Bonnie Brae Wine & Liquor Mart
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Phone: (303) 733-7261

Big House Winery
– Monterey County, California

“Criminally Delicious Wines.” “The original “Rhone Ranger.” “Born of the subversive notion that the California climate is more hospitable to the rollicking, sun-loving grapes of Mediterranean France, Italy and Spain, than some other varieties that should probably remain nameless (say, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot!) “Georgetta is a ‘perfect fit for the misfits’ of The Big House!!”

The Monthly Selection

2008 “Birdman” Big House Pinot Grigio 

Gold Medal – Pacific Rim International Wine Competition; Gold Medal – San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; Silver Medal – Critic’s Challenge; Bronze Medal – World Wine Championships. This wine is actually an artful – and exquisite – blend of 78% Pinot Grigio, and 22% Sauvignon Blanc. It is “large” on the palate in both flavor and structural feel (actually 13.5% alcohol, quite ample for a white).

Warden’s Comments: This Bird was almost cooked this year with all of the fires raging through the Monterey and Big Sur. We were ready to evacuate the inmates. That coupled with a very long, cool, and dry growing season has led to a very ‘plump’ Birdman, almost the antithesis of that light and airy Northern Italian cousin. The serious gravitas of this wine permeates all of its characteristics; a bold and weighty nose of citrus fruits, the full palate with touches of grapefruit and melon, strong acidity that balanced and a long, lingering quenching finish. Quite possibly the most unique Pinot Grigio we’ve ever made. Pale straw green color. Aromas of frosted banana cake follow through on silky entry to a fruity light-to-medium body with honeyed apple and nougat notes. Finishes with a tangy, peaches and cream fade, and with a hint of smoke. Definitely a more flighty version of this old Northern Italian linchpin. Perhaps it’s the climate around Monterey, and those cool evenings; or perhaps it’s the Sauvignon Blanc. Either way, the Birdman is a bright and refreshing wine the wonderful fruit characters, crisp acidity, and zippy finish, that shows hints of green apples, citrus fruits, and a little honeyed ripeness for structure. There’s even a little mineral twist therein.

Regular Price $10.99 Web Special $7.99

The Big House Story

As “BIG HOUSE WINERY” puts it, they are, in the business of crafting “Criminally Delicious Wines.” The Big House concept was first created many years ago in 1981, by the Bonny Doon Estate Vineyard founder, Randall Graham, a truly eccentric, satirical – and wine-wise, irreverent – visionary. Why Is It Called Big House? Well. As the winery states, “Our Soledad Winery in Monterey County, is a mere ankle iron’s toss from the Soledad State Correctional Facility, aka “The Clink,” “The Slammer,” “The Hoosegow,” “The Cooler.” Our vineyard portrayed next to “The Pokey” – in a visually benevolent milieu likely not familiar to the “residents” of the Big House – yields a most compelling wine.

Graham tried to be as serious as a “heart attack” about his extraordinary wines, and as facetious and clever as a stand-up comic about the traditional trappings of winedom’s ostentation. He was also the original “Rhone Ranger,” initiating a heretofore unseen specialization in the traditional Rhone Valley varietals – Syrah, Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier, and produced ‘achingly beautiful’ wines that confirmed that California's temperate climate is well suited to the sun-loving grapes of the Mediterranean. Graham also pioneered the concept in California, of multi-vintage (therefore NON-vintage) “blending” to achieve his spectacular results.

The Big House brand, their grape sources, and their delightful, flippant attitude are in safekeeping and perpetuation now through a group called UNDERGROUND WINE MERCHANTS, who are actually a subsidiary of the third largest wine producing and marketing company in the world – The Wine Group, LLC. As the winery states, “The Big House wines were born of the subversive notion (the continuing irreverence and sarcasm continues!), that the California climate is more hospitable to the rollicking, sun-loving grapes of Mediterranean France, Italy and Spain, than some other varieties that should probably remain nameless (say, Cabernet sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot!). At Big House we have gone back to our roots, blending these distinct varieties to create a far more complex wine that elegantly matches a wide variety of cuisines – from pizza, and BBQ ribs to ultra-elegant fare.”

“The Big House actually resides in an oenophilic temporal door between California and the Mediterranean. Our winemaking philosophy is driven by several very salient themes, that include: 1) Having as much fun as possible in the enterprise of winemaking as the government agencies will allow; 2) producing wine and wine labels that will inspire and move people; 3) retaining as much of the natural qualities of the grapes as possible, and making wines that are friendly both to foods and the people that consume them; 4) Always giving priority to lesser known varietals in the hopes of uprooting the homogeneous mass that is currently controlling out palate and our wallet.”

The winemaker of the Big House Wines – or the “Warden” as she is called – is a Romanian. As the winery introduces her, “Georgetta Dane is Winemaker/Warden over at The Big House. Georgetta comes from Suceava, Romania, the previous capitol of the Moldovian province. Steeped in history and surrounded by vino-centric culture, Georgetta had the luck of developing a palate with thousands of different and interesting varieties of wines and wine making styles. Unlike the United States, where wine styles and varieties are driven by trends, old world markets are dominated by tradition and terroir.”

“Georgetta’s affinity for wine is directly derived from her surroundings, family, and friends. She received her Masters Degree in Food Science from Romania’s prestigious Galati Unviersity. From there she moved to the South of Romania and began working for a local winery. A twist of fate found Georgetta with an opportunity to immigrate to America. Following destiny, she and her husband moved to Monterey Bay and arrived just in time for the harvest over at Kendall-Jackson. Georgetta’s talents did not go unnoticed in the industry and ended up working her way from the lab up through winemaking to her current role as warden of all the Big House wines. She sees winemaking as a two part process. The first revolves around the natural transformation of fermentation, while the second is the artistic endeavor that involves blending aromas and flavors to produce a wine that’s unique and inspirational. “I really enjoy the creative process, especially as it comes to blending wines, notes Georgetta, whose creativity shows up in her wines as well as her fashionable demeanor.”

“Georgetta’s philosophy of winemaking is very influenced by her keen sense of smell. She approaches blending by breaking down the nuanced aromas of each wine and understanding how they will compliment each other in the final wine. A student of the more eclectic varieties such as Tempranillo, Valdigue, Counoisé, Ruche, and Primitivo, Georgetta is a ‘perfect fit for the misfits’ of The Big House. She’s quintessentially a ‘perfumer’ surrounded by some of the best ingredients that both nature and time could offer. As the warden of the Big House, she will be a champion for the disenfranchised grape’s rights.”

November 2009 SPECIAL FEATURES

Big House Winery - Monterey County, CA
• 2008 "Birdman" Pinot
  Grigio