Photos From the "In the Business" Wine Tasting

Greenville News showed up at our "In the Business" Calicaro Wine Tasting and took some great shots. What a difference a professional photographer makes! Hope you enjoy. Very nice elegant tasting. Check out those Riedel Vinum stems.

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BS&Dato=20091117&Kategori=LIFE&Lopenr=911170807&Ref=PH

Calicaro Wine Dinner Reminder

Just a quick reminder to sign up for the Calicaro Wine Dinner at Devereaux's on Nov 19. Call Devereaux's at 241- 3030 or sign up at:

http://www.meetup.com/winemeetup/

Three fine Calicaro Pinot Noirs, two white wines and a menu designed to match by Chef Spencer at one of Greenville's finest restaurants. It promises to be a wonderful evening. Don't wait as there is limited seating for this event.

Wine Launch Photos

Hee are some shots taken by Donna Brown from the Calicaro Launch Party along with a few other wine/food related shots. Thanks Donna!

http://www.meetup.com/winemeetup/photos/756229/11644969/#11644969

A Lawyer Looks at Wine Criticism

When I'm not making wine I am practicing law. This probably gives me a different perspective than some other bloggers and wine writers who have railed against "Parkerization", ie the hegemony of Robert Parker over the last thirty years in the area of wine criticism.

I don't share their view. Not that I always agree with Parker. Far from it. Most of the criticism seems to be that Parker shouldn't dominate the market in the fashion that he has and that this continues to be a bad thing for the wine world because winemakers now tailor their efforts to suit his palate.

I think- and this is where the legal vino point of view comes in- that this completely misses the point. When confronted with First Amendment free speech cases the Supreme Court usually says that the solution is not to stifle speech but instead to offer more of it. If you don't like what the other guy is saying, rather than coercing his silence, you should instead jump into the fray and offer your own viewpoints. Democracy- and the free markets- are messy and noisy places- and this is ultimately a good thing in preserving freedom.

After all, Parker is only doing what ALL critics do- including those critics who think he holds too much sway over the market. And that is to offer up his opinion. The fact that too many people pay too much heed to what he has to say is not HIS problem- it is merely evidence of the extent to which he has succeeded. More power to him for doing so -not really- just kidding!

So, rather than attacking Parker for his power, his competition needs to step up its game and offer their opinions and further develop their reputations, without tearing down Parker's. Compete in the marketplace of ideas and let the best man/woman win. Rather than shutting down speech offer MORE speech.

The inevitablity of time will ultimately prevail if nothing else will in the meantime. Parker has been attacking the whole concept of wine bloggers and some of them have not been kind to him.

But how many bloggers are over 40? And how old is Parker now? So, I say let him enjoy his time doing what he obviously loves. Rather than tearing down Parker, bloggers and other critics should be building their own reputations. I don't think however, that we will see the same level of hegemony by any one critic again any time soon. That era is passing

Calicaro Makes a New Wine List - American Grocery!

Calicaro is pleased to announce that we will be featured on the wine list at American Grocery, one of South Carolina's top restaurants. Sommelier and co-owner Darlene Mann-Clarke said our 07 "Poinsett" was "the best Anderson Valley Pinot Noir she had ever had." With her experience and the strength of their wine list, that says alot! Look for us there soon!

The Mystery of Wine (and Life)

Thursday night wine tasting of all three Pinot Noirs: consensus was that Calicaro '08 Liberty Bridge was the wine of the night. Friday night wine tasting of all three Pinot Noirs: consensus was that Calicaro '07 Poinsett was the wine of the night. Life is a mystery! But that is a good thing, wouldn't you agree?

Write a Calicaro Label - Win a Bottle!

For all of you writers and wannabe writers-

Calicaro needs some "back label" language for 2009 "Shoeless Joe" Zinfandel. Write some winning label copy and win a bottle of Shoeless Joe when released next fall. Feel free to play on baseball, shoeless stomping of grapes, the "Joe" name or fun things with Zinfandel like "Go Forth and Zin No More" We need just the back label language.

Just email me your label language to info@calicaro.com

Good luck!

Is There Something in the Water?

