Monday, May 11, 2015

Winemakers of West of West pt. 3


Chris Pittenger - Gros Ventre


How did you get into wine and winemaking?

Going into college I had no clue what I wanted to do. During my freshman year at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) I took a viticulture course where we made some wine and I caught the winemaking bug. From there it was a bit more circuitous route, going from wine retail to restaurants as a somm before ultimately learning the craft in the trenches (fermentors) at wineries like Biale, Torbreck, Williams-Selyem, and Marcasssin.


Is there a varietal you wish you could grow in the west sonoma coast? What is it?

As winemaker for Skinner Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills (El Dorado), I work with rhone varietals exclusively. I really love making Mourvedre. Seeing how Syrah can express itself on the extreme coastal sites, my interest is piqued about Mourvedre out there. However, since it is one of the latest varietals to ripen, it would be a real risk financially to grow. Unless of course you want to make rosé out of it most of the time, which could be delicious but not a great return on investment. Especially when you can fetch a pretty penny for Pinot and Chard.


What do you think would be successful in the west sonoma coast that has not been planted yet?

I think Grenache and Grenache Blanc could do really well out there…especially the white. Both are more suited to warmer climates but I think the Grenache could produce some delicate and pinot-like wines, while the Grenache Blanc’s acidity would stand out to produce a fresh and food friendly wine. Now I just need some dirt and a few million dollars. Anyone?


How do you make wine more accessible?

I try to keep things simple. Wine is about friends, family, food, and fun. If you can keep that perspective, I think it goes a long way towards breaking down the barriers that intimidate consumers. It really is okay to drink Cab with seafood and Pinot with ribeye. Don’t stress about it but also be open to trying new wines or pairings and learning about new producers, varietals, or regions.


Why is pinot noir worth the price tag?

You could ask that question about a lot of wines. Ultimately wine is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, whether it is box wine or 1st growth Bordeaux. Thankfully you can find really good Pinot in between both of those price points and that’s were I play more often than not. Pinot has the ability to take you to a place very few varietals are capable. Occasionally it can be life changing but more often than not it is simply delicious. Sadly it is rarely either of those when found under $30 a bottle on a shelf. Fortunately there are a lot of great examples in the $30 - $60 range. Some of the finest examples in the world can be found for less than $150. Last time I checked you can’t say that about Cabernet. Let me know if you need any suggestions.


What is the role of the sommelier to you? Do they inform your process?

Coming from a sommelier background, I feel that the role is to be a storyteller. By bridging the gap from the table to the vineyard with a tidbit or something unique about the wine or producer can make the dining experience greatly enhanced. If you can make the guest feel a connection to the people behind the bottle they are drinking then you will gain their trust and they will want to come back again. And you’ve shared a little about us which makes the wine so much more personal. Most of our loyal customers have come to us after being introduced to the wine by a sommelier.


What would you like sommeliers to know in Chicago?

We appreciate what you do for the little guys. It’s easy to phone it in with name dropper brands, high scores and crowd pleasers. Trust your palate and don’t be afraid to break from the norm. By norm, I’m not saying to add a page of orange wines, rather to find artisanal producers in all categories including mainstream varietals like Pinot. Think of your tiny butcher, baker, or cheesemaker and apply that to wineries. They are working with very common products but putting a hands-on and oftentimes sustainable and responsible purpose to bacon, bread, and goat cheese. It takes time, effort, and passion to seek out small producers dedicated to the craft…and for that we are grateful.


What are your favorite things to do in Chicago?

I like taking in the local food, wine, music and sports scene whenever I get the chance. Last year I got to go to Wrigley Field and stumbled upon a Jay Farrar (Son Volt) show which was killer. There is a lot to do in Chicago…such a fun scene. I enjoy getting a feel for its culture and vibes whenever possible.


What's your dessert island wine?

Champagne. It goes with everything you can find on the island, especially sandy beaches and perfect surf.


What's the single best bottling that you have done?

Tough question as i’m so close to them. Better question for you perhaps. If pressed, I’d have to say my first vintage of Cerise — 2009. It was the culmination of 20 years of pursuing a goal to make my own wine and it was so gratifying to see it come to fruition. Not sure if it is the best, but certainly the most sentimental. And quite likely the best to date. It was a killer vintage and the wine made itself. It made me think to myself "well this is easy…what took you so long Chris.” I wish it was that easy every year.


