The Wide World of Wine
Story and photos by Dwight Casimere
1. Sunset over the Central Coast near San Luis Obispo
2. Dottie Nelson prepares breakfast at The Lodge at Oak Creek Ranch
3. The main room of The Lodge
4. Proprietors Jeff and Dottie Nelson
5. The view from The Lodge at Oak Creek Ranch
Mountains that are sleeping volcanoes, stand like sentinels guarding the land of rolling hills dotted with herds of Angus cattle and fertile fields of luscious, juice-laden grapes. Dancing whales and dolphins rise from the ocean just below the horizon as sea otters loll on their backs, bellies groaning with the swell of eating too many fresh-caught abalone. Sunsets mingle with the damp kiss of fog, forming droplets of dew on a freshly poured glass of sparkling pinot noir. That, as the taste of a warm, freshly baked chocolate cookie glides down the back of your throat. It sounds like a far off paradise, but those are just a few of the sights and sensations experienced on a recent tour of the Central Coast of California, near the city of San Luis Obispo.
“Treasures of the Central Coast” was the theme of this behind-the-scenes look at California’s ‘undiscovered coast,’ which boasts a bounty of exquisite wines, delicious organic vegetables, succulent sea foods and culinary and confectionary wizardry from chefs and artisans who take pride in the bounty of their region.
There was also the splendor of the Hearst Castle and the amazing visual spectacle of a winery that is a sculpture garden that looks like a scene out of the movie “Edward Scissorhands” and another winery that uses the natural marvel of gravity to create wine that has been heralded as the best in the nation.
San Luis Obispo’s Wine Coast Country is a marvel to behold. Arriving after a late-night flight from Chicago by way of Phoenix, and being whisked by car up windy mountain roads, I arrived at The Lodge at Oak Creek Ranch. The one-time Campfire Girl’s camp is located on 163 pristine acres in the foothills above San Luis Obispo. The centerpiece of the property is the humongous wood-paneled lodge with its huge roaring fireplace. With its array of Western bric-a-brac, it looks as if it were once the location for a scene from an old John Wayne movie. As you look around the room and take in the view of the property, you can almost hear singing cowboys strumming away in the distance. The stars above were like a blanket of shimmering diamonds. The outlines of both the Big and Little Dipper and the elusive Milky Way were clearly visible in the night sky which had become my personal planetarium.
My hostess and I shared a late-night repast of Wisconsin Merlot Cheddar and Jewish deli ‘streak-o-lean’ homemade Pastrami that I had smuggled into my carry-on bag for the long red-eye flight from Chicago. Washed down with the remaining dregs of a bottle of hearty Niner pinot noir from a nearby winery, the remnant of a wood-fire cookout of local grass-fed beef followed by a sunset hayride, the welcome snack tasted like filet mignon to this weary traveler.
After a good night’s sleep in the cozy bed rooms of the Lodge’s Red Barn, proprietors Jeff and Dottie Nelson were buzzing away in their huge, farmhouse kitchen, preparing a sumptuous breakfast of fresh locally cured bacon and sausage, homemade breads and muffins and a terrific assortment of freshly made granolas and fresh fruit. It was a cornucopia of the best the region has to offer and a shining example of the culinary riches that lie ahead. The breakfast set just the right tone for the day’s activities.
There was much in store. Sunset Magazine’s SAVOR event brought together the wine and food artisans of this largely unexplored part of the Golden State for a first-ever showcase of the beauty and bounty of this unspoiled region. Celebrity chef Tyler Florence of the Food Network headlined this weekend celebration of the Central Coast’s food and wine culture.
Dwight The Wine Doctor will have more in the coming weeks on this enlightening adventure in the Central Coast.
Story and photos by Dwight Casimere
New York—BCA, the Black Culinary Alliance, created a sumptuous display of culinary artistry at its 7th Annual Global Food and Wine Experience: Celebrate Diversity In Food & Wine at the elegant Prince George Ballroom in downtown Manhattan.