Quick- think of states likely to produce great winemakers, especially Pinot Noir makers.

I bet South Carolina, home of Scuppernong and Muscadine, is not even a blip on the radar screen.

So now you know where I am going with this, right?

Here are just the Pinot Noir winemakers I know about-

Thomas Rivers Browne- his own brand is Rivers-Marie and he is involved in many other wine projects, including Schrader. High scoring wines.

Jamey Whetsone - Whetstone Cellars and Manifesto brand plus consults on other wine projects. Also highly regarded. Trained with Helen Turley.

Suzanne Hagins - Lutea Wine. Organic and biodynamic wines. Have not tried but reputed to be lovely wines. Also does some consulting work for other brands.

Another brand- the name escapes me- but backed in part by the bassist for Hootie and the Blowfish. New brand and have not tried.

Finally, my brand, Calicaro. Also a small scale artisan project. Yes, there are alot of small scale Pinot makers, a varietly that lends itself especially to this type if hand crafted winemaking. But nevertheless, this still seems unusual. And I would be willing to bet there are a few more that I am unaware of (let me know if you know any).

So what gives here?

The Calicaro '09 Lineup

Here is what we are making this year: four Pinots Noir, one Cab Sauv and one Zin. We were so happy with our 08 fruit sources that we went back to each of them. New fruit sources this year include Doctor's Vineyard for Pinot and a Dry Creek Valley blend from some of the great Zin vineyards there. The Zin was a harvest time decision. Top quality fruit at a recession price. We'll pass the savings on with a very attractive bottle price south of $30/btl.

The new Pinot will be called "The Dark Corner" and the Zin will be called "Shoeless Joe". Folks with a South Carolina Upstate connection will recognize the names. Anybody else know the signifcance of the names?

Cheers,
Dave

High Pressure Work

So...a week ago the Pinot had fermented to dryness and we were ready to press. What is this pressing thing all about? And why do we need to press the wine?

Well, we don't really need to press the wine. There is alot of wine in the fermentation bin that can go straight into the barrel. This is called free run and some winemakers decide to use just free run wine and not use the press wine. Many say that this free run is the best quality wine.

And I would agree if we were making a lighter style of wine. But we like structure, body and complexity (we like to say Calicaro is "packed with flavor and stacked with complexity") and for that, you gotta squeeze the grapes. Remember, all of the good stuff is in the skins and you get more of the good stuff out by applying pressure.

It is our version of "shaking down" the grapes. We give them a bear hug and simultaneously empty their pockets.

We just have to be careful not to squeeze the grapes too hard, because we will then get bitter tannins. This happens as the seeds begin to crush at the higher pressure levels.

So we taste the free run juice and establish our baseline for taste. Then we set the Euro Press to take it to .2 bars of pressure on the mass of grape skins (which is called the must). We put a cup under and taste wine as it is released from the must. At .2 bars it still tastes alot like the free run. Next we go to .4 bars and taste again. Things now start getting interesting. More viscosity, or body, to the wine and more flavors begin to emerge.

We raise the pressure in .2 bar increments and tasting. More and more. All tasting good, no bitterness. We taste the wine being squeezed out at each fraction of pressure and also taste the wine that is a blend of all of the fractions.

At each higher fraction of pressure we are squeezing out less wine, just like squeezing a lime. At 1.2 bars something really interesting happens. This press fraction tastes sweet! There was a slight bit of residual sugar left in the grapes and it has now been released.

At 1.4 bars the sweetness is gone. We are getting concerned about the bitter tannins showing up. We take it to 1.5 bars and it still tastes good but decide to stop there. We are now getting only drops of wine anyway.

We send the wine straight to the barrel and can now breathe a sigh of relief. We have made it through fermentation, the wine tastes really good, and most of the risk- that is, the many things that can go wrong in winemaking, are behind us. The wine can go through malolactic fermentation and settle down for a long winter's nap, all snugged in and cozy in the barrel.

Cheers,

Dave

Reflections on Life as a Cellar Rat

Back from SF and reflecting on the life of a cellar rat. These are the people that do the day to day work in the winery and for two weeks I was proud to count myself as one of them.

