July 23, 2003
A Sense of PlaceInterviewing the late Andre Tchelistcheff-often considered the dean of California winemakers-was a great moment in my life. I interviewed Andre in 1980 at the Casmalia Hitching Post with Jim Fiolek and Chris Whitcraft of Whitcraft Winery and Frank Ostini. Jim, and later Chris, hosted our nightly wine show on KTMS FM in Santa Barbara. Frank now owns the Buellton Hitching Post and produces Hitching Post Wines with Gray Hartley. Also on hand were Mike Hoffman who set up the meeting for me, and Tony Austin. Mike was the winemaker at the pioneering HMR (Hoffman Mountain Ranch) west of Paso Robles, and Tony Austin was the winemaker at Firestone here in Santa Barbara County. Andre Tchelistcheff was the consulting winemaker for both HMR and Firestone back in those days.
That evening Andre referred to wine as an artistic beverage, and added that the winemaker is the "midwife" in the winemaking process. Today, a friend and winemaker, Brian Loring of Loring Wine Company echoes Andre's sentiment, when he speaks about winemaking. He will tell you "I buy the best grapes I can and my job is to not screw up the wine."
I think many winemakers think of themselves as artists. I don't think I have ever known a winemaker who thinks of himself or herself as a scientist or as a chemist.
Several weeks ago, I had dinner at Rosa's-that really super Italian restaurant in Pismo Beach. One of the guests that evening was Matt Kramer, published author and writer for the "Wine Spectator."
Over the meal and a flight of top California pinot noirs and French burgundies, Matt threw out a challenge to Andre Tchelistcheff's precept that wine is an artistic beverage, challenging the foundation I have held dear for close to a quarter of a century!
Matt Kramer said, "art is creation; wine is expression." He added the artist starts with a blank sheet while wine is expression of place. As we all enjoyed a 1998 Romanee St. Vivant produced by Lalou Bize Leroy, from one of the great vineyards in Burgundy if not the world, he postulated winemaking is "amplifying the voice of the earth without disturbing it." To me, this is revolutionary! Something I think I always knew, but took for granted!
As the evening progressed, Matt Kramer told us, La Tache (another one of the greatest vineyards in Burgundy) and the Comstock Lode are places and "you can only find them and refine them." The Comstock Lode and its silver provided a major source of wealth to one of California's Big Four pioneering families-the Flood Family of San Francisco and Rancho Sisquoc in the Santa Maria Valley. La Tache, in it's own right, has made many wine producers rich and famous too.
Four winemakers were guests at the dinner, and Matt warned the group about the "winemaker palate." Winemakers look at wine differently than consumers- "It's like a carpenter looking at an armoire." Perhaps, too, it's like an audio or radio engineer looking at the waves on an oscilloscope rather than listening to the music or the sound!
Of course, too, there is "cellar blindness." This is a condition where winemakers usually drink only their own wine. And it's an unforgivable sin, I think. And nobody was cellar blind the Saturday night we enjoyed dinner at Rosa's graciously hosted by Greg Linn of Ambullneo Vineyards.
Life's a Peach at Buttonwood
After writing about the farmer's market at Talley Vineyards in last week's column, Sherrill Duggan at Buttonwood Farm reminded me that Buttonwood is an orchard as much as it's a vineyard. I just picked up some delicious Elbertas. Check out all their great organic produce! Stop by Buttonwood Farm tasting room which is located at 1500 Alamo Pintado Road north of Solvang. Tasting room hours are 11 to 5 daily. (805) 688-3032.
Times wine columnist, Bob Senn lives in the bucolic Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
