Gold Medal Wine Club Newsletter: Vol. 21 No. 2Madroña Vineyards

Madroña Vineyards was established in 1973, and has grown into one of the leading wineries in the Sierra Foothills’ El Dorado County appellation.

G O L D M E D A L W I N E C L U B - A M E R I C A’ S L E A D I N G I N D E P E N D E N T W I N E C L U B S I N C E 1 9 9 2

Dick and Leslie Bush’s love of the land, their family, and their community is at the heart of what makes Madroña Vineyards so special.

Over 26 varietals are planted on the Madroña vineyard sites, each carefully selected for their unique winemaking characteristics and blending qualities.

WINE PRESS

M adroÑa Vineyards

A pioneer in high elevation

winemaking, Madroña makes wines that

are a powerful reflection of their unique

El Dorado County mountain terrior.

Who says you can’t find great wines outside of Napa and Sonoma counties? For years

now, wine enthusiasts have been traveling to places like Mendocino, Santa Barbara, and

Santa Cruz counties to discover California’s secret wine spots. However, many have not

yet found one of the lesser publicized areas that has emerged from the shadows of Napa and Sonoma – that of the Sierra

Foothills and, more specifically, El Dorado County. The Gold Rush of 1849 encouraged thousands of fortune seekers to settle

in the Sierra Foothills, including entrepreneurs to supply the miners with the goods they valued back east and in the old

country. By 1895, almost 100 wineries were operating in the Mother Lode area, more than Napa and Sonoma combined.

A large part of El Dorado County’s success is due to this month’s featured Madroña Winery. Owners Dick and Leslie

Bush and family have been hard at work, perfecting their craft for many years. They started from scratch in 1972, purchasing

52 acres of land in the Sierra Foothills. “Foothill” is a bit of a misnomer, though; because at a 3,000 foot elevation, Madroña

2008 ZINFANDEL

Madroña Vineyards’ 2008 Hillside Collection Zinfandel features a blend of Zinfandel from three distinctive hillside locations in the El Dorado appellation of the Sierra Foohills. The oldest, located on the home estate, was planted in 1973 on west facing slopes and consistently produces the ripest blackberry-characterized Zins for blending. In contrast, the two vineyards (Sumu Kaw and Enyé) in Pleasant Valley produce spicier wines with more black pepper and dark cherry fruit. The blend between the three results in an uncommon complexity of intense raspberry, black pepper, nutmeg and plum aromas along with flavors of cherry, cranberry and blackberry, which make it classic El Dorado Zinfandel. Supple and rounded with a finish of fine dark chocolate, this is not your average Zinfandel. Classically balanced with a terrior-driven focus, the Madroña 2008 Hillside Collection Zinfandel is reminiscent of the rustic claret styles of Zinfandel with a rich varietal character and intriguing, luscious flavors. This estate grown Zinfandel was awarded a Gold Medal at the El Dorado County Fair Wine Competition, a Silver Medal at the Orange County Fair Wine Competition, and a Silver Medal at the California State Fair Wine Competition. Aged 10 months in oak. 90% Zinfandel 10% Petite Sirah. Enjoy now until 2018.

pH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.79Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.2%Total Acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.51 g/100 mlsAged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 months in oakCases Produced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,718Drink Now or Up to Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018

Just the facts:

Page 2

adroÑa VineyardsM

2008 VINTAGE: GOLD MEDAL – EL DORADO COUNTY

FAIR WINE COMPETITION

SILVER MEDAL – ORANGE COUNTY

FAIR WINE COMPETITION

SILVER MEDAL – CALIFORNIA STATE

FAIR WINE COMPETITION

El Dorado Estate Bottled

Z I N F A N D E L2008

paul bush, winemaker

EL DORADO ESTATE BOTTLED2009C H A R D O N N AY

vineyard is thought to be one of the

highest in the country. “We started

out looking for land simply to build a

house. But the more we looked and

learned about the area, we saw an

opportunity for grape growing,” says

Dick. “We had absolutely no agricultural

background when we started,” he

continues, “and certainly had no vision

of starting a winery either!”

