Wine Culture | Wine Enthusiast

My First Vintage Was My Dad’s Last

Matt Kettmann — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 21:42:46 +0000

We had no clue that my first vintage of making wine would be during my dad’s last year on earth.

We didn’t know that during the summer morning of 2012, when he helped me tend to our Syrah vines in the Sta. Rita Hills under unseasonably warm, sunny skies. We didn’t know that in the fall, when my dad harvested his own grapes of Merlot and Syrah at my childhood home in the hilly suburbs of East San Jose, where I’d convinced him to plant the otherwise useless backyard slope in vines.

And we didn’t know that as the calendar approached winter, when my own son—then just on the verge of turning three years old—hopped into our bin at Ampelos Cellars in Lompoc to foot-stomp my first harvest, adding a third generation of Kettmanns to the bottling.

But come May 26, 2013, just two weeks after my parents took us all to Disneyland, my dad was gone, having succumbed at just 63 years of age to a typically treatable leukemia that he’d been secretly fighting for a decade. His silence—and my mom’s—around the disease was because the doctors said he should live well into his 70s. Given that kind of prognosis, he didn’t want others to worry about him, to ask him incessantly how he was doing, to change their lives because of him.

Three generations of Kettmanns (from left, Matt, Mason, and Dennis) in the pool with the East San Jose vines in the background. – Image Courtesy of Matt Kettmann, Getty Images

No one expected the cancer to turn so suddenly for the worse. What I also didn’t expect was how his absence would lead me to search, albeit in subtle, even subconscious ways, for new father figures in my life. Men who could continue to lead me along my own path into middle age and parenthood.

Thankfully, me and my dad’s relationship was always tight. My mom’s ascension from-receptionist-to-top-floor in Silicon Valley enabled him to mostly retire for the better part of two decades, not having to return to the tech lab grind of his first career when his struggling golf shop closed.

He was the one who drove my brother and I to school nearly every day until friends turned 16, enduring our endless cassette loops of A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory (which he tolerated more than The Pharcyde and Snoop Dogg).

We were lucky enough to take family vacations abroad every few years. When I was 14, I watched him try to grab his first Guinness pour in Ireland way before it had time to properly settle. A few years later, we hunted for the best gazpacho in Portugal together. We frequently crammed our family of four (and sometimes more) into a tiny seaside studio near Santa Cruz, and golfed together a lot, including on some of the world’s most iconic holes.

The first harvest of the Clover Oak Drive vineyard in East San Jose. – Image Courtesy of Matt Kettmann, Getty Images

When I graduated college, I sought a more grown-up connection. So, I bought him a homebrewing kit, just like the one he’d helped me get when I was 21.

Then I learned, mostly through my mom, that he really didn’t drink that much beer anymore. And certainly not the high potency, occasionally funky stuff that comes out of homebrew kits. (As a mid-forty-something myself now, I no longer drink much of that kind of beer, either.) Instead, as my work as a journalist in Santa Barbara dove deeper and deeper into wine, we connected over that, hence the vines he planted in the backyard.

I’m still a journalist, and never intended to be a winemaker. But I figured that the best way to learn about my preferred topic of writing was to make some myself.

Dennis Kettmann’s backyard vineyard of Merlot and Syrah in the hills of East San Jose, the home where Matt grew up. – Image Courtesy of Matt Kettmann, Getty Images

That led me and my good friend Giuseppe Bonfiglio to a partnership with Peter Work, the cheerful, professorial vintner behind Ampelos Cellars who owns a beautiful vineyard in the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills.

Even before my dad passed, I saw Work as a father figure of sorts, holding my hand through the various stages of a biodynamic vineyard’s year, and then opening my eyes to the ways of a cellar. We eventually made more than a half-dozen wines together, including a few, like our 2018 Carignan, that changed his own outlook on wine and opened his eyes to a new varietal for his brand.

After my dad died, more fathers emerged. There were my many uncles—one of whom delivered a ton of under-ripe Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County to me that next vintage, a hilarious tale all its own.

But many came straight from the world of wine.

Matt Kettmann and his son Mason work on the 2012 Ampelos Vineyard Syrah.

There’s my Wine Enthusiast assistant, Chris Coffman, the retired father of my good friend, who helped me erect a stone bench in my backyard where I laid my dad’s ashes, and who helps me process hundreds of reviews every month.

There’s the photographer Macduff Everton, who pushed me to do a book with him, providing sage guidance the whole way toward publishing Vines & Vision: The Winemakers of Santa Barbara County.

And then there’s the legendary Richard Sanford, the man who proved Pinot Noir could work in Santa Barbara County in the 1970s. My dad died a few days after an anniversary tasting was held at the old Sanford & Benedict barn, and Sanford was the first to emphasize to me how life-changing it is to lose a parent.

He was also the first to congratulate me when I was hired by Wine Enthusiast in 2014, and later even “knighted” me with a few of his favorite bow ties. To this day, he reminds me of my unique responsibility as an official scribe for this industry, for this region and for this era.

I was blessed enough to have a fantastic dad from birth. But it’s been rewarding to appreciate how my life, through wine, has been enriched by so many others, friends and mentors who serve as fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. I’m not sure if that happens so much in other industries. Maybe it does.

As to the actual wines of 2012? A bit of a mixed bag. I hand-bottled the inaugural vintage of Merlot and Syrah that my dad harvested from our San Jose backyard, after he’d put in it carboys and served the blend at his memorial. The wine was horrible, and we all had a good laugh.

Image Courtesy of Dorenda Kettmann

But our Sta. Rita Hills Syrah from the Ampelos Vineyard was magical, mixing cooler-climate qualities of pepper and bloody game with riper, rich black fruits from a generously warmer vintage. It really tastes of life and death at once.

I called my brand Periodista, which means “journalist” in Spanish (another different, hilarious tale), and labeled the Syrah as the “Big D,” which was my dad’s nickname. In smaller type, it says “Touched by Three Generations — A Toast to Dennis Kettmann 1949-2013.”

It’s the best wine we ever made, something that my extended family relies on to remember my dad. It’s also the vintage that marked the end of one relationship, and the start of many more.

No Longer ‘Fat and Dense’: Viognier Has Entered an Era of Elegance

Sara Ventiera — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 21:54:29 +0000

Viognier (pronounced VEE-oh-nyay) is a white grape variety historically grown in France’s Rhône Valley. Full-bodied and aromatically intense, it is sometimes blended with other white Rhône varietals like Marsanne and Roussanne.

Though Viognier has long been made into stand-alone varietal wines, it has garnered a reputation for creating wines that are considered overly rich and thick. But that’s no longer accurate.

Winemakers in both Viognier’s traditional home and growing regions across the globe are increasingly flipping the script and “consistently producing elegant renditions,” says Anna-Christina Cabrales, Wine Enthusiast’s Tasting Director and resident Rhône reviewer. “Gone are the days where Viognier is just really fat and dense.”

These single-varietal bottles span a wide range of textures and aromas, making them ideal partners for boldly flavored fare like Indian cuisine, complex Thai dishes and Filipino classics.

In hotter vintages, Viognier wines often take on tropical, ginger and ripe citrus flavors. In cooler growing seasons, Viognier’s tropical, ginger and ripe citrus flavors take on a leaner expression. In these instances, lemongrass and spices, like white pepper and saffron, also join the mix.

The best examples deliver ethereal, elegant qualities. “It doesn’t feel like you are chomping into a bowl of fruit cocktail Jell-O,” she says. “It’s like a ballerina that dances across the palate.”

No matter the year or the region, however, these wines warrant exploration. “If people have not picked up a glass of Viognier recently, they should,” says Cabrales.

We decided it was time to round up the top bottles on the market. From the Condrieu to California to Australia’s Eden Valley, these Viognier wines deserve space on your buying list.

E. Guigal 2020 Viognier (Condrieu)

An exuberance of perfectly ripe yellow and white peaches, apricots, melon, pineapple and delicate white floral aromas overflow from the glass. The palate is luxurious and balanced, with an abundance of melon, dehydrated pineapple, apricot, quince, candied ginger and oak spice. Impressive acidity accentuates its stone finish and helps reset the palate for another sip. Cellar Selection. 96 Points — Anna-Christina Cabrales

$79.99 Wine.com

Château de Saint Cosme 2020 Viognier (Condrieu)

White-floral aromas rest atop yellow peaches, with hints of fresh jackfruit and pulverized stone. The rich palate is balanced with honeysuckle, ripe lemon, melon and a pithy saline finish. Elegant restraint allows for this wine to be approachable for immediate enjoyment. 94 Points — A.C.

$95 Wallywine.com

Jean-Luc Colombo 2019 Amour De Dieu Viognier (Condrieu)

Fruity aromas of ripe yellow peaches, zesty orange oil, lemon peels, succulent apricots and fresh honey make for a delightful nose. On the palate, it maintains its invigorating freshness, featuring perfectly ripened orchard fruits, citrus zest, stony minerality and a hint of white peppercorn on the finish. 92 Points. 92 Points — A.C.

$101.99 Viscount Wines

Materra Cunat Family Vineyards 2022 Estate Viognier (Oak Knoll District)

This smooth, broad and well-balanced wine is lush and full-bodied, packed with Bartlett and Anjou pears but underlain with a crisp apple acidity. While delicious now, the barrel-fermented wine has the structure to age and improve through at least 2028. 93 Points — Jim Gordon

$34 Materra Cunat Family Vineyards

Darioush 2022 Viognier (Napa Valley)

Handsome toasted-oak aromas mingle with subtle honeysuckle and peach nectar notes in this full-bodied, bold and mouthfilling wine. A rounded texture, good viscosity and lingering finish all add to its appeal. 92 Points — J.M.

$65 Blackwell's Wine & Spirits

Yalumba 2020 The Virgilius Viognier (Eden Valley)

This premium Viognier, from the winery that’s cheered loudest for the variety, opens with flint and almond alongside honeyed orchard fruit aromas. Viognier’s characteristically luscious mouthfeel dominates the palate. The fruit and acidity are quiet but holding on after a few years of bottle age. A subdued, food friendly and harmonious drop. 92 Points — Christina Pickard

$48 AOC Selections

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Understanding Rudolf Steiner, the Man Who Invented Biodynamics

Aleks Zecevic — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 20:37:32 +0000

This year, Demeter, the leading certification organization for biodynamic agriculture, marks the 100th anniversary of biodynamics. Some may know that the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher and social reformer, laid its foundations. Perhaps this is why his home country is at the leading edge of environmental stewardship today, especially when it comes to viticulture.

If you don’t know very much about Steiner himself, you are not alone. In the annals of history, few figures stand as complex and enigmatic as Rudolf Steiner. Born in 1861 in the Austrian Empire (in a town that is now part of Croatia), Steiner was a polymath whose influence extended far beyond the conventional boundaries of academia and philosophy. His insight into spirituality and connecting it with science created a legacy that continues to reverberate.

“He was very valuable, especially for our times because we have become very technical,” says Karl Schnabel, proprietor of Weingut Karl Schnabel—Ermihof in the Austrian region of Styria. “Life and nature cannot always be solved in a technical way.”