What’s your favorite single vineyard that you make?

Probably the Campbell Ranch in Annapolis. The site is so remote and bad ass. After nearly vomiting from the windy coastal roads, you pull up to this site carved out of pine and redwood trees. Often enshrouded in fog, you can smell the sea air in the rows and you just know you are in a place that was meant for Pinot Noir. The fruit itself is so pure and vibrant. I like it so much that it goes into most of our wines (Campbell Ranch Vineyard, First Born and Sonoma Coast). Anytime you have an airstrip running through a vineyard, you know you are isolated and on the right path for Pinot.


If you could get a drink or drunk with one person living or dead who would that be and why?

FDR. My great aunt married his son, so i’ve always had an interest and distant connection to him. I have some White House relics from that era like wine and champagne glasses and I’ve always wondered what kind of amazing people may have drunk wine from them. Churchill? Carnegie? Rockefeller? FDR brought us from the depths of the worst recession and through WWII. I’m sure he would have some stories to tell over a beer or cocktail or both.



Thursday, May 7, 2015

Winemakers of West of West pt. 2



Q & A with Noah Dorrance

How did you get into wine and winemaking?  The first time I made wine was when i worked at Crushpad in San Francisco.  I had been really "into wine" for a long time but hadn't really touched any grapes prior to 2005.

Is there a varietal you wish you could grow in the west sonoma coast?  I think there are lots of things that would be cool to grow on the Sonoma Coast like Nebbiolo and Riesling.  The basic problem is that the price potential for planting Pinot doesn't inspire many growers to take a chance on anything else, which I understand.  It would be an expensive experiment. 

What do you think would be successful in the west sonoma coast that has not been planted yet?  David Hirsch originally had plans to plant some riesling and maybe he even did at first.  I think it could be really interesting. There is a small plot at Platt Vineyard made by Radio Couteau that I really like.

How do you make wine more accessible? In our tasting room in Healdsburg we went away from the norm.  We tried to create an environment like a big living room with comfortable seating, table service and great music on vinyl.  This warm space enables people to enjoy wine in a more "natural habitat" that automatically relaxes them.  They can do tastings or just order glasses or bottles and hang out.  I think there are lots of settings where wine is presented in an unnatural way that forces people into thinking about it in a super reductive manner.  That's not how I get the most of wine either.  I like to drink it with friends and have fun.  

Why is pinot noir worth the price tag?  It of course is not always worth it, but when it is, it reflects the cost to grow and make it.  To create distinctive Pinot from an area like the Sonoma Coast is expensive.  Pinot very quickly turns boring when overcropped even slightly.  If grown in the wrong place it can also turn pedestrian.  However in cool climate, lower yielding places it can make truly special wine that competes with all the best Pinot in the world. 

Do you find your region more difficult to farm than others, like Russian River? 
I think most of our vineyards on the Sonoma Coast are definitely a bit more finicky.  We have some vineyards we source from that have never gotten more than 2 tons/acre.

What is the role of the sommelier to you? Do they inform your process? 
I think great Somms have really become an integral extension for us a winery.  They are many times the champion of our wines and connect us to consumers.  A huge number of people who visit us or buy Banshee, first found us at a restaurant.  I mentioned that there are many unnatural settings where wine is presented, well great restaurants and their Somms are an extremely elevated setting for wines.  We definitely consider Somms as a key audience when creating our wines.  

What would you like sommeliers to know in Chicago?
Come out and visit us.  There are many of us who would love to show you around. 
That and you guys live in amazing food city that rivals almost anywhere Ive been.

What are your favorite things to do in Chicago?
Don't hold this against me but Wrigley Field if my beloved Cardinals are in town.

What's your desert island wine?  If Ive got refrigeration or ice, it's definitely Salon or Larmandier-Bernier VV.  toss up.

What's the single best bottling that you have done?
Id have to say, if I have to pick just one, it would be the 2013 Coastlands. It has not been released yet but it's a stunner.  Start to finish just epic.