The Bushes carved out 32 acres

of vineyard land over the next two

years, planting Chardonnay, Cabernet

Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel,

and Riesling. They later added

Gewurztraminer and Cabernet Franc

to round out their cool-

climate varietal mix.

They named their

winery, Madroña

(pronounced ma-drone-ya),

after the huge tree bearing

the same name, situated

smack dab in the middle

of the vineyard. By 1976,

they were able to begin

selling their harvest to other

wineries.

“After a couple of years,

we realized we didn’t like

being at the mercy of other

wineries to make a living,”

2009 CHARDONNAY

Madroña’s 2009 Signature Collection Chardonnay is the ideal marriage of four unique clones of Chardonnay from vineyards on the winery’s home estate in El Dorado County. The vines are situated at 3,000 foot elevation; cool enough to retain the elegance of a delicate variety like Chardonnay, but warm enough to ripen the fruit to perfect maturity. Each of the four Chardonnay clones express themselves differently under these conditions, resulting in a wine with layer upon layer of unique characteristics. The aromas are filled with lemon and green apple fruit, white peach, honey and an enticing dried-straw character. Barrel fermented, one can almost sense the richness of the wine from the nose alone,

but once this golden Chardonnay envelopes the palate, the senses are greeted by a luscious body, framed with pineapple, pear, sweet vanilla cream, and honey. Balanced, fresh, rich and inviting, this wine shows why Madroña grows Chardonnay in the mountains! The 2009 Signature Collection Chardonnay is a new release (and thus has not yet been sent for review), and with its ultra limited production, we knew we had to act fast to secure this superb vintage for our members. Enjoy with shrimp, rosemary chicken, or pork tenderloin. Aged 12 months in oak. 100% Chardonnay. Enjoy now until 2014.

2009 VINTAGE: GOLD MEDAL SPECIAL SELECTION

Just Released! Medals forthcoming

in this Spring and Summer’s

wine industry competitions

Madroña consists of three family owned vineyards – their Madroña vineyard, located in Apple Hill and their Enyé and Sumu-Kaw vineyards, located in nearby Pleasant Valley.

Page 3

pH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.73Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.9%Aged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 months in oakTotal Acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.50 g/100 mlsCases Produced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 917Drink Now or Up to Year . . . . . . . . . 2014

Just the facts:

El Dorado Estate Bottled

Z I N F A N D E L2008

paul bush, winemaker

EL DORADO ESTATE BOTTLED2009C H A R D O N N AY

says Dick. So in 1978 the Bushes started

using their grapes to make their own

wines. The first two years they made a

couple thousand cases of Cabernet

Sauvignon and Zinfandel at another

facility until their own winery building

was completed. Dick was able to craft

these first wines by hiring a winemaking

consultant, taking wine courses at

U.C. Davis, and a lot of on-the-job,

learn-as-you-go training. The winemaking

task turned into a family affair as two of

his sons and a daughter-in-law all pitched

in to help throughout the next decade.

In the mid-1990s, Madroña bought

another 45 acres nearby their existing

vineyard to expand the varietal mix and

wine offerings for the future. There,

varietals such as Syrah, Viognier,

Marsanne and Roussane have been

producing medal-winning wines for

several years.

From the 70-ares of family owned

vineyards, Madroña is producing

twenty-two or so different wines. Half

are produced in such small quantities

that they are available only at the winery’s

tasting room. The largest percentage of

the 12,000 case production is devoted

to Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon,

and Zinfandel. Even so, just one to

two thousand cases of each wine are

produced yearly.

In November of 2003, Dick’s son

Paul took sole responsibility for the

winemaking duties. Even though Paul’s

formal education was in economics at

U.C. Davis, he grew up on the vineyards

and has worked in the winery

since he was a kid. His philosophy

of winemaking is to show the

characteristics and fruit of the

region, as well as making wines

that showcase a variety of food. “It

was once said to me that a farmer

should never plant a crop that he

doesn’t enjoy

eating, otherwise

he’ll never know

when to pick it. I

think it’s the same with

wine – produce what

you like.”

Page 4

See Page 7 for Answers.