"Cellar rat" sounds like a derogatory term but those living the life are a rather happy bunch. The pay is not good but the music is cranked up, the juice/wine tastes good and the fork lifts make beep beep sounds so it is easy to get out of their way, safety being a major winery concern.

The cellar rats range from people like me who are serious about making good wine and trying to learn everything about it, to the grizzled veterans who have worked many a harvest around the world. Some migrate with the harvest seasons, working in the southern hemisphere the other half of the year

There were several interns who were working on their enology or viticulture degrees and several folks who had been laid off and viewed this as an opportunity to change career directions. For the most part, the extra help is welcomed, as there is so much to do this time of year.

The winery owners such as myself, do not get paid for our harvest work. We hope to sell a little of our wine, of course.

A surprizing number of others do not get paid either. Many are happy to do it for the experience. Kind of the urban winery equivalent of a dude ranch. In fact, every evening was crush camp, in which folks with no experience had signed up and paid money to have the privelege of sorting fruit and punching down bins. Tom Sawyer has nothing on our winery! I will say that winery work is more fun than whitewashing a fence.

So...I miss the camaraderie, the energy and enthusiasm that people bring to winery work and the sense of pride in making something really good that you know people will savor and enjoy. As for the music...U2, Dr John, the Grateful Dead and Bob Marley I miss. The hip hop, not so much.

Bay Area Bits and Pieces

Back from San Francisco. Lots of good work in the winery but some free time to explore the Bay Area.

Here are a few semi-random thoughts and tips about the Bay Area.

Calicaro's winery, which we share with a number of other small brands is located in the Dogpatch neighborhood, adjacent to Potrero Hill and South of Market (SoMa for the cognoscenti). It is part of the new urban winemaking trend. Quite an interesting and diverse neighborhood and Dogpatch is such a great name for a Southern winemaker. Maybe we need to do a Dogpatch bottling!

Some good restaurants there tucked away inconspicuously. After wrapping up at the winery one night, a winery cellar rat handed me a split of White Hawk Vineyard Syrah and said "enjoy!" I walked up the street to Serpentine and had an amazing hamburger made from local Niman Ranch beef and an heirloom tomato salad. The peppery, meaty notes in the Syrah made a perfect pairing. White Hawk Vineyard is famous for its Syrah, and for very good reason. A memorable $20 meal.

Blue Bottle Coffee is all the rage in SF. Individual brewed drip coffee that takes about 5 minutes or so to make. Combine that with the frequent lines at these popular places and you have lost 20 minutes plus just to get a cuppa joe. Once was enough for me. I predict the fad will pass- sure the coffee is good but it just ain't worth that!

The Bounty Hunter up in Napa has a unique high testosterone approach to selling pricey Napa Cabernet. Animal trophies on the wall, a painting of a reclining nude female behind the bar and wine descriptions that sound like the bottles were tracked down by men on horses with high powered rifles.

I loved it- no snobbishness and the theme works here- it is the opposite of the tuxedoed waiter sniffing and sipping from a tastevin. And get there before 6pm and try the BBQ sampler plate for 10 bucks, made in house with their custom smoker. The meat falls off the ribs and you won't be hungry for the next 24 hours. While the wine focus is Cabernet, a big Zin or Syrah is the way to go with the 'cue.

Cheers,

Dave

An Affectionate Mondavi Story

Had dinner the other evening with a gentleman who wrote the Mondavi Winery's newsletters for several years. He had graduated from my alma mater a year after me so we swapped a few stories about college as we split a bottle of Calicaro Lone Oak Pinot.

He then started in on Mondavi stories. Robert Mondavi was one of the most well loved and influential figures in the American wine business. As their copywriter, Jeffrey was frequently able to have dinner with the family.

At one dinner, Robert Mondavi, who was well along in years at that point, swirled the wine in the glass so hard that it splattered everyone else at the table with a chest high horizontal spray of red wine. Mrs. Mondavi said with some alacrity, "a little less enthusiasm, my dear!"

