This week I’m going to share five posts on wine, following a simple “who, what, where, when and why” format. I’m certainly not an expert on wine, but I do know enough to post an opinion or two. So hopefully you’ll enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
The first question is, “Who makes great wine?”
For me, the joy of wine is often based on the people behind the wine. Or as Jim Denham of The Wine Steward recently said, “Wine is better with a story.” And people are the story.
One could easily buy a bottle produced by a large conglomerate, and the wine could be excellent. But what’s the fun of that? I’d much rather enjoy the story of the wine along with the taste of the wine. Uncorking a bottle is more than just discovering the taste … it should also be uncorking a tale about the people behind the wine.
That’s why I tend to favor wines with good stories. Of course, it has to be great wine too! But there are plenty of wines that have both.
Mi Sueno is my favorite because the founder and owner, Rolando Herrera, is a true American success story. Caymus is another because I love how Chuck Wagner has built on his father’s success and found a way to include his family as the company grows. Tofanelli Wine is yet another because of the rich heritage Vince Tofanelli nurtures with each vine that his grandparents planted. Or ponder the story behind DeSante Wines, which are created through personal relationships and trust with the farmers.
Yes, there are some big producers that create excellent wine. And yes, big producers often create the most affordable wines because they have an economy of scale working for them. But it’s just boring — and predictable — to buy such wines.
So give me the underdog winery. The family business with roots in the soil. Or the small farmer who can practically name each vine individually. Folks like this pour themselves into every bottle.
In addition to my favorites that I mentioned above, which are all great, here are a few wineries that produce consistently good (even great) wines and have wonderful stories to tell:
– Robert Biale Vineyards, who calls their best Zinfandel the “Black Chicken” for reasons even a prohibitionist would enjoy.
– Wente Vineyards, which has a long family history of producing affordable wines with broad appeal, and who do so much for their community in Livermore.
– Chateau Montelena, a legend in the California wine industry for their win at the 1976 Paris tasting competition.
– Charles Krug, owned by the “other” side of the Mondavi family, for their deep Italian roots expressed in elegant Napa wines.
I’m sure there are hundreds more. Do you know of wines with great stories? Let me know … I’d love to hear about them, and I’d love to try them!