On Oct. 9, Testarossa staff, supporters and many Novitiate alumni and their caregivers gathered around a bin of La Rinconada pinot noir clusters for the 137th Blessing of the Grapes held at the historic Novitiate property in Los Gatos.
You know it better as Testarossa Winery, the brand that’s made its home there for well over two decades now. But there was a time when it was a newly founded school for young men with a fondness for Latin, the Bible, Jesuit teachings, hard work, and a desire to follow the path to priesthood.
Testarossa proprietor, Rob Jensen, who graduated from Santa Clara University, reminded the crowd that the first recorded harvest at the Novitiate was Oct. 11, 1888, and noted that Testarossa is still flying a flag with 38 stars, just like the one flown back then.
What was happening in the world in 1888? The two presidential candidates of the day were debating tariffs: how novel! Democrat and incumbent president, Grover Cleveland, wanted to drastically reduce tariffs, believing them unfair to consumers, while Benjamin Harrison, the Republican nominee, favored industrialists who benefited from keeping tariffs high. It’s a hot topic in today’s election, as well.
Eastman Kodak Company was founded that year, and the Washington Monument opened to the public. Inventions in 1888 included a practical AC induction electricity meter, and Nikola Tesla was granted a US patent for the induction motor. The gramophone record was also patented that year. The New York Giants defeated the St. Louis Browns to win their First National League Championship series.
Here we are, 137 years later, and vinyl is back, the Bay Area roads are filled with Tesla’s and their owners are soaking up lots of electrons off the grid, unless they have solar power. And the Giants are regrouping after a lackluster season. But, hey, the NY Mets are still in the hunt! And we’re still making wine, and not just for sacramental purposes, although it can certainly be considered a blessing, especially for those who make their living at it.
Winemaking, however sanctified in its mission, is not without its challenges. Testarossa winemaker Bill Brosseau, who had just deposited the about-to-be-blessed bin of grapes using a forklift, told me that harvest was just about wrapped up, when their destemmer broke, necessitating a call to a repair person from Napa.
This show-stopping hiccup came on the heels of a previously unannounced paving of College Avenue, the road that leads to the winery, causing delays in getting fruit delivered in the very large haulers that transport it from the many vineyards from which the winery sources. Brosseau was not alone in hoping harvest would go without incident from this point on, as they still have chardonnay to bring in from La Rinconada and Sanford & Benedict vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills and from Rincon Vineyard in the Arroyo Grande Valley.
Each year at this gathering, there are fewer clergy present who worked in the Novitiate cellar prior to its closing. Among them was Brother Tom Koller, the last Jesuit Director of Winemaking for the Novitiate. Jensen joked, “Since Tom is still standing, he will do the Blessing!” To which Koller retorted, “The ship sank, but the captain is still standing!”
He then proceeded with the invocation of blessing on all involved throughout the entire food chain of wine, from those who plant, prune, pick and vinify, to those who package, transport, market and sell, and of utmost importance, to those who grace their tables with a bottle of this gift from the land. Fr. John Martin then blessed the grapes with holy water.
Someone asked Jensen about the significance of the number 107 in Bistro 107. It happens to be the US Bond number assigned to the Novitiate as a producer of alcohol back in 1888. Jensen let one of the priests answer, and he explained that having a bond number legitimized the process of making wine, distinguishing it from “underground, mafia-style operations” that had flourished for decades.
The crowd then enjoyed a repast by the culinary team helmed by Chef Nadiv Geiger, who also heads up the newly opened Bistro 107. Jensen says that the menu will change with the arrival of fall produce, but that the popular Bistro 107 Burger will remain. “Our biggest challenge is trying to keep Chef Nadiv from changing the menu every week, as he has so many creative dishes that he can’t wait to share with everyone.”
Bistro 107 hours:
Thursdays: 4pm to 8pm
Fridays: Noon to 8pm
Saturdays: Noon to 8pm
Sundays: Noon to 8pm