Thirty culinary artisans from restaurants, bakeries, caterers, wine and spirits shops and wine and spirits distributors offered patrons a tasting experience that covered the gastronomic globe. Premiere Cru Sponsors included W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Southern Wine & Spirits of New York and Damascus Bakery, Inc. Southern Wine & Spirits donated $15,000 toward the continuing work of BCA.
BCA is a nationwide non-profit, educational and networking organization of hospitality and food service professionals, dedicated to providing quality educational and employment for culinary and hospitality professionals of color. The BCA 7th Annual Global Food and Wine Experience allows food and wine connoisseurs to experience the latest trends in cuisine, wine and entertainment, with culinary students working side by side with industry professionals in an exquisite environment.
“A key component of this event is the opportunity for the students to work side-by-side with culinary professionals,” said BCA President & CEO Alex Askew. “We want to demonstrate to our students that there are career opportunities that are up and beyond culinary arts, there’s food research, there’s baking, catering, food and wine television, these are all real opportunities that our students can pursue in the job market.
“The pairing of food and wine is also an essential element of this event. We want to show the synergy between food and wine, which is a dynamic force that fuels the industry. We want to show the contributions that have been made toward building that relationship. We also want to show how diversity has strengthened the industry and to honor those who have dedicated their time and energy to lay the groundwork for future generations.”
The Vision In Wine Award was presented to Bernard Sun, Corporate Beverage Director for Jean-Georges Management LLC. One of the country’s most respected sommeliers, and winner of the 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Wine Service, Sun was recognized, not only for his passion for wine, but for his dedication toward sharing his knowledge with future generations who will take their place in the wine and culinary industry.
The real stars of the evening were the chefs who went all out to present their best. Chef Jonathan Reagan of Creole Restaurant and Music Supper Club in Harlem shared his recipe for Creole Shrimp Ceviche and Sweet Potato Beignets. “The ceviche is considered the best in the city. It’s almost like a chilled gumbo. We start with a tomato base and add shrimp. We flavor it with green and red peppers, green onions and Creole spices. The sweet potato beignets are a family secret!”
Tim Molinari is Executive Chef at Arpeggio restaurant in Lincoln Center. He presented some local seafood paired with seasonal vegetables and one of the wines being poured at an adjacent table. “We’re serving some seared sea scallops from Long Island over a cauliflower puree with a raisin-caper relish. It’s on the menu for the Fall, so we thought we’d give people here some fall flavors and showcase it here. The wine I recommend with it is a light Chardonnay. Caymus Conundrum is a good wine to go with it and they’re serving it here tonight.” Jeffrey Cortez, Sous Chef at Arpeggio added more description, “This dish is delectable, light and flavorful. It’s served as a light appetizer and the flavors are really designed to promote a light feeling in your mouth and get you ready for a really delectable dinner. The main thing is about the food and the flavor. The cauliflower is not seasoned heavily at all. Its lightly sautéed in a little butter and seasoned with just a touch salt and pepper. Its served with the caper relish and then finished with some micro-greens. I would recommend a very light Chardonnay or Riesling. A lot of times you have more success if you keep it simple. This dish proves that ‘simple” is the best way.” Amen! I rated Arpeggio’s scallop/cauliflower creation the Best of Show!
Chef Kavon William Langley of Gourmet Bliss Catering of Yonkers, New York, presented his Award-Winning Black Garlic Prawn Salad with Black Garlic Confit, Spring Greens and Black Garlic Dressing. This was a rich, complex dish that went splendidly with one of my favorite wines, Iron Horse Pinot Noir. Chef Langley is truly a Master Chef in every way. His exuberance and love for food is evident in his imaginative creations. He told the Wine Doctor that he is in the process of writing down his recipes, many of them handed down from his ancestors, in a formal cookbook. I’ll be in line for the first copy!
His motto, “No worries, we are here to take care of you!” is exemplified in the taste of his food.
Chef Jesse Jones of Heart and Soul Catering of Irvington, New Jersey received the title of Ultimate Chef Bergen County in March. One taste of his pulled pork strudel with fresh apricot and rice vinegar reduction with Caroline rice proved why.