What’s your favorite single vineyard that you make? 
Coastlands


If you could get a drink or drunk with one person living or dead who would that be and why?  Michael Jordan.  Growing up a sports fanatic there's really no other possible answer.  Greatest of all time.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Winemakers of West of West pt. 1


Q & A with Ryan Zepaltas 

How did you get into wine and winemaking? 
I was thrown into it the summer of 1998 when I moved to Sebastopol, CA from Eau Claire,WI. A family friend ran the cellar at La Crema and invited me me to work harvest for him. It sounded cool, although I knew next to nothing about wine. I fell in love with the buzz of harvest time before I learned to love wine.

Is there a varietal you wish you could grow in the west sonoma coast?
 Yes, I would love to plant with some Melon de Bourgogne and Cab Franc on a Sebastopol Hills site. I love Muscadet as an everyday wine, and it would be fun to push the envelope with Melon. Cab Franc is just super fun when done in an elegant style. We’d probably have to crop it too low to get it ripe, and it would be fiscally irresponsible, but we can always dream.


What do you think would be successful in the west sonoma coast that has not been planted yet? You don’t see much Sauvignon Blanc. I think it could be really interesting. Slower ripening, longer hang time could be interesting. SB is not taken as seriously in CA as it should be.

How do you make wine more accessible? 
We really have to push hard to consumers that wine doesn’t need to be intimidating. On the industry side, we cannot roll our eyes at questions that new wine drinkers might have when in tastings, or in our restaurants. It is our duty to help them love wine, and help chart a path for them if they are interested in taking their wine enthusiasm to the next level. We should not tell them what to drink. It is perfectly ok for someone’s favorite wine to be big, oaky Chardonnay.

Why is pinot noir worth the price tag?
It’s tough to put a great Pinot out there for the under $30/bottle because farming Pinot is expensive. The extra care that happens in the vineyard drives up our costs. But right now, Pinot Noir in CA over-delivers for the price at almost all levels above $20. We are coming off a string of decent sized crops, and good vintages. Additionally, the bar is so high right now for quality that wineries can’t afford to not put out high quality wine. The competition is so great. We have the research, weather, the land, and the talent in the vineyards and wineries.  There is so much great California Pinot Noir out there between $30-60. That is not cheap, but the value is there.

Do you find your region more difficult to farm than others, like Russian River? 
Low fruit set in and subsequent low yields at windy, cold sites can make it hard to make sense financially. 1 ton per acre sounds great from a marketing department, but that doesn’t always pencil out financially.

What is the role of the sommelier to you? Do they inform your process? 
From a winemaker’s viewpoint, sommeliers are our ambassadors in the restaurants. For small under-the-radar brands who don’t have a lot of marketing dollars, sommelier support is essential. They introduce our wines to new customers, and hopefully we end up connecting with a customer directly because of their experience with our wine in the restaurant. Having your wine on a restaurant’s wine list means nothing if the bottles are collecting dust because customer’s never heard of it, and no one is telling them about it.

I truly appreciate the feedback I receive from somms, writers, etc. as we are always trying to make better wines. At the end of the day though, I have to make wines that are true to my vision, and what my loyal customers have come to expect.

What would you like sommeliers to know in Chicago?
Being a Midwest raised guy, I would say that they should be proud to be in the middle of the 2 coasts. Create your own wine scene (which it appears that you already have) and chart your own path. Remember the classics, embrace the new wave and find that balance of taking care of the customer and letting your own personality shine through your wine lists without alienating your customers. Embrace all types of wines, but promote only great wine.

What are your favorite things to do in Chicago?
Skateboarding!?, Hot Doug’s (R.I.P.), Catch a show at The Empty Bottle or The Hideout, record shopping at Reckless Records, A burger at Kuma’s, Finding a dive bar with Old Style on tap.

What's your desert island wine?
I could live on Raveneau. In Magnum if you got it J

What's the single best bottling that you have done?
2007 Barton Vineyard (R.I.P.) Sonoma Coast PN. The wine made itself, and is still sturdy and fresh today. Zero adjustments in the winery, no blending, no filtering. If I was to enter some sort of “battle of the wines” this is the one I’d bring.

What’s your favorite single vineyard that you make? 
Not fair! Probably Suacci since it is such a unique site as far as the flavor profile goes, and I lived on the vineyard for a few years so I have a special connection with it. It is the most challenging site, and has the most risk/reward.

If you could get a drink or drunk with one person living or dead who would that be and why?

If I could time travel in this scenario, I’d like to hang with Levon Helm and the rest of The Band during their Woodstock days. From what I’ve read, those days sounded very heavy and wild.