fee. After visiting Australia with his Peter Bell wife in the early 1980s, Bell applied and was accepted to the enology Fox Run Vineyards program at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. After graduation, he found his way to the Finger Lakes – via New Zealand. Bell had been working as an assistant winemaker in Marl- borough and looking for a way out, when he met an American intern at neighboring Cloudy Bay winery. When Bell confided his desire to move on, the intern sug- gested he go to the Finger Lakes, because of its potential for produc- ing world-class . Bell took the advice. When he arrived in the Finger Lakes in 1990, he contacted the only company in the region he had heard of: Tay- lor Wine Co. As it happened, Tay- lor was about to go bankrupt, but the receptionist told him that Dr. Frank’s down the road was looking for a winemaker. Bell got the job. He stayed with the winery until 1995, when Fox Run owner Scott Osborn – whom Bell had gotten to know while judging V&WM’s Inter- For going on 20 years, Peter Bell has national Eastern Wine Competition been the winemaker at Fox Run Vineyards – asked Bell to become his wine- on Seneca Lake, turning heads not only with maker. his artfully made Finger Lakes , but At Fox Run, Bell takes a science- also his , and lem- based approach to winemaking, berger wines. but doesn’t consider himself to be Bell’s most notable wines include Fox a hard-core traditionalist. While he Run’s “Geology Series” rieslings, which likes the control of using commer- n 2013 we launched our “20 Most Once the nominations were in, we highlight the ancient geological of cial yeasts and prefers to filter his Admired’ issue to shine a much- reduced the field of contenders to 40 final- two distinctive vineyard blocks; and the cel- wines, he’s also willing to experi- deserved spotlight on the most admired ists, based on the number of nominations ebrated Tierce Dry Riesling, his collaborative ment with things like native fermen- people in the North American wine each person received. Names of the finalists effort with fellow Finger Lakes winemakers tations – as long as they don’t get in industry. With the thoughtful input of our were then submitted to the committee for a Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road Wine the way of pure expression. nominating committee – comprised of vote (members could vote for as many peo- Co. (also one of 2014’s “Most Admired”) and One of the things Bell says he respected winemakers, grapegrowers, wine ple as they liked.) David Whiting of Red Newt Cellars. loves most about being a winemak- writers, educators, buyers, sommeliers and The 20 winemakers who came out on top Born in Boston and raised in Amsterdam, er is the sense of community. He consultants across North America – we cel- reflect a wide range of wines, styles and Berkeley, Calif., and Toronto, Bell was the considers his fellow Finger Lakes ebrated wine professionals from just about regions. Some produce hundreds of thou- winemaker at Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera vintners as collaborators and co-con- every aspect of the industry. sands of cases each year; some make only a Wine Cellars for five years before joining Fox spirators, rather than competitors. This year, we’re highlighting the 20 Most couple thousand. While many craft some of Run in 1995. “Peter’s intelligence, humble- Admired Winemakers. North America’s finest wines and represent It wasn’t until his late 20s, after he had ness, passion for great wine and Our committee had just two rules to fol- the continent’s most successful wineries, already earned a degree in cultural anthro- willingness to share his wealth of low: 1) nominees must be living; 2) they must there are many other reasons to admire the pology, that Bell developed an academic knowledge,” enthused Reinhardt be based in North America. While some com- men and women on our 2014 list. These are interest in wine. He first set his sights on of Anthony Road, “… these quali- mittee members quickly returned short-lists the pioneers; the innovators; the trend-buck- the enology program at UC Davis, but was ties make him a man to be admired of their winemaking heroes, others agonized ers; the standard-setters and the leaders. discouraged from applying due to his lack of deeply.” over how to whittle down their nominees to Here, in alphabetical order, are the Most related credentials – and the $20,000 tuition less than 50. Admired Winemakers in North America.

40 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com 41 Antinori); Erath Vineyards in Ore- class inspired her to change her Bob Bertheau gon; and Conn Creek, Villa Mount Cathy Corison academic focus, and she went on to Eden and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars earn a master's degree in enology Chateau Ste. Michelle in Napa Valley. Although each prop- Corison Winery from UC Davis. erty has its own facilities and wine- Corison spent 30 years hon- maker, Bertheau is the overarching ing her skills at wineries including guiding light. Chappellet Vineyard, Staglin Fam- For Eroica, the riesling brand ily Vineyard, York Creek Vineyards he produces in concert with Ernst and Long Meadow Ranch. In 1987 Loosen of Germany's region, she produced the first of Bertheau said he continues to gain Corison cabernet, and in 1999, she knowledge from Loosen on “how broke ground on the Corison Win- to protect fruit purity and produce ery in St. Helena. fresh, fruit-driven rieslings.” Despite Napa Valley’s stylistic Bertheau arrived at CSM in 2003, shift toward riper, higher-octane after winemaking stints in Califor- cabernets in the ’80s and ’90s, nia with the Belvedere and Brad- Corison refused to follow the trend. ford Mountain labels. The UC Davis Throughout her winemaking career, alumnus also worked with Bob Ses- her cabernets have retained their sions at Hanzell Vineyards, David signature balance, power and ele- Ramey at Chalk Hill, and for Gallo of gance, along with alcohol levels Sonoma. Born in Seattle, Bertheau's well under 14%. joining CSM in Woodinville, 15 Corison achieves this style by miles northeast of Seattle, was a harvesting at lower sugars, and return home. credits a touch of redleaf virus in His latest project is Eroica Gold, the Kronos vineyard with slow- made in a German botrytis style ing down sugar accumulation. with cracking acidity and ripe, rich Her winemaking technique has flavors and texture. Like the original remained largely the same over the Eroica, an off-dry riesling, Gold is years, emphasizing minimal inter- Many winemakers say that it’s more produced from Washington-grown This is the second year that Cathy Cori- vention and gentle handling. difficult to make large volumes of consis- grapes and German expertise. “The son has graced our “Most Admired” list, Despite the demand and critical tently good, well-priced wine than it is to idea was to do a different kind of and it’s no mystery why: She makes some acclaim for Corison’s wines, she make small batches of expensive wine. Bob sweet riesling," said Loosen. “Not of the Napa Valley’s finest cabernet sauvi- has little interest in bumping up Bertheau, head winemaker at Washington a big, sticky dessert wine with a gnon wines. production. An artisan winemaker state’s Chateau Ste. Michelle (CSM), over- lot of botrytis influence, but some- Corison’s prized estate vineyard, Kronos, to the core, she still makes only sees the production of some 2 million cases thing lighter and more delicate. The was planted in the early 1970s and is home 1,500-2,500 cases per year, divided of wine per year and 50-plus different wines, wine is absolutely gorgeous, and to some of Napa Valley’s oldest cabernet among her two cabernets, plus an turning out both great values at the lower shows that Washington riesling can vines. The 8-acre vineyard’s well-drained, Anderson Valley gewürztraminer price-points and high-end reserve and single- achieve the same incredible range bale gravelly loam soils and rare St. George and a Napa Valley cabernet franc. vineyard bottlings, all showing remarkable of styles as in the Old World." rootstock combine to produce what Corison “Cathy Corison is widely admired quality and consistency. According to Jim Tresize, presi- calls “pitiful quantities of delicious wines.” by both longstanding cabernet sau- Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle dent of the New York Wine & Grape With a rare combination of power and ele- vignon aficionados and new genera- is the oldest winery in Washington and owns Foundation, “Bob oversees an gance, Corison’s flagship Kronos and Napa tions of wine drinkers because she 3,500 vineyard acres in the Columbia Val- operation that makes large volumes Valley wines (sourced has never wavered from a hoe-your- ley. Said to be the world’s largest producer of consistently superb wines from from benchland vineyards between Ruther- own-road work ethic and vision of of riesling (1 million cases), CSM’s other all grape varieties, and cooperates ford and St. Helena) have earned her a repu- making Napa Valley wines of ele- strengths are , sauvignon blanc, with other Washington winemakers tation as a top-notch winemaker – not only gance that also age,” said Virginie and cabernet sauvignon. It’s the big as well. Chateau Ste. Michelle is among critics and trade members, but also Boone, contributing editor for Wine dog in the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates pound, the classiest winery in North Ameri- fellow vintners. Enthusiast magazine. “Patient and which includes Washington brands Columbia ca in terms of products, people and Corison didn’t originally set out to be a provocative, she’s known for being Crest, Northstar, Spring Valley Vineyard and industry collaboration.” winemaker. She studied biology at Pomona tireless, a bootstrapping self-made Col Solare (a partnership with Tuscany’s Piero College in Southern California, before signing success with no time or aptitude for up on a whim for a wine appreciation course regrets. Look up integrity in the dic- during her sophomore year. That life-altering tionary and there she’ll be.”