Jeffrey also said that the first time he met Mr Mondavi it was a 7am breakfast meeting. Mr Mondavi had personally gotten up early and gone to the Oakville Grocery to pick up sweet rolls and coffee for the meeting. Jeffrey said this was typical for him- no pretension, so down to earth.

The wine business is full of great characters and clearly he was one of the greatest.

Cheers,

Dave

Pressing Pinot in SF

We pressed off our first batch of Pinot Sunday evening and press the second batch tomorrow night. First was Lone Oak Vineyard and the next is Split Rock. Using a large Euro Press we went to 1.3 bars and stopped as the first sign of bitter tannins showed up at that level. Super high quality wine this year, which makes three years in a row. One of our winemakers estimates 5-10% better than 08 which was also a very good year. Hearing great stories about the "old days" in Napa. Tell a few on the next post! Gotta run. Harvest crazy time!

Euphoria Food and Wine Weekend

It is late Sunday morning and the Euphoria event is winding down now. Calicaro was honored to be offered the opportunity to pour wine for the Thursday night welcome to the food and wine media people. Calicaro supplied all of the red wine and Schug supplied all of the white wine for this event. We hope to get some nice media coverage from that of course, and will post links on the blog if possible.

We also poured at the Saturday afternoon Grand Tasting alongside other wines from all over the world.

Although somewhat hampered by rain most of the weekend, there was great attendance at the events in which we were involved.

Our wines all showed very well and folks loved all three, with our 08 Paris Mountian probably the favorite, followed by our 07 Poinsett and the 08 Liberty Bridge, which needs another 9-12 months of bottle age before it will really hit its stride.

Tim Graham, executive chef from Tru in Chicago, one of the celebrity chefs in town, told me we had the best Pinot Noirs at the event. Similar compliments came from wine writers and educators, restaurant managers and retail wine shop owners.

My response: we hand make each of our wines one barrel at a time. I don't think any other winery at Euphoria could make a similar claim. It makes a huge difference, especially with Pinot Noir.

Dave
Calicaro Wine

In the Midst of Crazy Time

Lone Oak Pinot is in and cold soaking now. Fermentation will begin in another day or so. Fruit came in in great shape and with nice balanced numbers on the brix, pH etc.

First batch of Split Rock Pinot came in yesterday and is also in cold soak. This was our Clone 115. We were going to pick on Tuesday but had a minor rain delay- not a problem and fruit and numbers look fine. The Clone 667 from Split Rock gets picked tomorrow. These will also cold soak for a few days before we start fermentation.

Our Doctor's Vineyard Pinot will come in on Monday. Cabernet Sauv from southern end of Napa (Coombsville area) has a few weeks to go before it will be harvested.

After pouring wine at the Euphoria event this weekend I'll be in San Francisco at the winery for two weeks making all of this fruit into great wine. Lots of bubbling fermentations, punchdowns, wine pressing and barreling. The winery will be going 18-20 hours a day or more as Calicaro's fruit and fruit for other winemakers all get made into wine. Crazy fun.

Cheers!

Dave

2009 Harvest- The Fruit is Coming In

We harvested our first vineyard yesterday and sorted, destemmed and began cold soak on the fruit today. In another five days or so we will begin the fermentation. The first fruit into the winery this year was from Lone Oak Vineyard in Santa Lucia Highlands. Fruit was in great shape and chemistry numbers were right where we like them to be. I know we can make some fine wine with this good juice.

This year has been close to picture perfect. There were some concerns earlier about getting fruit to sufficient ripeness. There have been a few minor concerns about "hens and chicks" which are berries of varying size. I don't think either of these will present any problem for us. We had excellent even ripeness on our Lone Oak fruit and our two other Pinot vineyards- Split Rock in the Sonoma Coast and Doctor's Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands are progressing very nicely. We will be picking both within a week to ten days.

Our Cabernet vineyard is in the cooler southern part of Napa Valley and we will be able to get a little more hang time on it- probably the pick date will be into October.

All in all, a great year and it is nice to breathe easier vs. the wild weather in '08. The '09 vintage has shaped up alot like '07- steady and slow with long periods of relatively cool weather and no heat or cold extremes. '07 was an easy and consistent year and it was not hard to make great wine. Anyone tasting the 07 wines is likely to agree with the consistently high wine quality across all of California and across many of the wine makers.

