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The original St. Romedius' tale embraces the twists and turns of fate and recognizes that the best outcomes can derive from the most unexpected circumstances. Being of Hungarian descent, owner/winemaker Robert Pintacsi of St. Romedius grew up listening to the epic story of this ancient Austrian nobleman. His lesson from the fable was that man can work in tandem with nature but not control it; one can act solely as a guide. When starting St. Romedius in 2015, Robert brought these philosophies to his winemaking and aptly named his brand after the courageous man. For more context on the tale of St. Romedius, he lived in the 4th century and was the son of an Austrian nobleman. His parents died, and he rid himself of all possessions before embarking on a journey through the Alps to visit a friend in Italy. A ferocious bear fatally attacked his horse along the way in the mountains. Rather than succumb to the dire straits he faced, St. Romedius wrangled the bear, bridled him, and rode the bear for the remainder of the voyage. This story stuck with Robert and has shaped his approach to winemaking by encouraging him to focus on sourcing superb fruit that he ushers to a true expression of terroir rather than forcing it into a particular stylistic preference. It also means he moves in surprising directions if a wine changes or presents differently during fermentation than predicted. He acts nimbly and flexibly to think outside the box to showcase outstanding grapes and the land from which they came. In one turn of fate, Robert met the owners of Buckeye Ranch Vineyard in Contra Costa County, who were looking for new winemakers to sell their fruit to. At the time, Robert was the Assistant Winemaker of Far Niente winery, where he still acts as the Enologist and has worked for over a decade. The offer of grapes from a historic East Bay vineyard seemed too good to pass up and certainly an example of accepting destiny. He crafted his first wine in 2015, a red blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah, and hasn't looked back since. Robert enjoys seeking unique and under-utilized varietals to create exciting and sometimes unusual wines. In 2020, he discovered a certified sustainable vineyard with Muscat Canelli plantings. While Muscat often finds its way into sweet and sparkling wines, Robert decided to craft a dry, low-alcohol white wine with the intention of easy drinking. The grapes are cold-soaked for 48 hours after picking to allow some skin contact and create texture on the palate. Once pressed, the wine aged in neutral French oak barrels and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The nose is slightly tropical with hints of citrus blossom and overly ripe melon, and the acidity leaves your palate feeling lighter than before sipping. Even Robert proclaims the 2021 Muscat Canelli as the perfect "porch pounder" wine. It is delightfully delicious, refreshing, and quenchable, making it a lovely match with an afternoon in the sunshine. - Acme Fine Wines |