Vineyard worker José Brambila has been

with Madroña since 1983 and his wonderful

personality, desire to educate, and knowledge

of the Madroña vineyards make him an

incredible asset to the Madroña family.

1) What is the difference between crushing and pressing

in the winemaking process?

2) Where is the world’s oldest wine press?

3) When did grape stomping begin as a winemaking process?

The Wine Wizard

About The WinemakerPaul Bush grew up with the cycles of

winery life, spending school vacations pruning vines and washing barrels at the winery. Today, Paul is both

vineyard manager and winemaker for Madroña, balancing his days among

the vines and barrels. His passion and enthusiasm for grape growing and winemaking are unmistakable and perhaps best expressed in his

hands, stained rich burgundy from his grapes and calloused from hard

work in the vineyard.Paul and his wife

Maggie live near the winery with daughters

Hanna and Tessa. Both are active in the

community, having served on numerous

boards, including the El Dorado County

Winery Association and the Apple Hill Growers

Association.

“It was once said to me that a farmer should never plant a crop

that he doesn’t enjoy eating, otherwise he’ll never know when to pick it. I think it’s the same with

wine – produce what you like.”

Photos by Beiron Andersson and Maggie Bush

Page 5

The Wine Wizard

“It just seemed like a good idea at the time,” explains Dick Bush about why he started Madroña Winery. “We had a perishable commodity on our hands and we were at the mercy of other wineries to hopefully buy our entire crop within a very narrow window of time each year.” So Dick and Leslie Bush took control of their own destiny and began producing their own label in 1978. Dick Bush underscores the fact that he had absolutely no idea he would end up being a grape farmer, let alone a winemaker and winery owner. Most of Dick’s life was spent growing up in the Sierra Foothills area of northern California. His father was an engineer for the Navy in their hometown of Vallejo. But as a young boy, Dick’s interest was in the physical sciences more than engineering. His primary attraction was to the field of geology.

While attending college at Stanford University, he became aware of the field of metallurgy (the study of the physical and chemical behavior of metal) and ultimately earned his degree in that study. His focus on metallurgy continued into graduate school and his expertise turned from extractive metallurgy (the process of getting the metals out of raw materials) to physical metallurgy (dealing with the properties of metals after extraction, such as with blending or heat treating). He then followed up grad school with a Ph.D. in Material Science. “Up until the time I attended college, the metallurgy field had a fairly narrow scope and limited opportunities,” he says. “But with the advent of ceramics being used as components in manufacturing, all of a sudden that whole area of study broadened.”

Out of college in 1961, Dick was immediately recruited by Ford Motor Co. to work at their headquarters in Detroit. He stayed there for almost g

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The foothills of the Sierra Nevada have a history steeped in the winemaking heritage of the early settlers who first discovered this unique place. In search of gold and fortune, they set up thriving communities, planting grapes for some of the first wines made in California. Today, El Dorado County holds true to its agricultural and pioneering heritage offering visitors an authentic, unhurried wine tasting experience unlike any other. Located just about an hour from Sacramento or South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado’s wineries beckon visitors with a wide diversity of award-winning wines and idyllic vineyards of snow-capped mountains and oak-studded foothills.

El Dorado is home to more than 2,000 acres of vines, approximately 50 wineries, and it produces some of California’s most sophisticated wines. The county was designated an official American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1983.

Situated at 3,000 feet in the El Dorado County Appellation, Madroña consists of three family-owned vineyards – their Madroña vineyard, located in Apple Hill, and their Enyé and Sumu-Kaw vineyards, located in nearby Pleasant Valley. These three unique vineyard sites are planted with over 26 varietals, carefully selected for their unique winemaking characteristics and blending qualities.

Continued on page 7

The Bush Family

Hundreds of microclimates from 1,200 to 3,500 feet, nearly fifty varieties of grapes, and dozens of artisan winemakers with a passion for experimenting – this is what sets El Dorado County apart.