Since childhood, an insatiable hunger for knowledge seemed to drive Steiner. He studied at the Vienna University of Technology, where he immersed himself in many different subjects, including the natural sciences, mathematics and philosophy. However, later in life he drew inspiration from the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that led him down new paths. The idea that there is no limit to human knowledge, alongside Goethe’s holistic approach to science and art, inspired Steiner to explore the synthesis of the physical and spiritual realms.

He developed his own unique system of thought, which he called Anthroposophy—a term derived from the Greek words for “human” and “wisdom.” Central to this philosophy was the belief in the inherent spiritual nature of humanity and the cosmos. This perspective formed the basis of his approach to education, medicine, agriculture and the arts, which he saw as avenues for nurturing and expressing the human spirit.

“This is the ancient knowledge that was present in the past but has been lost with industrial developments,” says Eduard Tscheppe, who runs the Gut Oggau winery in Austria’s Burgenland with his wife, Stephanie Tscheppe-Eselböck. “Before people would come into the room and analyze by energy and spirit, but nowadays they analyze by what they see.”

Andreas Roll, owner of the biodynamic winery Gustavshof, removes horn silica from a cow horn. On Demeter farms, cow horns are sometimes buried in the vineyard, filled with ground quartz or manure – Photography by Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images

New Schools

Steiner’s insights led to the development of Waldorf education—a holistic approach that seeks to cultivate a child’s intellectual, emotional and spiritual dimensions. Waldorf schools, which now exist on every continent, emphasize creative, experiential learning and aim to foster a deep reverence for the natural world. One such school was founded in Austria by Meinklang, the country’s largest biodynamic farm and winery. The farm’s proprietor, Werner Michlits, sees the school as “a rich source for the future.”

Steiner’s influence extended to the field of agriculture, where he developed the principles of biodynamic farming—a method that seeks to work in harmony with the spiritual forces inherent in nature. The jubilee that Demeter celebrates this year marks 100 years since Steiner gave eight lectures at the request of farmers who were becoming wary of the increasing use of artificial fertilizers and chemical sprays in agriculture. The basis of his teachings, which involve practices such as crop rotation, composting and the use of herbal preparations, have gained traction in the last decade or two as a more sustainable alternative to conventional farming methods.

“I fell in love with his approach because he is the only one who brings the human being into the center,” says Werner Michlits. “He realized that society had developed into materialism and that humans started to lose connection with nature.”

Throughout his life, Steiner remained prolific, delivering thousands of lectures and writing hundreds of books and essays. His influence has reached all corners of the world, but it might be strongest among his highly environmentally conscious contemporary compatriots.

Karl Schnabel's biodynamically farmed vineyard in Weinland Austria - Image Courtesy of Aleksandar Zecevic

Whatever Works

Austria is a leader in organic and biodynamic viticulture, with more than 3% of its total vineyard area certified biodynamic and 22% certified as organic (15% of those organic vineyards are farmed biodynamically). This commitment to sustainable farming practices is further underscored by the presence of Respekt-Biodyn, another esteemed organization dedicated to certifying biodynamic viticulture, headquartered in Austria.

“Austrians are eager and open-minded, and it’s a smaller-scale wine country where many winegrowers strive for high quality,” Eduard Tscheppe explains. “I think in the future, wise growers will convert because to get the terroir expression, the biodynamic approach is the most energetic, and nobody needs to doubt that it works anymore because it’s been proven in practice, even in tricky vintages.”

You May Also Like: Your Guide to Sustainable Wine Certifications

Austria is also home to one of the oldest biodynamic wineries in the world, Nikolaihof, in Wachau. The estate transitioned to biodynamic farming practices in 1971 under the guidance of its owners, the Saahs family.

“A friend of my husband was an anthroposophic doctor, and for our wedding she gifted us Maria Thun’s biodynamic calendar,” says Christine Saahs of the winery’s beginnings with biodynamics. “She spoke slowly about Steiner, and today, for us, it is very clear that everything is true, and for the future, this the only way to feed the world with healthy food.”

Steiner’s works continue to inspire and challenge readers to this day, but also raise questions and controversies about his teachings. One of the main criticisms of his claims is the lack of empirical evidence.

“He was a clairvoyant, not a scientist—and didn’t do experiments,” says Karl Schnabel. Eduard Tscheppe adds that Steiner was encouraging farmers to go out there and try for themselves. “Everything I’ve read always says that you have to adapt the system to your potential and the demand of your fields and animals,” he says.

Withered sunflowers stands on a field on the grounds of an eco-project on a gray winter day covered with snow. Photography by Wolfram Steinberg / picture alliance via Getty Images

Another major criticism of Steiner is allegations of racism. Some of Steiner’s writings contain passages that have been interpreted as racially discriminatory. His followers say that he would always look at the spirit behind the person; therefore, race was irrelevant for him. They would further argue that his views were taken out of context or reflect the prevailing attitudes of his time rather than explicit racism. However, critics point to statements he made about racial and ethnic characteristics and racial hierarchy, stating that certain races are more spiritually advanced, which is undoubtedly problematic.

When Rudolf Steiner passed away in 1925, he left behind a rich and diverse (and not uncomplicated) legacy. Equal parts inspiring, enigmatic and controversial, Steiner and his philosophies continue to be a subject of fascination and debate. However, in an age marked by materialism, technological advancement and increasing detachment, Steiner’s teachings offer a timely reminder of the importance of cultivating the human spirit. And when it comes to farming, they remind us to nurture the connections that bind us to nature.

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2024 of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!

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Inside Sonoma’s Thriving LGBTQ+ Wine Scene

Stacy Briscoe — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0000

In the 1980s and 90s, Guerneville and the larger Russian River Valley “became, literally, the place where young men went to die,” says Gary Saperstein, owner of Sonoma-based event company Out in the Vineyard. He is, of course, referring to the HIV and AIDS epidemic that took the lives of so many LGBTQ+ folks during that time, as well as isolated the community even further than they had already been. As with many rural LGBTQ+ communities that developed around the nation in the 1970s, the party atmosphere of Sonoma County’s gay enclave “switched to a place of rest,” Saperstein says. “To a place away from the city, where they could live out the rest of their days in peace.”

But bucolic Guerneville, where gay men and women had escaped to “gather in the shadows” decades before President Bill Clinton first declared June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in 1999, is now “having a rebound,” says Saperstein.

This is thanks in no small part to his dedication to cultivating the local queer wine culture. With more than 30 years of hospitality experience in wine country, Saperstein established Out in the Vineyard in 2008 with the goal of bringing his two communities together. “I was seeing an influx of queer tourists as well as people moving here—not just Guerneville, but everywhere in Sonoma County. I mean, the Castro is just 45 minutes south, but no one in the wine industry was relating to us.”

Today, Saperstein says, Sonoma’s Pride Month is bigger than ever, attracting over 5,000 people to the Santa Rosa-based pride parade alone. And his company, which hosts queer-friendly events throughout the year, has donated over $500,000 to LGBTQ+ nonprofits, including Face to Face and Positive Images.

Saperstein is not alone in this work. These are the stories of just a handful of the area’s local LGBTQ+ wine professionals, each a unique tale with a full diurnal range. There is no one way to be queer in the wine business, and these stories reflect that. They all, however, center around Sonoma Valley, a serene land that’s established itself as one of the nation’s most gay-friendly destinations.

Image Courtesy of Eco Terreno Alexander Valley

Mark Lyon, Eco Terreno Wines and Vineyards

“I was interviewed by Blake Edwards at the SF Chronicle in 2005, and he pretty much outed me in his article,” remembers Mark Lyon, founder and winemaker of Eco Terreno Wines and Vineyards. As a result of that incident, Lyon became an unintentional pioneer in the wine world as the first openly gay individual in the industry. Though he was already out to family and friends, he was quiet about that side of his life when it came to his professional career. “It was chilling at the time because I’d been working for the Sebastiani family since 1979. But after, the family assured it wasn’t an issue.”

Lyon came out during his junior year at U.C. Davis in the late 1970s. “Most people who were LGBT back then were pretty much hidden,” he says. “I wasn’t isolated, it wasn’t that. It was just new for a lot of people; there was more fear and ignorance than hatred.”

Moving onto a career in Sonoma, Lyon witnessed the ups and downs that the local queer community up close. “I consider myself very fortunate that, unlike a lot of my friends at the time in the 80s, I did not succumb to the HIV epidemic. I’m very lucky I’m alive today at 68,” he says. “I dodged a lot of bullets.” Adding further to that fortune is the long, steady career Lyon built for himself. After climbing up the ranks at Sebastiani for 37 years, he started his own brand, Eco Terreno.

“Sonoma is, has always been, a very accepting community,” he says. “There’s very little, if any, homophobia here.” That said, he feels there’s still a stigma within the queer wine industry about coming out professionally, with many believing it’s a career disadvantage. “It’s an opinion I have about people who are my age,” he says. “With the younger generation, that may not be the case. But there are still some people who are reluctant, especially if they have their own brand or consult with a major company, that their identity will be seen as a minus.”

But Lyon is comfortable and proud to set an example. “We’re a 100% gay-owned vineyard, winery and wine brand,” he says. “We certainly don’t hide it. We celebrate it as much as we can.”

Image Courtesy of Theresa Heredia

Theresa Heredia, Heredia Wine Consulting

If there’s anyone who embodies the notion that next-gen wine professionals proudly embrace queer identity and culture, it’s Theresa Heredia, consulting winemaker for Gary Farrell. Having grown up with a gay brother, Heredia was already immersed in the community when she came out herself in 2003. She moved to Sonoma in 2007.

“There wasn’t a lot of gay stuff” at that time, she says. “Most of the gay culture was in Guerneville—and it was mostly men.” In general, she says, there are fewer lesbian-specific venues, events and gatherings.

Heredia started her career at Gary Farrell in 2012 and was open and proud about who she is and what she represents. “In 2015, it was my idea to start embracing the LGTBQ+ community,” she says. “We [at Gary Farrell] want to celebrate them, and I want to honor them, reach out to them and make them feel like we want them to come to our winery and tasting room. So, I volunteered to be the queer spokesperson on behalf of Gary Farrell Winery. Because I am, it’s legitimate, it’s authentic.”

Around this time the winery also put action behind the spoken message, sponsoring queer events, including hosting one of the first Gay Wine Weekend events with Out in the Vineyard, as well as donating to supporting nonprofits like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). But queer representation in the broader industry remains a struggle, Heredia says.

“There’s not much growth or effort,” she says. “But, at the same time, it’s hard to do that. It’s very different than trying to welcome people of color.” For wine companies looking to increase that part of their diversity of employees, she says, it’s all about outreach. “Shift your marketing message, get your winery where the queer community is going to be,” she advises.

As for queer folks beginning their career in wine, Heredia encourages them to be open about who they are. “It took me a long time—I didn’t come out until adulthood—but if you can be yourself, be natural, you’re always going to be better at what you do when you’re doing it as your authentic self."