42 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com 43 2014 Grand Harvest Awards sister, Ridge Lytton Springs, since the beginning. Whether it be merlot and cabernet Ridge Vineyards sauvignon from the Cupertino win- ery, or old-vine from Lytton a wine judging based on terroir Springs in Dry Creek Valley, Draper’s wines have always been complex, bal- anced and elegant, signatures of the site, and beautiful agers. Draper believes that wines that are lush and fruity when young won’t last Deadline: November 14, 2014 long, and that overripeness masks vine-

yard character. With special sites such TM as Ridge’s cool-as-Bordeaux Monte Judging: November 18-19, 2014 Now Bello Vineyard, planted in 1959, and the Geyserville Vineyard in Sonoma County, taking with its 80-year-old zinfandel and cari- Questions: 707.577.7700 x109 gnane vines, he doesn’t want to mess entries! with their personality. With that same reasoning, Draper shuns the use of commercial yeast, Save: Enter online and save. micro-oxygenation and other manipula- tions. Beginning with wines from the Est. 1990 2011 vintage, he lists on labels the Enter: winecompetitions.com ingredients used to produce them. Draper is a Zinfandel Advocates & Producers pioneer, a cherisher of old vines, and a proponent of single-vine- yard wines. In addition to landing a spot on our 2013 “Most Admired” list, his From the information in Paul Draper’s bio, honors include 2000 Decanter (maga- one can easily glean that he is a man of avid zine) Man of the Year, 2000 Wine Spec- intellectual curiosity and great intelligence – tator Distinguished Service Award and and not one to shy away from life’s adven- 2013 Winemakers’ Winemaker, from tures and opportunities. the Institute of Masters of Wine. Before becoming Ridge Vineyards’ wine- He is a favorite with European wine maker 45 years ago, Draper graduated with a press and trade, who appreciate the degree in philosophy from Stanford University, Bordeaux-like structure of his wines and then studied French at Paris-Sorbonne Uni- the flagship Ridge Monte Bello Caber- versity. He returned to Stanford to continue net Sauvignon’s remarkable showing in coursework in political science and Spanish, blind tastings against the world’s best. and worked in Chile for four years to help com- “Despite being inextricably linked munities establish sustainable businesses. with the history of modern Californian While in Chile, Draper was asked to make wine, Paul is not one to rest on his lau- wine for a community assistance program. rels or dwell on the past,” said Tim Mar- Despite having no winemaking training, he son, MW, buyer for Global Wine Co. accepted the challenge and produced his first “Nevertheless, he has stuck doggedly wine. Once back in California, he met Dave to his winemaking philosophy over more Bennion, a Stanford research scientist, at a than four decades, eschewing fluctu- . Bennion and his partners had ating fashions and changing attitudes just purchased Ridge Vineyards in the Santa towards ripeness levels, use of Ameri- Cruz Mountains, and in 1969, they hired can oak, and technological interventions Draper as their winemaker. in the winery. Few, if any, winemakers Ridge was sold to Japanese business- in North America today can lay claim to man Akihiko Otsuka in 1987, but Draper has a similar legacy of highly expressive, O T T YO steered the winery and its Sonoma County world-class, ageworthy wines.” H U G U B O Y R official sponsors: B

Y B B

www.vwmmedia.com R 44 O U U O G Y H T T O Edwards left Mount Eden in deterred Jensen, because lime- Merry Edwards 1977 to be the founding winemak- Josh Jensen stone was the thing, and he had it er at Matanzas Creek Winery in in his soils, along with chilly tem- Merry Edwards Winery Sonoma County. That same year, a Calera Wine Co. peratures thanks to the 2,200-foot visit to Burgundy convinced her that elevation. clonal diversity and matching clones He named his winery Calera for to sites led to more complex wines the masonry limekiln on the prop- – a thoroughly foreign concept at erty, and first planted the Selleck, the time. Ignoring the skepticism of Reed and Jensen vineyard blocks; a her peers, she persevered, and in tiny crop was produced in 1978. In the 1980s finally began convincing 1982, Jensen purchased 300 neigh- growers to plant a mix of clones. boring acres and planted more pinot In 1984, Edwards left Matan- noir plus viognier – making him a zas Creek to become a consultant California pioneer in that variety. and focus on her own small win- Chardonnay went into the ground ery in the Russian River Valley. in 1984, and Jensen continued to But in 1989, the bank called in its plant more pinot noir and viognier, loan and Edwards’ Merry Vintners as well as the obscure (for Califor- went bankrupt. The following year nia) aligoté, Burgundy’s “other” she joined Vintech, which had pur- white grape, over time. chased Domaine Laurier (also in Today, he remains the lone the Russian River area) and built a grapegrower on Mt. Harlan, now winery to Edwards’ specifications. an AVA, and supplements produc- Within a year, Vintech, too, had tion with purchased Central Coast gone under, and Edwards’ prized grapes that go into a moderately pinot noir lots were sold on the priced line of wines. But it’s the bulk market. estate pinot noirs that are Calera’s She relied on consulting work shining stars, consistently graceful until 1997, when she and her hus- and honest, with stony earthiness, band, Ken Coopersmith, found refreshing acidity and capacity for Known as California’s “Queen of Pinot investors and purchased Russian A long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away, long lives in the cellar. Noir,” Meredith “Merry” Edwards is one of River Valley property that would Josh Jensen ended his search for the ideal When Jensen began his quest, the state’s most accomplished winemakers, become Meredith Estate Vineyard. spot in California to grow pinot noir grapes. California was considered a medi- and a pioneer among female vintners. She A winery and additional vineyard He spent years poring over geological ocre, at best, place for cultivating is one of just three women inducted into the acreage would follow, and today, maps and scouring the state for the one ele- pinot noir, with a few exceptions. Vintners Hall of Fame; a James Beard Award Edwards’ vineyard-designated ment he knew was crucial to the production Given the abrupt turnaround in winner as Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer and blended pinot noirs are highly of classic pinot noirs like those he loved from that thinking, Jensen’s 40 years of Professional; and a veteran of 41 harvests. sought after. Her sauvignon blanc is Burgundy. It was limestone in the soil, and pinot devotion can be considered This is her second year on V&WM’s “Most one of California’s finest. the problem was, California has very little of prescient. Admired” list. “Merry has created something it. When Jensen finally found his holy grail, it “Josh Jensen’s pinot noirs are Her ascent wasn’t an easy one. that many of us, male or female, are was on a god-forsaken, rugged and isolated harmonious intersections of Côte Edwards was one of the first women to inspired by,” said Traci Dutton, som- mountain in San Benito County, a world away d’Or-like complexity and the ripe complete UC Davis’ enology program, earning melier at the Culinary Institute of from where anyone else was growing wine red/black fruitiness of ‘modern’ Cal- a master’s degree in 1973. She wrote her the- America in the Napa Valley. “Being grapes. Or living, for that matter. ifornia pinot noir,” said Linda Mur- sis on the possible health risks posed by the a loving wife, raising children, run- Planting began in 1975 on Mt. Harlan, 25 phy, V&WM’s columns editor and use of lead capsules on wine bottles, which ning a business that she loves with miles inland from Monterey and not far from managing editor of Sonoma maga- led to the capsules being banned. Not content integrity, being part of the commu- Hollister, the earthquake epicenter of Cali- zine. “He committed every nickel to work in the lab – the employment track for nity and giving back to her industry fornia. Neither the absence of electricity and he had to an unproven region and women at the time – Edwards pursued and – she does all this while being kind, telephone service, nor the unsexy zip code, made it work.” won the winemaker job at Mount Eden Vine- fun, authentic and a heck of a baker. yards in the in 1974. That she brings joy to so many peo- Since then, she has been an inspiration ple with iconic, delicious wines is a to women working in the production side of beautiful bonus.” the industry.

