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Suncé Winery and Vineyard
Bordeaux Blends Denise’s Beef Stew |
| Jacuzzi Family Vineyard Winemaker Charlie Tsegeletos |
Suncé Winery and Vineyard’s Winemaker/Owner Frane Franicevic hails from the northern tip of Hvar, an island along Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. Having grown up helping his father harvest Mali Plavac (a Zinfandel relative), making wine was a natural evolution.
When he was 17, his family immigrated to the United States, and an educational pursuit led him all the way to a Ph.D. in East-West philosophy from San Francisco’s California Institute of Integral Studies. While working on his dissertation at Camp Meeker, he found himself in the perfect location to reconnect with his roots. Suncé Winery is the fulfillment of his vision. His wife Janae joined him in 1995 to help develop the winery and estate, where they now live with their three girls, Zora, Suncé and Zemja.
The Franicevics focus on small lots of vineyard-
designated varietal wines and proprietary
winemaker blends, many of which are award-
winning. Most recently, their 2004 Meritage won a double gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and received Best of Class—Bordeaux Blends $35/over recognition. A blend of 48 percent Merlot, 32 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 percent Cabernet Franc (all from single vineyards), its intense layers are well-rounded with a soft, approachable edge. Excellent for cellaring, it’s a wine that’s also hard to resist opening right away.
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| Denise’s Beef Stew
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| 5 pounds stew meat 1 bottle of beer 1 bottle Suncé Meritage 1 large onion, chopped 1 bunch celery, sliced 2 pounds carrots, sliced 2 pounds potatoes, cut in bite-sized pieces |
1 bunch parsley, chopped 4 bay leaves, fresh 2 ounces salt pork, diced 1 16-ounce can of diced tomatoes 2 cups beef broth (or more, depending on how thick you want the stew) 1 large jalapeño |
| Preparation:
Put all ingredients in a covered pan and bake at 300 degrees for 7 to 8 hours. Serves 6 to 8 |
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