"A slight chill can focus aromas, tame the perception
of alcohol and can make a red [wine] seem more refreshing, especially when the
weather heats up." ~ Alison Crowe
Here's part-two of a great conversation I had with the
winemaker of Garnet Vineyards in Carneros. A
Santa Barbara
native and winemaking degree
from UC Davis in her back-pocket she's lighting up the wine world. If you'd
like to stay in touch with her many adventures, you can do so by following
her here.
In the photo above she is demonstrating the proper technique
on how-to reinsert the bung back into the bunghole [oh-my]. If you didn't know,
Alison has ventured into the world of wine-blogging, one she has dubbed
the Girl and the Grape; you
should check out when you have a chance. As an example; Alison queries in a
recent blog post "so don't know your bung-hole from your wine thief?"
so if you don't then grab the rest of the story here.
There were so many questions, I had to break up this
conversation into two parts. I know I promised I'd have it ready to go by
Monday, but life-happened. That said, here is part-two and without any further
ado here you go.
Cuvee Corner: Being a winemaker in your region is tough, but
what are some of the benefits and/or challenges?
Alison Crowe: Benefit: Every day is casual Friday. Challenge:
Everybody thinks you just drink wine all day.
CC: It has been said "Writers about wine should,
at least on occasion, be troublesome, irritating and critical.” ~ Andrew Jefford what
are your thoughts?
AC: I’m in an interesting position because I'm both a
winemaker and a wine writer. Sometimes I have to wear my brand-owner hat,
but I will tell you I am always wearing my journalist hat, which perhaps makes
me a little more curious, skeptical and some would say outspoken than many of
my winemaking colleagues.
I believe constantly challenging our assumptions is
important and I love writing about what’s happening in and what’s changing in
the wine business. On the winemaking side, I believe in science and data but
the first truth to which we must answer when making wine is pleasure- the truth
of our senses.
CC: It has been said, "No pessimist ever discovered the
secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land" ` Helen Keller how
would you describe yourself?
AC: I’m curious, generous and skeptical workaholic
hedonist who believes in the power of human relationships and in first giving
others the benefit of the doubt. I love people. Winemaking begins with people.
CC: It has been said,” The greatest wines are not forced,
pushed or exaggerated,” [Italian Winemaker Bernabei].
And he went on to say “They maintain their sense of place" what your
thoughts? 
AC: I always believe that you have to respect the fruit. I've
been writing this in articles and it’s in my book: Sometimes all you have
to do is get out of the way.
CC: Has the profile of Pinot Noir in California changed in
the past 10 years?
AC: “California Pinot Noir” is a big category and since
Sideways has expanded greatly in volume. See my answers to “unbalanced
fruit bombs” for more insight- There are indeed more bottles of what I would
call “value” California Pinots out there, say $7.00/bottle and under, built
largely on mass plantings of Central Valley Pinot Noir.
But most Pinot-lovers aren't drinking these wines and are
sticking to their tried and true
Sonoma
,
Santa Barbara
and
Monterey Pinot Noirs. Have these wines changed? I think in exciting
new ways. I love how the popularity of the varietal has prompted it to
keep being planted in abundance in cool climate areas like the Petaluma Gap,
Sonoma
Coast
and the
Russian
River
.
We keep loving our Pinot and keep nurturing it, and as our
vineyards mature we learn more about how best to grow it and make it. I
love the variety in style and approaches I see in Pinot Noirs and I think as a
varietal class, it really offers so much for the curiosity seeker. Few
other varietals lend themselves to such different clones, yeast regimens,
fermentation schemes, oak and aging approaches.
Try finding that same scale of sheer variety in something
like Napa Cabernet; that is a very narrowly-proscribed winemaking recipe viz a
viz ripeness levels, maceration, barrels, etc. I make Pinot Noir and when I go
to a big Pinot Noir tasting, I'm as excited to try new things as any wine
country tourist because my colleagues are always doing new things.
CC: Do you think some California Pinot Noir gets tagged with
an unfair reputation for producing unbalanced, fruit bombs?
If wines are indeed unbalanced fruit bombs then it’s fair to
call them that, and there are certainly some out there, just like there are
unbalanced fruit bombs in just about all varietals and categories. It
seems to be a style some winemakers aspire to.
Pinot being a grape that is typically planted in the cooler
areas of
California
,
it’s odd to me to even put “unbalanced fruit bomb” and Pinot in the same
sentence. Compared to Cabernet, Zinfandel or even “red blends,” Pinot
Noir still remains the safest playground for those seeking something with
higher acid, less oak and less “fruit bomb” character.
