Archive for November, 2011

That's me, digging into the Pinot Noir class. Senior Judge Cameron Douglas, MS, and Associate Judge Emma Jenkins, MW, are in the background.

For years, I’ve resisted commenting on wine shows. I’ve read some of the online bashing, about how medals are given away like candy on Halloween; about how some show judges don’t know much about wine; and about how, since shows typically charge an entry fee, the awards they bestow are essentially worthless. I’m sure there are more complaints, but that’s not the point.

The real reason I’ve not written at any length on wine shows is that I typically don’t get to participate in show judging. But last month, I was invited to be the America’s international judge at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. Run by New Zealand Winegrowers–the country’s national wine body–it is New Zealand’s Super Bowl of wine shows.

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When Jerry Seinfeld created his classic comedy series, he vowed that there would be “no learning, no hugging.” I thought about that when I foolishly volunteered to blog about my summer travels and what I “learned” on the road. I think of travel as a process of discovery; learning is absorbed gradually; connections and insights revealed well after the fact. The best way for that to happen (I’ve discovered) is not to overplan, and not slavishly pursue other travelers’ itineraries of excellence.

Read up, sure. Plan some, but really, just dive in. Learning about wine and exploring wine country have that in common.

In Newport, Rhode Island, I discovered that it’s not always wise to dine where the locals dine. I waited an hour on line at the restaurant every Newport local recommended for what turned out to be the blandest lobster roll and clam chowder I’ve ever had; next day I was forced by circumstances to sit down at what I thought would be a waterfront tourist trap, but The Black Pearl turned out to have fine food and a very good wine list.

In Washington D.C., I attended a winemaker dinner with the personable Jed Steele (Steele Wines, Lake County, CA) at the Blue Duck Tavern in the Park Hyatt. Fine wines by Jed and great food by Chef Brian McBride were served. But two discoveries: You enter the restaurant through the kitchen—one of the coolest kitchens I’ve ever seen—elbow to elbow with some of the chefs. And though Steele is known for his Pinots, a standout wine was his tart yet creamy and apricotty 2010 Shooting Star Aligoté. Aligoté is considered the the “other,” lesser white wine grape of Burgundy, and is a serious rarity in California. Adventurous winemaking on the part of Mr. Steele.

On my trek to Napa and Sonoma (we’ll ping-pong from one AVA to another in this account), I visited a few wineries for professional or goal-oriented reasons. They included Dutton-Goldfield (favorites: the ’09 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir, 2010 Gewürztraminer and ’09 Stoetz Ridge Vineyard Zinfandel), Merry Edwards (’08 Flax Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2010 Sauvignon Blanc; really, everything) and Corison, a relatively small Napa producer of powerfully elegant Cabs, Cab Francs and more by Cathy Corison. This was a no-fuss visit—a barrel served as our tasting table. Unexpected delight: her 2008 Corazon, a Cabernet Sauvignon-based rosé.

But for the most part, I didn’t want to pursue goals or chase excellence for its own sake. I was traveling with my wife, Geri, and drinking-age son, Ryan, and it was more important to follow our group instincts rather than an itinerary. So, yes, we pulled into Darioush because of the architecture, but we stayed for some surprisingly sturdy Cabernets (our favorite, the 2006 Signature). We lingered forever at Silverado Vineyards because our host, Tom Kalbrener, was so charming and knowledgeable (2000 Stags Leap Cabernet). We wandered around Calistoga and Healdsburg and gaped at giant redwoods, just because.

We made some reservations and strict plans, but left plenty of time for serendipity. Which seems wise, until you learn—no, discover that you forgot something important.

We did make reservations at Hess Collection to enjoy a guided wine-and-food pairing flight followed by a tour of the art collection, a highlight of the trip. I made reservations at Mustard’s Grill, Cindy Pawlcyn’s outstanding restaurant, because instinct (and everyone who’s been to Napa) told me it would be great, and it was. I was fortunate to have arranged (thank you, Michele and Sally) a deluxe, very gracious tour of the new Francis Coppola Winery in Sonoma, where Coppola’s movie memorabilia is now on display and where his passionate love of wine (’07 Reserve Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Sofia Riesling were favorites), food, Italy and hospitality is on full display. It’s all filtered through his renowned, uncanny showmanship—the a tavola dinner at Rustic, the winery’s restaurant, was maybe too showbizzy for me (attack of the acting waitrons!), but the food was grand.

Impulse led us to St. Supéry, where the ’06 Napa Valley Estate Cab (Rutherford? Dollarhide? The dog ate my notes.) turned out to be one of the best wines of the trip. My son coerced us into visiting Russian River Brewery for a beer flight; we were blown away by Supplication, a sour brown ale aged in Pinot Noir barrels.

On our final day I gazed at people serenely canoeing the Russian River, and wished I’d planned the trip more carefully to allow for that, while still feeling grateful for every unplanned moment. Remind me to do it exactly the same way next time.