Settembre labels feature a cross-section of the cork tree.
Running a business from home is nothing new. With high-speed Internet, high-quality printers, and hosted business solutions, the line between home office and that cubicle in the DTC has been permanently blurred, if not completely erased. But when a truck shows up with seven tons of grapes fresh from the Western Slope harvest, running a business from home suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. Call in the volunteers, alert the neighbors; it’s crush time at Boulder’s tiny Settembre Cellars and winemakers Blake and Tracy Eliasson need all the help they can get just to keep the family dogs from being buried in grapes.
Settembre has only been in business since 2007 and just released its first wines in May 2009. Home winemakers generally rely more on concentrates than fresh grapes, but Blake is no average home winemaker. In fact, he earned a Certificate in Enology and Viticulture from the University of California at Davis before making the leap to professional. The Eliassons not only source their grapes from top Colorado vineyards, but they visit places like Vinelands and Mueller Vineyards in the Grand Valley to ensure that the grapes they select are the best for their wines.
I sampled four of their wines earlier this summer at a wine tasting and art exhibit and was surprised by their quality and unique character. The Sangiovese Rosato is the most unique as its pinkish hue might make you suspect a lighter wine but the flavor has the full body and ripe fruitiness of a typical Italian red. The Chardonnay was lightly acidic and lively and lacked the heavy butteriness of some California Chardonnays, due to forgoing malolactic fermentation. I’m a fan of this style of Chardonnay and find that it pairs much better with food than more heavily oaked versions. I also sampled a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Syrah, both of which showed a subtle touch by the winemaker. Both were well-rounded without being overly fruity or jammy and were not overwhelmed by oak.
Even a winery this small needs many hands during the fall harvest. Settembre anticipates a delivery of Chardonnay grapes in early September, with other cultivars not far behind. Visit their website to find out how you can join the Crush Crew to help with time-consuming but crucial tasks like sorting grapes and bottling. You can also sign up for their newsletter to receive email updates of Crush Crew dates, wine release, tasting events, and other winery information.
If you are lucky enough to live close to the winery, you can have your wine delivered by bicycle – Settembre’s attempt to reduce costs as well as emissions. If not, check the events calendar on their website for festivals and other events where the wines may be available or join their wine club to have the wines shipped directly.
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