No tasting event is complete without dessert and Harlem’s Make My Cake gave it a celebratory finish. With family recipes inspired by the family matriarch, Josephine Smith, affectionately called “Ma Smith”, the family team of Jo-Ann, Aliyyah, Kevin, Dedan, and Khalid turn out delicacies that have become a tradition at many Harlem celebrations. Their German Chocolate Cake, Red Velvet Cake and Sweet Potato Cheesecake are literally, “to die for.” I attended one Harlem birthday celebration where the debate over whether to have German Chocolate or Red Velvet Cake, resulted in a ‘compromise’ of cup cakes of both flavors substituted for the traditional birthday cake. It was delicious example of ‘détante’!
The Wine Doctor finished the evening with a visit just around the corner from the Prince George Ballroom to SD 26, on East 26th off Madison Square Park, the successor to Tony May’s wildly popular San Domenico restaurant on Central Park South, where his daughter and co-owner Marisa May hosted me in the Wine Bar & Lounge to Prosecco and their signature Polenta with wild mushrooms and “Uovo”, soft egg yolk filled ravioli with truffled butter. It was the perfect finish to a delightful celebration of diversity in the culinary arts.
The Wide World of Wine, New York City
Story and photos by Dwight Casimere
The wood-paneled loft wine library of mid-town Manhattan’s Beacon Restaurant was the scene for the east coast road trip for the 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition Double Gold medal winners. In many ways, the New York showing was a bit more comprehensive than the one in Chicago and presented some different and unique gems. Among them, the winner of the Best In Show white wine, Whitecliff Vineyard 2007 Riesling ($15) from a tiny, family-owned winery in upstate New York.
Unless you visit the winery in its obscure, remote location on McKinstry Road in Gardiner, New York a couple of hours outside Manhattan, or dine at the trendy American Nouveau restaurant, Gramercy Tavern in the Flatiron District on East 20th, near Park Avenue South, you will not have an opportunity to taste this most luscious of golden-colored wines. The winery has a total production of less than 4,000 cases a year. A pitance, even by boutique winery standards.
Owner Yancey Stanforth-Migliore and her husband Michael started the winery thirty years ago, in what was then an empty field. Their objective, all along, was to develop artisan wines that honored both the agricultural traditions of the Hudson Valley and the European style of producing complex, yet approachable wines. Never in her wildest dreams, did Yancey, who was on hand to personally pour the wines at the Beacon tasting, imagine that her wine would walk away with a prize at a top international wine competition, much less, one of its highest honors.
“We’re really tiny in the scheme of things, so you can imagine that my jaw dropped when they called and told me that we had won best of show.”
As if to corroborate the declaration, one of the journalists attending the tasting chimed in; “you won in a blind tasting of 1,200 wines!” That put the exclamation on a point well made.
“We don’t like to enter our wines into competition, so we entered the San Francisco competition reluctantly,” she said. “Sure enough, we got a call from UPS that our entry bottles were completely crushed and were sent back to us. We were already at the deadline, but when we called the competition, they said they would still consider us if we could overnight the bottles.”
From that inauspicious beginning, a Double Gold, Best of Show award was born.
Michael Migliore has an impressive pedigree and seemed destined from birth to live a life in wine. He studied for a master’s degree in organic chemistry at SUNY, New Paltz. In 1978 he started work at IBM as a chemical engineer in semiconductor manufacturing, and soon after began experimenting with grape growing as a natural expression of his background and his skills in chemistry. Wine had figured prominently in his upbringing: his German and Italian grandfathers both made wine at home, and it was part of every family dinner.
His wife, Yancey joined in the planting soon after they met—through rock climbing on the Shawangunk Ridge—and married in the early 80’s. While she doesn’t bring technical skills to the business like Michael, she has developed the ability to teach about wine that contributes to Whitecliff’s Tasting Room.
Today Michael works closely with Cornell Cooperative Extension testing new grape varieties, and pushing the envelope on the quality of grape growing in the region. In that capacity he also serves as president of the Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association.