'09 may even be better than '07- there is every possiblity for this result.

Looking forward to making some amazing wines!

Cheers,

Dave

Pinot Blending Part Two

After blending the Lone Oak Pinot we moved on to the Split Rock Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. We again started with a base wine made from Dijon Clone 667 that had spent about 11 months in 50% new Francois Freres and Remond oak. We added varying percentages of other Dijon clone wine from Split Rock, including 115, 777 and 828. Here is our final blend: 79% 667, 10% 115, 10% 828, 1% 777.

The final Split Rock wine is really intense and fruit forward with a strong acid backbone that will benefit from another 1 to 2 years of bottle aging. The dark cherry and berry flavors are delicious in this wine.

Our final blending was a Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills (which is abbreviated as Sta. Rita Hills). Our objective on this wine was to make a more elegant and restrained Burgundian style Pinot with less obvious oak. However, we still wanted a high level of intensity, with a broad range of complex flavors. We really went all out, pulling in lots of different barrels and Pinot clones on the final blend. Here it is: 75% 115/777 co-fermented in a neutral barrel, 10% new Radoux barrel of 115/777 co-fermented, 10% 115 from a 1 yr old Francois Freres barrel, and 5% Swan (an older "heritage" Pinot Noir clone named for Joseph Swan) from a neutral barrel.

This wine is drinking very well young. Tons of wild berry and cherry flavors- the wine has the intensity and vibracy of tiny wild fruit. It also has the crispness and acidity associated with a very cool climate vineyard.

My recommendation would be to drink the Lone Oak 2009- 2014, the La Encantada 2009-2018 and to lay down the Split Rock for a year, say 2010-2020 since it has the acidity and tannic structure to go longer.

We are very very happy with the final wines and hope you will try them and like them too!

Cheers,

Dave

Pinot Noir Blending- High Art!

Not for nothing do winemakers say that blending the final wine is the highest art in winemaking. Part aesthetics, part science and clearly part alchemy, I watched our winemaker Chris Nelson, fill vials and beakers with measured quantities of wine to be blended together into test batches. Butcher paper covered the table so notes could be taken as we tasted our way through various blends.

Spitting was mandatory- no way could the palate withstand such an assault otherwise. My acid test for the finished blend- if it was too good to spit then I thought we were getting very very close.

The basic process is to start with your base wine and note gaps or shortcomings in the wine that could be filled by blending in other wines. Since we were making single vineyard designates it was important that all or almost all come from the same vineyard and varietal (Pinot Noir). But for those prerequisites, we could mix and match and blend to our heart's content. Once the gaps in the base wine are noted- perhaps there is not much in the way of a finish or the aromatics are weak or the wine shows a hollow midpalate, then you set about figuring through trial and error tasting how to close the gaps to make a complete wine.

It is not pure trial and error. Chris knows his wines and barrels very well and where to go to help make a better wine.

For example, our Lone Oak was tasting really great just as the base wine made from 667 Dijon clone fruit aged in 50% new Francois Freres oak. We tried 8 or 9 blends, adding other Dijon clones such as 115, 777 and 828 with different barrel spice box notes but everything seemed to detract, not improve on our base wine. A further insult was that the additions detracted from the incredibly smooth and full mouthfeel of the Lone Oak 667.

At Chris's suggestion, we then added varying percentages of a heritage clone called Swan known for soaring aromatics- a very heady perfume of fruit and flowers that also adds some higher notes in the taste to balance the darker heavier fruit. WOW! We were in a very sweet spot at 5% Swan added to the 95% 667. This was our final blend on the Lone Oak, but it took us much trial and error to get there.

Over the course of a couple of days we did this for two additional single vineyard designate Pinot Noirs, Split Rock on the Sonoma Coast and La Encantada in Sta Rita Hills. Here the blends were considerably more complex, involving 4 to 6 Dijon clones and various barrel spice box notes.

Did I mention yet how fun this was to do? And to think that Chris gets paid to do this as a regular part of his job as a consulting winemaker for various small Pinot Noir brands! He did say he NEVER complains about his job!

