Celebrating Local Iconoclasts

I was in Ojai this weekend hanging out with my niece on her third birthday.
It was bloody hot and the kids were running around, frantic from the heat and overexcited on cupcake energy.

The adults retired to the shade provided by an ancient wisteria arbor. The talk turned to wine once someone realized I worked in the wine business.
This was a group of 30 something California professionals who were clearly wine lovers and consumers. They were not serious collectors who troll the web for particular prestige labels, just people who buy wine regularly and enjoy it.

I am always interested in what this group has to say so I sat back and let them lead the discussion.
Talk quickly turned to their interest in 'organic' wines. I think there is still a wide chasm between consumers and the wine industry in understanding the term 'organic' as it relates to wine.

Consumers are usually referring to whether the grapes are chemical free and those of us in the business are usually thinking of wines made from organic grapes that have no added sulfites.

I gave them some names of a few wineries to check out beyond the well known Bonterra and Bonny Doon brands.

It has become very trendy to reel off the names of Paris wine bars that specialize in natural wines. But we have our own Left Coast wine iconoclasts making natural wine closer to home.


Clos Saron was one my recommendations. Gideon Beinstock and Saron Rice are making wine the old school way. Grapes are farmed organically and biodynamically. Only native yeasts are used in the cellar, no acid is added, minimal racking and minimal SO2.
I tasted their 2006 'Home Vineyard' Pinot Noir recently.
Delicious restrained red fruits, cinnamon and baking spices, refreshing minerals in the background.

Dancing angels in my mouth

I admit it. Back in the days when I actually read the Wine Spectator, my eyes would glaze over every time a regular columnist wrote one of his "I went to another very prestigious private collector tasting the other night" columns.
I wasn't bored by the story but more by the impression that HE was bored. Another Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, yet another Chateau Haut-Brion, none of which quite lived up to the multitudes of occasions when he had tasted the same rare vintages in the past....how much can one man take?

I have been working in the wine business for many years now and hope to never lose my sense of wonder but more importantly, a feeling of gratitude, that I get opportunities to taste wine that I cannot yet afford on my own dime.

Okay, backstory is over.
A friend of mine popped a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem 1990 last night.
Heaven in a bottle. Little dancing angels in my mouth.
There was orange blossom honey and peaches galore with a touch of butterscotch.
My friend, Wyatt, quite astutely picked up some cocoa powder on the nose as well.

This is a wine with an impressive pedigree and a hefty price tag to go with it.
But it is also a reminder of the beauty and the mystery that we seek everyday in the world of wine.

What's that in your wine?

Lots of fervent opinions in the wine world regarding the recent media coverage about the magic ( or according to some, the manipulation) that happens in the wine cellar.
Natural yeast, cultured yeast, tartaric acid, added sugar, added sulfites, etc.
Ahh, its a tangled web of 'why' and 'why nots' that only us wine geeks will argue over for hours at a time.

Admittedly, this is an issue that intrigues me as well. It is simple curiosity. This wine is good. Where did it come from and what winemaking process made it so delicious?
I am also interested in how average wine consumers are reacting to these stories. I suspect that most consumers are not very interested in our more esoteric discussions. But I definitely believe that they care about how a wine is made, the simpler and purer the process, the better.

There is no question that some media have been overzealous in their quest for a fantastical story. Many have approached the task with preconceived notions of misconduct and visions of winemakers pouring everything under the kitchen sink into the wine we then unwittingly purchase.

Although I have become increasingly entranced over the years by wines that are made from chemical free grapes, I remain an equal opportunity wine glutton.
I agree that this is a complicated question for discussion and there are endless variables to consider( perhaps a wine is made from organic grapes but gets manipulated so much in the cellar that another wine made from sprayed grapes but is treated more thoughtfully ends up being the better wine even the 'greener' wine, etc).

I am still drawn to the romance of an individual or family farming their property with deep respect for the land and a great passion for the final product.

Here's one recent example:

Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgueil La Chevalerie 2005
Stephanie and Emmanuel Caslot work with their father to make some of the Loire's most vibrant Cabernet Franc. The family has owned the land since 1640 and they farm their 59 acres without chemicals.
This wine is alive. Dark, purple color. Iron ore and slight bell pepper on the nose. Deep savory , meaty flavors with crunchy red fruit and wonderful acids to keep things lively.

Accidents happen

Last night I was lucky enough to relax in my neighbor's garden, glass of vino in hand, after an especially grueling day in the world of wine. It was a perfect Los Angeles evening with a soft breeze blowing across the candle lit picnic table. My overtaxed brain and knotted shoulders started to unwind.
Lisa also happens to be a caterer and treated me to a delicious meal as well. Ricotta ravioli with sweet pea sauce, seared halibut steaks and wilted cherry tomatoes. www.provisionsla.com

We got to hang out with a really cool lady too. Janice Lee of Accidental Wine Co joined us after her own action packed day. Janice had been down in the warehouse herself pulling wine orders this week. Accidental Wine got a shout out in Playboy magazine this week and the orders have been rolling in.