I poured myself a healthy glass of the golden-colored Riesling and settled into one of the Beacon’s cushy leather library chairs and savored the wine along with a fistful of Laura Chenel’s superb, creamy American Chevre goat milk cheese from Sonoma County, California. It was a heavenly match with the slight tang of the goat’s milk tempered against the fruity ebullience of the wine. The cheese acted as a sort of automatic palate cleanser between sips of wine.
In spite of its effusive fruit, there was a hint of restraint in the wine. That’s probably what impressed the judges. I know that it nearly knocked me off my feet. There was a perfect balance of acid, fruit and a little bit of terroir coming through on the finish. This was a perfectly executed Riesling. I was reminded of the first encounter I had with German Riesling. It was a Rudesheimer Riesling Spatlese. I had purchased it from the old Chalet wine shop in Chicago’s Sandburg Village. I was just learning about wine at the time and the shop steward, a distinguished-looking grey-haired gentleman of German ancestry, was quick to point me in the direction of the wines of his homeland. He even opened a bottle and poured me a copious taste. It was liquid gold. Tasting the Whitecliff Riesling reminded me of that experience. Yet, it was something quite different. It was not quite as austere as the German wine. It was also very expressive, with overtones of the region and the soil it came from. You could almost imagine the wine-swept vistas of the Hudson Valley in every sip. In every way, it was a picturesque wine.
The Wide World of Wine-New York City
Story and photos by Dwight Casimere
New York--Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson was chief among the galaxy of star chefs presented at Starchef.com’s 5th Annual International Chefs Congress at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.
The host of the cooking series “The Inner Chef with Marcus Samuelsson" on the Discovery Home Channel was at the author’s table autographing copies of his latest book “New American Table.” The 1999 James Beard Rising Star Chef award-winner was also announcing the birth of his new restaurant, Red Rooster in Manhattan’s fabled Harlem community. “We’re going to be honoring the legendary history of Harlem through innovative American cuisine,” he explained. “The Red Rooster was the meeting place for all of the great minds and luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance and the intellectual incubator for the Civil Rights Movement in its later years. That was where you might see people like Adam Clayton Powell, Miles Davis, Max Roach and Lionel Hampton all together in the same room trading stories and discussing their plans for the future. We plan to honor that rich tradition and the great culture of Harlem with the Red Rooster.”
His new book, “New American Table” similarly celebrates the unique direction that American cuisine is taking in light of the impact of multi-culturalism. “People so often talk about the ‘melting pot’ in America. Nowhere do we see that more vividly displayed than in the kitchen and on the dining room table.
Samuelsson, Ethiopian-born, Swedish raised and both European and American trained, knows well of what he speaks. “What I do in the book is introduce you to friends I’ve met along the way,” he told me during an interlude in book signing. “I’ll introduce you to a couple where the wife is Korean and the husband is from Senegal. You can’t imagine the flavor combinations that turn up on their dining room table at night, but somehow, with their love and artistry, it all comes together and the results are fantastic!”
Samuelsson makes the point that “the notion of American cuisine is past the checkered tablecloths, burgers and fried chicken of the past. It can be Italian, African, Asian or Indian or any combination thereof."
Each year, the Starchefs Congress is the fountainhead of knowledge and cutting edge technique and innovation. For three days, some of the best chefs in the country gather to glean the knowledge of their esteemed peers such as Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in the culinary wellspring of Napa Valley wine country in Yountville, California and attend business seminars led by industry leaders such as Richard Melman of Lettuce Entertain You, Chicago.
Wine is an integral part of cuisine and that fact was brilliantly displayed in an international presentation of wines from the far corners of the globe. Bodegas Riojanas, the Great Wines of Spain, made a spectacular presentation of their Reserva, Crianza and New Wines.
Among the most outstanding was Gran Albina Reserva ($36.97), a blend of classic Spanish grapes: Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano. “This wine represents the new trend in Spanish wine,” said Javier Hernandez of Frontuara y Victoria. “ The wine is very intense. Witness the cherry-red color and rich aromas. The wine has great structure. You can feel it in the mouth. It is concentrated and tannic, but well balance. The flavor is wrapped in excellent wood, having been aged in new oak casks for 20 months, then aged in the bottle for at least 24 months before being put on the market.”
