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Mendocino's New Native Grown -- and aged -- Wine:

Gabrielli Winery in California's Mendocino County released tis new
Nativo Zinfandel last week, a unique wine made exclusively -- from grape
to barrel -- of materials indigenous to the region.

Located in Redwood Valley, the winery claims to be the first to produce
a California wine made not only from grapes grown in Mendocino County,
but also aged in barrels made from Mendocino-grown oak.

California wineries traditionally use either French oak barrels or
American-made barrels from the Midwest to age their wines. But a few
years ago, Gabrielli winemaker, Jeff Hinchliffe came up with the idea of
using the wood from a species known as Oregon white oak. 

Oregon white oak trees, Quercus Garryanna, are found in a relatively
small geographic area, according to Hinchliffe, extending from Northern
Sonoma County through the coastal mountains and Oregon and into
Washington state. Hinchliffe said the native oak imparts a spicy mineral
flavor different from either traditional French oak barrels or their
Midwest counterparts.

So far, only 125 cases of Nativo Zinfandel ($14 per bottle, available in
northern California and selected markets) have been made, adn the use of
the Mendocino wood is still in its preliminary stage, with the process
of air-drying and firing, these barrels are yet to be perfected,
according to Hinchliffe. Since there is a limited supply of Oregon white
oak trees, smaller wineries, rather than larger ones, may one day
benefit from their use -- that is, if the wines produced prove to be a
success.

--article by Elizabeth Eilender 4/30/97 Wine Spectator ---

article reproduced for educational purposes only.


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0     Zinfandel Reserve, ASCENZA (white-blend), Pinot-Noir    0
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