Shelby Green, Assistant Winemaker
Shelby Green, Assistant Winemaker
Shelby Green is the Assistant Winemaker for Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga and V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena. Shelby joined the wineries in 2017, after graduating with two degrees from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo—one B.S. in Food Science and another B.S. in Nutrition. She has also recently completed her two-year Winemaking Certificate Program at the University of California, Davis.
Post-graduation and prior to joining Castello di Amorosa and V. Sattui Winery she worked at Ferrari-Carano Winery in Sonoma County. She currently works with a wide range of varietals making wines for the two wineries and particularly enjoys Merlots and Pinot Noirs.
Shelby enjoys working in the medieval setting of Castello di Amorosa. As she explains, “even though we may work in a thirteenth century castle, our winemaking techniques have kept up with the modern day. One of the most important tools we utilize during harvest is TankNET; it’s essentially a cloud-based control system that we use to keep track of our tanks during the busy season. We have the ability to schedule automated pump-overs on tanks, control heating/cooling and track fermentations of all of our tanks directly from our computer or phone.” If she had to choose just one wine as a favorite of the wines she makes, it would be the winery’s Terra de Promisso Pinot Noir, which is sourced from a spectacular vineyard on the Sonoma Coast.
Shelby came to her love of winemaking during college. “When I was younger wine was always around, but I didn’t think much of making a career of it. It wasn’t until my first laboratory internship at a winery that I thought back to the varietals my grandfather would drink, Pinot Noir and Merlot. Of course, those naturally became my favorite wines as well. It wasn’t until I started as an Enologist for V. Sattui and Castello di Amorosa, that my grandfather told me he was a wine club member at V. Sattui back in the early 1990s- guess you could say things have come full circle!”
In her spare time Shelby loves hiking with her dog Koda on the Sonoma Coast and in different regional parks in California’s North Bay wine country. Recently she has been training for an IronMan race, alternating between swimming, biking and running. Aside from training she enjoys baking. Her specialty is cinnamon rolls. “I usually make about 300 when I have the time,” she says, adding “they freeze exceptionally well, and it brings me so much happiness to be able to share them with all of my friends, family and coworkers.”
Interviews
♦ Shelby Green – Wine Women, July 30, 2021 (Interview)
Peter Velleno, Winemaker
Peter Velleno, Winemaker
Peter Velleno studied winemaking, brewing science, microbiology, and food engineering at the University of California at Davis. In 2003, he was the only student to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in fermentation science.
After graduation, he went to work in the laboratory at William Hill Winery, where he quickly worked his way up to assistant winemaker specializing in Chardonnay production. Peter went on to work for the ultra-premium small winery Hartwell Vineyards, where he helped craft some of the most highly regarded Cabernets in the Napa Valley.
Peter’s career path took a sharp turn in 2008 when he joined Castello di Amorosa as the associate winemaker. He was promoted to winemaker in 2014 and manages production of the Castello’s wines. If asked, he will tell you that making wine in a Castle is even more fun than it sounds.
Peter and his wife Lauren have lived in Napa since 2003. They have two children and enjoy playing tennis, biking, cooking, and spending time outdoors with their dogs Cooper and Ruby.
Interviews
♦ Winemaking from A Castle in California, March 26, 2021 (Interview)
♦ We Like Drinking, March 24, 2021 (What Two Wines Would Winemaker Peter Velleno Recommend)
Artistic Super Tuscans
Artistic Super Tuscans
You may suspect a read detailing the work of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo or Botticelli as Tuscany is known for its artistic contributions. Florence, the heart of Tuscany, is considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance and is one of the most important cities in the world for art lovers and historians. Tuscany boasts some of the world’s most prized works of art in the numerous museums and art galleries, the Uffizzi, the Pitti Palace, and the Bargello, just to name a few.
The Uffizzi Gallery (left) and the Palazzo Pitti (right) are home to some of Tuscany’s most valuable works of art.
Aside from its artistic legacy, the cultivation and appreciation of wine is also deeply steeped in the history of Tuscany. Italy is one of the oldest wine-producing regions of the world and is still the largest wine producer by volume. There are over 350 different wine grapes commonly cultivated in Italy and many of these are indigenous to Tuscany. In Tuscany you can find everything from unpretentious local village wines to more sought after and prestigious wines like Brunello de Montalcino, Chianti Classico or Super Tuscans.
The ‘super’ heroes of Italian wine
In the early 1980’s prominent Tuscan wine producers believed the legal rules of the DoC and DoCG (Italian wine law) governing the production of Chianti were too restrictive. For example, they required the use of some white grapes and they prohibited blending non-indigenous grapes i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah. In an effort to produce the best wines and embrace artistry in their craft they continued to use these less traditional grape varietals. Although not legally defined or regulated, the term “Super Tuscan” was coined to distinguish these artistically expressive wines from the inexpensive, lower quality wines that were typically associated with the term vino da tavola, or ‘table wine’.
Today, super Tuscans use the legal labeling of IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), which gives producers more flexibility, or artistic license, and certainly has more cachet than vino da tavola. Super Tuscans now represent some of the most luxurious wines of Italy and tend to be modern, big and rich—and often carry a price tag exceeding $100- $200 a bottle.
Some super Tuscans contain Sangiovese but others are made solely from Merlot (like the famous Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Toscana Masseto), or from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (Riccardo Baracchi Toscana Ardito), or from even less traditional varietals, like a combination of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot (Argiano Toscana Solengo).
Castello di Amorosa’s 2009 La Castellana is 70% Cabernet, 15% Sangiovese and 15% Merlot. Exotic dried plum and tinder box on the nose and a refined palate of brooding dark cherry and dusty cocoa.
Our 2010 vintage, the first blended by Sebastiano Rosa of Italy’s famed Sassicaia has garnered a whopping 92 points from James Laube of Wine Spectator.
Sebastiano may be Castello di Amorosa’s Super-hero Tuscan!
