Giovanni Balistreri, Owner & Winemaker at Russian River Winery

Episode 180

Sponsored by Ron Rubin Winery

Episode 180 | Giovanni Balistreri, Owner & Winemaker at Russian River Winery

Join us as we welcome back Gio Balistreri from Russian River Winery! We chat about all of the exciting (and yummy) happenings at his Winery and in Sonoma County, and enjoy TWO Wines of the Day for this extra-long episode! :)

Sponsored by Ron Rubin Winery

First Wine of the day: Russian River Vineyards Bacigalupi 2021 Chardonnay

2:23 - Russian River Vineyards is everyone's favorite backyard and a family friendly place!

4:49 - Despite the rocky economy, they bought the property in 2008

7:54 - They do all kinds of different wines, something for everyone! Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Barbera, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon

9:33 - July 29, Seminar Series - Pinot and Beyond!

11:33 - At Russian River Vineyards, they can do just about whatever you want as far as experience goes - they do bottle service for larger parties, food & wine pairings, an array of parties, the list goes on!

13:17 - Happy hour on Thursdays 5-7:30, be there! :)

15:10 - Gio gives us some suggestions on what he shares with guests to Sonoma County - where he goes, where he eats, visits, etc.

16:31 - Russian River Vineyards has a Wine Club party at the end of July with Gerard's Paella (a Sonoma County Favorite)

19:47 - Happenings in Sebastopol - natural Wine bars and fun restaurants!

22:07 - Windsor Happenings - Bellacana Tasting Room across from Baldassari and fun breweries.

23:57 - Russian River Vineyard menu discussions, you need to eat when you're out wine tasting!
M-Th, 12-5, happy hour from 5-7:30 on Thurs, Fri-Sun 12-6

24:41 - Pro tip of the day: go visit Russian River Vineyards Mon-Wed for lunch because a lot of west county restaurants are closed!

26:02 - Fast Five: Dustin Valette - Valette, The Matheson

32:31 - Gio just launched a new brand: chester. - his hope is to make this his national brand and they support Dogwood Animal Shelter, and Nuzzles in Utah.

35:43 - Beth's One Last Thing! Pinot Tasting Event at Russian River Vineyards and Comparative Cabernet Tasting Event

36:18 - The best way to reach the vineyard is through the website for reservations, but they will also do their best to accommodate walk ins!

37:02 - *Second* Wine of the Day! Russian River Vineyards 2019 Terroir Collection Pinot Noir
Double Barrel

Fast Five: Dustin Valette - Valette, The Matheson
We're going to build a dish together!

Ingredients:
1) Fava Tip Pea Stew
2) Fava beans
3) Cheese - if you're local, check out Bohemian Creamery
4) Fresh pasta
5) Soppressata - check out Journeyman Meats in Healdsburg

- To make the Fava Tip Pea Stew: take the tops of the fava shoots, puree in blender, add toasted walnut & parmesan/ pecorino, garlic, olive oil - set aside
- fava beans: shuck, blanch, set aside
- boil fresh pasta, 1:45 - 2 minutes, Dustin loves Lumaconi - toss with butter and parmesan

Plating: Put Fava Tip Pea Stew down in a bowl, toss in fava beans, then put pasta on top, slice soppressata thinly, cut into half crescents, dice Bohemian Creamery cheese and place on top.

Sonoma County on a Plate!

Links:
Russian River Vineyards

Pinot and Beyond @ Russian River Vineyards

Valette

The Matheson

Sponsored by:
Ron Rubin Winery

Credits:

The Wine Road podcast is mixed and mastered at
 Threshold Studios Sebastopol, CA.

Threshold Studios