Local winery offers 13 different fruit wines
Published in the June 24 – July 9, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Marty Cheek
Photo by Marty Cheek
Maryclaire and Mike Sampognaro show off several bottles of their fruit wines in the tasting room at Morgan Hill Cellars.
Summer time is fruit wine time. Whether they’re at a backyard barbecue or at a park picnic, many South Valley residents love to bring out a bottle of non-grape wine when they enjoy an outdoor gathering with friends and family. And over the last year Morgan Hill Cellars owners Mike and Maryclaire Sampognaro have found that local residents have grown fond of their wide selection of fruit wines.
“We’re starting to get more and more people coming in and asking about the fruit wine or actually just coming in for a case for a big event,” said Mike, Morgan Hill Cellars’s winemaker.
The Morgan Hill winery began offering fruit wine when it was Pedrizzetti’s, but on a limited basis. The Sampognaros widened the selection and offer 13 different varieties that sell for $12 a bottle.
People make special visits for the fruit wines because the sweeter and refreshing way this alcohol beverage rests on the palate offers an experience a bit different than the usual grape-made wines most people are familiar with, Mike said.
“They like the taste, it’s that simple,” he said.
“I know there are some people who will look down at anything that’s sweet,” Maryclaire said of fruit wines. “I know people who say, ‘That’s not real wine.’ Well, what’s ‘real wine?’ It’s fermented fruit.”
Morgan Hill Cellars also offers two blends of grape and fruit wines. The Blackberry Merlot and Cherry Blossom Cab are so popular that the winery is currently sold out, but they expect to stock more during the holidays. The Cherry Blossom Cab is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and cherry wine which is perfect for a homey Christmas time dinner. The Sampognaros have a tradition of serving beef tenderloin during the holidays with caramelized onions. As caramelized onions reach their peak, Maryclaire pours some of that cherry cab over them and lets them simmer for about 10 minutes. She then serves the caramelized onions with the beef and everyone toasts the combination with a glass of cherry cab.
Morgan Hill Cellars’s “proprietary” fermentation process for fruit wine is different from grape wine and produces a drink that is more like a syrup, Mike said.
So thick is this “syrup” that the winery on special occasions such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day serves “Sunday sundaes” in its tasting room with two ounces of a fruit wine (the customer’s choice) drizzled over two scoops of fresh vanilla ice cream. Mike recommends the raspberry wine as the best choice for this sweet-tooth concoction.
“It really is nice,” he said. “It’s a nice fruit kind of dessert, and on a hot afternoon it hits the spot.”
Customers also like to blend in a glass their choice of fruit wine with Morgan Hill Cellars Champagne in a half-and-half portion.
“What it does is lightens it up and cuts the sweetness just a little bit,” Maryclaire said, adding that customers can change the ratio to suit their taste.
People don’t generally think of pairing fruit wines with foods, but they can make an excellent combination with simple and light summer meals such as salads, Mike said. Fruit wines can also be paired with cheeses such as Brie and crackers and a glass of apricot wine for a memorable summer evening dessert.
Some creative cooks even use fruit wine as a marinade. Dried cranberries or raisins can soak in a fruit wine to pull out their sweetness and then added to a Brie or other creamy cheese combination, Maryclaire said.
The winter season is also a favorite time for fruit wines, she said.
“It’s nice around the holidays,” she said. “You can put a little fruit wine like cranberry or blackberry in a Crock-pot with a stick of cinnamon in there and just add your favorite red wine until you get the right blend where it’s not too sweet and not too dry…kind of a mulled wine. It really makes a nice holiday warm-your-tummy drink.”
