Matson Vineyards - News from the Vine

1981 - Matson Family plants first vines. It all started with Carignan, Ruby Cabernet, Petite Sirah, Shiraz, and Colombard along with other varietals. Testing which vines would grow well and produce great wines in the hot summers of Redding was the reason behind planting so many varieties in the vineyards infancy.

1984 - Matson Vineyards becomes the first bonded winery in Shasta County. Some of the first wines produced included: Shasta Claret, Shasta Glacier, and, believe it or not, a blush affectionately known as, "Shasta Sunset".

1991 - A port-styled wine named Stillwater Port became a mainstay to the Matson Vineyards lineup. Today, it is a multi-vintage Port Style Wine blending barrels from 1991 to 2003.

1992 - Stellar Red, inspired by Oscar's wife, Stella, was released. The label displays Stella's beautiful butterfly artwork.

2000 thru 2003- The expansion of the north property with new vines including Tannat, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Petite Verdot and a Matson. In addition, Roger and his wife, Keiko, planted Aglianico vines on the Happy Valley property.

2001 - A Zinfandel wine and the first blending of what would become the Shasta Ensemble was produced.

2004 - Roger and Keiko began to plant Wisteria Vineyards at the Inwood, California property. By the end of 2004, 400 Cabernet Sauvignon and 400 Viognier vines are in the ground.

2006 - A wonderfully full-bodied Shasta Trinity blending Shiraz, Mourvedre and Grenache was produced. Adding to the white wine lineup, Chardonnay and Viognier are blended to produce a wine with an apple and pineapple finish.

2007 - Matson Vineyards first Chardonnay, along with the beginnings of what will become Tango and the world class port Aglianico, takes shape.

2009 and Beyond - Matson Vineyards continues to fulfill it's motto of "old world traditions - new world blends" with over 11 different wines in production. Of these wines in production, 7 are blends ranging from a soft Beaujolais style to a rich Port style.

- Smoke and a late frost took its toll on the grape production this year. The grapes that remained and weathered the conditions grew into an exceptional, however small in quantity, crop. In particular, the Cabernet from our Wisteria Vineyards is shaping up to be an exceptional vintage.

- April 26, 2008 saw our first release party take off with great success. The festivities included: live music, tasting's, great food pairings, friends, and, of course, the Matson winemakers.

- The "Crush Party" for all the volunteers brought everyone together for an unforgettable evening of food and wine.

- In October, we took our first steps across the newly remodeled deck overlooking the barrel room and vineyard.

- We would like to extend our appreciation to all the businesses who made 2008 a great year for Matson Vineyards. Matson would also like to welcome our newest wine outlets: Eagle's Nest Pizza, Bob's Liquor, Rivers, and Swan Lake Bistro at the Gaia Hotel.

***We look forward to all that 2009 will bring including our new label releases, the premiere of the wine club, and a few surprise upgrades to the winery (we'll keep you posted).

- UPDATED! Mark your calendars. This year's release party is set for May 2, 2009. More details are coming in the next newsletter in April, as well as, here on the web site. Once again, fine foods, wonderful Matson wines, music, and friends will come together - see you there.

- Tango, our newest release, is in the bottle making it available for sale at the release party in May.

- Tango won't be alone at the release party in May. Joining our newest label will be an all new blend to the 2008 Glacier. Roger has outdone himself with a refreshing, tropical blend of Symphony and Viognier grapes that will be a crowd pleaser anytime of the year with friends and family. Also notably, the 2008 Chardonnay has undergone malolactic fermentation resulting in a wonderfully creamy texture.

Using a thin bladed or paring knife, cut goat cheese into 1/2 inch thick slices. (Dip the knife blade in hot tap water after each cut.) Arrange the slices in a single layer in a glass pie plate of baking dish.

In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, peppercorns, and allspice. In a small bowl combine the garlic, ginger, basil, and orange zest. Place the sauce pan over medium/high heat and cook until peppercorns begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the garlic mixture. After 5 seconds of stirring, pour the hot olive oil mixture over the goat cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for three hours.

This recipe can be made up to one week before serving. To serve, transfer chilled cheese to serving plate. You can serve it chilled or at room temperature with crackers.

Directions:

In a large saucepan combine potatoes with salted water to cover by 1 inch and simmer until just tender, about 20 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, in a medium heavy skillet cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp and transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Drain potatoes and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes into eighths and in a bowl combine with bacon. Keep mixture warm, covered.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet and saute onion over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and broth and simmer 2 minutes. Add onion mixture to warm potatoes with parsley and remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, and celery seeds tossing gently, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve potato salad warm or at room temperature, garnished with parsley.

Pair with Matson's Shasta Glacier or Shasta Claret.