the White Wine Grapes from Chile. We received Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier early this morning. We are looking forward to you all picking up and enjoying the white wine grapes of Chile! It looks like it’s going to be a great vintage!
Chardonnay: 22.5
Pinot Grigio: 23.5
Sauvignon Blanc: 23.0
Viognier: 22.5
The reds should be arriving in early May, we will keep you updated as soon as the grapes clear customs! Keep an eye on our blog, harvest tracker, and social media platforms.
Brix (°Bx) is a way to measure the potential alcohol content of a wine before it’s made by determining the sugar level in grapes. Each gram of sugar that’s fermented will turn into about a 1/2 gram of alcohol. (description via Wine Folly)
*Please keep in mind these numbers are only sample of what arrived from Chile. Please make sure to take your own Brix readings when you receive your grapes for the best possible fermentation outcome.
Thank you and Happy Winemaking! 🙂
Yeast Pairings for Chilean Wine Grapes
Yeast Pairings for Chilean Wine Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon: BM45, BM4X4, D80, RC212, D254
Cabernet Franc: BM45, RP15, D254, D80, BDX
Petite Verdot: BM4X4, D80, D254
Chardonnay: QA23, VIN13, D47, COTE DES BLANCS
Pinot Grigio: 71B, VIN13, QA23, R2
Sauvignon Blanc: VIN13, QA23, R2, D47, V1116
Which yeast will you use? 🙂
Also, don’t forget to watch our Youtube Video on “Yeast & Stuck Fermentation”
Cheers! And Happy Winemaking!
Yeast and Stuck Fermentations Video
Here is our video about the importance of yeast and how to avoid stuck fermentations. We hope this helps with you winemaking process. Cheers!
Chilean Harvest Update: Arrival Dates
Chilean Harvest Update: Arrival Dates
The wines of Chile – along with the winemakers and vineyards that produce them – have had some profound transformations in the past 30 years. Grape growers have successfully determined which varietals thrive in their vineyards, have experimented with unique trellising systems, and explored interesting new areas for planting. The wines now have a head start because of the wonderful grape quality.
The winemakers have been upping their game by attending classes and working in wineries abroad – bringing back with them modern winemaking practices from the finest winemaking regions across Europe and the USA. Even highly regarded, award-winning winemakers from other countries are moving to Chile so they can take advantage of the country’s grape quality – and to have full creative control to craft spectacular wines. It’s crazy awesome that we are able to receive the same high quality grapes and winemaking opportunities people travel so far to achieve. We are lucky to be a part of this wine journey with the vineyards and winemakers of Chile.
The grapes will be harvested very soon. Below is more in-depth information about the vineyards and the potential arrival dates. The season will be early, so dust off the crush pad, sanitize your equipment, and get ready for some fantastic winemaking.
We will have a Bootcamp class running during the Chilean Season. If you would like to join or hear more information please email Christina at cmusto@juicegrape.com. Spaces are limited and the class will be starting soon.
Potential Arrival Dates for Chilean Grapes
- April 18th
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chardonnay
- Viognier
- Pinot Grigio
- May 2nd
- Malbec (small amount)
- Merlot
- Syrah
- May 9th
- Petite Verdot
- Malbec
- Pinot Noir
- Carmenere
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- May 16th
- Malbec
- Carmenere
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Franc
Chilean Juice: The juice should start arriving around May 2nd. We will have more updated when the containers are loaded.
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