46 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com 47 the making of Grange – Australia’s then earned a business degree Daryl Groom most celebrated and iconic wine. Jim Klein from California State University From 1990 to 2005, Groom was Northridge and went to work for an Groom Wines the executive winemaker for Peak Navarro Vineyards accounting firm. Wines International, which owned Had it not been for the winemak- Geyser Peak and Wild Horse Win- ing hobby he started with his father, ery & Vineyard, and was the senior Klein might still be crunching num- vice president of operations and bers instead of crushing grapes. winemaking for Beam Wine Estates In his dad’s basement, he came to in 2006-2007. realize that accounting was not his In 1996, he founded Groom passion. Klein quit his job and went Wines, a small Barossa Valley win- north, to UC Davis, where he stud- ery focusing on shiraz and sauvi- ied enology and , then gnon blanc. In addition to his role landed a job at Brander Vineyard in as a “flying winemaker,” traveling the Santa Ynez Valley. back and forth from his home in With two at Brander Sonoma County to South Australia, under his belt, and four more as an Groom recently began working with enologist at Charles Krug Winery in Naked Wines to produce wines the Napa Valley, Klein went over- under the DRG label. seas in search of his next winemak- In Groom’s estimation, his most ing adventure. He found it in Israel, meaningful winemaking achieve- at Golan Heights Winery, where ment to date is a $13 blend called he launched Israel’s first methode Colby Red, created to raise money champenoise sparkling wine – in for heart research. Launched in the midst of the Gulf War. 2011, the wine was inspired by There he met his future wife, Groom’s son, Colby, who endured Rinat, then a soldier in the Israeli two open-heart surgeries before army, and the couple moved to Cali- age 10 to repair a congenitally fornia. Soon after, Klein found his faulty heart valve. So far the wine winemaking home at Navarro. This award is one of many such acknowl- has raised more than $500,000 for It could be said that Jim Klein takes the While some winemakers edgements for Daryl Groom. During his heart-related charities. concept of humbleness a little too far. The denounce wine “manipulation,” 30-plus years as a winemaker in his native Groom is admired not only for his Navarro Vineyards website barely mentions Klein views the various stages of Australia and in California, Groom has won warmth and sense of humor, but also his name, there’s little information to be production as the tools of his pro- multiple “Winemaker of the Year” awards for for his winemaking philosophy. He found on the Internet. And at press time – fession. He strives to craft wines his work at Geyser Peak Winery in Sonoma believes that producing great wine just as harvest was ramping up – the winery that allow the expression of the County, and was named in 2013 as one of is truly a team effort, and that each folks were just too busy to dig up anything fruit, without being overly fruity or IntoWine.com’s 100 most influential people person on the cellar team is equally more recent than an article published in sweet. Klein’s role at Navarro, he in the U.S. wine industry. important. Groom strives to create 2002, when Klein was named the San Fran- says, is to connect each wine from Groom took an interest in wine at age wines that make people say “Yum,” cisco Chronicle’s “Winemaker of the Year.” vineyard to bottle – and he does it 12, while living with his brother in Australia. and then ask for another glass. What is universally known about Klein, beautifully. His parents had been beer drinkers, but his “Daryl is visionary because he however, is that he makes some of Men- “Jim Klein makes wines as they brother – a newly minted lawyer with some never misidentifies the poten- docino County’s – and indeed, California’s – should be: precise and balanced, disposable income – was exploring wine. The tial of his fruit,” said Dan Berger, most beautiful wines. His pinot noirs, along ageable, true to type, inventive tastes Groom was allowed on special occa- publisher of the newsletter “Dan with Alsace-style rieslings, gewürztraminers and refined,” said Harry Peterson- sions inspired him to attend a field day at Berger’s Vintage Experiences.” If and muscats, have earned Navarro countless Nedry, owner and winemaker at Roseworthy Agricultural College – the only the fruit is exceptional, he maxi- medals in international wine competitions. Chehalem winery in Oregon. “As winemaking school in Australia at the time – mizes its potential by making sure it Klein joined Navarro as winemaker in for the man, there is humility, and sign on to its enology program. has structure to be all it can be, for 1992, beating out more than 100 candidates but also self-assurance, technical However, Groom considers the time he early consumption as well as future for the job. Mendocino County is a long way rigor and little need for flamboy- spent working in the cellar for Australian enjoyment. And if the fruit is mere- from the San Fernando Valley, where Klein ance. Consider him a winemaker’s wine legends Peter Lehmann and Rodney ly good and not great, he makes a grew up as the son of a pipe fitter and a bank winemaker. He carries the highest Chapman to be his true wine education. supreme effort to accentuate its teller. With no intention of pursuing the agri- respect I can give – I trade a mixed He went on to become the senior red- best qualities. Daryl never makes cultural life, he took a job auditing the books case of wine with Navarro every winemaker at Penfolds, where he oversaw wines without a personality.” for Bing Crosby Productions as a young man, year; I do that with no one else.”