I walked a healthy glass of this rich elixir over to the eatwisconsincheese.com booth where I tasted it along with a killer Gorgonzola, a type of aged blue cheese. The astringent and pungent flavor and aroma worked perfectly with the almost port-like taste of the intense Spanish wine. I could very well have finished the afternoon then, but there was a great deal more culinary territory to cover. What a surprise to run into an old friend of mine from Miami, gastropod Miami (gastroPodMiami.com), a food truck that served the best pulled pork fajitas and short-rib “sliders” with aioli and a hint of salsa that is one of the best and most inspired sandwiches I’ve ever had.
“The restaurant business is just so darned stubborn,” said Antoinette Bruna, Editor-In-Chief of Starchef.com and organizer of the conference. “It never ceases of amaze me how it is constantly reinventing itself. Pop-up restaurants and food trucks are thriving right alongside avant-garde, high tech kitchens as chefs adapt to the changing economic climate. Yet they maintain their creative edge. Its their passion that drives them.”
Passion was the operative word as chef Matt Hill of Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C. artfully prepared a freshly killed Long Island duck, stuffed with fresh seasonal vegetables and herbs from local purveyors before an audience packed with chefs from around the country in the Main Stage arena. An announcement over the PA system declared that this was the most well attended Congress in the event’s history. It certainly felt, drank and tasted like a world-class culinary event!
Story and photos by Dwight Casimere
Chicago-Anthony Dias Blue is one of the most influential wine writers, food critics and lifestyle personalities in the United States. The James Beard Foundation Award-winner is sought after as a commentator on both TV and radio and in cyberspace. His best-selling books (Anthony Dias Blue’s Pocket Guide to Wine, Fireside, $13.50), Anthony Dias Blue’s Complete Book of Spirits, Quill, $24.50) are read by thousands of wine and spirits consumers around the globe. As Executive Director of the San Francisco International Wine Competition, he serves as the leader of the largest and most influential wine judging event in the United States and is the Founding Director of its sister event, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Some 15 years ago, I had the privilege of serving on the Wine Judging Panel of the San Francisco International Wine Competition. The tasting sessions were held at the University of San Francisco. I can attest to the rigorous tasting standards and the esteemed character of the tasting panel members that, at the time, included such august names in the food and wine industry as Jeremiah Tower, Harvey Steinman, Stanley Eichelbaum, Patricia Unterman and Ruth Reichl.
This year’s judges were equally as prestigious. Arriving from all points across the United States, 45 wine industry professionals convened June 18th, 19th and 20th to evaluate 3,897 wines from 1,290 wineries during the San Francisco International Wine Competition held at San Francisco’s Hotel Nikko. In its 30th anniversary year, the San Francisco International Wine Competition examined wines from 28 states and 27 countries. The medal count included 160 Double Gold awards (a wine is elevated to Double Gold status when all judges on a particular panel agree that a wine deserves a Gold medal), 276 Gold medals, 1,118 Silver and 1,343 Bronze.
“Best in Show” awards went to: Whitecliff Vineyard 2009 Riesling, New York, $15, for Best White Wine; Sequana 2008 Pinot Noir, Sarmento Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, $32, for Best Red Wine; Piper Sonoma NV Blanc de Blancs, Sonoma Coast, $17, for Best Sparkling Wine and Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate 2007 Vidal Ice Wine, Proprietor’s Reserve, Niagara Peninsula, Canada, $40, for Best Dessert Wine.
Hess Family Estates, Napa, California, was recognized with the “Portfolio Award” for excellence across a spectrum of brands. Winemaker Amanda Cramer, Niner Wine Estates, Paso Robles, California, won the coveted Andre Tchelistcheff “Winemaker of the Year” award. The Tasting Panel Magazine “Winery of the Year” award went to De Tierra Vineyard of Salinas, California.
