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!
Galante Gazette-April 2015
dawn • April 14, 2015
Bulls Eye Red – A High Wine
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.
Cheers!
Jack Galante
Recent News
Blog Review by Sharon from Decanting Monterey I don’t spend nearly enough time wine tasting in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Part of it is our search for warmth and sun. Part of it is not wanting to deal with crowds of people and parking. I did make it to a couple of the Carmel-by-the-Sea tasting rooms during COVID, mostly to pick up specific wines for my weekly class. Now that things are truly open, I want to get there more often. When I needed to find a new groomer for my dog (that is a long, pandemic story), I thought, “This could be a win-win!” I dropped my dog at the groomer and walked to a couple of nearby tasting rooms. Perfect! When can he get groomed again? A year after my little guy was banned by one groomer, we struck gold! Today’s post is about Galante Vineyards . Galante was the first winery to open a tasting room in Carmel-by-the-Sea. We have visited them several times over the many years. I learned from Kaela that Jack’s great grandfather was actually the founder of Carmel-by-the-Sea! Their roots in the area run deep! According to their website, Jack’s parents bought a cattle ranch in Carmel Valley and began growing grapes (focused on Cabernet Sauvignon) in 1983. Over a decade later, Jack decided to build a winery and make his own wine. There is definitely a ranch/cowboy theme in his tasting room and in his wines! If you are a big red drinker, you will find something to please your palate at Galante! The ranch is located in the Cachagua region of Carmel Valley, home to several wineries large and small producing rich Bordeaux varietals. I contend that the climate and terroir of Cachagua result in some of the finest wines produced in Monterey County. I like my reds big – and the fruit in this region seems extra delicious. Today I am presenting 6 Galante red wines. The winery notes come from their website linked above.
Depending on consumption, your total step’s tally may depreciate but the good news is the freedom to research however many you’d like and not having to get behind the steering wheel. Park the car once and you’re good to go. Typically, my exploring strategy starts at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Junipero Street, where the shop browsing begins, then continue heading downhill to the white sands of Carmel Beach, where all canines (and humans) are free to roam unleashed, a liberty that can be traced back to when actress Day became co-owner (mid-1980s) of the Cypress Inn and made it a pet-friendly hotel. Through the years, a number of local lodgings followed suit turning Carmel into one of the Fido-friendliest towns in America. Now, many downtown establishments attract man’s best friends with water bowls at their front doors, hoping, perhaps, to lure their masters inside. From Italian to Mexican to Asian, most any regional cuisine is available in town, however, to score the real intelligence on Carmel-by-the-Sea, grab a barstool and glass at any of the local wine tasting rooms where conversations with the host can take more twists and turns than a politician. Rest assured, my civic interest was concerned more with the local Cabs and Pinots.