Greenville Wine Meetup Pinot Noir Smackdown

Richard Peck and I went toe to toe / mano a mano this past Tuesday night on Pinot Noir. Richard had four more restrained and elegant Pinots (at least in theory- more on that later) and I had four bigger, badder, bolder in your face Pinots (again in theory).

There were a number of ironies in this tasting. First, the Calicaro Anderson Valley was first up on Richard's lineup. So...here I was supposedly arguing against my own wine!

Next up for him was an Italian Pinot Noir called Grosjean, 04 Arcadian Pisoni (that tipped the scales at 15.9% alc, so much for light and elegant!) and a Morey St Denis Burgundy.

I poured 07 Siduri Sonoma County, 06 Lucia Garys' Vineyard, 05 Martinelli Bella Vigna and 05 Siduri Sonatera.

All showed reasonably well or better, although some of the bigger pinots were in the early stages of their drinking windows and would benefit from more bottle time.

We had 24 at the tasting and perhapos an even split in preference between the first four and the second four. However, the Burg and the Pisoni were both quite big wines, and the Grosjean was amazingly good for an Italian Pinot (this varietal is not their forte by any stretch) with wonderful zingy acidity.

So...the question for me was how the Calicaro would hold up against a $150 retail Burg and a $90 Arcadian from a highly regarded vineyard? The answer is very, very well. The Calicaro was widely praised and a number of folks called it their wine of the night.

My worthy adversary Richard sang its praises too. Were folks just getting behind the local boy and his wine? Maybe that was a factor but I was proud of the wine and it clearly was not outclassed. I am just glad it could run with the big dogs.

As for the bigger end of the spectrum, the 07 Siduri Sonoma County which is a relatively modest 14.1 % alc Pinot, was overshadowed by its predecessors from Pisoni and Burgundy, although it is a beautiful wine in its own right- just too small a wine to follow these two. The Martinelli and the Siduri Sonatera were both drinking wonderfully in my opinion. The Lucia needed a bit more time to soften up- at least another year and it should be in great form.

I poured some bonus bottles- a 2000 Beaux Freres that was wonderful, a 2007 Loring Clos Pepe, very big and well liked, a New Zealond Pinot from Mountford, not much talked about, and finally an 08 Tunisian Pinot Noir. Yes, a North African Pinot Noir! The amazing thing about this wine was that it indeed did taste like Pinot Noir and was not horrible. Actually for about $12 US (8 Euros) I would say it was as good as many similarly priced domestic Pinots.

Richard and I had fun and shook hands at the end although we clearly did not change each other's minds about things. All good fun and the wine world is better for having a diversity of views. How boring would it be if it were otherwise? Hope the participants were able to tolerate all of our bantering in order to drink some rockin' good Pinot Noir.

Cheers,

Dave

North African Pinot Noir??!!

Just got back from a trip that included a brief stay in Tunisia on the coast of North Africa. Visited the ruins at Carthage. Those who remember their high school world history may recall that Carthage was defeated by Rome in the Punic Wars.

It is hot, hot desert terrain. Not what I would consider a climate for a a cool weather varietal such as Pinot Noir. But there it was on the shelves, with a label describing the contents as Carthaginian Pinot Noir. Were there mountains in the area more conducive to growing these finicky grapes? None that I could see.

Nevertheless the shop keeper said this was THE outstanding wine produced in Tunisia. How could I resist that pitch combined with a price of 8 Euros, which is about $12?

Will plan to open the bottle at a Pinot Noir tasting next week as a bonus curiosity wine. One safe bet is that no one will have tasted this wine before! And it will be fun to see if they really can grow good Pinot in North Africa, a land better known for its camels.

Cheers,

Dave

Recommended Reading: Judgment in Paris

Judgment in Paris was written by the sole reporter who actually was present at the watershed 1976 Paris tasting in which California bested France in Cabernet and Chardonnay wine. The author's motivation is to tell the full story and set the record straight, which he does in admirable style. As a credit to the author, knowing the ultimate outcome does not diminish the intrigue and suspense of the storytelling.