48 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com 49 enologist at Beaulieu Vineyard, where Greg La Follette he spent a year working with legendary wine master André Tchelistcheff. After La Follette Wines a stint in Australia, La Follette was hired as a consultant for Kendall-Jackson, immersing himself in the company’s vineyards to analyze soils and determine the most suitable rootstocks and clones. La Follette sealed his reputation as one of California’s premier pinot noir winemakers in 1996 when he became general manager and winemaker at Flowers Vineyard & Winery. The produc- tion facility he built at Flowers is still con- sidered a model of gravity-flow, “green” winery design. He also undertook major replanting of the vineyards, switching to a cane-pruned, double-Guyot system, which resulted in more even ripening and better soil penetration. He left Flowers in 2001 to found Tan- dem Wines, producing small-lot chardon- nay and pinot noir from vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast and other appellations. At the same time, he embarked on a career as a vineyard and winery consultant, helping to design “green” wineries around the world. La Fol- 75 Wineries / 4 days / Over 200 Wines & 24 grapes lette also consulted on the design of the groundbreaking UC Davis teaching winery. The ONLY Festival that brings hard-to-find, high-quality, small production wineries together Greg La Follette decided to become a wine- In 2009, Tandem Wines was pur- maker when he realized his first career choice chased by Pete Kight, proprietor of Qui- all under one roof. Meet the winemakers - from all over California - who are crafting some of – bagpipe player – just wasn’t practical. That’s vira Vineyards & Winery in Dry Creek the most exciting, cutting-edge and state-of-the-art wines in the world today. fortunate for the wine world, because for Valley, who retained La Follette as wine- more than two decades La Follette has been maker. In 2010, Kight launched a new using his scientific and artistic talents to create brand called La Follette to showcase remarkable pinot noir and chardonnay wines. outstanding cool-climate vineyard sites With a natural aptitude for science and in Mendocino and Sonoma counties. chemistry, La Follette earned a double bach- La Follette’s longtime obsession with elor’s degree in plant biology and chemistry mouthfeel is reflected in the wonder- from California State University Northridge. ful balance and texture of his namesake After a stint as a staff chemist at UC San Fran- pinot noirs and chardonnays. cisco, he went on to earn a master’s degree in “Greg La Follette has always put his food science and technology at UC Davis. background in biology and chemistry to At Davis, La Follette found his true call- the best possible use: coaxing barrels of ing: seeking out the best possible winemak- pinot noir and chardonnay through long, ing methods and uncovering the mysteries of wild fermentations,” said wine writer why they’re successful. While working in the and V&WM columnist Tim Teichgraeber. cellar of the student winery, he became fas- “His wines are dramatic and consistently cinated – some would say obsessed – with reflect their vineyard sites.” the scientific components of mouthfeel. Rid- Deborah Parker Wong, Northern ing a wave of interest in new production California editor for The Tasting Panel, techniques in California, he received funding admires La Follette’s community-mind- from the Napa Valley Vintners to study sur lies edness. “He’s part of a group of wine- aging and battonage. makers bound together by the Lookout In 1991, he became a research viticulturist/ Ridge ‘Wine for Wheelchairs’ campaign.”

50 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com Nov - Dec 2014 | VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT 51 relocated to Virginia’s Blue Ridge sault in 1983. Not only was Lemon Jim Law and purchased a hardscrabble farm, Ted Lemon the first American to oversee wine- planting chardonnay, seyval, vidal, making at a Burgundy house, he Linden Vineyards cabernet franc and cabernet sau- Littorai Wines was just 24 years old. vignon in 1985. The first vintage Once back in the States, Lemon was 1987, and the winery opened made superb chardonnays for Cha- in 1988. teau Woltner on Howell Mountain Only the chardonnay and vidal in Napa Valley (now Ladera), then remain in the original, formally founded Littorai Wines with his named “Hardscrabble” plot; red wife, Heidi, in 1993, while paying grapes are planted on the slopes the bills as a consultant in Califor- above, and the nearby Avenius and nia, Oregon and more recently, with Boisseau vineyards provide addition- Burn Cottage in New Zealand. They al grapes. As old vines decline, Law decided to purchase grapes from replaces them, continually fine-tun- Mendocino County’s Anderson Val- ing rootstock, clones, vine density, ley and western Sonoma, for the trellising and pruning, in an attempt sites’ diverse soils and cool coastal to achieve fruit maturity while coun- conditions (the Latin word littorai is tering vine disease, humidity and plural for coasts). pests. He’s in a state of constant Littorai’s wines soon captured experimentation and widely known the interest of sommeliers seeking to be ahead of the curve on viticul- pinots and chardonnays that were ture and winemaking issues. expressive without being flam- But as Washington Post wine boyant. Production grew slowly, writer Dave McIntyre wrote in from an initial 150 cases per year June 2014, Law is controversial. to 4,000 today. There is no public “(He) is outspoken in his belief tasting room, as there simply isn’t that wineries should strive to pro- enough wine to go around. duce top-quality wine and not be Devoted to sustainable and venues for weddings or concerts, Biodynamic farming, Lemon now Admiration can be won by producing a view that has angered other win- Despite his deep experience making grows his own grapes at The Pivot great wines, and Jim Law of Linden Vine- ery owners. While he is often in wine in Burgundy, Ted Lemon isn’t intent on Vineyard west of Sebastopol and at yards qualifies in that respect. Yet he is just the tasting room greeting custom- mimicking the region in the pinot noirs and The Haven, farther west near Occi- as respected in Virginia winemaking circles ers, he discourages casual winery chardonnays he makes for his Littorai label. dental. He also purchases fruit from for mentoring up-and-coming winemakers as hoppers looking to get a buzz on by Burgundy is Burgundy, and the western several vineyards, among them he is for his chardonnays and Bordeaux-style refusing large groups and reserving Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley regions B.A. Thieriot, Charles Heintz and blends. the winery porch for regular cus- from which he now sources grapes have Hirsch in the Sonoma Coast, and Jim Dolphin of Delaplane Cellars, Jeff tomers who buy at least a case of their own personalities and dictate the style One Acre and Roman in Anderson White of Glen Manor Vineyards and Rutger wine per year.” of wines that will be made from them. Valley. A straw-bale-walled, gravity- de Vink of RdV Vineyards are among those At 4,000 cases of wine per year In every case for Lemon, that style is flow winery opened in 2009. who worked at Linden before doing their and with the likes of Jancis Robin- one of elegance and precision, restraint and A thoughtful, measured man, own thing. A media-visitor tasting of a verti- son endorsing his wines, Law can ageworthy structure, and above all else, Lemon shuns the limelight despite cal of Linden chardonnays and reds included afford to stand his ground. expression of vineyard character. His time in his winemaking stature. Yes, he’s three Law employees/interns; everyone ben- “Jim is a pioneer now celebrat- Burgundy informs his winemaking and viticul- on the cover of San Francisco efitted from the conversation. ing 30 years in a never-ending quest ture decisions, yet California grapes are the Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonne’s Law, an Ohio native, served two years to make the best wine possible,” key ingredient. 2013 book, “The New California in the Peace Corps in the 1970s in what is said McIntyre. “He and Luca Pas- Lemon spent time at the University of Wine,” though Lemon reportedly now Congo. He returned home to work in china of Barboursville are admired Dijon as a study-abroad student while still in was a reluctant cover boy. At heart, a winery whose stock and trade was sweet for producing a wide range of top high school. He returned to France after col- he’s just a farmer and a family man wines. Wanting to produce drier wines, Law wines in Virginia.” lege on a fellowship to study viticulture and and a winemaker who found his ele- enology, and apprenticed for such Burgundy ment in California pinot noir. domaines as Dujac and Roumier, returned to Wine writer Dave McIntyre suc- the U.S to work for Josh Jensen at Calera in cinctly summed up his impact: California, then was called back to Burgundy “Ted Lemon redefined California to be the winemaker at Guy Roulot in Meur- pinot noir.”

