What would you....

WINE TALK
1

Perusing Alan’s Northern Rhone thread, and in particular the part where he meets Thierry Allemand, got me thinking… if I met a winemaker from one of my favorite wineries, I actually have no idea what I’d ask them. Maybe if the situation came up it’d come to me, but right now I’m drawing a blank.

So I ask you… you get to meet one of your favorite winemakers, what do you want to know, that you don’t already?

2

Other than your own, what other producer’s wine in your region do you love.

3

What is the most noteworthy mistake you have made in your wine making career? What did you learn from it and how are those lessons learned evident in your wines now?

4

Where can I take you to dinner?

5

I would thank them for their work & allow them to lead the discussion/interaction.

6

If I met my favorite winemaker, I’d ask if I can sleep with his wife.

7

I’d ask him why he left / sold his namesake winery.

8

I’d ask how he or she guides decisions on making a great wine, when what is tasted early on is so different from the final product.

9

And he’d tell you it’s because it’s more fun to make wine than worry about compliance and payroll.

10

Do you have anymore of the good stuff?

11

Why does he/she charge the price he/she charges?

12

The guys from Anderson Valley do.

13

I would ask him if he’s ever gonna make anymore diner drive in and dives

14

I would keep it simple (since I would likely forget anything more complicated) and ask what they like to drink and why. If I manage to get past that question, I’d ask what they are excited about in the wine world right now or in the future. I’m always interested in what gets people fired up. For me that’s the renaissance of old vine vineyards and the continued evolution of the WA style of Rhone varietals. Oh, and field blends. And… well I have a lot of interests.

15

I would ask what the wine or moment was that ignited their passion for wine making.

16

As do a couple of others here, I visit my favorite winemakers pretty regularly. I ask them lots of questions, but they all come down to why they do what they do (in a particular year, with regard to some agricultural practices, how they fell about multiple cuvees and why, why wines from adjoining vineyards taste different, etc., etc.). Sometimes I ask politely argumentative questions because I learn a lot from the way they answer these. And frequently they ask me to explain American politics to them and I have to remind them that that’s not my field of expertise.

17

I actually had this experience. I was seated next to Johannes Selbach at dinner so i figured I would ask him something I’d always wanted to know about German riesling. So i said, “you know how when a riesling has a good amount of age on it and you pour it out and the fruit hasn’t yet emerged you get a flavor almost of vanilla (but not sweet) …” He interjected yes like the wine you just opened [a 1990 Bernkastler Badstube spatlese]! I said,“yes, what is that?” He said,“I don’t know! It’s almost like oak except this wine is raised completely in stainless steel.”

So much for finally getting to ask that winemaker you really admire that questioned you’ve always wanted him to answer.

18

On one of my first trips to wine country ('81 I believe), I got to meet who at the time was one of my favorite winemakers; David Bruce. I was so enamored with his Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays back then.

We went to his house where he was entertaining a few people ‘in’ the wine business from around the country, and David gave me a glass of white wine.

After tasting the wine, I went on and on about how much I loved his Chardonnay, and told him that he made the best Chardonnay in California and here was another terrific Chardonnay!

David replied - “…well thanks, but that’s my Riesling…”

19

I like to ask about stem inclusion. I’m mildly interested and I think they have tired of answering questions about oak treatment.

I also like to ask which way their roots grow. Funny even in areas with irrigation they all claim the roots grow downward.

20

I love this post for 2 reasons.

  1. It’s self deprecatingly honest. [cheers.gif]
  2. It reinforces the truth about white wine - Riesling is MUCH better than Chardonnay. [stirthepothal.gif]