Bulls Eye Red – A High Wine

We have long be thinking of making a Port style wine and in 2013 we took on the challenge.  Now, after two years of aging we are thrilled to announce the release of our inaugural 2013 Bulls Eye Red ($38/btl). This delicious desert wine combines ripe Cabernet and Petite Sirah grapes, fortified by high proof wine spirits, to create a smooth, elegant nectar with flavors of ripe cassis, blackberry, vanilla, honey and a hint of toasted nuts. Serve with a platter of cheese after dinner or perhaps a decadent chocolate fondant. Of course, a glass of Bulls Eye with a fine cigar can’t be beat! Only 85 cases of 500ml bottles of this wine were produced so ORDER soon!

Blackjack is Back!

I know – it has been a long wait, but we have finally released our new 2012 Blackjack Pasture Cabernet Sauvignon ($55/btl). I hope you agree that it was worth the wait. 2012 was a stellar vintage, producing wines of exceptional flavor. Our Blackjack Pasture has a nose of dark berries and roasted cocoa bean and flavors of dark chocolate, blackberries and a hint of toasted oak. The tannins are rich and chewy providing a lengthy finish. While quite youthful, this wine already drinks beautifully and will only continue to improve with age, as with all our previous Blackjack Pasture Cabernets. ORDER your wine to enjoy now and for years to come!

Wine Gang Added Benefits

If you are not already a member of our illustrious Wine Gang (you poor soul), now is definitely the time to join! We have added even more benefits to membership. In addition to the great discounts, complimentary tastings, exclusive features and more, we have added Flat Rate shipping ($20/case) to our Trail Boss members and complimentary shipping (on a case or more) for our Foreman members! For a complete list of our benefits please visit our Wine Gang page on our website. You can easily sign up on-line as well. Remember – you always choose the wines you want for your two yearly wine shipments. We know you have always wanted to be in a Gang!

Wine of the Month – 2014 Wagon Wheel Sauvignon Blanc

Each month we select one wine to highlight with a very special offer. We are very happy to announce the new release of our 2014 Wagon Wheel Sauvignon Blanc – our April Wine of the Month! This beautiful wine has vibrant flavors of bright stone fruits with touches of guava and grapefruit. After spending 2 months in oak, the richness comes through creating a lingering, satisfying finish. During this month, order 6 or more bottles and shipping is included. ORDER NOW! Please note, this is an on-line exclusive offer.

Upcoming Events

Apr 18: Blackjack Release Party, Galante Tasting Room,Carmel, CA; 1-6pm

Join us to celebrate the release of our 2012 Blackjack Pasture Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition to tasting this new vintage we will also enjoy our first two Blackjack vintages – the 1994 and 1995! Extra special pricing will be offered at the event on all these wines. Tickets are $15 ($10 for Wine Gang members). RSVP to Danielle.

May 2: MCVGA Winemaker’s Celebration; Dolores St btwn Ocean & 7th, Carmel, CA; 2-5PM

Monterey Wine Country’s 23rd Annual Winemakers' Celebration will return to Carmel-by-the-Sea on May 2, 2014. Celebrating the wines and winemakers of Monterey County’s world class growing region, the event will display over 100 incredible wines. Join Galante Vineyards at this wonderful, festive event. For tickets visit MCVGA.

May 9: Galante Wine Gang Pickup Party, Galante Tasting Room, Carmel, CA; 12-6PM

For those local Wine Gang members who pick up their wines at the Tasting Room, come join us to taste the new juice, enjoy some light hors d’oevres and grab your wines. Make sure to let us know that you will be picking up your wines on May 9th so we can have them all ready for you. If you are not a member yet feel free to come by and join up!

May 26 – June 2: Winemaker Series at Talon Lodge, Sitka, Alaska

Galante Vineyards has been asked to host two Winemaker Series events at the extraordinary Talon Lodge. Each session includes a 4-night stay, 3 days of sport fishing, Gourmet Cuisine with 2 Winemaker Dinners and more. The first session is sold out but the second session has a few spaces still open. This is the most amazing culinary event in Alaska in a fabulous setting! For more information visit the Talon Lodge website or call 1-800-536-1864. Mention you are a Galante Member and receive a 10% Discount!

June 8-9: Bill Mazeroski Celebrity Golf Tournament; Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, PA

Dawn and I absolutely LOVE going to Nemacolin to hang out with our good friend and Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski along with dozens of sports and film celebrities. The resort itself is one of the finest in the world and, whether you golf or not, this is an event not to be missed. The spa is one of the finest we have ever seen as well. If you would like to register for the tournament, here is the Registration Form. Let me know if you would like to attend whether or not you are registered for the golf and I will assist you with securing your accommodations at Galante special rates. 