Photography by Emma Parker Photography

Jim Obergefell, Equality Wines

Love is at the heart of Jim Obergefell’s winemaking story. “Leading up to 2013, I’d been with my partner John for 21 years, and he was dying of ALS,” says Obergefell, co-founder of Equality Vines. “We wanted to get married, but we didn’t want it to be symbolic.” On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court struck down the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, which meant the couple could finally legally wed and “at least have the federal government acknowledge us. “So that’s what we did,” Obergefell recalls. “We got married—chartered a medical jet, flew to Maryland, got married inside the jet on the tarmac and then flew home.”

At the time, Ohio was one of the many states with its own state-level Defense of Marriage Act, which declared the institution legal only between a man and woman. It ostensibly allowed Ohio to ignore lawful marriages established in other states. “So, eight days after our marriage, we filed a lawsuit in federal district court suing the governor and attorney general of Ohio; 11 days after our marriage I was in federal court for the hearing,” says Obergefell. But John’s health was quickly declining; the judge had to clear his docket to hear their case in a timely fashion. The judge ruled that same day in their favor. John died three months later.

But the battle wasn’t over. The state of Ohio appealed the decision, and Jim went to the 6^th Circuit alongside marriage equality cases from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan. The case, known as Obergefell v. Hodges, finally reached a favorable ruling, requiring all 50 states to allow and recognize same-sex marriage.

How does all this relate to wine? The national-level publicity is how he connected with business partner Matt Grove, who previously founded South Africa-based Eighth Wonder Wines. Grove was looking to create a wine label dedicated to his late aunt, Dr. Marilyn Schultz, a lesbian who filed and led the first class-action suit against NBC in pursuit of gender equality in the workplace.

“He just googled ‘gay marriage’ and my name and face was the first to pop up,” laughs Obergefell.

Originally, the duo set their sights on Napa, but a PR consultant insisted Sonoma was the right place to establish the project. Their first wine, a sparkling produced in partnership with Iron Horse, donated proceeds in support of marriage equality. “A year later, when we were thinking about opening a tasting room, we’d established a lot of relationships within Sonoma—our wines were from Sonoma—we knew Guerneville, so ended up in Guerneville.”

Today, the pair’s vast portfolio boasts partnerships with notable winemakers from throughout Sonoma and beyond, including Paso Robles and Lodi, with each bottling donating proceeds to a plethora of causes including, but not limited to, LGBTQ+ organizations. “Equality for one is nothing without equality for all,” Obergefell says.

“My experience from the get-go has been nothing but positive,” he says of his shift into the wine industry. “What I love about Sonoma is that people come and feel welcome and safe— whether they’re queer, women or any marginalized group… you’re welcome. Come on in.”

Image Courtesy of Corner103

Lloyd Davis, Corner 103

“Being gay and a person of color doesn’t go well a lot of places, but here a lot of people were open and willing to help,” says Lloyd Davis, proprietor of Corner 103. “When I first came to Sonoma, I had no wine experience, knew nothing about how to make wine. But people were very welcoming, helpful and accommodating in helping me understand best practices to emulate.”

Originally from New York, Davis arrived in Sonoma as a financial advisor to a then-struggling wine business, Viansa. He ultimately left his career in finance, took control of Viansa and learned the ins and outs of the wine industry—all while bringing the business back to profitability. “By the time I sold Viansa and opened Corner, there was a lot of support,” he says. “And I’ve been fortunate and blessed to have a winemaker that creates award-winning wines,” he adds, referencing Ron Goss, whom he met at Viansa.

Davis says his identity as a gay Black man doesn’t much affect his professional life. “I don’t promote that at all,” he says plainly. “I want people to come into the tasting room for the wine and experience,” and Davis sees his role as helping make wine accessible. Tastings are by appointment only and designed to cater to the guests’ specific interests and tastes.

“Something I realized in the wine space is that a lot of people are afraid or intimidated about wine,” he says. “Here, we help you understand that you know just as much as anyone, because you know what you like.” And that’s what he wants people to remember about Corner 103. “Yes, we’re a smaller brand, a minority brand, but that’s not the sole purpose for coming to the tasting room. It’s about the wine and the experience.”

Image Courtesy of Carole Martinson

Cindy Cosco, Passaggio Wines

“I don’t even like being coined a ‘female winemaker,’ but that’s more of my story than being gay and female,” says Cindy Cosco, owner and winemaker of Passaggio Wines. Originally from Northern Virginia with a career in law enforcement, in 2002 Cosco began traveling back and forth between California and her home state. “I fell in love with Sonoma,” she says.

At the time, she was aching to leave law enforcement. Once she made the permanent move to Sonoma, getting into wine was a no-brainer. “Since I’m in wine country, I should just get into the wine industry,” she recalls thinking.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. She paid her dues, working in the aisles of BevMo, in the lab at Chateau St. Jean and studying enology at the Napa Valley College. It wasn’t until 2007 that Passaggio was born, starting with a meager 50 cases of unoaked Chardonnay. Then, a chance encounter with Linda Trotta—who’d been an idol and role-model winemaker to Cosco—helped her become more engaged in both the wine and queer community.

“I became really close with her and her wife,” she says. “That pushed me into the gay community, with women.”

Cosco says she’s "been in different pockets of the gay/lesbian community—Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Berkeley... there are pockets and you find your pocket.” But she doesn’t think of it as playing a role in her career as a winemaker. “I just don’t like putting that label out there,” she says. But don’t think she’s embarrassed, ashamed or shy—Cosco merely believes she should be seen and respected as a winemaker regardless of her gender or sexuality.

It helps, she says, that Sonoma is such a welcoming community. In her nearly two decades working in the local wine space, Cosco says she’s slowly but progressively seen more LGBTQ+ folks getting into the wine business. “I think it has to do with the culture here,” she says. “I’ve never felt uncomfortable.”

Still, “there are a lot of females who are afraid,” Cosco says. “Afraid because they have families that are not supportive of them and that makes them retreat inward and not be able to be themselves at certain times. I think if we could just set that all aside and love each other for who we are, that would be the voice I would have.”

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This Winemaker’s Trellis Innovation Sequesters Carbon—and Produces Twice the Amount of Grapes

Jim Gordon — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 19:41:52 +0000

Second-generation grape grower Mark Neal grew up in Napa Valley helping his Greek grandmother make compost for the family garden and his father plant vineyards, build barns and fix tractors. Those were the beginnings of a long career in conscientious farming for Neal, now 65. He became an innovator in viticulture and green farming, leading by example on his own properties and others that he managed, including Martha’s Vineyard in Napa, the legendary site of Heitz Cellar’s most collectible wines since the 1970s.

Working with his dad beginning in 1968 at Jack Neal & Son Vineyard Management, which he now owns, Neal pioneered or popularized practices that have become standard in Napa Valley and beyond: night harvesting, dual driplines for irrigation and converting vineyards to certified organic and certified biodynamic status. In late 2022, his Howell Mountain estate winery, Neal Family Vineyards, became the first in Napa Valley to become certified by the Regenerative Organic Alliance.

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Neal and his 420 employees manage the most CCOF-Certified acres in Napa Valley and claim the largest biodynamic farming operation in the United States. He has worked quietly over the decades, not looking for public credit for his accomplishments. However, one of his innovations is starting to make some noise. It’s an unusual vineyard layout and trellis system that’s been hiding in plain sight since he implemented it in 1997 on a quiet side road in the Rutherford AVA. The 18-acre property on Mee Lane is named Rutherford Dust Vineyard and includes 16 acres growing on a dual trellis that is rare if not unique in the world.

No Half Measures

Last fall at harvest time, the wide-spaced vine rows here on the land where he was raised appeared simply tall and bushy. Looking closer, especially after veraison when red wine grapes turn their dark color and white wine grapes turn golden, the unusual nature of Neal’s setup became clear. Red grapes and white grapes occupy the same trellis, but with the red ones on top and the white ones below.

Neal planted a white-wine vine in between each red-wine vine, so that the trunks alternate. The red vines, in this case, Cabernet Sauvignon, are trained up high where they get lots of sun, and the white vines, Sauvignon Blanc in some blocks and Vermentino in others, are trained on low wires in the dappled shade below.

This dual-trellis vineyard yields twice the tonnage of grapes that the land used to, and with similar high quality, Neal says, yet the cost of farming both together is only less than 50% more. With the Cabernet Sauvignon leaves on top shading the white grapes below from sunburn, it’s possible to create a relatively cool environment in this warm appellation. Neal remembers drinking white wines grown in Rutherford when he was young, but now the district is virtually all red. This is a way to make whites feasible again in the mid-valley in a changing climate riddled with heat spikes, wildfires and drought, he says.

Laura May Everett was inspired for similar reasons to grow white grapes in Martha’s Vineyard, her 32-acre property on the western side of Oakville, Napa Valley. Long renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon, the property included seven acres of Riesling made into wine by Heitz Cellar when she was growing up there. This section was long ago converted to Cabernet Sauvignon, but the vines have been overly vigorous, so this year she is having Neal replant it in the dual trellis mode with Cabernet Sauvignon on the top and a mix of Albariño, Fiano and other whites on the bottom.

Neal has managed Martha’s Vineyard since the late 1980s and Everett trusts his judgment on the unusual vineyard layout. She says, “I didn’t find it unbelievable, I just thought, ‘Why hasn’t someone else thought of this?’ If you’re farming it correctly and you’re not taking everything out of the soil without putting it back, then it’s a slam dunk. I am very excited to see the results. It feels very natural, a good use of the land and very symbiotic.”

Neal is equally passionate about the environmental benefits of the dual trellis and its high yield per acre. Producing more wine on less land and doing it with earth- and climate-friendly regenerative practices is a win-win, he says. Less land is taken away from the shrinking wild spaces in the valley, and more wine is available for people to enjoy.

Photography by Jak Wonderly

Dual Purposes

Carbon sequestration, the act of putting carbon back in the ground rather than leaving it in gaseous form in the air where it increases climate change, is a big part of Neal’s climate-action push. He says that the densely planted vines in his dual-trellis vineyard sequester 3.5 times more carbon per acre than the University of California’s experimental vineyard in nearby Oakville, Napa Valley.

“I’ve returned so much more [carbon to the soil] because I’m mulching all the canopies and I’ve got the leaves, all that,” he says. “I’m really building more organic material than ever before with that dual system. And I’m watering less and using less fungicide. I’m using less of everything because I’m not farming two times more, just growing two times more. Not taking out forests, doing everything within the property.”

Despite all the apparent advantages, the dual trellis may face a challenge with perceptions. It’s practically a commandment in winemaking that lower yields make better wines, and the yields per acre here are as high as in the industrial-farmed vineyards around Fresno, California. But the proof is in the bottle. I blind-tasted wines made from this vineyard for his Neal Family Vineyard label against similar wines. The 2021 Vermentino Rutherford Dust was savory and subtle, rating 91 points, and the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon was elegant, expansive and velvety, rating 97 points.

