Tourists on Hwy 156 may be lured into Casa de Fruta to visit the fruit stand and perhaps pick up some of their famous fruit wines, but they would be well served by trying the wines and custom-brewed beers that pay tribute to its history: Casa de Fruta 1940 Pilsner, Casa de Fruta 1940 Session IPA, Clara’s Rosé, and “Dr. Zanger” Dornfelder.
The two beers are both produced for Casa de Fruta by San Jose’s Gordon Biersch Brewing Company. The date on the label is significant—1940 is when George, Joseph and Eugene Zanger, the sons of Dr. Henry Zanger and Clara Bisceglia Cribari Zanger, opened their first fruit stand on Pacheco Pass.
The first beer, the 1940 pilsner, was introduced five years ago, around the time the company was creating a special brew called “Chum” for the San Jose Sharks. Casa de Fruta co-owner Joe Zanger worked with Dan Gordon on the crafting of the beer and knew what he wanted.
“Henry was German-Swiss, and he liked his pilsners,” Joe said. “So that was the first one we made. I like the pilsner—it’s more like a Mexican beer, a little more robust and hoppy with a real flavor. Some porters and darker IPAs are not very smooth going down, and I don’t really care for them.”
The Session IPA is a more recent addition to Casa de Fruta’s product line, being first introduced a year ago.
“It’s got the Indian Pale Ale way about it, but it’s a little softer,” he said. “It is smoother and lower in IBUs than a regular IPA. It is just a nice sipping beer.” (IBUs are International Bitterness Units. The Casa de Fruta IPA is rated at 41 IBUs, lower than the standard range for IPAs of 50-70 IBUs.)
While the two beers salute the early days of Casa de Fruta, which is located in Santa Clara County, the two wines honor Joe’s grandparents.
“We made Clara’s Rosé for my grandmother,” Joe said. “Being southern Italian, Clara liked a hearty rose. She was a remarkable business lady—she started the first ambulance service in San Jose because her husband was in medicine there. Then she imported bottled liquors and started Western Liquors. She worked at the peach and tomato cannery for her uncles and, by the age of 18, was running the 200-person crew. And when her sons started the fruit stands, she did all the books for them.”
After naming one wine after his grandmother, he searched for a German varietal to use for a wine named for his grandfather, Dr. Zanger Dornfelder.
“I came across the Dornfelder, which has a quite good deep red,” he said. “It is huge in Germany, and they originally planted it to blend into their reds to give them a richer color because most German wines are much lighter. It’s kind of a surprise for people who usually don’t drink German wines.”
I spent some time tasting wine with Desiree Castillo, who pours at the Casa de Fruta tasting bar, and we focused on wines I had not tried in an earlier review, as well as the two beers.
The wines and beers of Casa de Fruta
1940 Pilsner Beer (5.0% – $9.99/six-pack) The darker of the two beers, the aroma is more dark fruit than hops, but that does not carry into the flavor of the beer, which is much lighter than you would expect from the look of the beer. There is some bitterness at the front and a smooth flavor that nicely expresses the floral aspects of hops with a finish that just drifts away.
1940 Session IPA Beer (4.9% – $9.99/six-pack) The low alcohol and clean taste make it a great year-round sipping beer it is bright and airy with a floral aroma and an upfront sweet taste of the hops that centers the beer and then floats away with notes of dried fruit, leaving a casual bite of bitterness in the finish. Hard to choose between the two, but I think I prefer this one for how relaxed and light it is.
2020 Clara’s Rosé ($19.99) Growing up, rosés were indeed the natural choice to serve Grandma at the family dinner. This one is an inviting blend of Dornfelder and Malbec grapes that makes for a very fruity and moderately sweet rosé, with hints of tart raspberries and blackberries. “We tried to make this as close as we could to the wine Clara drank,” Joe said. “She preferred something that was a little easier drinking.” This is a perfect warm-weather picnic wine to go with sourdough and chèvre or to serve as an elegant accompaniment to cheesecake. It’s fun and definitely worth a try.
2018 “Dr. Zanger” Dornfelder ($27.99) The first time I did a tasting at Casa de Fruta, this was my instant favorite, a full-bodied wine with a smooth mouthfeel, a rich taste, and a nicely balanced acidity, and swirling with dark fruits and cloves. The Dornfelder is a bit of a chameleon as far as the flavor notes—the grape is a cross of several varietals, including pinot noir and Trollinger, which gives it a bit of German bluntness mixed with the familiar oak tones of the Cienega Valley reds. “I like our reds,” said Castillo. “And for me, it is either this one or our Malbec. Ii really lihe the nice dark cherry note at the end. It throws people off from what they expect.” This remains my favorite of their wines and is a nice dinner choice.
Sole of the Boot ($27.99) This is one of the wines served at the Casa de Fruta restaurant, and that is where I first tried it. An unusual blend of 35% cabernet, 35% Malbec, 25% Merlot, and 5% zinfandel, this wine is named for the Calabria region of Italy, the tip of Italy’s geographical boot. “This one has a nice sweetness at the end,” said Castillo, “it has light tannins and makes a great wine to have between dinner and dessert.” It is a good, rich wine that can stand up to hearty Italian fare or be sipped on its own. Grilled, stuffed eggplant? Bring it on. Family barbecue? Perfect. Dark chocolate by the fire while watching “Casablanca”? No better choice.
2020 Monterey County Pinot Grigio ($18.99) Aged in stainless steel barrels, this pinot grigio has a light aroma, sharp green apple tones and a clean finish. “I love this wine because you can drink it throughout the day without having to pair it to anything,” said Castillo. “It is clean and goes down smooth without any kind of aftertaste.”
Pomegranate Sparkling Wine ($19.99) The holiday season is over, but if you can’t figure out a reason to keep celebrating, you just are not trying. And this sparkling wine, infused with Casa de Fruta’s signature pomegranates, is a perfect one to celebrate with. “After people try our pomegranate wine, I ask them if they would like to try the bubbly version,” Castillo said. “It makes a nice comparison to our brut sparkling wine as well. This one is like a premade Mimosa with just the right amount of sweetness that turns into tartness.” There is just enough fruit to enhance the flavor without challenging the crispness of the grape. This would make a nice surprise at breakfast, served with eggs and bacon, or at lunch with a salad and freshly baked bread. It would also be great for dessert, with some buttery shortbread cookies.
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
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