Sur Le Zinc

Pete Monteleone Talks Burgundy, Rhone on KSVY Sonoma

Pete Monteleone, Director of Purchasing for Martine’s Wines, sat down with host Tim Benton of KSVY radio’s “Guys @ Five Friday” to talk about the basics of Burgundy and the Rhone Valley. Click below and listen in as Pete guides the audience through the history and terroir of these regions by tasting three of Martine’s… READ MORE

Martine’s Wines Spring 2016 Tastings!

Happy Spring from Martine’s Wines! We are pleased to invite the wine trade community to our Spring 2016 tastings this April. San Francisco, Monday, April 11th, 12pm-3pm, Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market Street Los Angeles, Wednesday, April 13th, 11am-3pm, Republique, 624 South La Brea Avenue Chicago, Monday, April 18th, 12pm-3pm, Formento’s, 925 West Randolph Street… READ MORE

A Taste of Taos

I arrived in Santa Fe on Tuesday afternoon, grabbed my rental car and drove out to Taos via the Rio Grande Gorge.  It must have been 60 degrees, completely sunny.  I got settled in my room at the Taos Inn, where the restaurant Doc Martin’s is located, right in the center of town (population 5,000)…. READ MORE

Harvest 2005 – The Perfect Balance

In mid-June, I started to inquire about when to anticipate the next harvest.  June is the month of blooming grapes.  If temperatures are correct and there is no rain, flowering can last two weeks. However, if the temperature drops, or if it rains, then blooming will be interrupted, which will delay the maturity of the… READ MORE

2004, The Unpredictable Harvest

At the end of August, the outlook was grim. Following the flowering, the cool nights of June led to oidium (powdery mildew). July was wet. August was overcast and cool, which meant no luminosity—so necessary for the ripening of the grapes. Then, two major hail storms unfurled over Pommard and Volnay, all the way to… READ MORE

Memorable 2003 Burgundy Harvest

I arrived in Mâcon on August 25th, anticipating that the harvest would start on September 1st –already at least two to three weeks earlier than customary.  The hot weather began in mid-June and was still in the mid-nineties when I arrived. There were no green meadows on the Beaujolais and Mâconnais hillsides, just burnt trees… READ MORE