Neat concept and timely too, given the financial meltdown taking place before our eyes.
Janice and her partners rescue wine that have damaged labels, sometimes very slight stains or rips to the paper. The juice inside is still tasty. These wines are considered unsaleable by retailers and restaurateurs alike. Usually they get destroyed or die a slow death in the back of some warehouse.

Pretty cool that these wines aren't going to waste anymore. And consumers get a big discount due to the label damage.

The times they are a changing'

The current debate in the wine blogosphere about the 'old guard vs. new guard' reminds me of the time when U.S. colleges started teaching material written by someone other than 'the dead white male' group.
The traditionalists insisted that the new material was second rate and simply being foisted upon them in an effort towards 'political correctness'.
The group in favor for diversity said these works were just as worthy but had been overlooked due to a culturally ingrained racism and misogyny.
In both circumstances, there are undoubtedly good works from each group.
It doesn't have to be one or the other, but it is time to share the stage.

Both wine and higher education have definitely been affected by a changing user demographic. Once more women and people of color were attending colleges, they eventually demanded to read and study works that were reflective of their own interests and experiences.

Same goes with wine consumption, and therefore the demographic that reads wine reviews, magazine and blogs.
Wine aficionados were once an overwhelmingly older white male group.
Now women buy more wine than men and wine lovers come from all races and backgrounds.
But the younger generation of wine lovers, despite gender or race, are far more likely to read their wine information online than in a print magazine. This is their primary medium for gathering information.
So far the online wine community is far more diverse and reflective of today's wine drinkers.

It seems both sides want the other to be more like them.
The print journalists bemoan the lack of experience and 'seriousness' of the wine bloggers.
The wine bloggers cry foul at the paternalistic 'old boys' network feel of print journalism, with visions of Robert Parker and James Laube deciding wine scores over a round of golf.

But it seems to me that we should take a page from both books.
Maybe the story we write with it will be better than we expect.

Let the games begin!

Lots of buzz online and off about the impending Amazon foray into the online wine sales world. Personally I think this is a good sign of the times. It solidifies wine as an everyday commodity in the American household (yay! many of us have been working towards this goal for a long time).
Most importantly, it allows smaller boutique wineries to reach a larger audience than would be previously possible. And of course, vice versa, allows American consumers an amazing array of wines at their fingertips.

Wholesale wine distributors should welcome this development. Most distributors are overwhelmed by the increasing amount of wineries who want their representation. They work hard but they cannot do it all. I am not one to bag on distributors. Perhaps because I have worked in the past as a distributor sales rep and later as a sales manager.
They are often caught in the middle of a tug of war between demanding retail and restaurant buyers and the high expectations of the wineries they represent.
I often think that the distributor sales reps who are out working the streets day after day are some of the most under appreciated wine ambassadors in our industry.

That being said, with the widespread consolidation of wine wholesalers around the country, small wineries and individual wine lovers needed an avenue to continue their dialogue.
Not to mention the many wineries that have been unable to find a distributor willing to take on a new or boutique brand.
The online wine sales explosion was a geyser waiting to explode.
I don't believe online sales will completely replace the tactile experience of the neighborhood wine shop or the corner bistro meal on a Friday night with someone you love.
But I do think it is a healthy addition to the world of wine sales.
We are an industry of dreamers and iconoclasts....let diversity prevail.

Summer loving

I am so pleased that the general population of wine lovers seems to have finally embraced Rose wine. Lately I have noticed that more friends are willing to share a bottle of Rose, as opposed to me having to order by the glass as they shoot me pitying looks.Rose is delicious any time of the year but never as tempting as on a warm summer evening. And like all summer loves, it becomes especially precious once Labor Day passes.
I am drowning in sweet, sweet watermelons, tomatoes, zucchini and corn. All fresh from the Hollywood Farmers Market. It is a madhouse this time of year. A hot, sweaty competition. Grandmas with their pushcarts edging you to the side. Everyone jostling good-naturedly for their favorite vendors' end of summer fruits and vegetables.
So tonight is my ideal end of summer meal.
Stewed southern succotash of okra, tomatoes, corn and zucchini.
Wild, organic arugula salad with local avocados and tiny lemon cucumbers.
Rocca Di Montegrossi Rosato 2007 - 100% Sangiovese made in the saignee style. They bled off some juice, just after pressing the grapes, from their single vineyard Sangiovese. This is a medium dark pink wine with vibrantly fresh flavors of cherry and watermelon but finishes dry. $15.