Best of Varietal” winners were awarded in eighteen different categories in 2010: Brancott Vineyards, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, B, Marlborough, New Zealand, $26, won Best Sauvignon Blanc; Church & State Wines, 2008 Chardonnay, Gravelbourg Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, Canada, $25, won Best Chardonnay; Clavo Cellars, 2007 Petite Sirah, Dreamer, Catherine’s Vineyard, Paso Robles, $30, won Best Petite Sirah; Consensio Cellars, 2008 Tempranillo, Symphony of Wine Series, Amador County, $30, won Best Tempranillo; Elk Run Vineyards, 2008 Cabernet Franc, Cold Friday Vineyard, Maryland, $28, won Best Cabernet Franc; Gonzalez Bayass, NV Nectar, Superior Selection, Jerez, Spain, $18, won Best Sherry; Goose Watch Winery, 2009 Diamond, Finger Lakes, $10, won Best Native American Varietal; Hahn SLH Estate, 2007 Syrah, Santa Lucia Highlands, $27, won Best Syrah; Jeff Runquist Wines, 2008 Barbera, Amador County, $24, won Best Barbera; Kavaklidere, 2009 Egeo Roze, Aegean, Turkey, $19, won Best Rose; Maple Creek Winery, 2007 Zinfandel, Artevino, Largo Ridge Vineyard, Mendocino County, $26, won Best Zinfandel; Montevina Wines, 2009 Pinot Grigio, California, $10, won Best Pinot Grigio; Niner Wine Estates, 2007 Fog Catcher, Paso Robles, $58, won Best Bordeaux Blend; Okunomatsu, 2009 Shizukuzake Juhachidai Sake, Fukushima, Japan, $50, won Best Sake; Paradise View, 2006 Malbec, Sonoma Coast, $32, won Best Malbec; Quinta do Vesuvio, 2007 Port, Douro Portugal, $73, won Best Port; Robert Hall Winery, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, $18, won Best Cabernet Sauvignon and Still Waters Vineyards, 2006 Merlot, Estate, Paso Robles, $22, won Best Merlot.
Looking at the expansive field of candidates and the breadth and scope of the wines before me, I could see instantly how both the competition and the industry has grown since the reference point of my involvement in the competition 15 years ago.
Fast forward to 2010 and we once again encounter Anthony Dias Blue holding center court in the upstairs private dining hall of the EPIC restaurant and wine bar in Chicago’s hot River North dining Mecca where he is presenting the ‘best of the best’ of the competition’s 2010 Double Gold Winners.
“These truly are some of the best wines and spirits to be had anywhere. I have to really give our panel of judges their props for taking the time to give all of the entries the serious consideration they deserved. The surprising contrast between what’s being offered to consumers now and what you may have experienced when you were a judge all those years ago, is the quality of the wines. Overall, what we’re seeing in the marketplace is a dramatic increase in not only the quality of the wine, but the variety of expressions by the individual winemakers. No longer are we seeing producers developing wines in a lock step as to how a Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir should taste, but we’re now seeing the distinctive mark of the winemakers come through. We’re also seeing some surprising developments in some ‘newer’ areas of the wine-growing world that were totally unfamiliar to wine drinkers on these shores as little as a decade ago.”
Recalling the exacting standards imposed in the judging of the wine and spirits entries, Blue offered promising prospects for the future of wine and some insights into how they are judged.
“There’s really a lot of common sense involved in addition to the technical knowledge and expertise. The judges look for the same things in the wine as the consumer does and they ask themselves a lot of the same questions. First of all, is it a good wine? Does it taste good? Does it have body and character? What are some of the flavor components and do they work well together? It involves more than just looking for acid balance or the presence of tannins or taking a bunch of tasting notes. The overall impression is that all of the factors come together to give a complete and satisfying tasting experience. That’s what the judges look for and that’s what wine drinkers who will ultimately buy these wines are looking for as well.”
Words well said from the Maestro! After posing for a few pictures, Blue led me through a tasting of some of the wines that especially drew his attention. One of the distinct favorites and the wine that was judge Best Cabernet Sauvignon was the 2007 Robert Hall Winery Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. This was a surprising value-priced $18 a bottle.