52 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com 53 keting investment, and a focus on cello. When Paschina returned to Dennis Martin exports. Martin couldn’t be happier. Luca Paschina Zonin’s offices near Venice, his rec- He earned an agricultural busi- ommendation was not likely one Fetzer Vineyards ness degree in 1973 from Califor- Barboursville Vineyards the vineyard owner wanted to hear. nia State University Fresno and a Paschina recommended that Zonin master’s degree in enology and start over by investing in ideal trel- food science there in 1975. As so lising systems and farming tech- many young enology graduates did niques. Zonin agreed, and hired in the 1970s, he worked at United Pascina full time to see the project Vintners in Madera, as a cellar through. supervisor and white and sparkling Paschina made it his first priority winemaker until 1982, then moved to determine which grape varieties, to Scott Laboratories, where he clones and trellises were best suit- worked as a sales enologist. ed to the red clay soils and humid, Dolan hired Martin in 1985 to be often wet growing conditions of his assistant winemaker. When the the area. Over time, he determined Fetzer family sold to Brown-Forman that the conditions favored caber- in 1992 and Dolan departed, Martin net franc, merlot and viognier, and became director of winemaking, that cabernet sauvignon can be with a promotion to vice president excellent, particularly in warmer of winemaking in 1996. As such, vintages. In recent years, Italian he is responsible for not only the varieties nebbiolo, sangiovese and Fetzer brand, but also oversees the vermentino have emerged as stars, organically-grown-grape producer as has a moscato-style wine called Bonterra and, now under Concha y Phileo, produced from traminer and Toro, super-premium and “Luxury” ottonel. lines of Fetzer wines that take the Paschina’s efforts clearly paid brand far above the lower shelves off. Barboursville Cabernet Franc of supermarkets. Crimson & and Bordeaux-style Octagon red Quartz, a new brand of low-priced, blend were served at a gala the Dennis Martin has made wine for Men- varietally labeled wines, is targeted For 23 years, Italian native Luca Paschina night before President Obama’s docino County’s Fetzer Vineyards for 30 for a younger market. has produced the wines at Virginia’s Barbo- first inauguration in 2009; the toast years, a streak few others can claim unless And much to Martin’s delight, ursville Vineyards near Charlottesville, earn- was made with Barboursville Brut. they own their own wineries. He’s endured some tried-and-true Fetzer wines ing the winery numerous gold medals, as Paschina’s attention to detail and ownership changes, filled the huge shoes of are becoming more regionally well as prestigious Governor’s Cup and Mon- experience have brought out the Fetzer founding winemaker Paul Dolan, and focused. The 2013 vintage gewürz- ticello Cup awards. He’s a long way from the best in Virginia grapes, and other worked with hundreds upon hundreds of traminers and rieslings will shed Piemonte vineyards in which he played as a producers have taken note. Zonin’s California vineyards to continue the flow of their California appellation designa- child, yet Paschina has embraced Virginia as financial support hasn’t hurt, Fetzer’s value-priced wines while maintain- tions in favor of Monterey County. his home, and the state has enthusiastically either. With more than 250 winer- ing quality. It’s not been an easy job, and he’s Dennis Martin may be an old dog embraced him back. ies in the state, Virginia has gained done it well, if the judgment is made based in winemaking years, yet new own- Before landing in Virginia, the third-gener- national and international praise for on the consistently delicious wines he and ership is offering him opportunities ation winemaker produced wine in the Finger its wines, and Paschina deserves his team makes at everyday-drinking prices. to show off new tricks. Lakes region of New York and California’s much of the credit. Yet there is a new spring in Martin’s step, “Making vast amounts of wine Napa Valley. He sold wine in Switzerland for “Luca Paschina has spent the now that Fetzer’s new owner, Concha y Toro, can easily take the wind out of the two years before returning to Italy to work in last quarter century setting the is adding more joy to his job. The Chilean sails of any winemaker, but Denny vineyards with his father and uncle. standard – and pushing the enve- wine company acquired Fetzer in 2011 from has done more to make excellence In 1991, he officially joined Barboursville, lope – for Virginia's rise in promi- Brown-Forman, a company more focused on affordable than any other wine- after Gianni Zonin hired Paschina to spend a nence as the most exciting region spirits than wine. Concha y Toro has infused maker who ever lived,” wine writer year consulting at his winery. Zonin, the heir in what I call ‘The New American Fetzer and its affiliated brands with more Dan Berger said. to Italy’s largest family-owned wine company Wine,’” said wine writer Dave grapegrowing, winemaking and sales/mar- (Casa Vinacola Zonin), purchased the land McIntyre. “He produces wine at a in 1976 and – ignoring advice from govern- high quality level on a commercial ment officials, land owners and bankers to scale, and as such has been Vir- plant tobacco on the property – developed ginia's leading wine ambassador to a vineyard near Thomas Jefferson’s Monti- the world.”

54 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com 55 tics of the old-vine vineyards he dis- Joel Peterson covered. His earned such a following that the vineyard-designated Ravenswood Winery bottlings – as well as the affordable county blends and state-sourced Vint- ners Blend – helped convince growers to keep their zin vines in the ground, rather than replanting them to more lucrative varieties. Peterson’s desire to take care of Cali- fornia’s old vines led him to become a senior advisor to the Historic Vineyard Society (HVS), a nonprofit organiza- tion dedicated to honoring them with the same spirit that historic homes are preserved. His son, Morgan Twain- Peterson, owner of Bedrock Wine Co., is a founding member of HVS, with Joel offering assistance. Peterson was also instrumental in the development and rapid growth of the ZAP organization – Zinfandel Advo- cates & Producers – formed in 1991. Promoting a single variety was novel at the time, and while other varietal groups have followed the ZAP model, none have come close to drawing the 10,000 avid tasters ZAP did at its annual event in San Francisco, until a more inti- mate format was introduced in 2014. Ravenswood’s “No Wimpy Wines” motto Although Ravenswood was sold isn’t just a marketing tagline; it’s Joel Peter- in 2001 to Constellation Brands, and son’s personal winemaking philosophy. a senior vice president title has been Known as the “Godfather of California Zin- attached to his name, Peterson contin- fandel,” Ravenswood Winery’s founding ues to oversee Ravenswood fruit sourc- winemaker has been a passionate preserver ing and winemaking, and gives special of the state’s ancient zinfandel, petite sirah, attention to the single-vineyard zinfan- carignane and other old vines since he first dels, which include Barricia and Old Hill began working with Russian River Valley zin in Sonoma Valley, Big River in Alexander master Joseph Swan in the early 1970s. Valley, Teldeschi in Dry Creek Valley, An old photo on the Joseph Swan Vine- Belloni in Russian River Valley and Dick- yards website shows a bearded, long-haired erson in Napa Valley. Peterson soaking up knowledge from Swan “Joel Peterson is someone I have and famed Beaulieu Vineyard winemaker looked up to for a long time and I know André Tchelistcheff. Today, the hair is short I'm not alone,” said Alison Crowe, and the beard is neatly trimmed, yet Peter- winemaker for Plata Wine Partners. son remains driven to produce site-specific “Years ago when I was a winemaking zinfandels and “mixed blacks” field blends student at UC Davis, I was impressed from vines that have been in the ground for by Joel's relentless championing of zin- as long as a century, some of them longer. fandel and zinfandel quality, as well as While working as a cancer immunology his business and marketing acumen. No researcher at a San Francisco hospital and one has done more to put fine California dabbling in wine on the side, he founded zinfandel on the map. He also gives a lot Ravenswood in 1976 with little funding and of his time to industry organizations and an ambitious desire to produce wines that to budding winemakers and students.” would display the distinctive characteris-

