Summer in a Bottle

Sonoma’s new limoncello from Tasting Table

Olive oil, wine, farmstead cheese: The Bay Area’s edible landscape has resembled Italy’s for years. With the arrival of Hello Cello, it does so even more.

The brainchild of Fred and Amy Groth, this new Sonoma-bottled limoncello surges with the invigorating essence of lemons.

The pair worked with the citrus lab at UC Riverside to ascertain the perfect mix of lemons for Hello Cello. The result features the Eureka variety and the classic limoncello lemon, Sorrento, sourced predominantly from an organic farm near Santa Cruz.

To create their sunny liqueur, the Groths start with brandy made from biodynamically grown local wine grapes. Next, they peel the lemons by hand (up to 3,000 for each batch of limoncello), macerate the rinds in the brandy for two weeks, then sweeten the brew with agave nectar.

Limoncello is traditionally drunk straight from the freezer at the end of a meal, but it’s equally refreshing as an aperitif, served on the rocks with a hit of soda water and perhaps some muddled berries.

Until recently, Hello Cello was available only at a few restaurants in Sonoma County. Now, for your concentrated-citrus pleasure, it can be purchased at San Francisco retail shops like K&L Wine Merchants and Cask.

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It’s a party. It’s work. It’s a working party with a crew of family and friends of Fred and Amy Groth to produce the latest sensation from Sonoma Valley. Made from all organic ingredients including Eureka lemons, oranges, a neutral grape-based spirit, plus agave syrup for sweetener, the making of Limoncello di Sonoma is a production worthy of a team Olympic event.
The history of Limoncello goes back to the beginning of the last century when an innkeeper in Southern Italy treated her patrons to her homemade liqueur as a complimentary after-dinner “digestivo.” Fast forward to this century to the Groths who have traveled for work all over the world, and yet gravitated more and more to Italy, particularly the southern regions where a limoncello recipe is a family affair. You could say that limoncello fell in love with them
With their daughter, Isabella, now age six and twins Alex and Cooper, now four, the Groth’s were looking for a new adventure and the way of life they loved in Italy. Their search brought them to Sonoma when an epiphany came while eating dinner at Swiss Hotel where they noticed a long table opposite them with a family celebrating with friends. It was the picture of the lifestyle they coveted.

The mission of Hello Cello is to provide an artisanal, fresh product which will create a limoncello experience, an event, an atmosphere, a memory, a story to tell grandchildren about the “good ole days” with family and friends.
Fred has been known to orchestrate the limoncello luge similar to the sled event in the Olympics; however, this time the course is an ice sculpture with a funnel at the top in which Limoncello is poured. As it swirls through the track, it develops its characteristic chill and is ready to sip as it emerges at the bottom. This weekend he will be in attendance at the Boys & Girls Clubs Annual Sweetheart Auction with his luge.
At the peel party recently in the spare warehouse space with its concrete floor and roll-up door, the smell of lemons intoxicated the air with a rich citrusy scent. About 60 adults peeled the rind from the lemons while 40 children squealed with excitement as they bounced in the large jumping house located just outside. This is community. Once the peel is removed, the rest of the lemons go to Sonoma Market where they are used with organizations such as Friends in Sonoma Helping.
Buy Limoncello di Sonoma locally at Sonoma Market and Whole Foods. Try it locally at Carneros Bistro, the girl & the fig, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, estate, and Maya. Check the Web site hellosonoma.com for more recipes and information.

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Blends the Best of Sonoma County and Italy

(Sonoma, CA – December 18, 2009)  —  Introduce yourself to a new California twist on a classic Italian tradition.  HelloCello Limoncello di Sonoma is a brand new organic lemon liqueur hand-made by husband and wife team, Fred and Amy Groth.  Based in Sonoma, California, HelloCello uses the best organic ingredients grown at select vineyards, local farms and orchards in Northern California.   The smooth, refreshing beverage comes in a tall, sleek 375ml bottle with bright, sunny graphics and sells for the suggested retail price of $24.99.  Limoncello di Sonoma is available in specialty food stores like Whole Foods Market, Dean & Deluca, Traverso’s and Sonoma Market.  It can be tried at fine restaurants in Northern California like Girl & the Fig, Carneros Bistro, Sonoma Mission Inn, Bottega, and Bouchon.  It you are not in the area it may be purchased online at www.klwines.com or www.beltramos.com.

As is the tradition in Italy, HelloCello Limoncello di Sonoma can be enjoyed after dinner as a chilled digestif, but that’s just the beginning of its uses.  Shaken and stirred into creative cocktails or mixed into recipes for savory entrees to sweet desserts, Limoncello di Sonoma is a welcome addition to the bar or pantry.

Each bottle of the fresh lemon liqueur is hand-crafted by founders Fred and Amy Groth in their Limoncello laboratory in Sonoma Valley. The couple has earned the necessary Federal and State permits to be licensed as a distilled spirits plant (DSP).  HelloCello is an environmentally responsible business that believes in supporting local farms and producers, dedicated to zero waste, and are a carbon neutral producer.

“We are committed to bringing the best quality products to market that are great for people and the planet” says Fred Groth.

“We’ve always loved Limoncello in Italy,” says Amy Groth.  “We’ve also been inspired by the natural, organic, and Slow Food movement here in the states, particularly in Sonoma County.  We’ve had an obsession to create a Limoncello with the absolute freshest organic ingredients, so we moved our family from Colorado to Sonoma so we could have our pick of those ingredients and start this company.”

Amy and Fred Groth have studied the traditional Italian process of making Limoncello.  Fred even traveled to Italy where he learned methods and techniques used by both the largest and smallest producers in Italy.  The result is a Limoncello that is handcrafted in small batches using only 100% certified organic ingredients. The alcohol is produced from Demeter certified biodynamically grown and distilled grapes.  The grapes are distilled in a small cooper column pot still. The lemons selected, are approved by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and are similar in character to those grown in southern Italy along the Amalfi Coast. Raw organic Agave was selected as a sweetener instead of refined processed sugar to produce a product that is not overly sweet and lower on the glycemic index.  This allows the true citrus flavors to come forward in a fresh flavor profile. In addition to fresh natural ingredients, HelloCello uses custom engineered filtered water to help enhance the flavor of Limoncello di Sonoma.  The result of carefully combining these local ingredients is a fresh and zesty California alternative to Italy’s most loved liqueur.

For more information, including an updated list of stores and restaurants carrying Limoncello di Sonoma, please visit www.hellosonoma.com or call 707-721-6394.  HelloCello is also on Facebook and on Twitter @HelloSonoma.

For high resolution photos or to arrange an interview with Fred and Amy Groth, media may contact Tyffani Peters at 707-318-2726 or Tyffani@hellosonoma.com.

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