This was truly a Cab lover’s cabernet in every way. It had a long, deep finish with rich flavors of blackberry and smooth tannins. There was a rich mouth-feel that revealed hints of lavender and smoke as it reached the back of the throat. There was a selection of gourmet goats’ milk cheeses, including a ripe Mobier and a Humboldt Fog chevre from Sonoma County. They proved to be a rich counterpoint to the lavish notes of the wine.
Jules Taylor 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand was another favorite that brought me back several times. This was another entry that made the statement with resounding resonance that a great wine need not be also expensive. At a mere $15, it is on par with the great Sav Blancs of the world.
Italy brought forth the ultimate value of the Double Gold winners with its $12 2008 Corvina-Ripasso, IGT from Veneto (Venice). Crisp and fruity, it is a wine intended to stand up to good food, but it can also be offered as an aperitif. Chilled and served with an array of fruits and cheeses, it is the perfect introduction to any great garden party.
To close things out, I turned to an old friend I’d recognized from my recent trip to Sonoma for the Wine Country Weekend and Auction. Just one week prior, I had been in the grape fields of Gloria Ferrer Sparkling Wine Caves in the Carneros District, where workers were busily harvesting the Pinot Noir grapes for next year’s release.Double Gold Medal winner Gloria Ferrer 2005 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, Carneros ($24).
Fun became the operative word as Blue, ever the event planner and fun-lover, ushered everyone to the lower level dining room for a blind tasting of a dozen rums that were entered into the International Spirits Competition. “This time, YOU be the judge,” Blue challenged the assembled tasters. This promises to be a tasting tour like none other. The Double Gold winners are scheduled to travel to New York, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Kansas City, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, Las Vegas, Seattle, Miami, and Beaver Creek, Colorado. I plan to catch up to the tour in New York to see what surprises he has in store then. Sante’!
Amapola Creek's Richard Arrowood sets words and music to his handcrafted vintages
Story and photos by Dwight Casimere
"Wine is bottled poetry” Robert Louis Stevenson
Sonoma Valley, California. --If wine is poetry in the bottle, then winemakers are its creators and poets. Richard Arrowood has devoted the last 45 years of his life to creating great wines. He began his quest while still a college student, working for Korbel Champagne Cellars while earning his BA degree in organic chemistry at California State University. He later became wine master to Chateau St. Jean when the founders chose him as their first employee in 1974.
That was the start of a long and illustrious career that brought numerous awards for his handcrafted small lot, single vineyard wines. In 1980, Arrowood achieved the unprecedented feat of producing and marketing nine single-vineyard Chardonnays from within Sonoma County under the Chateau St. Jean label. By doing so, he demonstrated the significance of site, or terroir, a concept that is the bedrock of French winemaking, but relatively new to America.
By using virtually identical winemaking techniques for a given varietal, he proved that the differences in the resulting wine came from the vineyard, not the cellar. It was a revolutionary concept to many, but essential to Arrowood in his strive for perfection.
His elusive search for perfection is not unlike Ernest Hemingway’s quest for the reasons behind the discovery of the frozen carcass of a leopard in his short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro (first published in Esquire magazine in 1936, then republished in a collection of short stories In The Fifth Column and the First Forty-nine Stories in 1938 and published again in 1963 as a collection under the story’s familiar title. It was made into a film of the same name in 1952.) In that respect, he bears a close spiritual kinship as well as a striking physical resemblance to that greatest of American writers.
In a personal, in-depth interview, Arrowood eschewed the comparison, but there is much about the man and his career-long quest to argue in its favor. Simply taste the rich, deep red elixir he draws from the barrel with a wine "thief" and the comparison is obvious. His wine tastes like the mineral-laden soil from which the grapes emanate and gives hints on the nose and palate of the wind swept hills and sun kissed grapes from which it is handcrafted. If this is not poetic eloquence in the glass, then I don't know what is.
The route to Arrowood’s founding of Amapola Creek winery is as circuitous and as laced with legend as a Hemingway novel and as ephemeral as the seasonal creek that runs through it. The creek is partially responsible for the winery’s name, as is a connection to the Big Band music of the War Era and the romance between his parents.