56 www.vwmmedia.com in one wine, minerality in another, as the best New York wine for a David Ramey richness in another, and lasting tan- Johannes Reinhardt 2008 Anthony Road Semi-Dry Ries- nins in most. ling. Reinhardt is one of the trio of Ramey Wine Cellars "I want to balance classic ele- Anthony Road Winery and Kemmeter Wines winemakers behind the acclaimed gance with California fruit," Ramey Tierce Dry Riesling. At the 2010 said. "Texture is what I want. How Riesling du Monde in Strasbourg, does the wine feel in your mouth? France, Anthony Road was the only That’s the pleasure quotient.” They non-European winery to win one of also stand the test of time. "I make the seven Trophies of Excellence. chardonnay to age 10 years from While all this was going on, vintage," he said. immigration crackdowns put Rein- Ramey is arguably best known hardt and his wife, Imelda, in peril for his sumptuous yet focused of being deported. He toiled for chardonnays, from superstar vine- seven years to earn a green card yards such as Hyde and Hudson – permanent worker status – and in Napa Carneros, and Ritchie in was denied several times. The Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. The couple contemplated relocation to sturdy yet supple cabs are made another country, until the volume of from Napa Valley grapes, the min- written testimonials to the impor- eral-laced from cool-climate tance of and contributions made by Sonoma Coast. Reinhardt won immigration officials With the 2012 vintage, Ramey over in 2012. began producing pinot noir, and In 2013, Reinhardt realized just as the year ended, he and another long-held dream: start- Carla closed on the purchase of the ing his own wine label. Last year Westside Farms vineyard on the he launched Kemmeter Wines on Middle Reach of the Russian River Seneca Lake (named for his mater- Valley. They are converting an old nal grandmother) and released a hop kiln on the property to a tasting handful of rieslings made from room, and intend to add caves and purchased grapes. In June of 2014 David Ramey’s resume is a long and bur- a winery, relocating their operations Johannes Reinhardt has been the wine- the Reinhardts planted 2.5 acres of nished one. It includes a UC Davis graduate from near downtown Healdsburg to maker at Anthony Road Wine Co. on Seneca pinot noir, riesling and degree and winemaking positions at Cha- five miles away on Westside Road. Lake since 2000, yet his enological history on their property. Johannes will teau Pétrus in Bordeaux, and Simi, Matanzas His stature is such that Ramey is dates to 1438, when his family began pro- remain the Anthony Road wine- Creek, Chalk Hill, Rudd Estate and Dominus a sought-after winemaking and viti- ducing wine in Germany. Formally trained maker while he bottles a projected in California. culture consultant. Rodney Strong and with years of hands-on experience, Rein- 2,500 cases a year of his Kemme- At Ramey Wine Cellars, which he found- Vineyards in Healdsburg greatly hardt sought a change of scenery and landed ter wines. ed in 1996 with his wife, Carla, in Healds- improved its small-lot wines, thanks in New York to intern at Dr. Frank's Vinifera “Johannes Reinhardt has the burg, Calif., Ramey produces chardonnays, to Ramey’s expertise, and he has Wine Cellars, then joined Anthony Road. remarkable ability to make riesling cabernet sauvignons and syrahs that are also advised clients elsewhere, Reinhardt was certainly not the first Ger- that seems more sublime elixir among the most acclaimed from the state, including in Napa Valley, Lake Coun- man to emigrate to the United States and than ordinary wine,” said V&WM sourced from cream-of-the-crop vineyards in ty and Virginia. make wine – Dr. Konstantin Frank and Her- Eastern Correspondent Marguerite the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast and “David Ramey is both an art- mann Wiemer come to mind – but he may Thomas. “Never one to bask in the Napa Valley. ist and a craftsman, helping clients have been one of the most determined. light of his own stardom, Johannes His early work with Christian Mouiex and reach new heights in terms of qual- Reinhardt spent years hacking through immi- is a uniquely collegial vintner as family at Petrus informed Ramey’s winemak- ity and managing quantity, all while gration red tape to remain in the U.S., and well as an astute trailblazer. He is ing sensibilities. Understanding that he could consistently producing wines of continue making wine in New York’s Finger widely admired for his generosity, not replicate Bordeaux’s typical restrained great beauty and complexity under Lakes region. his unpretentiousness and his abso- style wines in Northern California’s warmer, his own name,” said wine writer He achieved remarkable success with his lute dedication to the excellence of drier climate, he produces wines that strike Virginie Boone. “The fact that he’s rieslings, gewürztraminers, pinot blancs and not just his own brand, but also to an admirable balance of sunny, ripe California been doing this for so long and just pinot noirs made from Finger Lakes grapes, the success of his neighbors and fruit with bracing acidity, deft oak support and keeps getting better at it is incredibly including winning the 2009 Governor’s Cup the entire region.” that showcase vineyard character: earthiness admirable and worthy of respect."