Others have favorable opinions, too. One is winemaker Mike Hirby, co-owner of Relic Wine Cellars, a small Napa operation making high-end wines from varied vineyard sites. He bought two tons of Neal’s Vermentino from the 2023 harvest grown on the dual trellis, enough for at least 100 cases.

“The wine turned out great,” Hirby said, citing vibrant, complex and sunny flavors in the grapes with 13.5 percent potential alcohol, low malic acid and a pH of 3.5. “When I first saw the trellis, I thought a pitfall was the question of light and shade for the lower canopy. But his crew handles it well, with good dappled sunlight getting through, no botrytis—and it was a tough year for that.”

It will be Relic’s first-ever Vermentino. Hirby says, “I am always a fan of supporting uncommon varieties, partly just to keep Napa Valley more diverse and learn more about what Napa can do for the future.”

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Doubling Down

Neal returns to the question of yields and wine quality when I visit with him again at the Neal Family Vineyards winery on Howell Mountain, where his wife, Laura, and daughter Demitria also work. The vineyard here is an organic, biodynamic and Regenerative Organic Certified property, where the family’s resident herd of sheep grazes the cover crops in spring and the emphasis is on building healthy soil.

The expansive winery and cave are adorned with graceful copper light fixtures and other copper furnishings designed and welded by Neal himself. He is both polymath and jack of all trades, equally deft at handling soils, plants, metals and machines.

How is it that a piece of land can produce twice the yield of demonstrably high-quality wine grapes than virtually any winemaker or master sommelier would expect? He breaks it down into measurable factors including the length of a vine’s shoots, looseness of the clusters, small size of the berries and also a grapevine’s inherent ability to simply get the job done.

Neal describes how the Rutherford Dust Vineyard dual trellis takes advantage of a good groundwater supply, with 2,200 vines per acre competing for water and sunshine. The competition keeps them from growing too many shoots and leaves, he says, and instead sends a generous amount of ripening energy into the grapes.

Neal says, “Our canopies are right there at that 36-inch, 40-inch shoot length, which is your balance for two clusters per shoot. Over the 25 years that I’ve been doing this trellis I’ve noticed that basically the vines will find that balance within themselves with that dual system. And that’s why I’m a firm believer in it, because I’m not having these five-foot or six-foot canes and a crazy amount of crop. You could see that these vines really want to do well for you. Why wouldn’t they? You’ve just got to support them by doing the right thing.”

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Another Napa Valley vineyard owner who has faith in Neal’s innovations is Miguel Solares. His property on Zinfandel Lane, Solares Vineyards, holds 20 acres of organically grown vines, including six acres that Neal converted from diseased Cabernet Sauvignon vines to a dual trellis four years ago. Solares now has new Cabernet and Petite Sirah grapes on top and white Albarino grapes below. He says Lola Wines is taking the Albariño and Hourglass Winery is taking some of the reds.

Solares believes in calculated risk, having come from the tech world before acquiring his vineyard property. He was not overly hesitant to try the unorthodox dual trellis. “We decided together to take a leap of faith. If it didn’t work out, I would still have the Cabernet. It was a risk but it wasn’t a binary risk. It wasn’t an all or nothing. Plus, I drink the Neal Family Vermentino two times a week at Cook restaurant when I am in town. I thought the reward was well worth the risk.”

At least two other Napa vineyards are also lined up for similar conversions. All of them may face some skepticism from winemakers and the wine trade. And there is at least one other challenge: Ag officials are having a difficult time with the concept. Neal says he had to do a lot of explaining when first filing reports to Napa County about the number of grape acres he owns. Officials had difficulty grasping how a 16-acre vineyard could produce 32 acres of grapes. They better believe it.

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2024 of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!

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In California’s Greenest AVA, Regenerative Farming Is a Family Business

Stacy Briscoe — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 19:36:01 +0000

Whether driving up 101 through inland Mendocino or veering west on 128 through Anderson Valley, it’s clear why Mendocino County AVA is reputed as California’s greenest wine region. Where else does vine land kiss ancient redwood forests?

Images may be worth 1,000 words, but numbers don’t lie: 25% of Mendocino County’s vineyard acres are certified organic (accounting for a third of certified organic vineyards across the Golden State); 1,094 acres are Demeter Biodynamic. Then add on 10,626 acres of certified Fish Friendly Farming and the 8,179 acres certified through California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance…and you start to get the idea.

“Mendocino County’s wine industry has long been at the forefront in terms of conscious viticulture in the United States,” comments Mark Wentworth, proprietor of Wentworth Vineyards. “Whether the ethos of any one particular producer is defined as organic, biodynamic, regenerative or even sustainable—certified or not—as a region the vast majority of producers fit within the broader tapestry of an effort to farm well and honor the land by promoting healthy soils, good groundwater and biodiversity.”

So it is that Mendocino, too, plays a leading role in the revitalization of regenerative agriculture.

“Because it’s so doable,” says Joseph Brinkley, director of regenerative farming for Bonterra Organic Estates, commenting that the region has one of the most idyllic climates for vinifera, particularly in terms of low pest and disease pressure. “Another piece is that Mendocino had a fair amount of people coming north in that first wave of ‘back to the land’ movement in the ’60s and ’70s. And I’d say most, if not all, were interested in pursuing a way of life that isn’t heavily chemical dependent.”

Indeed, the majority of the region’s 570 vineyards are small family farms, with a median vineyard size of just 14 acres, many of whom live off the land they cultivate.

McNab Ranch Barn – Photography by Sarah Sanger for Bonterra Organic Estates

Firm Foundation

Sarah Bennett calls her Boonville dual dairy farm-vineyard, Pennyroyal Farm, “the next step” in the regenerative foundation her parents laid for her.

Bennett’s parents, Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn, established Navarro Vineyards in 1973, first as a sheep ranch, planting the first vines in 1974 and transitioning business focus toward grapes and wine. “They lived in the middle of the vineyard—and all that means—and adopted many of the regenerative practices we use today: no synthetic insecticides or herbicides, limited tilling and composting,” says Bennett. Living off the land in the midst of the Navarro watershed, these practices were intuitive—how they farmed directly affected their health as well as that of the surrounding environment.

I’ve been doing this for 25 years. If someone asked me to farm conventionally, I wouldn’t even know how.
Heath Dolan, Dark Hors Farming Co.

After completing her master’s in viticulture and enology at UC Davis in 2005, “I wanted to dive deeper into soil health and sustainable practices, particularly limiting the use of fossil fuels,” says Bennett, who was “blown away” by how much fuel the family was using by not using chemical inputs. She started with a holistic grazing program, significantly reducing tillage throughout both Navarro Vineyards and Pennyroyal. The other advantage of keeping animals on-site year-round, she adds, is the natural “input” they provide. “They make our composting program completely self-sustainable—a closed-loop system.”

Beyond soil health and animal welfare, worker wellness is a big component to regenerative practices. “My parents, back in the early days, were big supporters of creating a healthy workforce,” says Bennett who, like her parents, employs full-time in-house staff with all the expected benefits. “It’s great for me as the second generation in the family business to have grown up with Navarro’s employees’ kids. I pride myself on being an active part of the community and think the social, cultural part of regenerative is hugely important, not just the farming portion.”

Fog drifts through the trees off the Redwood Highway near the border of Mendocino and Humboldt counties – Photography by Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Generational Shifts

“It’s a bit hippie dippy out here…but in a good way,” jokes Michael Frey, head of operations of Mariah Vineyards, referencing that same “back to the land movement” that initially inspired the region-wide regenerative approach to farming.

His wife, Nicole Dooling, second-generation proprietor and farmer whose parents, Dan and Vicki Dooling, established the family estate back in 1979, agrees but adds, “Mendocino is much more diverse in its agriculture, in terms of types of farming, and the vineyards are much more spread out. There’s more space and there’s a lot less chemical drift.” This is particularly true in the Mendocino Ridge sub-AVA, where her family’s Savory Institute Land-to-Market verified regenerative property sits at 2,400 feet elevation.

“Regenerative agriculture is what brought me back home,” says Dooling, who grew up off the grid among 30 acres of vines and today splits her time between working the farm and working as an ER trauma nurse in San Francisco.

It was at the 2019 Regenerative Earth Summit where the couple became inspired by regenerative practices—processes, they say, that have been proven to create and enhance a lively ecosystem, a balanced relationship between life above and below ground. “Not that my parents were doing anything wrong,” says Dooling, who notes that their remote location coupled with their fertile timber soils and adequate rainfall has allowed her family to establish and cultivate a dry-farmed (non-irrigated) vineyard. “But it was the idea that we can do things better. That’s what brought me home—this inspiration to learn and to become a better farmer.”

Dooling and Frey have since been instrumental in transitioning the family farm toward fully regenerative practices and achieving their certification. It’s a blessing, they say, to be able to simultaneously learn from Dooling’s parents, who’ve been working the land for the last 40 years while also adding their own learnings from the regenerative agriculture community.

Shifting the “old school” generational mindset was not (is not) without its challenges; there have been back-and-forth conversations about certain practices, such as vine row management and pruning techniques. But, “Regenerative agriculture is all about relationships,” comments Dooling. “My father’s come a long way.”

Dan, Vicki, Michael & Nicole - Image Courtesy of Mariah Vineyards

Navarro Vineyards, Sunset from Ridge, Valley View, Image Courtesy of Navarro Vineyards - Photography by Aaron Bennett

Any Other Way

“I don’t know any other way to farm. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. If someone asked me to farm conventionally, I wouldn’t even know how,” says fifth-generation grape grower and proprietor of Dark Horse Farming Co. Heath Dolan.

Dolan is the son of the late Paul Dolan, who is famed for his work at Fetzer, cofounder of Truett-Hurst Inc. and a legacy leader in organic, biodynamic and regenerative viticulture.

It’s a bit hippie dippy out here … but in a good way.
Michael Frey, Mariah Vineyards

Remembering his father, Heath comments that when Fetzer first began farming organically in 1987, “people jumped on board,” referring not just to the local community, but the wine industry at large. But, Dolan adds, from his perspective there are actually fewer Mendocino vineyards certified today than in the past. His own property, previously certified both organic and biodynamic, hasn’t held the Demeter certification for the past two years.

“People realize they don’t need the certification, but a lot of those lessons learned about farming better, I think just really stuck,” says Dolan. “And organics logically leads to regenerative. It’s the next natural step. With biodynamics, there’s too much barrier, the voodoo and understanding of it. With regenerative, though…the farming part is easy for a lot of people.” Dark Horse has maintained its CCOF organic certification and is in the process of completing the Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) through the Regenerative Organic Alliance (of which his father was a board member) in time for harvest 2024.

Certifications are nice indications, but it’s the back-to-the-land, community mindset that really propels the region forward in its position as a leader in regenerative practices—a region where generations of farmers continue to learn from one another.

“It’s producers like Barra, Frey and Bonterra whose wines and reputations all helped attract me to the area originally when I worked in other industries,” says Mark Wentworth, acknowledging the influence bigger names have had on sustainability efforts throughout the region. “They’ve long sought to do right by the planet and produce delicious wine.”

