Winemakers who don't like the style of wine they make?

I was tasting a few 2011 Turley SVD Zins this past weekend and the thought popped into my head that the it might be the case that the winemaker doesn’t really like to drink these uber-rich, heavy Zins. Without naming names, does anyone know of winemakers who don’t like many of the wines that they make?

Based on what I see some of them drinking on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, I think a lot of them don’t drink their own creations.

Uhhhhhh?? That certainly doesn’t describe the Turley Zins that I drink. Back when Turley started and Helen Turley was the winemaker, the wines were
huge, high in alcohol, extracted, loads of new oak, pretty tannic. Wines that received huge scores out of Monktown.
Turley was forever stained w/ the reputation for over-the-top Zins. But that all changed (gradually) when Ehren Jordan took over as winemaker and that
trend has continued under Tegan’s winemaking. Though the current Turley’s tend to be pretty ripe, they usually carry their alcohols fairly well. A reflect the
vnyds from where they’re sourced much more transparently.
I can think of no winemaker (that I actually know) that makes those kinds of wines that the don’t like to drink. I know a few who used to make that
kind of wine, but their tastes have changed and they no longer do so. Like AdamTolmach/Ojai, for one.
But to answer your question, “no”…I can’t think of any, save maybe FredFranzia…and I don’t know what he likes to drink.
Tom

I’ve noticed, to a significant extent, California winemakers seem to drink a lot of European wines.
And beer.
Not sure, however, if this reflects a dislike for the style of wine that they themselves make. It may be just the fact that they are tasting their wines all the time, and at the end of the day want something different than what they are tasting at work.
Thus, the beer.

I know Cali winemakers that love European wines as well as their contemporaries wines.

Beer is winemaking fuel. It’s what you want after physical work.

There were tales 15-20 years ago that some of the old school Napa figures would slip an ice cube into their newfangled concoctions.

Employee winemakers are often making the wines to the house style. If that’s their job, the transition from one winemaker to the next should be seamless. Or, at a larger winery, something that’s often the case anyway, the named winemaker doesn’t necessarily touch all or any of the wines. Sometimes a new employee winemaker will be given a free hand, sometimes they’ll work with the owners to fine tune or change direction, sometimes they’re expected to stick with the house style. Depends why they were hired.

Good winemakers can make a range of styles within their wheelhouses. But, if they stray outside of that, their judgement will be unreliable. It would be guesswork, like a critic trying to rate a wine he/she thought unpleasant, but maybe others would like.

It’s very common for people to want contrast from what they are getting too much of already at work. I wouldn;t assume they dislike their own wine’s style if they drink lots of other things. It could be a desire for variety, curiosity to learn and expand their palate as winemakers, or a host of other reasons.

That said, it is an interesting question!

There are probably a few winemakers who don’t enjoy their house style. Not sure how long they’d last making something they don’t like though.

I’ve met a few who’ve admitted they don’t necessarily love everything they make but they make it because it sells or that’s what they were hired to do. There are others who are able to make only exactly what they like.

In the same way, most carpenters don’t always get to build the houses they’d care to live in, but if you’re paying, they’ll make what you want. I don’t think I’ve ever met a winemaker who wasn’t interested in tasting other people’s wines though.

And after drinking wine all day, I really get that people want beer. It’s happened to me and I don’t even like beer. After thirteen hours of wine though, a few beers can cleanse the palate before you’re off to more wine.

Cedric Bouchard is famous for stating that he hates Champagne. In fact, he is known to decant his Champagnes overnight to ensure they are nearly bubbles free before drinking them. He has stated more than once that he would prefer to make still Burgundy wines if only fate were different. I for one adore Cedric Bouchard Champagne and am glad fate lead him back to the Cote des Bar. The quote below is from the Vinography website.

When I first met the improbably youthful Cédric Bouchard six years ago on his first visit to the United States, he had already decided to break just about every rule he could in Champagne while still labeling his wines as such. “I hate bubbles,” he said to me at that time. “If I could make my wines without bubbles, I would.”

I think we’re talking owner operator versus hired help. I know guys who have been hired folks tasked with making numerous wines for big brands. Pretty hard to love everything you make when you have so many products.

In the PacNw I would say there a very few who drink differently in public that they do in private…

Seems pride and love in what they do is their option.

I would bet very few winemakers would say that they prefer to make a different wine…

chefs dont usually go home and cook.
if you make cabs with 15.5 alcohol with a 3.95 pH, you probably don’t want to drink those at night.

people may see one winemaker out drinking a manhattan followed by old barolo, or another who likes beer. the reality is they (and their palate) like a break.

I have always taken this as a bad sign. I still remember the look of horror on the face of a famous modernist Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer when he saw that he was to be served some of his own wines with dinner; an emotion which, in retrospect, I relate to.

Not so much a style issue, but I remember tasting once in Chateauneuf at a fairly unknown winery, tasting through 2 or 3 of their wines. When tasting the first one the winemaker made a face and shook his head and said, “China,” meaning that’s where they sent the crappy one. Then we drank the ones he actually was proud of.

Of course. Winemakers make all the industrial wine too…

Why aren’t all the winemakers chiming in? [stirthepothal.gif] hitsfan

I share my EMH Black Cats with friends and colleagues several times per month. More than one vintage at a time. Plus barrel tasting my own, and checking on progress since bottling. I never drink beer. When the Cabernet work is done for the day, I will refresh myself with Champagne or a cocktail. Occasionally a Pinot or a Chardonnay.

I grow and make Cabernet the way I like it. Doesn’t mean I have to drink that exclusively.

Hey Tom - have you tried the 2011 Pesenti and Ueberroth Zins from Paso? 16.3%. I know of no other way to describe them. The notes about them on CT are almost all positive, but Turley fans generally love big ooze monsters, I guess.

Sorry I didn’t specify, but I was thinking more of smaller producers rather than high-production ones…

Nope, Paul…can’t recall specifically having tried those two. But not too surprised at those alcohol levels. Their Paso Zins (and others than Turley, as well) tend towards overripeness.
I don’t buy much Turley Zins anymore. Mostly I focus on their PetiteSyrahs.
Tom