Pick, stomp, repeat! Arizona grape harvest season is in full swing and local growers know that means weeks of work ahead prepping for a bounty of winemaking. In celebration of their fifth annual collaboration, SanTan Brewing Company and Dos Cabezas WineWorks have teamed up once again for an amazing beer-wine partnership.
On September 7th, Anthony Canecchia and Gabe Wilson from SanTan traveled to Sonoita, Arizona to work hand-in-hand with Todd Bostock, head vintner at Dos Cabezas to pick Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes. All together more than 500 lbs of grapes were collected and trucked back to Chandler, Arizona in preparation for brew day of the Saison d’Abruzzo.
The Montepulciano grape comes from the province of Abruzzo in east central region of Italy. The fruit is known for its tart and tannic flavor profile. The region of Abruzzo is significant because of its connection to SanTan founder, Anthony Canecchia’s, ancestry. Giuseppe Canecchia, great grandfather of Anthony, emigrated from the Villa Santa Maria d’Abruzzo in 1905, landing firmly on the shores of New York City to begin a new life in the new world.
“I’m so excited and honored to have the chance to create a beer in my great grandfather, Giuseppe Canecchia’s honor. The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape comes from the same region in Italy that he was from, and having this life where I can make a living doing something that I love is all thanks to his courage and strength,” Anthony Canecchia, founder + brewmaster, SanTan Brewing Company.
The brew will be developed in two stages, first the Saison Ale is brewed, then the 500 lbs of grapes are added after the primary fermentation to spark a secondary fermentation that will incorporate the “wild yeasts” that exist on the skins of the grapes. These wild yeast will produce a flavor profile that cannot be duplicated.
A portion of the Saison de Abruzzo brew will be stored in three huge Dos Cabezas wine barrels then aged for one year until September 2017, when SanTan Brewing Company celebrates its 10th anniversary.
The majority of the Saison de Abruzzo batch will be available at the end of September, exclusively on tap at SanTan Brewing Company in Downtown Chandler. Please visit www.SanTanBrewing.com for more information about the tapping date.
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