Just as a flower blooms due to the complex collision of circumstances that relate to soil, wind, sun and water, so did Amapola Creek blossom in the midst of a series of economic storms and tectonic ownership shifts that nearly shook the financial bedrock of his namesake winery.
In the midst of this uncertainty, Arrowood and his wife Alis forged ahead with the fire of their love and faith in the future to lay the foundation for the creation of Amapola Creek winery. Freed of the day-to-day management responsibilities of Arrowood, he was finally free to devote his full attentions to Amapola Creek.
The name of the winery has both personal and territorial significance. “Amapola means ‘poppy’ in Spanish,” he explained. “Its also the name of the seasonal creek that runs through the property. Each spring, the poppies bloom. It’s also the name of my mother’s favorite song. In fact, my father, who played string bass as an avocation in a local dance band, loved the song as well. It was a huge hit in the Big Band era, first with Jimmy Dorsey with Helen Forrest, then again with Benny Goodman, again with Helen Forest doing the vocal. There was always music like that playing in my house when I was growing up. “Amapola” made the Billboard top 100 on my mother’s birthday. During my childhood, I’d heard that song many times. So, when we came out with our first vintage, we released it on my mother’s birthday and named it ‘Amapola Creek’ in her honor, March 14, 2008.”
Amapola Creek is located on the western slope of the Mayacamas Mountains, near the tiny community of Agua Caliente near Sonoma. The winery has a unique combination of soils and climate that are well suited to growing exceptional Cabernet and Zinfandel.
“We get all of our Zinfandel grapes from Monte Rosso, off some funky gnarly old vines that were planted in the late 1890s right next door to us. Not too many people can brag about fruit that old!”
Walking through the barrel aging room, Arrowood pulled wine from the Frenchoak aging barrels, using a glass wine thief. Swirling the deep red liquid in the glass, he began to rhapsodize about its creation.
“We do everything organically here. At first, I fought it tooth and nail, and then I began to realize that the best way to make great wines is to do only that which will not harm the land or the wine in any way. Here at Amapola Creek, we let the vines and Mother Nature make the best that the vintage has to offer. Phil Coturri, our Vineyard Manager, is one of the founders of organic grape growing and vineyard management in the Sonoma Valley.”
The wines speak volumes about Arrowood’s philosophy of winemaking. Over lunch in the tasting room, they shone like brilliant diamonds of light on a sun-dappled lake. An informal sideboard of local freshly made cheeses and charcuterie (cured meats) and local organic fruits and vegetables provided the simple, straight-forward backdrop for a bravura performance of winemaking expertise.
“This is our 2007 Monte Rosso Zinfandel, Vinas Antiguas ($40), I was telling you about,” Arrowood said with the pride of a parent introducing his favored child. “You’ll see that its unique character comes from those 115 year old vines I talked about earlier.”
The wine had a depth of fruit flavor that can only come from old vines and months of oak barrel aging. There were subtleties throughout the tasting experience. Nuances of black raspberry and aromas of fresh sage, and hints of licorice burst forth on the tongue. There were hints of black cherry and bits of chocolate on the finish. The wine is unrefined and unfiltered, a cornerstone of Arrowood’s philosophy of winemaking. “The filter is designed to take bad things out of the wine, but it also takes away all the good. If you don’t put anything bad into it in the first place, what’s the point?”
Touché!
Amapola Creek 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon at $100 the bottle is worth every penny and more. You’d probably pay upwards of $300-400 a bottle for a comparable French wine. Aged for 18 months in new and seasoned French and American oak barrels, it is dense and concentrated. I could spend an entire column creating a written portrait of its symphony of flavors. Black cherry, blackberry, currant and cassis meld perfectly with hints of oak. Ripe tannins make for a perfect finish in the mouth. This wine needs no accompaniment other than perhaps a warm fire, a Brendel plays Mozart CD and a favored companion.
As I exited the tasting room, Arrowood invited me to come back for a lesson in his favorite recreation, skeet-shooting. It’s just the kind of manly sport ol’ Ernest would have enjoyed. I’m sure he would have loved to have tasted Dick Arrowood’s wine while he was on safari, hunting that elusive leopard!