Dark Horse Vineyard landscape - Image Courtesy of Vince Martinez

Bonterra Organic Estates is undoubtedly one of the most influential. The company has a long list of certifications, including organic, BCorp, Climate Neutral and Zero Waste—among others. But Brinkley points to its regenerative organic certification as the true talking point. “When we speak of all those others, some are age-focused; some are business-focused,” he says. “But workers and laborers were never part of the conversation. Now, it’s not just about farming without exploiting the land but also without exploiting animals and people. That’s a critical piece. There’s no way to have a serious impact in farming if we don’t address labor.” Certifying through the ROC gives full transparency in every aspect via the third-party verification process.

Bonterra is the largest certified regenerative viticultural business in the U.S., with 865 certified acres planted to vines. And the company does not take that role lightly. “We don’t want to be the only ones doing this,” says Brinkley, pointing toward the ways in which they help educate the wine community both on an intimate, local level as well as on a larger, national one. In fact, Brinkley has (a few times) pled the regenerative organic case in Washington D.C., in an effort to enhance farmer incentive to move toward this more ecologically sustainable farming technique.

“There’s the individual business need, but then also the bigger need. We all have to start rowing in the same direction. It’s that rising tide idea,” says Brinkley. “If more growers farm this way in Mendocino, then the North Coast, California, the U.S.—the world? Then we all benefit.”

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2024 of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!

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In California, Red Wine Producers Embrace a Nonvintage Model

Matt Kettmann — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 19:30:41 +0000

There’s nothing novel about blending multiple vintages of wine into one bottle. It’s the basic formula for things like Champagne, Sherry and Port, after all. But a growing number of California producers are applying the concept to still red wines.

“Wineries and winemakers get too hung up on vintage-dated and vineyard-designated wines,” says John Falcone, a veteran of Napa and Santa Barbara wine regions who makes Falcone Family Vineyards with his wife, Helen Falcone, from their small estate in Paso Robles. About 15 years ago, the couple launched their multivintage Annaté, inspired by pre-1980s California bottlings that embraced the nonvintage (NV) model.

Their current release blends Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from 2019, 2020 and 2021. “Not being limited to a single vintage is a great advantage because the texture, aromas, flavors and color can be quite distinct from one year to another with most red grape varieties,” says Falcone. “This allows us to select barrels with more texture and structure from older vintage barrels, and fill the remaining blend with higher tone fruit or varietals from younger barrels to craft a particular style of wine.”

Gary Robinson of Left Bend Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains started his solera-style Mashup in 2010. He was inspired by Sherry as well as the proof-of-concept success of nonvintage Abacus by ZD Wines, which fetches up to $800 a bottle. “Consumers often don’t have the space or patience to age wine,” says Robinson, whose Mashup 7 features five grapes from nine different vineyards across 10 vintages. “Mashup lets our customers experience an aged wine when it’s released. We are committed to a winemaking process that takes time, and you can’t manufacture time.”

Smith Devereux is one of the few Napa brands on board, making the Setta blend as a collaboration with Cedric the Entertainer. “You get to make the best wine from the grapes you grow without the constraints of a number,” says Ian Devereux White, whose current release blends Cab, Merlot and Syrah from 2018 and 2019. “That’s an open door to creativity and a sweet taste of freedom!”

The Sierra Foothills are a nonvintage hotbed. For Lava Cap Winery, it was innovation by necessity. “Our neighborhood bear’s favorite food is our Mourvèdre, and just the Mourvèdre,” says winemaker Nolan Jones, who races the bear each harvest. “Most years, the bear is on the winning side of the battle, and the result has been consistently small yields.”

Recalling his experience at Bollinger in Champagne, Jones combined multiple vintages into a blend. They were initially worried, but everyone loved it, so they kept making the NV Mourvèdre and have since added a Tempranillo and the American River Red blend to their NV portfolio. “It might take breaking some long held traditions, but there is an untapped opportunity for producers across the industry to craft spectacular wines through the use of multiple vintages,” says Jones. “This opportunity will only become more important as the industry grapples with the increasing environmental pressures associated with global warming—fires, frost, drought, flooding … and hungry bears.”

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About 25 minutes south, Miraflores Winery produces Rojo Red; the most recent release is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Primitivo and Syrah from the 2018 and 2019 vintages. “There is something simplistic and refreshing, yet still challenging, in the winemaking process, by creating a nonvintage wine,” says general manager Ashlee Cuneo. “It is also an incredibly efficient, sustainable and economical way to utilize any extra wine that we have leftover from a previous vintage, which prevents waste along with being able to produce a quality wine that will always be affordable for our customers.”

Nonvintage Wines to Try

Falcone NV Annate XIII Red (Paso Robles)

This is a blend of mostly Petite Sirah plus Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from across three vintages, making for a unique and exquisitely layered wine. Intensely dark in the glass, the bottling offers stewed and roasted blackberry, black olive and purple-flower aromas. The black fruits of the palate are heavy and impactful yet balanced by graphite, fine tannins and just enough acidity. Editor’s Choice. 93 Points — Matt Kettmann

$65 Falcone Family Vineyards

Smith Devereux NV Setta Red (Napa Valley)

Opening with toasted oak and graphite aromas, this big, Merlot-dominant blend is deep in dark chocolate, black currants, cedar and oak-char flavors that show good concentration. It boasts a full body, moderate to full tannins and will develop with age. Best from 2027–2033. 93 Points — Jim Gordon

$84 Smith Devereux

Miraflores NV Rojo Red (El Dorado)

This big, mouthfilling and generous wine blended from mostly Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Barbera shows delicious ripeness and plenty of blackberry and dark-chocolate flavors on a full body supported by nicely integrated tannins. It’s broad, easy and luscious to sip. 90 Points — J.G.

Lava Cap NV American River Red Cabernet Sauvignon (California)

A big structure and powerful oak and black-fruit flavors give this full-bodied wine a lot of presence. Aromas of cedar, tobacco and black cherry are followed by punchy berry and cassis flavors wrapped in firm tannins. Best after 2022. 90 Points — J.G.

$18 Wine.com

Left Bend NV Mashup Version 7 Red (Santa Cruz Mountains)

The initial batch of this nonvintage, solera-style bottling began in 2010, and it’s been intriguing to follow along through the annual releases. This version offers rounded aromas of blackberry and prominent woodspice show on the nose. The palate combines blackberry, cracked pepper and ample herbs with a redwood spice. Editor’s Choice. 90 Points — M.K.

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2024 of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!

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Is the Natural Wine Movement at a Crossroads?

Samantha Sette — Wed, 29 May 2024 13:24:53 +0000

Jenny Lefcourt, the force behind natural wine importer Jenny & Francois Selections, has a portfolio that reads like the menu at an of-the-moment natural wine bar. She worked with some of the most well-loved producers in the natural wine scene—that is, until the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) changed its definition of “organic.”

Recently, the USDA implemented a series of directives aimed at increasing the regulation of organic products at various steps of the supply chain. The idea is seemingly well-intentioned—to protect the integrity of the organic label. But the law’s implementation, Lefcourt and others believe, has created more problems than it solved. They say it’s now difficult for smaller producers to distribute organic wine and easier for corporations to keep additives out of the public eye, putting the long-term welfare of the organic and natural wine movements at stake.

In this episode, we draw on Lefcourt’s experience as a natural wine pioneer and importer in a discussion about the impact of the USDA’s new rules, the imperative to support small organic wine producers and what everything means for natural wine moving forward.

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Episode Transcript

Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting.

Speakers: Jenny Lefcourt, Samantha Sette

Samantha Sette 00:09

Hi, everyone, and welcome to the Wine Enthusiast podcast. My name is Samantha Sette, and I’m the Senior Web Producer here at wine at this yes, today I have the pleasure to speak with Jenny Lefcourt, founder of her own natural wine importing business, Jenny and Francoise selections. Since founding her company in 2000, Jenny has played an influential role in spearheading the natural wine movement in the United States. Some may argue her portfolio reads like an elite team roster of some of the most well love producers in the organic and biodynamic wine scene, a sector of the industry that is more popular than ever. I’m here with Jenny today to discuss recent changes in the natural wine industry, including updates to the USDA Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule, and other labeling protocols. With many leaders in the space left in limbo. We can’t help but ask how have these changes impacted producers small and large? What does this mean for the organic wine scene and the consumer moving forward? And are the new regulations really the issue? Or is there a larger problem at hand when it comes to the prioritization and support of wine as an agricultural product? Clearly, we have a lot to talk about. I’d love to start by learning a little bit more of what brought you to where you are today, if you don’t mind sharing a little bit more backstory to you and your role in the natural wine scene.

Jenny Lefcourt 01:30

Thank you so much for having me. I’m happy to share that story. Yeah, I moved to France at first to do Junior semester abroad. And then I went back after finishing college, and I enrolled in a master’s program there. And I was going to be a professor of French literature and film actually did finish my PhD at Harvard. Oh, wow. And I have a degree in the French system as well as master’s degree. But while I was doing that, I got very interested in food and wine. As soon as I moved to France, I thought, amazing. You could sit down and have lunch for an hour and talk politics and hang out with friends. And I just thought it was a much more pleasurable way to live life. And so I started drinking wine and asking questions about wine. And literally one day I was waiting for the bus after studying at the National Library. And I was in front of this Bistro, and the bistro ta the owner of the bistro came out in his battered out dressed up for work. And he saw me looking at a poster about wine. And he said, Oh, are you interested in wine mademoiselle? Whenever you come in and try something, I want to pour you a glass of something. And so I walked in, and I had a glass of wine after work, which was not in my habit in those days, and it was a cloudy Chenin Blanc, I remember exactly what it looked like it tasted like and it was beautiful. And so that evening, I went and met François who I started the company, we co founded the company and ran it together for a bit before I bought him out in 2008. And now sole owner and president of the company. But at the time, we tasted a bunch of wines with this person later actually ended up selling his bistro and going off and making wine. But the ones were amazing. And he invited us to come to a wine tasting with like 12 winemakers that weekend in the suburbs of Paris. And so we went off to this tasting and tasted and asked questions. And all the ones were alive and different from what I had tasted thus far in the US, especially but they were similar to wines we tasted at certain friends houses, and certain pieces that we liked in Paris in that they were just alive, aromatic, pleasurable, good acid great with food. They’re what we’ve come to call natural wines, which even at the time, this was the late 90s did not have a name yet and did not have a movement yet per se but this was the rumblings and the beginnings of what became the natural wine movement, which really started in France and then became spread to Italy and all over the world really. It’s become a huge international movement. But at the time we went to this tasting and what struck me was that all the producers said well, we grow our grapes organically or biodynamically. We use no synthetic chemicals in the vines and no synthetic herbicides and then in our winemaking, we also just use the grapes, fermented grapes, none of the hundreds of additives that are permissible in winemaking we use indigenous yeast we don’t filter we don’t add sugar Ever, we don’t have tartaric acid, we don’t add flavored yeast. So they all had a very similar way of describing their process. And what was interesting in this beginning was that none of them knew each other really. And every one of them felt very alone and what they were doing, they had the impression that they were like the ugly duckling of their village of their appellation of their corner of France. And so there wasn’t quite yet of movements. And what these tastings did, oftentimes was bring people together to talk about how they did things similar ly to each other. And once those started up, and there were more and more tastings of this type of wine, it really did become a movement.