The Wine Region

Grilled Shrimp with Basil and Lemon

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Leeks

Page 6

food for thoughtPair with 2008 Madroña Hillside Zinfandel

2 pounds boneless short ribs1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced2 yellow onions, sliced2 leeks, sliced2 heads garlic, minced2 cans beef broth1 bottle of Madroña Zinfandel1 Tbs. demi glace (optional)1 cup flour3 tsp. black pepper2 tsp. saltOlive oil for sautéing

Preparation:Combine flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rinse and pat short ribs dry, then dredge in flour mixture. Heat oil in heavy pan and brown ribs. Do not crowd. It is best to brown them in two batches. Set ribs aside. After the pan has reheated, add mushrooms, onion, garlic and leeks. Use more oil if necessary. Brown vegetables until leeks are soft. Sprinkle approximately ¼ cup of the flour mixture over vegetables. Cook for two to three minutes, stirring constantly. Add beef broth, wine and short ribs to the mixture. Place pot in 400 degree oven for two hours. Serve over rice, with a glass of Madroña 2008 Hillside Zinfandel. Enjoy!

Find these recipes and all of your favorites online at www.GoldMedalWineClub.com/recipes. We have a delicious collection of entreé recipes to pair with your favorite Gold Medal wines.

Pair with 2009 Madroña Signature Chardonnay

2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined¾ cup olive oil2 cups chopped fresh basil2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice3 garlic cloves, pressed1 tsp. salt1 tsp. chopped parsley½ tsp. oregano½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:Put shrimp in two large zip-style plastic bags. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, blend the olive oil with the lemon juice, basil, garlic, parsley, salt, oregano, and pepper until smooth. Pour half of the marinade into one plastic bag and the other half into the other plastic bag. Mix the marinade well with the shrimp until each shrimp is coated.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. While marinating, toss the shrimp carefully in the bags a couple of times. Lightly oil the grilling grid with olive oil or cooking spray prior to igniting the grill. Set the grill on medium.

Lay the shrimp on the grilling surface and grill for 3-5 minutes on each side. The shrimp may char ever so slightly.

Serve immediately with a glass of Madroña 2009 Signature Chardonnay. Enjoy!

A n s w e r s

The Wine Wizard

1) Crushing is the process of gently squeezing the grapes and breaking the skins to start liberating the juice from the berries. This juice is called “free-run juice” and typically it is of higher quality than the press juice. Pressing is the act of applying pressure to grapes or pomace in order to separate juice or wine from grapes and grape skins. Pressing is not always a necessary act in winemaking, but most wineries do use presses in order to increase their production (gallons) per ton, as pressed juice can represent between 15-30% of the total juice volume from the grape.

2) The world’s oldest wine press was discovered in Armenia and dates back 6,100 years. A team of archeologists discovered the press along with grape seeds, remains of pressed grapes and dozens of dried vines in an area surrounded by graves, suggesting that wine had ritual significance. The findings were made recently (January 2011) by a team led by UCLA archaeologist Hans Barnard.

3) Grape stomping is believed to go back as far as Rome in 200 B.C. It seems that for centuries, grapes were picked by hand and grape stomping was the method by which the juice was extracted from the grapes to be used to make wine. In the U.S., however, most grape stomping by human feet was legislated out of existence by the end of the twentieth century do the concern for public health. Most other countries eventually banned grape stomping too, and today such spectacles are mostly relegated to festivals and winery events simply to uphold the tradition.

to your next wine delivery!add a plus! bottle

Page 7

The art of fine wine

seven years until an opportunity arose to come back to northern California. Back home again, he teamed up with his brother-in-law who had started a consulting firm specializing in hydrologic studies. Knowing he and his family wanted to stay in California, Dick began looking for property to build a home. As he searched for land in the familiar Sierra Foothills, he figured it was logical to buy enough property to do something else with besides just building a house. That something turned out to be prime vineyards and a superb winery.

Today, Madroña Vineyards is a passion that has been passed on through generations, beginning with Dick and Leslie Bush, and ending with their grandchildren from sons Paul and David. The Madroña family is dedicated to continuing the tradition of artisanal craftsmanship, care of the land and love of family and friends so well set by Dick and Leslie.