The grape simply just won't go there as readily as other
varietals, which is one of the reasons I love it. There is no denying,
however, that the Sideways frenzy prompted vast plantings of Pinot Noir in
areas where it typically has not been grown (like the southern Central Valley)
and these grapes are showing up in under $7 bottles that perhaps are more like
“red wines with Pinot Noir on the label for marketing purposes” than
expressions of the varietal I would hold up for someone’s education on varietal
typicity.
CC: If you were offered to work outside the comfy confines
of domestic wine production, where would you go and why?
AC: I’m not sure how many of the struggling small farmers
and brand owners I know would call the domestic wine business “comfy” but I
think I get your question… if I were offered a job in the fragrance industry in
Europe
, I would definitely be intrigued.
The world of perfume has been a lifelong love, and it’s
actually through exploring herbs and flowers, and how they have scented
aromatic compounds that perfumers try to capture in liquid form, much like a
winemaker does, that actually steered me toward wine in the first place.
I think I got into wine because I grew up in
Santa
Barbara
’s wine country; had I grown up in
Provence
I may have become a perfume-maker.
Additionally, I think someone in the wine business, with a
degree in winemaking, which essentially is an applied microbiology degree with
a healthy dose of biochem, agriculture and some marketing thrown in, would not
necessarily find themselves too out of place in the world of distillation,
brewing, cheese-making, the restaurant biz or small-scale farming. Remember
that winemaking is like glorified microbiological zoo-keeping.
It’s taking a perishable natural product, shepherding it
through a food processing plant (your winery) and turning it into something
more lasting and enjoyable. Planning, logistics, managing people, and managing
perishable agricultural products….You can see how many folks who are in the
restaurant business make very successful crossover winemakers too.
And never forget how turned on we all are by the cool
stories about who and what are behind the delicious and delightful jams,
pastas, beers, breads and cheeses we all enjoy so much. Storytelling,
communicating and sharing are an integral part of making our handicrafts live,
which is why I also write articles about winemaking which was published in
"The Winemaker’s Answer Book" in 2007. I also just launched a blog
called Girl and the Grape. Wines and
words are my way of communicating my passion with the world!
CC: When it comes to Pinot Noir, where do you derive your
inspiration in the winemaking process?
AC: Foremost from the
vineyards and then secondly purely from hedonism. I am all about
pleasure. First you have to channel the vineyard and respect the fruit. You
have to let the fruit tell you what it can or can't do, you can't force it.
But once the lots have been aging separately for at least eight months,
you can start to blend based solely on the pleasure principle.
I
have my favorite barrels and oak types but I don't have “rules” as to what does
or doesn't go with something else, like “Francois Frres can never be blended
with a Tonnellerie Quintessence barrel,” for example.
I am simply trying to
make the most delicious bottle of wine possible. I do a lot of trial and
error and blind tasting, and I am constantly surprising myself. It’s
great to let your experience be your guide but it’s important to keep
challenging your assumptions.
CC: If there was just one wine type/style
left to drink in the world what would it be and why?
AC: Sparkling wines. I find endless interest,
and food pairing versatility, in a cold glass of tart, refreshing bubbly.
CC: Of all the many grapes
in the world which do you think is the least understood or respected?
White
Zinfandel. Just kidding, that’s a trick answer. There’s no such
grape variety as White Zinfandel, though it’s often a question new visitors to
wine country or wine newbie’s ask. “So where’s the White Zin grown?” It
starts out as red Zinfandel grapes and gets slightly squished to make the
familiar pink stuff.
But
even though so many of us would never touch White Zin, you have to respect it’s
place in winemaking history; starting in the 1970’s, it helped set the stage
for today’s rosé revolution and single-handedly introduced millions of people
to wine drinking for the first time.
Many
of those folks have branched out and began to drink wines they never would've
thought of touching decades ago. It all happened before I was born and
certainly before I was legal to drink but, like Robert Mondavi’s pioneering of
marketing California wines in the 1940’s and 1950’s, the White Zin explosion
helped get us where we are today.
CC: It’s has been said, it takes a lot good
beer, to make great wine, thoughts?
AC: Beer or sparkling wine,
it all has bubbles, so it all counts! Many of us choose a martini, or gin
and tonic but I think the key is that it be refreshing, not too sweet, and yes,
effervescence does help. Basically after we've had our hands in red wine vats
all day, and its hot outside, do I really want a big glass of red? I don't
think so- bring on the Domaine Carneros!
Thanks again Alison it
was great chatting with you here, thanks for making the time. I hope everyone
has enjoyed this series; I have another winemaker interview in the pipeline,
one which I just completed, so I hope you check it out next week. Until next
time folks, remember life is short, make the most of it, sip long and prosper
cheers!