Samantha Sette 05:47

Wow, thank you for sharing all that. It sounds like your first confrontation with wine was natural wine then because you’re kinda like theee doing your PhD. And then suddenly, all this time in France ended up stumbling into wine.

Jenny Lefcourt 06:01

Yes, it was very, almost random. And when I came back to New York, I didn’t see any of these bottles, and I wanted to share them with friends and family. It was very crazy.

Samantha Sette 06:17

So did you spend a lot of time going back and forth between France and New York? Are you originally from New York?

Jenny Lefcourt 06:23

I am born and raised in New York City.

Samantha Sette 06:26

Same awesome. And have you found that like, things were different there then versus Europe in, say, the 90s?

Jenny Lefcourt 06:34

Yes, things were different. I mean, you know, we’re a young country and wine and in sort of drinking everyday wine and that sort of love of food and wine, and it’s much more recent here. When I started the company, there were way less even boutique wine shops. It was much more traditional.

Samantha Sette 06:55

And so prior to this, you mentioned too, that in Europe, they weren’t calling this the natural wine movement. It was just kind of this thing they were doing.

Jenny Lefcourt 07:03

Yeah exactly. It was a thing they were doing. It was groups of friends. It slowly formed into a group. And then after that there’s different groups. There was sort of the natural wine group and the biodynamic group and the organic group and definitely a different different groups doing similar and overlapping things, but not always with exactly the same rules or philosophies.

Samantha Sette 07:29

So for listeners who aren’t fully familiar, and honestly, I could always use the clarity on this too. We hear these terms, organic, natural, biodynamic, what’s the difference? And where do you consider yourself falling under?

Jenny Lefcourt 07:42

Yeah, so organically grown grapes are grapes, which are grown without any synthetic chemicals, whether it be herbicides or pesticides. So it’s similar to our organic agriculture, there’s a certification, you have to work for many years without chemicals to become certified. It’s very serious. It’s about farming. Once you grow organic grapes, there’s also something called biodynamic farming, which is kind of one step beyond that, in that it’s really about facilitating biodiversity. So it’s thinking about ways in which a vineyard or a farm can become hospitable to an enormous amount of diversity in terms of flora, fauna, insects, animals, everything. And so there’s ways to facilitate that there’s planting different things. You can have a farm which doesn’t only purely grow grapes, but also grows wheat and fruit and has animals and, you know, making composting is important in biodynamics. There’s different biodynamic preparations that are used to encourage biodiversity. So that’s sort of another level of farming. Then there’s the winemaking itself, and what we call natural wine is comes from grapes that are grown organically or biodynamically. But then in the winemaking, as well, there’s a simplicity it’s having confidence that the grapes are are of quality, that they’re well balanced, and taking those grapes and they ferment from the indigenous yeast that are present on the skins of the grapes. And they transform the sugar into alcohol. So it’s just fermented grapes. Winemaking actually we we think of in that way, but it’s most of the time not that most of the time. It is grapes that are grown using these chemicals round up everything you can imagine. And then a lab yeast is added, while sulfites are added to the grapes to kill off any yeast or bacteria that are present And then a lab yeast is used to get that fermentation going. And sometimes that loud lobbyist has a very specific flavor. There’s mega purple is the most famous one. There’s many others. There’s enzymes that could be added sugar, tartaric acid, all kinds of additives. You know, there’s reverse osmosis to take out some of the water. There’s all kinds of things that can be done to process the grapes and create wine. So some wines are really kind of beverages created using grapes, I would say. And to me, that’s not the kinds of wines I’m interested in importing. What I import we call natural wines, their wines made with fermented grapes with indigenous yeast, low to no sulfites and nothing else.

Samantha Sette 10:48

That was such a beautiful definition. I think it just clicked for me to that. When it comes to agriculture, we have organic and biodynamic and organics kind of more about the product, like what is coming out of this harvest versus biodynamic, is taking into consideration that entire ecosystem. And so the implications I mean, I know people like to talk, “is it good or bad?” But this is really thinking more of a sustainability lens, really. So that’s, that was really cool to hear from your perspective. And when it comes to natural wine it’s so focused on that process. Right. So leaving our terms aside, good and bad, what you’re importing has a different process than some of those other grapes, well wines.

Jenny Lefcourt 11:28

It really does. It’s something different. And, you know, there’s, there are more and more organically grown grapes, but it’s still a very small portion of what is produced in various countries and regions. And then there’s even less net what we call natural wine produced. All of this for the consumer can be a bit confusing,

Samantha Sette 11:49

Right? We are so…based on the timing. So we’re talking here today kind of in light of a recent change from the USDA, and some rules that have gone out Jenny, I’m sure you could do a much better job than I can, explaining the recent change, but it does affect organic labeling and the wines that you are putting out for the consumer.

Jenny Lefcourt 12:10

For sure. So since I started importing wine 24 years ago, since 2000, I have always encouraged the winemakers I work with to get certified if they weren’t already certified. That means that there is a certifying agency. Eco CERT is one of the biggest in France, for example, diameter is the biodynamic certificate, but there’s a bunch of different organic labeling agencies that come to the vineyard, they make sure that no chemicals are being used. They analyze the product to make sure that it’s grown from organically produced grapes, no traces of chemicals. And they certify in France, for example, this takes three years. So certification process in most countries, it’s three or four years. So that’s a big commitment. It’s serious. It’s not just about a fad. It is a belief that it’s better to grow grapes a certain way. It’s a lot of people who do do not want to pollute polluter Earth. Traditional vineyards that use chemicals are some of the biggest polluters, in in the bigger winemaking countries in Europe, it’s it’s huge. You know, just like agriculture is a huge polluter of, you know, our soils, our water, everything. So it’s a big deal to make the decision to become a certified organic grape grower. And so because it’s easy to say, hey, yes, I grow organic grapes. And to lie about it. Even the small producers who are growing organic grapes who say, you know, it’s too much time, it’s too much bureaucracy. See, I’ve really pushed them to say, hey, you know, we really want to be transparent with the consumer, it’s really important to get their certification, even if you’re doing everything yourself. And oftentimes these are producers who not only are they working in the vines day and night making their wine, they have to figure out marketing, they need to drive around and sell their wine they need to export and figure out the rules of export and fill out customs paperwork. It’s a lot for a small winery where maybe there’s one employee or no employees or two employees. That’s a lot to ask so many of them have gone through it in the years since I started. Most of the producers I work with have become certified, organic or certified biodynamic, which is wonderful. The difficulty is that the laws in different countries are different. The other and in California for example, until recently, a winery could request to be registered as organic without going through the same rigorous country rules that European wineries had to go through. So that is upsetting. So there’s a new law, it’s called the strengthening organic enforcement law. I think now, it’s my understanding that there’s much stricter rules set up in the US, which is great. I’m all for stricter rules. I’m all for transparency so that the consumers feel confident about what they’re purchasing. If you’re purchasing organic fruits and vegetables, you know, these, you want to have confidence that was labeled as organic is organic. So the same with wine. The difficulty is that for all of these years pushing people to become certified, I’ve also been pushing for some kind of natural label to say, Well, what what is more than organic, and there’s been a big movement in Europe to push for this labeling. And so in recent years, just very recently, they came up in France with something called vanmeter. Natural, that’s a natural wine label. So that could be great. The problem is what’s defined as natural here in the US is very, very different. So we can’t use that label here. We can’t import wines that have that certificate. The other difficulty, of course, is the same one as just the organic certificate. Generally, it’s not these small wineries, it’s requiring additional work additional paperwork, and just not everyone has the time for that. So that’s hard, because who does have the time? It’s big wineries, and big wineries. I think it’s great that there’s more and more certified organic, larger wineries. But there is something unfair when if the paperwork that’s required isn’t simplified, simple explained, that there’s not help from the government to pay for it to implement it, it becomes a detriment. And it becomes harmful to smaller wineries who are doing maybe better or more true work in terms of biotech creating and encouraging biodiversity, because biodiversity is what’s going to save the planet. People who are working on their compost and working on making sure bees are comfortable in their vineyards, people who are the fixing the most carbon into the soil. This literally fights global warming, fixing carbon. It’s the biodynamic producers who are doing the hardest work. Some of them very small wineries, we’re spending the time in the vines and the fruit trees in the, with their animals, to fight global warming, where it’s going to be hardest to implement some of these laws around organic certification. So that’s difficult, I don’t have a set solution to it. But the problem is that it’s just becoming more and more difficult. So the other thing that’s happened recently

Samantha Sette 18:14

It was also, not to interrupt you, then it’s almost disappointing to hear that these individuals and producers who are putting in the work, they’re doing the thing, they’re incorporating these practices into what is a practice of winemaking after all and producing agriculture, yet, they aren’t getting the support that they need. And now are there, correct me if I’m wrong, but that means that there are organic wines out there that just don’t have that label? And as a consumer, that’s confusing, how are you supposed to know?

Jenny Lefcourt 18:48

Yes, that’s very confusing. So all I can say is that importers like myself, I tried to be a gatekeeper, and a to curate a selection of wine, wineries and wines that I believe in. And so there is the back label, you know, our name Jenny and Francois selection, it’s on the back label of everything, we import, that sort of our stamp of approval, but I realize like, it’s better to have an actually official stamp of approval. So hopefully, we’ll get there. But right now, it’s feeling I’m feeling pretty glum about about the whole thing. I was feeling good about having so many wines that were labeled organic, or grown from organic grapes. But in Europe, recent lays so laws have changed and there’s going to be or maybe is already a law requiring ingredients to be listed on the label with a QR code.

Samantha Sette 19:50

Oh, really? That’s really neat. So the QR code on the bottles, people can scan and see what’s in their wine.

Jenny Lefcourt 19:56

Yes. So I wish that it was a law requiring the ingredients to be printed on the back label that’s easier to see like, why should we have to scan a QR code? You don’t have to scan a QR code to see what’s in your food. You just go read what’s on the back of the label, spend so much time doing when I’m in the supermarket. What’s in this you know how much sugar is in this how much as so I wish it was directly on the label. But it’s better than nothing out something that the that metaneseur. Groups of natural winemakers has been fighting for for years list your ingredients, natural winemakers can list their ingredients, grapes, you know, but why? Why should they struggle with certifying their grapes as organic and biodynamic, and just see wineries that are adding you know, 40 different products to their wine, not have to list anything? That’s not fair. Why should all the onus be on people who are actually doing fighting the good fight. So this is a huge victory. That I mean, wine was the only product that we eat or drink but didn’t have a list of ingredients.

