V.Sattui Winery-Sattui Family Red
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 07:05PM 
A few klicks outside of St Helena California sits a little winery called V.Sattui. And that little winery produces a little red wine simply called Sattui Family Red. Actually both of those statements are not exactly true. Neither the winery, nor the wine are 'little'. They're both quite big-the first being big in size and offerings and the later being big in flavor. For those who don't know where St. Helena is, it sits in the center of the most exquisite wine country in America, the Napa Valley. Right near Napa. And V.Sattui resides in the same area-literally down the road-from renowned wineries and vineyards such as Rutheford, Peju Province, Robert Mondavi, Hall and Domaine Chandon. When Anthony Bourdain took 3 great chefs with him from San Francisco through the Napa Valley for a dinner at the French Laundry, one of them, a Frenchman living in New York and who apparently had never been there, remarked, "I cannot believe how much this looks like France, its unreal". So you get the general picture.
Unlike Hall or Turnbull, V.Sattui is not particularly known for its wine only- its known for its gorgeous grounds and tasting room, its extensive deli that features a million cheeses, salamis, soups and great sandwiches, and spacious lawns with picnic tables where you can sit under eucalyptus trees and eat and drink to your heart's content as well. Although most reviews are stellar, one reviewer on Yelp wrote " This is definitely a tourist trap - and it's not terribly vegan friendly one at that". I had to laugh at that. Vegans don't do well with cheese and salami. Or prosciutto and pancetta. But they would like the olives. I liked it all! There is ONE little gem that I found there that is truly a delicious wine. Sattui Family Red.
You cannot find the wines at V.Sattui at the market, you must either buy them at the winery or order online. I joined their 'wine of the month' club where they ship me a couple of bottles every month. While there I tasted the Red, loved it and took home a bottle. Its the perfect Italian table wine to serve with any hearty pasta dish. The wine, mostly Zinfandel grapes, is very hearty with plumb and black cherry notes, is fruity but not jammy in the mouth with a bit of vanilla and a subtle oakiness. Unlike some Napa wines, it is not overwhelmed with oak. I like drinking wine, not a 2 x 4. This wine will stand up and compliment any hearty cheese, heavy sauce or roast meat. I love it! You will too, I promise you.
I served this bottle with sausages and peppers over linguini with shavings of parmesan reggiano and ciabatta bread slathered with unsalted butter. Delicious!
What makes a good wine is a combination of climite, soil, sun and skill. The blend is Madder Lake Vineyard Zinfandel, from the Clear Lake area. Sitting at 1800 feet in the northern reaches of the craggy Mayacamas Range, this is a very steep and rocky mountain site with red volcanic soils and very good drainage. A good Zin needs a lot of sun. A little about V.Sattui. It wasFounded in 1885 in San Francisco by Vittorio Sattui (no, not Vito Corlione-we'll leave that to the Coppola Winery), an Italian immigrant, V. Sattui was re–established in St. Helena in 1975 by his great-grandson Dario Sattui. Entering V. Sattui, they greet you with complimentary cheese and food samples in their European-Style Marketplace. You can shop in their gourmet market & deli before venturing into their newly-remodeled Tasting Room. You are then welcome to take a complimentary self-guided tour of the winery’s stone building, underground aging cellars and museum. Its a very beautiful laid back place.
This wine is truly one of the best values on the vine at around $20 a bottle. You can order it here or better yet, take a trip to St. Helena and drink some there as well at V.Sattui. You won't be disappointed. http://www.vsattui.com/product/2009-Sattui-Family-Red
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