Jack’s Saddlebag – Eliud on the Way to Recovery

You may have heard that Eliud, our fabulous vineyard manager and friend for the past 30 years, suffered a serious stroke several months ago. After a lengthy stay in the ICU, Eliud transferred to a rehab center for about a month and then, a few weeks ago, he returned home to continue his rehabilitation. We are happy to report that Eliud has been able to get rid of his wheelchair and is now even walking on his own with no assistance! He is truly a fighter and has no intention of staying down for long. Naturally full recovery will take a long time, but we are confident he will succeed. Shortly after Eliud’s incident, we started a fundraising effort to assist Eliud and his family during these difficult times. We are absolutely blown away by all the support the community and our winery friends have shown. We are close to achieving our fundraising goal so if you would like to make a donation please visit our You Caring site. Thanks again for all your well wishes and positive thoughts.

Eliud – 30 Great Years

Many of you have had the pleasure of meeting Eliud Ortiz, our ranch manager for the past 30 years. However, you may not know a lot about Eliud and how he ended up with us at Galante Vineyards. Eliud was born in Guatemala in 1960, one of four children. His mother and stepfather, Bralio, emigrated to the US in 1968 while Eliud remained in Guatemala to finish his education in electronics. With no great future ahead of him in Guatemala he headed for the US in 1982. Eliud’s stepfather was working at the time for our neighbor, Durney Vineyards. Bralio asked my father if we might have a position for his young stepson and Eliud started working on the ranch in 1984 as a ranch hand. Over the next few years Eliud’s responsibilities increased and he moved into a small house on the property. In 1986 we had our first grape harvest and in 1987 Eliud married his wife, Maria. In December 1989, through hard work and dedication, Eliud became our official vineyard manager. Eliud moved into a larger house on the ranch where he has raised his three children and a grandchild. To this day, Eliud manages not only the entire ranch and cattle business but also the vineyards. He also oversaw our past garden rose business and he assists with whatever needs doing at the winery. I want to thank my great friend, Eliud, for 30 years of stewardship and loyalty. They don’t make ‘em like you anymore!

Gourmet Fest 2015 – Galante Highlighted

The inaugural 2014 Relais & Châteaux GourmetFest brought a bounty of prestigious chefs, wineries and luxury brands from around the world to beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea to celebrate Relais & Châteaux’s 60th birthday. For the 2015 GourmetFest (March 5-8), David Fink and his team have created an even more exciting lineup of Relais & Châteaux Chefs from around-the-world paired with an impressive collection of wine estates and spirits. Over the course of four days guests can experience a range of events in one location, often only available to the seasoned food and wine traveler. From an ample gathering of local and international wineries and passionate chefs to intimate dinners featuring the best wines in the world and the cooking of Michelin starred chefs, guests will be given a unique experience that only the Relais & Châteaux brand can provide. As a special added bonus, on Friday, March 6th, Galante Vineyards will be one of the Special Featured Wineries. A limited number of guests will be able to experience the rustic elegance of Galante Vineyards at an exclusive event at the winery. The tour will feature barrel and bottle tasting of Galante wines and a sumptuous lunch paired with Galante wines (including library selections!). See the Events section below for more information. Book your tickets for the GourmetFest and the Galante Event soon!

Red Rose Roundup 

For all you Red Rose Hill fans – you do not want to miss this offer. I have decided to release a very limited number of Vertical Collections of our Red Rose Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. Choose from a 12-bottle case or a 6-pack (limit one selection per customer). In the 12-bottle case you will receive a bottle each of 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009. For the 6-pack you will receive a bottle each of 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 & 2000. Your very special price for the 12-pack is $990 (Retail $1,265), and $690 for the 6-pack (Retail $870). In addition, we will include the shipping. This offer will only be available while supplies last and for a limited time. So go ahead and smell (and taste) the Roses!! Order now!

Wine of the Month – 2010 Ace High Malbec

Each month we select one wine to highlight with a very special offer. Our 2010 Ace High Malbec is January’s Wine of the Month. This wonderful wine is bright and lively with a lovely bouquet of boysenberry and violet and a flavor profile of spicy plum and blackberry. It is a rich and juicy wine with moderate tannins and will pair wonderfully with a variety of cuisine. One of my favorites is grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce! Order 6 or more bottles and receive free shipping. ORDER NOW! Note, this is an on-line exclusive offer.

