theflock
         

Launch Team

Vidal arrived at Breggo just before harvest in 2005. He'd worked for years at a nearby lumber mill before its parent company closed the doors and abandoned the County. On weekends, Vidal worked for our neighbors, Tom &Sue, who grow olives. They also make an olive oil called Stella Cadente. “He's reliable,” said Tom said of their weekend helper. “Vidal works hard, I mean he'll work steady for ten hours straight.” That he does. Vidal has done just about everything for Breggo, from winery construction, to landscaping, to punch downs during harvest. Vidal has also raised five kids in Boonville, and coaches a men's soccer team that won the county's title in 2005. Next year, we hope those “futbolistas” will wear Breggo's colors.

Michel Salgue isn't an official member of Breggo's winemaking team. Neither is Michael T., but that's a different story. Michel sold us a press, the thing that squeezes the last bits of juice from red wine grapes after fermentation. This press was special. Indeed, Michel helped invent it - the “Bucket Press ®” - and touted it as the gentlest press ever invented. Soft-spoken and difficult to understand because he's French, Michel is not taken to wild exaggeration. We believed what he said about his press, and became his first customer. Our press says “Serial#1” on the nameplate, in French. Thus, we became guinea pig in a grand enological experiment. A lucky guinea pig.

Michel has more experience with Anderson Valley fruit, with Anderson Valley terroir, than anyone on the planet. He also holds a Ph.D. in enology. He's also the highest rated, most critically acclaimed sparkling winemaker in American history. Frankly, he's a bit of a folk hero around here. When he said, “I will shovel!” for Breggo's first harvest, we didn't take him entirely seriously. Folk heroes don't shovel. But Michel did shovel. He was here every day of harvest in 2005, sometimes 12 and 14-hour days. And his press performed as promised. We credit the press in part for the texture that we think will some day make Breggo's wines famous.

He returned for the first day of crush in 2006, when we crushed less than a ton of pinot gris to make a California Sparkling Pinot Gris under his aegis, on his bucket press. The Michel Salgue Signature Edition of Breggo sparkling wine, if Michel will sign off on it. Our two barrels may make 500 or 600 bottles, if we don't somehow mess it up. Enough to supply members of the Flock with a joyous evening, and not much more. To Michel, we will be forever grateful.

CHARLIE McKEACHIE-JOHNSON, a native to River Falls, Wisconsin, worked with Ryan as a harvest intern at Acacia in Carneros during the 2004 harvest. Much as Ryan was winemaker Michael Terrien's trusty sidekick, Charlie was the trustiest of harvest interns at Acacia. Ryan followed Michael to Hanzell in Sonoma, and Michael kindly shared Ryan with Breggo. Charlie followed Ryan.Then Breggo's partner and grower, Mary Elke, took Charlie in, then fed and housed the scraggly beast.In 2006 Charlie returned, this time with high school sweetheart Alison in tow.

Melissa Coronado

Kristopher Kellem

 
BREGGO CELLARS 11001 Highway 128, Boonville, CA 95415 707-895-9589

 

 

copyright 2007 Breggo Cellars