The Pepper Manifesto

We make zins with pepper. Unabashedly, unforgivably peppery zinfandel. We gather the finest Tellicherry pink peppercorns, white peppercorns, and fat black peppercorns and select them, blend them, coarsely pulverize them (to increase the surface area of unoxidized, freshly exposed peppercorn surface) and then add them to the wine while it is still in barrel.

Sometimes, we make a slurry of the discarded peppercorn shells in a carboy of red wine, let it soak for 1 week, and stir it according to biodynamic principles. Then we pop the head off each empty barrel, and paint the inside of the barrel with the pepperslurry. After the barrel has dried, we affix the barrel head and fill the barrel with old vine zinfandel.

We also buy peppercorn in bulk and mix it into our compost piles of grape skins and seeds. Then we spread the peppered compost in the zinfandel vineyard under the vines, where insects and earthworms carry the peppercorns deep, deep into their subterranean pantries beneath the vine roots.

(This has the added advantage of giving an interesting pre-seasoned flavor to the succulent meat of our locally produced grilled gophers.)

Come on by, and see for yourself!

Comments

[wineguy]

Thanks for that. I always wondered how it was done...

[Ed Smith]

Hey, what kind of marinate would you recommend for spotted owl or golden eagle? Since your gopher recipe got my culinary juices flowing I'm sure you have a good idea of what th marinate endangered species in. Abelated April 1st question.

[Michael Green]

Hi Mary, Just reading about peppery zinfandel is making me want to get hold of a bottle right now!

Michael.
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