Upcoming Events

Feb 8: Rancho Cielo Culinary Roundup, Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, CA; 5-8pm

Mark your calendar for Rancho Cielo’s biggest fundraiser of the year.  The 6th Annual Culinary Round Up is just around the corner and is sure to knock your boots off.  This event will feature Monterey County’s top chefs and wineries, including Galante Vineyards. Get your cowboy boots out and get ready to enjoy a delicious array of culinary delights, listen to inspiring student stories, and support Rancho Cielo’s work.  Please call 831-444-3530 with any questions, or Click HERE for Online Ticket Purchases.

Mar 6: GourmetFest - Galante Vineyards Tour & Lunch, Carmel Valley, CA; 9:30-2pm

As described above, the 2015 GourmetFest is not to be missed, especially the wonderful event that will be held at Galante Vineyards! Join Jack and Dawn Galante along with guest chefs Warren Barr of The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn and Jonathan Cartwright from Muse by Jonathan, for an absolutely fabulous lunch paired with specially selected Galante wines. Let us know that you are coming (email Danielle@galantevineyards.com) and there will be an extra special gift for our fans. Get your tickets on-line before the sell out – limited spaces are available. See you at the ranch!

Jack’s Saddlebag – The Real Scoop

In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a healthy young wife by the name of Dorothy.

And Dot Com was a homely woman, large of breast, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she was often called Amazon Dot Com.

And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever leaving thy tent?"

And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, dear?"

And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will reply telling you who hath the best price. The sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."

Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success.

Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from his tent.

To prevent neighboring countries from overhearing what the drums were saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew. It was known as Must Send Drum Over Sound (MSDOS), and she also developed a language to transmit ideas and pictures - Hebrew To The People (HTTP).

And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading, as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Damascus Sybarites, or NERDS.

And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who bought off every drum maker in the land. Indeed he did insist on drums to be made that would work only with Brother Gates' drum heads and drum sticks.

And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others. “And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel , or eBay as it came to be known.

He said, "We need a name that reflects what we are."

And Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators."

"YAHOO," said Abraham. And because it was Dot's idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.

Abraham's cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic Educated Kid (GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot's drums to locate things around the countryside.

It soon became known as God's Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (GOOGLE).

That is how it all began.

Holiday Cheer

The countdown to the holiday season has begun – and what better gift could there be than to give a bottle or two of Holiday cheer (wine, of course!). At Galante Vineyards we believe that you also deserve a treat, so, for a very limited time we are offering a $25 Galante Gift Card for every $250 in Gift Cards you purchase. Denominations are $25 or $50 and we can send them to you or directly to your guest list, whatever you would like. With Galante Gift Cards, recipients can choose the wine or retail item that they would most enjoy, so your gift will always be greatly appreciated. Order on-line or by emailing us and we will get your cards out ASAP.

Basket Bizarre

The only gift better than Galante wine is a Galante Gift Basket! We have created a few baskets for you to choose from, but you can easily customize your own. Simply fill out the Custom Gift Basket Form (as many as you would like), scan and email them to us (or fax them to 831-624-3200) and we will do the rest to get your gifts delivered in time for the holidays. Feel free to call us at 800-GALANTE to discuss your order as well.

Express Yourself 

I know you all have been waiting with baited breath for our new T-Shirts. Well, your wait is finally over! You can now proudly display your Galante colors with three brave new designs. We have men's and women’s shirts for you to choose from in several colors and sizes. Visit our website to check them out – they also make great stocking stuffers!

Wine of the Month – 2009 Red Rose Hill 

Each month we select one wine to highlight with a very special offer. Our 2009 Red Rose Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is December's Wine of the Month. This exquisite cabernet has 5 years under its belt and, as such, is incredibly elegant yet rich with youthful flavors. An explosive mouth of bright cherry and cassis leads to a full and sophisticated finish. The 2009 Red Rose Hill is my choice to accompany our holiday feast. This month ONLY, we are offering this wine at $29 (regular retail is $35) Order 6 or more bottles and receive free shipping as well! ORDER NOW! Note, this is an on-line exclusive offer.

Upcoming Events

Dec 13: Galante Holiday Open House, Tasting Room, Carmel, CA; 1-5pm

‘Tis the season to be jolly… and to celebrate. We invite you to stop by our Tasting Room in Carmel on Saturday, December 13th and join us to ring in the holiday season. We will be offering tastings, light bites, and Secret Santa Specials for those who dream of a “Wine Christmas.” Happy Holidays and we look forward to seeing you on the 13th.

Jack’s Saddlebag – Be Nice

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird’s mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird’s attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to ‘clean up’ the bird’s vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more obnoxious. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer.  For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he’d hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John’s outstretched arms and said “I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I’m sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior.”

John was stunned at the change in the bird’s attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very softly, “May I ask what the turkey did?”