The Wine Knows

Having dinner the other night with a friend, we had a somewhat deep conversation about our wine of choice. She told me that she has tried several wines over the years and she keeps going back to the classic Chardonnay. She knows that Chardonnay is typically on every wine list, she doesn’t have to really think about what she wants and what she likes, and it makes her life that much simpler when dining out. She even narrowed it down further by saying that she typically always buys Ste. Michelle’s Canoe Ridge Chardonnay. It is consistently good and it’s a great value. Although I understand the need for her to pick a wine that can be hers for life, I don’t understand her lack of adventure in not trying something new.

This got me to thinking. Do some people drink the same wine time after time because they are afraid they will make a mistake when selecting wine, or do they just become comfortable with their old “stand by,” and they don’t feel the need to venture out? It’s probably a little of both. Then I had an “ah-ha” moment and realized that this is probably what large value wineries count on. When a winery such as Chateau Ste. Michelle, makes a million-plus cases of wine each year, many of which are value wines, they need to make sure that they are meeting the flavor profile that their customers come to expect. This means making the wines consistently the same year after year. In its own right, this is pretty amazing. I do think that making value wines is commendable; but I have to also wonder, where is the creativity in that?

I am the first to admit that I have never made wine and I do not fully understand the lengthy process in making it. But I do know that being the creative person that I am I could no more make the same exact textbook wine year after year, any more than I could drink the same Chardonnay day after day, meal after meal. This is probably why I have taken such an interest in true boutique wineries and the artisan winemaker.

There is something to be said about a winemaker who views making wine as an expression of the soul, believing in letting the grape become the wine. Tasting the grapes and imagining what wine that they wish to be – then providing the best conditions for the transformation to take place. Many artisan winemakers believe that great wine is grown not simply made. They let the wine be what it is meant to be, not adjusting the pH and acidity to some textbook standard. An example of this is winemaker, John Vandenberg, of Paradisos del Sol Winery in the Yakima Valley. He will tell you immediately that he doesn’t see himself as a winemaker but a wine grower. He uses traditional methods to transform the grapes into distinctive wines.

I also appreciate winemakers such as Karl Dinger, winemaker for Terra Vina, formerly Dalla Vina, out of Wilsonville, Oregon. He explained to me that he literally hand selects the grapes that will make his wine. He tastes the fruit and meticulously hand sorts each and every cluster, insuring that only the freshest and ripest fruit are used. Small lots are fermented in traditional open top fermenters with manual punch down three times a day. The same can be said for Greg Masset of Masset Winery in Yakima,Wa. He too hand selects the grapes that will be made into wine. Harvested at their peak; crushed, destemmed, sorted and obsessed over for weeks on end. This dedication to excellence in wine making, their attention to detail and the desire to make smaller amounts of wine rather than massive volumes, is probably why so many of their wines have won some impressive awards and why fans across the country appreciate their fine art of hand crafting the wine in the traditional manual methods.

There is definitely a place for the large winery corporations and corporate winemakers. They meet the needs and the wants of many a wine lover. While Chateau Ste. Michelle is best known for their value wines, they also produce premium, high end wines as well, for example, their Artist Series Meritage. So there is literally something for everyone. They can also be admired for the simple fact that many of Washington’s talented winemakers at one time worked at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Ever hear of Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas or Kay Simon of Chinook Wines, or Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery? They all worked at Ste. Michelle before taking off on their own and producing incredible wines.

I must admit that I too enjoy sipping a nice glass of Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot from Chateau Ste. Michelle, as I stroll through their beautiful grounds in Woodinville, WA. But I enjoy the ambiance of the small winery even more. I enjoy meeting the wine maker and listening to his/her story about how they began their love of making wine. Their passion and love for the fruit with which they make their creations is always noticeable in their stories as well as in each bottle of wine they share with me. So I will continue to search for those artisan winemakers and I will always be looking for that new release that is better than the one before. For those who are less adventurous, like my dear friend, go ahead and stick with what you know and what you are comfortable with. But I truly think that you are missing out on an amazing adventure and quest. You can always drink your value wines through the week, but enjoy a unique artisan wine on those special occasions. Then you will truly have the best of both worlds!