Samantha Sette 21:08

I was gonna say something that was always very surprising kind of curious to me is why, you know we go to the grocery store. And all of these food items have nutrition label, and drinks do to I’ve been into these prebiotic sodas or like a kombucha or something and they have a nutrition label. But when you go to the wine section, you get the ABV you get where it’s sourced from you get the label, you get the importer, but you don’t get I don’t even want to say nutrition facts, per se, but what’s in my bottle?

Jenny Lefcourt 21:37

Right, exactly. And when you listen to the debates, which there have been recently showed this lobby applied in the US, you know, the bigger wineries are saying, well, we don’t want to scare the consumers. The consumers think this is something romantic. It’s made from grapes that are grown in the winery. Well, if it is made from grapes, list grapes, but the problem is most wines are not just made from grapes, there’s lots of other scary things in them that we don’t know about. So that’s the scandal. So what’s crazy is instead of aligning with Europe on this, and making things possible for them at the naturae, to be able to say okay, this is a natural wine, making things clear that you know, what, what are the ingredients in this bottle, instead of that the USDA went and passed a different law. So about strengthening organic enforcement law rate, on the one hand, it seems like people have here have to get certified now. But on the other hand, it sounded like a good law where, you know, we’re just making sure people are certified. But it turns out like two weeks before it was implemented, they said, no, no, no, actually importers need a license as well. importers who do not hatch or pour wine from one vessel to another, they take something that’s already bottled that’s closed with a cork or other, and they move it from one place to another, but now, importers have to be certified. But the way this was implemented was very last minute and incredibly confusing. And also the wineries have to be listed on this database, the organic integrity database. And basically, none of the producers I work with understand what’s going on. And so at first, I was in a panic, I rushed in some of the bigger producers wines that we count on, let’s say organic that we sell in Whole Foods and other places that really want to see that stamp on there that says certified organic. We rushed in a lot of wine, which is a huge burden to a small importer, because there’s a cost to that. And then we said, Okay, what is this law, then we were going to run out of our counties. So we said, Hey, okay, just this time, I know, we told you to get certified and put it on the label. But now we want you to take it off of the label, because we’re not sure it’s gonna get stuck in customs. And we don’t really understand what’s going on. So why don’t you take that off of your label your cost, you must reprint and

Samantha Sette 24:14

You don’t hear this going on with like, produce?

Jenny Lefcourt 24:17

No. It’s it’s really, really, really difficult.

Samantha Sette 24:24

And what’s interesting too, is how the at least the front facing intent behind it seems really pure and good. We want to make sure that we’re not greenwashing and we’re not promoting things to be organic and this better kind of promotion and it not be yet as a result. I feel like that’s what’s happening. It’s like the intent is producing a completely other outcome and kind of hiding what you were calling even those under the cover. there are a bunch of things in our wine that we don’t want to know about it just kind of like letting that propagate because it’s so hard to be organic.

Jenny Lefcourt 24:57

Yeah, it’s very, very confusing. process, there’s just nowhere you can look for a list of very clear rules, which certification agencies in Europe are acceptable, which aren’t. Now we need every single time we send a purchase order to a winery, it has to go to the certification agency who has to approve it, and enter it into this database and get a number associated with the order that then they send back to customs that has to then accompany the wine. So talk about I mean, we’ve had had all kinds of difficulties in the last bunch of years, with the tariffs that were imposed by the Trump administration and then cancelled by Biden, thank goodness, which almost destroyed our industry, we’ve had backups in containers because of COVID, and difficulty shipping, then we have too much wine in stock, because everyone tried to ship everything at once, because of the lack of containers. And now this, which it just feels like, I would love to know whose idea this was to make importers get certified. And make make sure all POS are approved by this. USDA who haven’t they don’t even speak to the TTB, who approves labels. There’s a lack of communication between agencies, there’s a lack of transparency in what the laws actually are. You have to pay experts to get the certification in the first place, which is a penalty to small importers, for sure. There’s a cost and a time to all of this, which feels an absolute undue burden on my business, and others working in the field to try to import wines. And I just wonder, you know, where this came from part of me, I mean, I, if I have my theories, like, there’s no possibility that any small winemaker or small importer would have requested something like this. So where does this idea come from? I mean, it’s just why should importers need a certification? I’m not growing anything. I’m not transposing anything, there’s no way for me to commit fraud. So it’s, it’s, um, it’s upsetting. And I would like to go to Washington and talk to someone about it.

Samantha Sette 27:28

Totally. It sounds like y’all aren’t being properly heard. Right. And that’s just such a human thing. And also in this industry, something that needs to be accounted for as y’all make up a big proportion of who is importing and producing. And as an importer yourself, where do you find support amidst like, all of these challenges that you face over the past few years?

Jenny Lefcourt 27:52

You know, it’s it’s, it’s difficult, you know, I mean, that this, a lot of colleagues have been very helpful in sharing information, which is wonderful. But I think, you know, because there’s so little organic wine, in a way, while there is so little organic wine compared to the rest of the wine industry. But it, you know, there was a huge to do with the tariffs, because the whole industry was affected. But this kind of law, you know, it attacks 100% of my book, almost, we have a few sustainable wines that aren’t certified organic, but it affects my business. In a way, it affects very few other importers, because that’s my focus, and it always has been. So yeah, it’s hard to catch the ear of the government or anyone on this one.

Samantha Sette 28:44

Which is interesting, because if we even took out the meaning and the beauty away, the demand for natural wine is is increasing, unless I heard incorrectly, we learned gravitating towards this beautiful category. And now, we’re kind of like punishing them by cutting it off, because we’re making it so difficult, which, again, some of that intent makes sense, at least to me. But I’m curious, what do you think this means for the future of the natural wine scene, which was kind of it was growing rapidly is this? Yeah, I’m curious what you think is gonna happen next.

Jenny Lefcourt 29:22

I think will continue to grow. I think this is a temporary hiccup, as we’ve had many, and we’ll continue to fight the good fight, and we’ll figure it out. We’ll have to figure it out. And whether that’s going to Washington and lobbying and saying, you know, yes, of course, we want to fight fraud. Yes, of course, there should be more transparency. But this is not how to do it. And please don’t include importers in this law. You know, let’s get on par with Europe. Let’s make sure the labeling across different countries that there’s similar laws so that these producers don’t have to change They’re labeled with each country they’re working with, let’s all have the same, you know, list of ingredients and laws around organic certification. I believe in certification, I really do. It just has to be easier and less burdensome, small business.

Samantha Sette 30:21

And the certification at like it, it’s in its essence, if you will, it seems like a solution, right? But it doesn’t sound like the problem at hand and the situation and circumstance of natural winemakers and small producers and small importers is fully understood. And so by not taking the time to fully understand that problem, the solution doesn’t do anything, because it’s not addressing what the needs are.

Jenny Lefcourt 30:46

Right, correct. I mean, you know, bigger, big industry, wine doesn’t want ingredients on the list. That’s understand that I understand that. That’s very clear. That’s fighting against transparency. I’m fighting for transparency. I’m not against transparency at all. But this has to be easier. It has to be easier, not in terms of the laws around organic viticulture, that should be very strict. You know, there, there shouldn’t be I mean, there’s still, you know, in the US, you’re still allowed to use certain chemicals, which shouldn’t be allowed. You know, I believe in the strictness of these labels, if they’re not strict, nobody will believe in them. And what we want is organic viticulture, to expand. We want organic agriculture to expand, we want biodynamic agriculture and agriculture to expand. That’s how we’re going to fight global warming. And so it’s really bringing awareness to the positives of this kind of way of making wine, and the importance of it for the future of our planet. And also our pleasure.

Samantha Sette 31:56

If I may even add, like meeting y’all where you are. Is that seems like a big discrepancy too, that you deserve to have your needs met and be able to accomplish these what sounds like you know, an ideal situation, right? Like what is what does ideal winemaking look like for the natural winemaker? What does it look like for an importer? And that ideal? I don’t think we’re there. At least from the sound of it we’re not there.

Jenny Lefcourt 32:23

Yeah. Now it’s true. And it I mean wine growers, every grape growers everywhere, agriculture everywhere, there’s so much change with global warming. You know, just a few weeks ago, there was horrible frost and a lot of Northern France, for example, and other places in Europe. really devastating. And so, you know, the energy of these people who are growing grapes has to be put towards finding solutions for that. For example, we work with a producer in Montlouis, La Grange Tiphaine, and he is president of its appellation Damien Delecheneau. And he’s fought to put these wind turbines that disrupt the air and make it so the vines don’t experience frost, they fought off the frost recently. And it’s because he’s working with other producers to fight against frost that they succeeded in saving their grapes this year. Whereas previously they had were pretty devastated by frost, there’s so much to do together to preserve a way of life and a history of making wine. And there’s there’s good energy to put out there and coming together to do these kinds of things. So hopefully, I have hoped that this strengthening organic enforcement will shift and change and will be a tool to to defend the work of natural winemakers.

Samantha Sette 33:52

Totally, and perhaps it’s time to look abroad for some inspiration even like see how, what can we learn from others, and then also to take that time and look inward to what’s happening in our country and how individuals and companies both small and large, are being affected by this. It sounds like there is a need. And everybody like nobody puts baby in the corner. We’ll know if it’s natural when in the corner and it’s time to sign up. Give everyone a voice.

Jenny Lefcourt 34:17

For sure. Yeah, I mean, we we make a lot of noise. We are. You know, I think it is an expanding category for sure. Our business has grown from like a little New York company to a national company. We just opened up a California Office, which is super exciting. I just came back from Los Angeles. And there’s so many shops and restaurants serving natural wine who are very supportive of natural winemakers and natural wine cross us. It’s it’s exciting, and I believe it will still expand

Samantha Sette 34:51

Totally and with the natural flow of information. I mean, you got New York City and Los Angeles which are like two major hubs, if I will, the country and so with time sure it’ll start going to those smaller second tier cities as so many things do. And I guess some some questions as we start to wrap up here. I know you’re from New York. So where’s one of your favorite places to go sip on natural organic wine in the city?

Jenny Lefcourt 35:14

New York City? Ah, I can’t pick favorites. Let’s see, there’s The Ten Bells that’s been there for forever. There’s one in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan. Both fabulous places to go. Gem is another wonderful place, but in lower Manhattan, especially are filled with wonderful wine bars. Focusing on natural wine.

Samantha Sette 35:40

Oh, yeah. And then one thing that we ask all our guests is what’s in your glass? A favorite wine you’ve been loving now or it could be water?

Jenny Lefcourt 35:51

Well, yesterday at this conference of women movers and shakers, we poured a Beaujolais from Rémi Dufaitre called Super Remi which is absolutely delicious. Easy to love and drink cloudy Gamay from Beaujolais quite beautiful and lots of fun.

Samantha Sette 36:11

That’s awesome. Well, Jenny expression of gratitude, thank you for your time, your work your hope I am hopeful for you and your community at large for the future.

Jenny Lefcourt 36:23

Thank you, Samantha for having me. It’s really lovely chatting with you and honoring this word.

