by Fred McMillin
for June 7, 1999

Sam and Jasper's Winery

Prologue

1935—Italian-born Jasper Indelicato and his brother-in-law, Sam Luppino, set up a small wine cellar south of Stockton in the Central Valley of California.

Today (Jasper's sons have changed the name to Delicato Vineyards) they sell something like two million cases a year, and operate the ninth largest winery in the country.

The Rest of the Story

The Indelicato brothers jumped on the White Zinfandel boom two decades ago, which fueled their expansion. But, there was another factor, too. Prof. John Baxevanis put it this way. "Delicato is one of the better and most consistent of the large Central Valley producers. They offer excellent values."

Wine of the Day

My panel just tasted one of those "excellent values," Delicato's first Syrah. They waited eight years for the new vines to bear high-quality grapes, and now they are ready.

1997 Syrah by Delicato; only SIX DOLLARS!
Nationally distributed
Medium-bodied; pleasing.
Rating—RECOMMENDED in its price range.
Food Pairing—Pork, ham, lamb, pasta with a tomato sauce.
Contact—Sarah Hansen, (510) 654-5400, FAX (510) 654-5402
Price—$6 range

Postscript

The world record for stomping 25 pounds of grapes in 90 seconds is 154.2 ounces of juice. If you want to try to break it, phone Sarah for details about the Delicato annual grape stomp. It started in 1972. The record was set in 1994.

Note: For much more about Delicato, see the March 11, 1999 WineDay article "Big Winery, Small Prices".

About the Writer Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.

Copyright © 1999—the electronic Gourmet Guide, Inc. All rights reserved.