58 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com 59 has freed him up to devote more Not a one-trick winemaker, she Rollin Soles time to ROCO, which produces Wendy Stuckey is also responsible for CSM’s sau- pinot noir and chardonnay. The vignon blancs, gewürztraminers, Argyle Winery / ROCO name is the combination of Rollin White Wine Maker, Chateau Ste. Michelle and chardonnays – and and Corby. they mirror the rieslings in their Soles and Stonebraker planted superb balance. their Chehalem Mountain property Bertheau met Stuckey when she to pinot noir in 2001 and bottled was an intern and he was the assis- their first Private Stash Pinot Noir tant winemaker at Chalk Hill Winery in 2003. They built a winery in 2009 in Healdsburg, Calif. “We stayed in and in 2012 opened a tasting room. touch over the years and I remained Purchased grapes supplement their a fan of her wines,” Bertheau said. 3,500-case production, with sev- “When she attended our Riesling eral vineyard-designates, including Rendezvous event in June 2007, it Marsh Estate and Clawson Hills led to an unexpected reunion and pinot noirs. The Stalker is a tiny- interesting discussions about Cha- production pinot noir made with air- teau Ste. Michelle and Washington dried cluster stalks. winemaking. In Australia, most of “While I’ve never been a fan of the rieslings are on the drier side whole-cluster fermentation for my where a winemaker really has to wines, I am influenced by the way pay attention to the tannin/acid/ the Valpolicella region of Italy air- fruit balance to make the wines har- dries whole clusters,” Soles said. monious. Wendy offers new and “And I have an abiding love of exacting ideas to keep our wines in whole-berry fermentation. I took total harmony.” a bit of a ‘walk on the wild side’ to For example, she uses a variety produce a unique Stalker Pinot Noir. of yeasts in the ferments, evaluat- It’s a wine with spice-laced tannin ing the aromas and fine-tuning the from the stalks, without the ‘green- wines from pressing to bottling. ness’ of the fresh stalks.” Growing and purchasing grapes Despite his Snidely Whiplash ’stache, Soles is a founding member of The rieslings being made at Washing- from cooler regions in eastern Rollin Soles is a gregarious guy with a Texas the Oregon Chardonnay Alliance ton state’s Chateau Ste Michelle – the larg- Washington is paramount. drawl, folksy joke-telling skills and a good (ORCA), which works to produce est producer of riesling in the world at more “We’ve sourced grapes from heart that would have him rescuing women distinctive chardonnays based on than 1 million cases per year – are better than every region and the riesling style from railroad tracks rather than tying them relatively recent rootstock and ever, and Australian transplant Wendy Stuck- has evolved from the early days,” to them. clonal knowledge; early Willamette ey has had a decisive hand in that. There Stuckey said. “Where we once As a winemaker for Argyle Winery and his Valley chardonnays were mostly is a vibrancy and tension to CSM rieslings used fruit from warmer vineyards own ROCO Winery, Soles has the skills, per- lackluster, due to the use of Califor- that weren’t there before Stuckey’s arrival in the Columbia Valley, we’re now sonality and industry respect to be a positive nia clones and rootstocks. in 2007, and her winemaking experience at buying more fruit from cooler cli- poster boy for Oregon wine. He founded As for Willamette Valley’s infa- Wolf Blass in Australia’s Barossa Valley has mates, including the Ancient Lakes Argyle in 1987 with famed Australian wine- mous rainstorms during harvest, influenced her stylistic decisions. region near Quincy,” now an AVA. maker Brian Croser, turning the Willamette Soles has this to say: “When it CSM’s pre-Stuckey rieslings were mostly Stuckey also has a signature Valley winery into a world-class producer of rains in California during harvest, off-dry in style, with juicy tropical and yel- wine – Waussie Riesling (Wash- traditional-method sparkling wine, pinot noir, winemakers get all worried. When low stone fruit flavors. Under her hand – and ington + Australia) – that’s dry and chardonnay and riesling. ROCO, launched it rains in Oregon, we go fishing.” in concert with director of winemaking Bob nervy. in 2003 with Soles’ wife, Corby Stone- “Rollin began the best sparkling Bertheau and Eroica brand partner Ernst “After a career making stellar braker, makes a more personal statement wine house in Oregon and pos- Loosen of Weingut Dr. Loosen of Germany riesling for one of Australia’s largest with its wines. sibly in the U.S. at Argyle,” said – there is more precision in the wines today wineries, Wendy was hired to work Soles left his permanent position as Chehalem founder Harry Peterson- and superb balances of sweetness and acid- in Washington and her impact on Argyle’s general manager and winemaker Nedry, “and has been instrumental ity. From the Columbia Valley appellation riesling and on Washington wine’s in 2013, staying on as a consultant. He still in organizing other-than-pinot-noir blends to the Cold Creek Vineyard Riesling image cannot be matched,” wine spends time in Argyle’s vineyards and makes varietal work on chardonnay and to the Ethos Reserve Late Harvest Riesling, writer Dan Berger said. the blending decisions with winemaker Nate riesling. His ROCO is a new, strong Stuckey’s imprint shows in the scintillating Klostermann. Shedding his managerial duties brand.” personality of the wines.