I have been to tasting rooms throughout California’s wine regions and can say without hesitation that Galante is as intimate and relaxing a tasting room where I had the pleasure to taste. The best way to describe the tasting experience at Galante is to say it’s tough to leave. Sure, there are plenty of places to visit, but when you’re enjoying yourself and the wine is that good, why leave! The Galante Family has a long history in the Monterey area. Owner Jack Galante’s great grandfather, J.F. Devendorf, was the founder of the town of Carmel. He later built the Pine Inn and the prestigious Highlands Inn. In 1969, Jack’s parents purchased a 700-acre cattle ranch in rustic Carmel Valley. While still maintaining a working cattle ranch, the Galantes, in 1983, began growing premium grapes on their property, specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1994, Jack Galante decided to build a winery and use some of his grapes to produce ultra-premium estate bottled wines. Jack and his wife Dawn have both Galante and Dawn’s Dream – that opened five years ago. Look for a story on Dawn’s Dream in the next month here. To Jack, having a winery – or two – makes perfect sense. “I just drank heavily in college,” said Galante with a laugh as to why he started a winery. “Actually, it was a process of things. It was a natural field for me to go into.” As was the case with his family founding Carmel, Galante was the pace setter for wines in Carmel. They were the first tasting room to open in Carmel and with it, they brought a different perspective of what should make up a tasting room. Instead of being one of the grandiose facilities, Galante and his team opted for small and personal. “The whole thing to me is bring in the people you want to get to know,” said Galante. “To me, villas and chateaus are not real places for people to taste wine.” With so much going on the in the greater Monterey Peninsula, the growth, in terms of numbers and quality of wine in the area is often lost. Sometimes it takes extenuating circumstances to get the word out. “When the wild fires hit Napa and Sonoma, there were a lot of people that were re-routed down here,” said Galante. “Many of them had no idea there were so many wineries in the area. They were amazed, and I think it opened a lot of eyes.” As the region has grown in the wine world, Galante has stayed true to their original game plan. Stay affordable with your tasting fees, staying confident that once you get them in the door, the charm of the experience and the quality of wine will take over. “We don’t even cover our costs with our tasting fees, but we have a different philosophy down here,” explained Galante. “We have an 85 percent buy after tasting. People really enjoy the product and we love the experience of having them here.” And the wine is good. My favorite was the Blackjack Pasture, a strong Cabernet Sauvignon, but there is plenty of quality from which to choose. The Kickass is a fun blend, with the 2013 made up of 70% Malbec, 20% Petite Sirah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Centennial Cabernet Sauvignon, made in honor of the 100-year-anniverserary of Carmel is another strong bottle of wine. Galante has also produced some special bottles of wines for celebrities. His most recent was for John Daly. Having been in the tasting room on a couple of occasions, it’s clear the staff has fun with the customers and it’s an attitude that starts from the top. Jack Galante has a passion for both producing the wine and making it fun for the customers. “For me personally, there are two best things to being in the business,” said Galante. “One – the creation of the product from the ground all the way through to putting it in the bottle. I never get bored with the process. Second, on the social side it’s about creating a product that people don’t need, but they enjoy. Ninety-nine percent of the time we are dealing with happy people. There are a lot of choices for people to visit in the wine industry.” It’s a belief that permeates throughout the wineries in the area. “In Carmel, we all work 100 percent together,” said Galante. “There is none of the “I will be better than you.’ We are not vying for shelf space and we go out of the way to refer other wineries.” See the online story here https://acesgolf.com/galante-vineyards-great-wines-and-a-great-time/
Dark berries, crushed gravel and muddy clay make for a rustic but compelling nose on this bottling from a warm valley. It's tightly wound on the palate, where a chalky mouthfeel delivers bright blackberry and red-currant flavors. MATT KETTMAN (Wine Enthusiast, 11/1/19) 90 POINTS
Theres a history Jon & Lynn Guess share with Galante. Introduced to the wines at the Taste of Monterey; Jon was looking for a “nice, upscale” bottle for a gift at Christmas………And so, the love affair began with Blackjack Pasture 11 years ago. Jon fell over the top and Galante has been his go-to ever since. In fact, 50% of their cellar is Galante wines including a Blackjack vertical beginning with 2005! After this Christmas it will be slightly less tho, as Santa is bringing 50 Saddlepack boxes packaged with 150 Galante wines…. home for the holidays. Lyn is enamored with Bulls Eye High. It was love at first sight, or shall we say taste…. Although, the bottle itself is rather a kick!Their most treasured bottle in the cellar is a vintage 1.5L Hock Magnum from 1994, etched with Red Roses. Presently, it contains 2012 Blackjack, until the next refill - - when Jon will proudly package up his prized Galante bottle in its custom wooden case, and send it back for what will likely be 2013 Blackjack Pasture. The Guess’s have earned their bragging rights as Foreman in the Wine Gang - but their real claim to fame is the one and only correct answer in the trivia competition at the Wine Gang Muster this year. “What was only year Blackjack Pasture was not bottled?”