Samantha Sette 36:29

Thanks so much. As the industry continues to evolve, we’d love to know, what do you think is in store for the natural wine scene? You can email us your comments and questions at podcast@wineenthusiast.net remember, you can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify and anywhere else who listen to your favorite shows. You can also go to wineenthusiast.com/podcast/ for more episodes and transcripts. I’m Samantha Sette. Thanks for listening

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It’s Time to Hop on the Barolo Train

Wine Enthusiast — Tue, 28 May 2024 22:07:25 +0000

Not many bottles get to claim to be “the King of Wines,” but Barolo has earned that prestigious title in the hearts of many. This bold red wine, made in the Piedmont area of northwestern Italy, is produced from the red grape Nebbiolo, which is known for high acid, high tannins and flavors of red fruits, dried herbs and flowers. These wines are famous for their complexity, firm texture and ability to improve with age. They often spend a long time in oak to help soften their tannins.

“The region of Barolo continues to showcase its greatness,” says Writer-at-Large Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast’s reviewer of wines from Italy. In recent years, he says, Barolo has produced a string of vintages that exude elegance, beauty and power to rival bottlings from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Napa. Historically, these wines were blends of grapes from 11 distinct enclaves in the region—still a popular tack—but increasingly, they include single-designation Barolos from 170 official crus or vineyard sites.

“The 2019s are powerhouses that show Nebbiolo in its ageable best,” Porter says. “Do not be afraid to try them today, so you can know how they began, but you will be well rewarded to stash a few aside.” The 2020s, meanwhile, are “like a happy puppy ready to play.” They are full of vitality from the start, he continues, but this doesn’t mean they’re unsuited for aging. “They are so delicious today that it will be hard for you to stop yourself from showing them to all your friends,” he explains.

Long story short: If you are not on the Barolo train, it’s time to hop on. The days when Barolo was considered a niche region are over.

“Today, Barolo has gone global,” Porter says. And why shouldn’t it? The land of truffles and fresh pasta is, no surprise, equally good at producing world-class wine. These top pours, selected by our tasting department, make the case better than words ever could.

Giacomo Fenocchio 2019 Villero Nebbiolo (Barolo)

The precision and beauty that Claudio Fenocchio is able to coax out of his wines is astonishing and this 2019 Villero is an opus. Dark cherry aromas lift from the glass, with layers of sweet and savory spice, black tea and rose bud. The wine is so generous and giving with a combination of wild red fruits and dark berries that meld perfectly with notes of cinchona bark, camphor, thyme and a distinct chalkiness. A sublime wine. Drink now–2050. 98 Points. Cellar Selection.—Jeff Porter

$89.99 Flatiron Wine & Spirits

Brezza 2019 Cannubi Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Coming from the heart of the original part of Cannubi, this wine lifts from the glass with such elegance that it automatically sets you on your heels. Aromas of fresh cherries, pink roses, sweet spices, new leather and incense all combine in the glass. The purity of the palate is remarkable with flavors of crushed red fruits, dried violets, wild herbs and dried earth. Superfine tannins hide their seriousness as this wine will go the distance. Drink now–2050. 96 Points. Cellar Selection. — J.P.

$72.99 Flatiron Wine & Spirits

Borgogno 2019 Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Aromas of macerated cherries with mixed spices, thyme, dried violets and roses all work like a spell to draw you deeper into the wine. Each part of the palate is in its place with fruit, earth, spice and savory qualities all working toward the same goal: being delicious. Drinkable now, this will go the distance as a classic Barolo. Drink now–2045. 94 Points. Editor’s Choice. — J.P.

$110.99 Eataly Vino

Chionetti 2019 Roncaglie Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Pristine aromas of fresh cherries lift from the bowl of the glass as if on wings while wild roses swirl around them. The wine sucks you in with each sniff. The vibrant palate continues the lift of the nose with high-toned red berries commanding your attention as subtle hints of savory spice, herb, leather and truffle develop. Supple tannins and classic Nebbiolo acidity steer the wine to the finish. Drink now–2040. 94 Points. Cellar Selection. — J.P.

$120 Manhattan Wine Company

Bava 2016 Scarrone Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Dried cherries and crushed raspberries open the nose of this well-crafted Barolo as notes of rose, wild thyme and incense waft in and out of the glass. Solid and firm with a foundation of elegant tannins and mouthwatering acidity that holds the deep core of fruit, herbs and earthy flavors that permeate the wine. Drink now–2040. 93 Points. —J.P.

$81.00 AOC Selections

Pelassa 2018 Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Wild cherries, rosebud and incense waft out of the glass of this elegant wine. Structured and stylized as if going to walk the runway, this wine struts its stuff knowing it is good. Flavors of macerated raspberries, holly leaves and thyme wrap around the elegant tannins, finishing with crunchy acidity. Drink now–2040. 92 Points. Editor’s Choice. —J.P.

$39.99 Thewinebuyer.com

Mauro Molino 2020 Bricco Luciani Nebbiolo (Barolo)

A medley of Marasca cherries, cinnamon stick, whole clove, new leather, cedar, and bay leaf greets the senses, unfurling into notes of turned earth as the wine opens. The palate is giving and lush, adorned with raspberry and strawberry compote and a hint of vanilla. Fine tannins and roasted oak notes contribute to an elegant tannic structure, making it a decidedly pretty wine. Drink now through 2040. 92 Points. — J.P.

$53.88 Saratogawine.com

Pico Maccario 2019 Del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba Nebbiolo (Barolo)

This Barolo opens with aromas of ripe cherries, crushed raspberries, mint and wildflowers. Hints of sweet and savory spice waft out as the wine opens. Tart red wild berries burst on the palate, as medicinal herbs provide a counterpoint to the juicy fruit flavors. Notes of spiced tea, leather and roasted earth emerge on the firm and well-structured palate. Drink now–2035. 91 Points. — J.P.

$39.19 Saratogawine.com

Villadoria 2019 del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Driven by crushed raspberries, wild cherries, wildflowers and mixed herbs, this Barolo elegantly presents itself as a classic. Today, in its youth there is banter between the succulent red-berried fruit and the youthful and firm tannins as tea, forest-floor and leather flavors stand in reserve. Well-balanced and a wine to help begin an exploration of Nebbiolo from this amazing region. Drink now–2040. 91 Points. — J.P.

$52.88 Saratogawine.com

Icardi 2019 Parej Organic Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Roasted cherries, warmed clove and star anise aromas waft from the glass as dried floral hints and wild thyme rise as the wine opens. Mouthfilling with loads of mixed wild berries fresh, dried and preserved all combined with oak spice finishing with subtle earth and superfine tannins. Drink now–2040. 91 Points. Cellar Selection. — J.P.

$79.99 67 Wine

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Building a Wine Collection? Choose the Road Less Traveled

Aleks Zecevic — Thu, 23 May 2024 21:50:17 +0000

Imagine you’re one of the lucky few to own a rare, one-of-a-kind item. Think about the thrill of acquiring that item. What if, years later, it becomes 30 or 50 times more valuable than what you paid for it? Would you sell this prized possession?

The seemingly impossible question is one that many wine connoisseurs struggle with at some point. Is collecting wine about pleasure or investment? Of course, collectible wines can be a worthy investment. The asset provides the potential for high returns and can diversify a portfolio. This is why, as I mentioned in my previous piece, “The Vicious (and Banal) Circle Behind Wine Collecting,” more people are embracing the hobby of collecting as an alternative to sticking money into stocks or bonds.

The shift has divided wine collectors into investors, who mainly buy to resell, and those who purchase rare bottles out of passion. As of late, soaring prices and the prestige of some investment wines see a third group joining the party—those who buy hard-to-score bottles merely to impress others. The consequence? Even more players are driving up prices.

This all begs the question, how do wine lovers who cringe at blue-chip bottle prices start a collection? Consider taking the road less traveled by seeking out less obvious labels and regions.

Ulula DOP Cariñena

A young, fresh and joyous wine that has been lightly aged in oak barrels for three months. Bright ruby red in colour, it is both fresh and complex. Presence of toasted and spiced notes, as well as cocoa. Expressive and delicious, it has a well-structured mouthfeel and gentle tannins.

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Avoid the Same Old Same Old

Following this vein, he suggests looking at appellations that have not been traditionally prized or considered age-worthy by collectors. Even in Burgundy—where highly coveted wines can fetch more than $500,000—there are deals to be found if you look outside Côte-d’Or.

“I would guess most Burgundy collectors don’t focus on the Mâcon,” Dentice says. “It is an exciting region that global warming is helping, and if you can find a wine from a top winemaker there, you will have a cellar-worthy treasure.” We both praise Julien Guillot of Clos de Vignes du Maynes as one of the best-kept secrets (until now).

For fans of classic Italian wines, Valtellina represents a great alternative to those who love Barolo and Barbaresco. Rather than fork out $300 to $600 for the well-known greats, like Giuseppe Rinaldi, Bartolo Mascarello, Roagna and Cappellano, this mountainous region in Lombardy offers astonishing, age-worthy wines from the likes of Barbacàn, Garzöl and Arpepe for a fraction of the price. Bottles often cost just $60 to $90.

Even relatively unknown appellations offer a wealth of treasures awaiting discovery—and space in a cellar. For instance, I recently had the pleasure of meeting Thyge Chus Jensen of Bodega Frontio in Arribes del Duero. The vivacious Dane, who was a gas salesman in a previous life, moved to the nearly forgotten wine region because the price of land was so cheap. He has since fallen in love with the place and has produced some of the most unique wines I’ve tasted in a long time.

Of course, to compile a cohesive collection, chances are you’re going to want to include at least some bottles from traditionally famous and sought-after regions. Looking at first-generation growers or houses where there has been a generational change could lead to some pleasing surprises.

You May Also Like: Why Grower Champagne Should Be on Your Radar

Even in Champagne—where even the least expensive wines are pricey—there are vast numbers of producers whose wines outperform those from famous houses and have garnered ardent followings of devoted fans. Consider seeking out grower-producers such as Timothée Stroebel, Bonnet-Ponson, Jacques Lassaigne and Marie Courtin.

I could continue sharing examples, but it is best to experience it yourself. In today’s wine world, most regions will have at least one star worth checking out. The real goal should be to collect what you love and have fun with it, first and foremost. If you end up with a collection that appreciates drastically, sure, consider making a profit. But as Dentice notes, buying wine for the label or investment is “a risky game.”

So, would he try to make money off his hard-earned bottles? “Absolutely not,” he says.

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The post Building a Wine Collection? Choose the Road Less Traveled appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

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Episode Transcript

It’s Time to Hop on the Barolo Train

Giacomo Fenocchio 2019 Villero Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Brezza 2019 Cannubi Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Borgogno 2019 Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Chionetti 2019 Roncaglie Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Bava 2016 Scarrone Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Pelassa 2018 Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Mauro Molino 2020 Bricco Luciani Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Pico Maccario 2019 Del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Villadoria 2019 del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Icardi 2019 Parej Organic Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Building a Wine Collection? Choose the Road Less Traveled

Ulula DOP Cariñena

Avoid the Same Old Same Old

Flex Your Collection