60 www.vwmmedia.com www.vwmmedia.com 61 2 0 UNIFIED 1 5 and red, at several price-points, and Margo Van Staaveren sourced from vineyards throughout WINE & GRAPE Sonoma County. Vineyard designa- Chateau St. Jean tion, so important to CSJ’s early SYMPOSIUM success, continues; Van Staaveren’s January 27–29, 2015 Robert Young, Belle Terre, Durell ASEV | AmA dor County VintE rS | F rAnCiS Ford CoppolA WinES | At lAntiC SEAboArd WinE exhibits: January 28 & 29 and Cold Creek vineyard chardon- ASSoCiAtion | AtlAS VinEyArd mAnAgEmEnt inC. | El dorAdo WinEr y ASSoCiAtion | CAkEbrEAd Sacramento Convention Center nays are stellar examples of vine- CEllArS | idAho WinE CommiSSion | E&J gAllo | lAkE Country WinEgrApE CommiSSion | FrAnk yard-character presentation, coming Sacramento, California rimErmAn + Co., llp | lodi WinEgrApE CommiSSion | uC dAViS | JACkSon FAmily WinES | liVErmorE from vines planted in Alexander Val- VAllEy WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion | CiAtti CompAny | mEndoCino WinE groWErS, inC | yokAyo WinE Check our website for details on ley (Young, Belle Terre), Sonoma Val- CompAny | miSSouri WinE And grApE boArd | robErt young EStAtE WinEry | nEW york WinE & Registration, Housing, Program ley (Durell) and Sonoma Coast (Cold grApE FoundAtion | gArnEt VinEyArdS |t urrEntinE brokErAgE | C A Wg |o hio WinE produCErS and Exhibitors. one place, one time, Creek). The Le Petite Etoile (Rus- ASSoCiAtion | AlliE d grApE groWErS | rAVEnSWood WinEry | SAn diEgo County VintnE r’S sian River Valley) and Lyon Vineyard Register early and save up to $200! ASSoCiAtion | inglEnook | SAn JoAquin VAllEy WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion | trEASury WinE (Alexander Valley) fumé blancs are EStAtES | Jl ohr | S AntA bArbArA County VintnE rS | Simi WinE r y | SAntA Cruz mountAin from single vineyards as well. all the answers— www.unifiedsymposium.org WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion | tbC group, inC | grApE CommiSSion On the red side, Van Staaveren’s flagship wine is Cinq Cepages, a lAngE tWinS | SAntA ritA hillS WinEgroWErS AlliA nCE | WinE inStitutE | ASti VinE yArdS cabernet sauvignon-based wine that tEmECulA VAllEy WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion | Stipp rAnCh | ASEV | AmA dor County VintnE rS FrAnCiS Ford CoppoltheA WinES | AtUnified! lAntiC SEAboArd WinE ASSoCiAtion | AtlAS VinE yArd demonstrates her blending skills, as the fruit comes from multiple mAnAgEmEnt inC | El dorAdo WinE r y ASSoCiAtion | C AkEbrEAd CEllArS | idAho WinE sites. The 1996 vintage was Wine CommiSSion | E&J gAllo | lAkE Country WinEgrApE CommiSSion | FrAnk rimErmAn + Co, llp |l odi Spectator magazine’s No. 1 wine WinEgrApE CommiSSion | uC dAViS | JACkSon FAmily WinES |l iVErmorE VAllEy WinEgroWErS in the world in 1999. The county ASSoCiAtion | CiAtti CompAny | mEndoCino WinE groWErS, inC |y okAyo WinE CompAny | miSSouri and appellation blends offer excel- WinE And grApE boArd | robErt young EStAtE WinEry | nEW york WinE &g rApE FoundAtion lent value, estate-labeled bottlings gArnEt VinE yArdS | turrEntinE brokErAgE | C A Wg | ohio WinE produCErS ASSoCiAtion are a notch up in quality, and the AlliEd grApE groWErS | rAVEnSWood WinE r y | SAn diEgo County VintnE r’S ASSoCiAtion Reserves – merlot, cabernet sauvi- inglEnook | SAn JoAquin VAllEy WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion | trEASury WinE EStAtES | Jl ohr gnon and malbec among them – are SAntA bArbArA County VintnErS | Simi WinEry | SAntA Cruz mountAin WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion the wines Van Staaveren says are tbC group, inC | SonomA County WinE grApE CommiSSion | lAngEtWinS | SAntA ritA hillS Despite its name, Sonoma’s Chateau St. her most enjoyable to assemble. WinEgroWErS AlliAnCE | WinE inStitutE | ASti VinEyArdS | tEmECulA VAllEy WinEgroWErS Jean winery has no connection to France, nor "Since no two vintages are alike, is it a wanna-be-French affectation of some it gives us the opportunity to care- ASSoCiAtion | Stipp rAnCh | ASEV | AmA dor County VintE rS | F rAnCiS Ford CoppolA WinES California winery owner. Its namesake is Jean fully search for the vineyard lots AtlAntiC SEAboArd WinE ASSoCiAtion | AtlAS VinE yArd mAnAgEmEnt inC | El dorAdo Sheffield Merzoian, who married Central Val- that offer the biggest fruit expres- WinEr y ASSoCiAtion | CAkEbrEAd CEllArS |i dAho WinE CommiSSion | E&J gAllo | lAkE Country ley table grape grower Ed Merzoian. Jean, Ed sion and the ability to age in order WinEgrApE CommiSSion | FrAnk rimErmAn + Co, llp |l odi WinEgrApE CommiSSion | uC dAViS and her brother, Kenneth Sheffield, founded to create a wine that truly captures JACkSon FAmily WinES | liVErmorE VAllEy WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion | CiA tti CompAny Chateau St. Jean in 1973 in Kenwood. It’s the best of the vintage," she said. mEndoCino WinE groWErS, inC | yokAyo WinE CompAny | miSSouri WinE And grApE boArd “St. Jeen, not “St. Jzawn.” And she has a particularly soft spot robErt young EStAtE WinE ry | nEW york WinE & grApE FoundAtion | gArnEt VinE yArdS These days, the place is informally and in her heart for malbec, a variety she turrEntinE brokErAgE | C A Wg | ohio WinE produCErS ASSoCiAtion | AlliE d grApE groWErS affectionately known at Chateau Margo, fell in love with long before Argen- rAVEnSWood WinE ry | ASEV | S An diEgo County VintnE r’S ASSoCiAtion | inglEnook | SAn for winemaker Margo Van Staaveren, who tina made malbec fashionable in the JoAquin VAllEy WinE groWErS ASSoCiAtion | trEASury WinE EStAtES | J lohr | S AntA has had her hands on the wines for 35 har- marketplace. bArbArA County VintnE rS | Simi WinE r y | SAntA Cruz mountAin WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion vests. She began as a lab technician in 1980, “I’ve known Margo since the tbC group, inC | SonomA County WinE grApE CommiSSion | lAngEtWinS | SAntA ritA hillS advanced to assistant winemaker, then asso- mid-1990s, and she is pretty much WinEgroWErS AlliAnCE | WinE inStitutE | ASti VinEyArdS | tEmECulA VAllEy WinEgroWErS ciate winemaker, then winemaker, following the perfect winemaker for a compa- in the footsteps of Richard Arrowood, Don ny to have and a journalist to cover,” ASSoCiAtion | Stipp rAnCh | ASEV | AmA dor County VintE rS | F rAnCiS Ford CoppolA WinES Van Staaveren (her husband; they met at said wine writer Linda Murphy. AtlAntiC SEAboArd WinE ASSoCiAtion | AtlAS VinE yArd mAnAgEmEnt inC | El dorAdo Chateau St. Jean) and Steve Reeder. She has “She combines great winemaking WinEr y ASSoCiAtion | CAkEbrEAd CEllArS |i dAho WinE CommiSSion | E&J gAllo | lAkE Country seen several changes in ownership in those skill and vineyard knowledge with a WinEgrApE CommiSSion | FrAnk rimErmAn + Co, llp |l odi WinEgrApE CommiSSion | uC dAViS 35 years and through it all, her wines have warm, engaging personality. She’s JACkSon FAmily WinES | liVErmorE VAllEy WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion | CiA tti CompAny continued the streak of excellence estab- confident yet without an obvious mEndoCino WinE groWErS, inC | yokAyo WinE CompAny | miSSouri WinE And grApE boArd lished from the start by Arrowood. ego, and is fiercely loyal to her team. robErt young EStAtE WinE ry | nEW york WinE & grApE FoundAtion | gArnEt VinE yArdS Initially known as a white-wine house, Cha- To continue to show great wine- turrEntinE brokErAgE | C A Wg | ohio WinE produCErS ASSoCiAtion | AlliE d grApE groWErS teau St. Jean has, over the years, expanded making energy after 35 years at the rAVEnSWood WinE r y | SAn diEgo County VintnE r’S ASSoCiAtion | inglEnook | S An its portfolio to include dozens of wines, white same winery is pretty remarkable.” JoAquin VAllEy WinE groWErS ASSoCiAtion | trEASury WinE EStAtES | J lohr | S AntA bArbArA County VintnE rS | Simi WinE r y | SAntA Cruz mountAin WinEgroWErS ASSoCiAtion by the industry for the industry

62 www.vwmmedia.com geously consumer-friendly. Upon learning that John Williams his property on Conn Creek Road was once a frog farm, providing legs to San Francisco restaurants Frog’s Leap Winery around the turn of the century, Williams hit upon a marketing angle that has resonated with wine buyers for years. More seriously, he is among the most devoted winegrowers to organic viticulture and limited, if any, irrigation, in California. His sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, zinfandel, merlot and cabernet sau- vignon wines, made in concert with winemaker Paula Moschetti, are produced from organically grown grapes, either from the estate or pur- chased. The fruit is harvested at modest ripeness lev- els, bucking the Napa norm driven by influential critics who adore ripe, hedonistic wines. Frog’s Leap wines are lean and elegant, not ultra-ripe and massive, and tend to reflect vintage variation over homogeniety. It’s the John Williams way, to let the vineyards express themselves through the wines, with as little human intervention as possible – critics be damned. The signature wines are those made from Rutherford estate grapes, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. They are released a year later than the Napa Valley-labeled bottlings, when Williams deems them ready. He might miss many publica- tions’ annual vintage reviews, yet again – critics be damned. In 1981, John Williams and his family Recently, Williams’ son, Rory, has joined the established Frog’s Leap in the heart of Napa Frog’s Leap business (and that of his mother’s, Valley, in the so-called sacred “dust” of Ruth- Julie Johnson, at Tres Sabores), and established erford. Surrounded by iconic wineries such as his own brand, Calder, where he’s taken on the Inglenook, Beaulieu Vineyard, Caymus Vine- challenge of making such obscure varieties (for yards and Cakebread Cellars, Frog’s Leap took Napa) as charbono and riesling. A chip off the old the lily pad less traveled, focusing early in its block in taking the less obvious path. life on organic viticulture, dry farming, lower- “John is uncompromising when it comes to alcohol wines and displaying a sense of humor allowing the wines to display varietal and regional in a most serious of winemaking regions. characters that pay homage to the history of the The “ribbit” branding on the corks, the Napa Valley,” said wine writer Dan Berger. “The “time’s fun when you’re having flies” motto Frog's Leap style is based on organic farming, and clever website continue to be outra- perfect balance and integrity.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS With so many worthy winemak- + Ross Cobb, Cobb Wines ers in North America, it was a diffi- + Paul Dolan (independent) cult task to narrow the field to just + Chris Figgins, Figgins Family Wine Estates 20. Several nominees missed mak- Larry Mawby, L. Mawby Vineyards ing the final list by just a handful of + votes, and we feel they should be + Sean O’Keefe, Chateau Grand Traverse acknowledged. They include: + Lynne Penner-Ash, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars

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