A visit to the winery reveals the Bush family’s respect of the land and commitment to sustainable farming. Madroña is 100% solar powered and maintains a permanent native cover crop between vineyard rows. This care and commitment to vineyard management is the cornerstone of Madroña’s grape growing philosophy and results in grapes that are of the highest quality, the perfect fruit from which to make their award-winning El Dorado wines.

Vineyard with Olives Tuscany was painted by John Lawrence, whose paintings are gloriously colorful and vibrant. Lawrence paints mostly from life as

he is anxious to engage the viewer in “sensing the moment.”

Spotlight, continued from page 5

The Bush Family

Plus! wines are all highly-rated, very small production wines with availability too limited for all regular club members to receive. Only

Plus! Program participants receive these rare gems!

The Plus! Program automatically adds on a special wine to each regular scheduled wine delivery, or as often as you like!

Don’t miss out on another shipment! Join the Plus! Program today!

$18-$22 each delivery

This month’s Gold Series featured Plus! wine:

Galante 2006 Rancho Galante cabeRnet SauviGnon

89 Points Food and Beverage World Learn more at: www.GoldMedalWineClub.com/plus or Call 1-800-266-8888

A pioneer in high elevation winemaking, Madroña Vineyards makes exceptional wines that are a powerful reflection of their unique mountain terroir. The 2008 Hillside Collection Zinfandel and 2009 Signature Collection Chardonnay were made to deliberately showcase the distinctive characteristics of the mountain fruit and high-elevation site. While each wine offers something different, telling its own story of variety, terroir and vintage, Madroña finds consistency in balance, structure, and precision in this fabulous pair of wines. Enjoy!

Reorder Online: www.GoldMedalWineClub.comToll Free: 1-800-266-8888 Fax: 1-800-266-8889

Gold Medal Wine Club – 5330 Debbie Road, Suite 200 • Santa Barbara, California 93111

*Availability is extremely limited Note: Shipping and tax (if applicable) not included in the above prices. Call for details.

The Gold Series features wines from only the best small wineries of California. The selected wines have earned medals in the top wine-industry competitions or have been highly rated by respected national wine publications. On occasion we feature a wine of high medal-quality with very limited availability that

may not be submitted to these venues for review.

Save up to 27% off Winery Direct

the grapevine

Retail Price Club Price Club PriceMadroña Vineyards Winery-Direct 2-Bottle Members 4-Bottle Members And Multiple Series Members

2008 Zinfandel * $18.00/btl. $14.50/btl. Save 19% $13.50/btl. Save 25%

2009 Chardonnay * $22.00/btl. $17.50/btl. Save 20% $16.00/btl. Save 27%

“Smooth and easy drinking, but with a

bit of an edge too. Among a group of

folks who usually don’t like red wine, this

was a huge hit. Young, but ready to

drink. Very nice indeed [Grove Street

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon].”

– J. Dietz

“I enjoyed everything about this wine. It

is very smooth and makes me want to

eat a delicious cheese with it [Manzoni

2007 Syrah – Gold Series Plus! Wine]!”

– M. Petrofski

ReordersThe gold medal wine store

NewNew

If you are also a 2-bottle member of

another Series, you are now eligible to receive the 4-bottle

member prices above!

NewNew2 bottle minimum, per wine, per order

How do we choose our wines? It’s a question we get asked a lot. At Gold Medal Wine Club, virtually every wine we feature has earned a medal of excellence or high rating from the major wine industry competitions or national publications. Since 1992, our buyers have been traveling the back roads of California’s famous wine regions in search of these hard-to-find, award-winning wines to bring to our members. Because of the limited supply, most of these wines never reach your local stores, and it is our pleasure to share these rare finds with you at exceptional values. Unlike other wine clubs, at Gold Medal Wine Club we never feature bulk wines, private labels, or close outs. Each specially selected wine comes from a real working winery and is 100% authentic. Within the Gold Series, virtually all of the wines have earned Silver and Gold Medals and received 88+ Point scores from national publications. Each month we bring these superb selections directly to your doorstep – wine tasting made fun and easy! We are confident you will truly enjoy these wines while discovering the best, family-owned and operated wineries in California.