Phantom Of The Opera star Franc D’Ambrosio will be here for a twilight concert on Saturday, September 2.

The Phantom Returns
To The Vineyard

As autumn approaches, we’re looking forward to the return of Phantom Of The Opera star Franc D’Ambrosio, who’ll be here for a twilight concert on Saturday, September 2. Franc first visited us last September during a national tour to promote his album of Broadway favorites, and enjoyed the winery and our audience so much that he’s made Passalacqua one of the venues for his new program celebrating classic Hollywood.

A captivating vocalist who played the Phantom for over six years on tour and in San Francisco, Franc brings great passion, range, and humor to his signature show. Audiences are treated to a rollicking tour of silver screen and stage favorites that can be traced to his own exciting journey from a family of Bronx bakers to Broadway and beyond. Training stateside and at Italy’s famed Vocal Academy of Lucca led to Franc’s stage debut in the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, and soon after, the role of Anthony Corleone in The Godfather: Part III. As Al Pacino’s opera-singing son in the Academy Award-nominated film, Franc performed the classic “Love Theme,” a number that continues to be featured in his one-man show.

At his subsequent audition for Miss Saigon, Franc went in to read for the role of Chris and left with an offer to play the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. This made him the youngest Phantom ever, and later, the world’s longest-running Phantom after nearly 3,000 performances. Many more roles have followed, and we’re very grateful Franc has created such a special show from his past and continuing experiences as a performer.

Our upcoming “Phantom In The Vineyard” event will begin at 5 p.m. on September 2 with wine and light hors d’oeuvres on Passalacqua’s redwood-shaded veranda, followed by Franc’s performance and an opportunity to meet him and enjoy small-plate savories and desserts at a post-concert reception. Tickets are $145 per person and seating is very limited, so call us today at 877-825-5547 to make your reservation. It’s an evening not to be missed!

Winemaker’s Notes: Summer In The Cellar With Margaret Davenport

July is always a great month to be working in the cool of a wine cellar, and the air conditioning was even more welcome this year. Temperatures were at record-breaking levels for over two weeks, and many growers used their frost protection systems, if they dared spend the water, to sprinkle the vines in order to provide some relief from the heat. Vines literally shut down, leaf stomates close, and no photosynthesis occurs when temperatures surpass the upper 90s. Veraison, which means berry softening and coloring, is beginning in early whites like Sauvignon Blanc and early reds like Zinfandel.

Meanwhile, back in the cool cellar among the barrels, many things are happening. The 2004 Cabernets were racked for the last time in May. The Reserve Cabernet from blocks 18 and 19 on the Passalacqua Ranch is sitting on egg white finings, which are a very gentle treatment to smooth out rougher tannins that may be too astringent or drying on the entry and midpalate. The Cabernet blend from blocks 2 and 13 has already been transferred to tank. Both Cabs were bottled during the third week of July.

©San Francisco Chronicle

The 2005 Dry Creek Valley Barrel Fermented Chardonnay has also been racked for the first time and left to chill for two weeks prior to filtering and bottling. As the wine is gently pumped to tank, bentonite and isinglass are added to clarify the young wine and compact the primary fermentation lees. The wine had been in barrel since last harvest, and the lees had been stirred every three weeks. This procedure hastens the malolactic fermentation; continued stirring makes for a richer, smoother-textured Chardonnay. The Chardonnay also was bottled during the third week of July.

The 2005 Zinfandels were all racked, blended, and returned to barrel in early May. We made six very unique Zins in 2005. The Sonoma County Zin is an appellation blend, using fruit from Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys. Alexander Valley Zin’s signature is intense flavors of raspberry fruit, while Dry Creek Zin contributes the pepper and exotic spice to the blend. Our Russian River Zin displays the same crushed berry and white pepper as the 2004, a pleasantly light-bodied but precocious wine—merriment in a bottle! The Dry Creek Old Vine blend, sourced from several vineyards along the eastern bench of the valley, is dark, deep and rich. It has a savory character that pairs well with game and heavier, sauced dishes.

For 2005, we are presenting three vineyard-designated Zinfandels. The first is our own Passalacqua Estate Zinfandel, which you pass on your way to the tasting room (often, we hope!). Next time you’re here, take a look at the gnarly old vines that produce this classic Zin. The younger vines are Petite Sirah, for a future field blend. Since 2004 we have also been making a Zin from Tom and Tina Maple’s vineyard along Dry Creek Road, just south of the Dry Creek Store. Their loving care in the vineyard helps to make this a truly special wine. They’ve put together a Zin field blend for us, consisting of Petite Sirah and Carignane. Lastly, we’ve made Primitivo with grapes from our friends Scott and Bill at Lavender Hill Vineyard, high above West Dry Creek Road. The vineyard is young and the resulting wine is vibrant and racy, with a raspberry-cranberry component overlaying a unique spiciness. We only have three barrels this year—thankfully, they’re planting more!

All of these Zins will be racked from barrel for the last time in August, then bottled just before harvest preparations begin. We’ve already received some of our new French oak for the vintage. Soon we’ll be moving in equipment from storage at the ranch, including the open-top fermentors, the press, and the crusher-destemmer. And it’s almost time to order yeast for each wine and take out the refractometer for vineyard visits…So, the cycle continues in our world of wine.

Farmer's Corner: The Heat Is On
Tom & Sandi Passalacqua

Mother Nature has dealt the vineyard farmer a non-conforming, unpredictable, difficult growing season. There is no patented farming formula for 2006—each week seems to bring a new challenge.

In July, fifteen days were excessively hot, with temperatures ranging from 100 to 119. The vines that have been properly nurtured are healthy and will still produce quality fruit, but the vines that were susceptible to damage sustained leaf and berry burn, as well as berry shrivel. The heat spike must cease in order for us to deliver world-class Sonoma County fruit to the wineries.

Excessive heat causes the vine to protect itself by shutting down and going into a form of dormancy; in other words, the vine’s berry development process does not progress outside of the optimum temperature range of 84 to 94 degrees with cool nights. However, the farmer who has properly managed the canopy of the vine and anticipated the heat spike by allowing the vine to store sufficient water will avoid leaf and berry burn from the excessive temperatures. Berries that are damaged (sunburned and shriveled) will need to be removed, so each cluster of grapes must be inspected. On July 28, for example, I observed a vine on a vertical trellis system on which twenty to thirty berries in one cluster of grapes had been damaged by the sun. The bunches next to it with identical exposure were unscathed. Why was one of the bunches damaged and the others weren’t? I can’t answer that question, and neither could the "experts."

The quantity of hanging fruit for 2006 is believed to be below the annual average, and definitely below the 2005 tonnage. Although current weather and farming techniques are an integral part of the equation that determines the gross tonnage, the 2006 crop tonnage was developed in the bud of the vine in the spring of 2005. That’s right—this year’s crop was established in the spring of 2005, and the 2007 crop was set in the bud in the spring of 2006. The experts at agricultural universities believe fruit is developed in the bud two weeks prior to bloom through berry set the year before harvest. If you have warm days during this time frame, the crop load will be heavier than in a year with cold, wet weather during the aforementioned term. Historical studies of tonnage also show vines tend to rest the year (2006) following a heavy crop load (2005) by producing a smaller crop. There is no doubt that Mother Nature controls the growing season; however, it is incumbent on the diligent farmer to anticipate the variables she gives us if we are to continue to produce Sonoma County’s world-class fruit.