The author has done his homework and we are made privy to the multitude of back stories and personalities that came together for that event. As California has moved from success to success in the last several decades, it is important to remember that such was not always the case. In the mid 1970s the vast majority of California winemaking was still jug wine, and the few producers of fine wine struggled to survive.

This small low key tasting event may have done more to bring California into the limelight than anything else. The importance of the event only became clear in hindsight. And for the fans of Cali wine, the reactions of the French judges makes for delicious reading.

Mid June Vineyard Update

Here is the latest from our Vineyard Manager- the short answer is that things are looking good.

After spending considerable time walking vineyards, a few things are becoming clear. First, the vines are catching up on developing the optimum shoot length / node number. Second, due to the May rains, there are an abundance of lateral shoots on most all varieties. Finally, there are an abundance of clusters. Lots of them.

In Burgundian varieties, berries are between BB and pea sized while Bordeaux varietal berries are about the size of a BB. Many clusters have persistent caps. If these caps fail to dislodge or fall off, it could create challenges, but there’s nothing to worry about at this point. Over the last few weeks, California’s weather has been about as changeable as a newborn’s diapers and the threat of powdery mildew has been high. However, despite the conditions, I have not heard of any outbreaks or problems.

The focus in the vineyards is still spread out over weed control, disease control and canopy management. At many sites, the 2nd sets of wires are being positioned on VSP systems and hedging the canes is not far off. Many growers are walking vineyards looking at vine water stress levels to get baseline reference points to determine if and when to start irrigation. The priority right now is to open the vine canopy for disease control and to allow light on the interior wood and clusters. This is important for fertility of the buds for next year and to develop many of the favorable characteristics we all look for in the fruit to make great wine.

It’s about the time of year everyone starts to get excited about the vintage because folks begin to visualize what could be. Well, don’t get all knotted up just yet my friend, we still have a ways to go. But, it’s looking good at this point.

Thanks-

Mitchell

Greenville Wine Meetup- Pinot Noir Smackdown 7.21.09

Meetups are groups formed on line that then meet and socialize based on a common interest. The Greenville Wine Meetup now has about 310 members and is a fun a and casual group that meets 1-3 times per month to taste and discuss all things wine.

Richard Peck (who is the CWO, or Chief Wine Officer of the Meetup) and I are leading a Pinot Noir Smackdown on July 21 that promises to be great fun and very educational. Richard is presenting four Pinot Noirs that are in the more elegant and restrained style often called Old World. One of the four will be Calicaro's 07 Hayley Vineyard Pinot from the Anderson Valley.

I will be presenting four New World style Pinots which are bigger, darker and richer wines. While our '07 Anderson Valley Pinot is Old World many of our Pinots including our '08 vintages for later release in the fall of '09 fit into the New World style.

Richard and I will square off mano a mano to discuss and debate the merits of each style in an Ultimate Pinot Noir Smackdown. We think it will be great fun and hope you will sign up and taste some great wines and participate in the fun.

Go to http://www.meetup.com/winemeetup/ to learn more about the Meetup and the Pinot Noir Smackdown- look under the calendar fior July and click on the program showing on July 21. Signing up as a Meetup member is free.

Cheers,

Dave
Calicaro Wine

A New Update From Our Director of Vineyard Management

This report came in yesterday from Mitchell Klug, our Director of Vineyard Management. The short version is that things are looking very good at this point. For those of us geeky enough to really get into viticulture, read on!

One of the most influential and uncontrollable things growers deal with is the weather. Luckily, it’s been cooperative. A result of our collective good fortune has been a significant progression of bloom from last week.

Blocks on several properties for the earlier ripening varietals are now through bloom and have completed fruit set. If the weather stays as predicted, we should have very good fruit set in 2009. Between fruit set and veraison, lay a critical period where we can affect the berry size by how we work the vines. Managing the leaf canopy and soil moisture will play key roles in the final cluster appearance and chemistry.

I am seeing good leaf color on Bordeaux varietals. Pinot Noir also looks good and we should see the Chardonnay leaves move out of the yellow phase shortly. Syrah looks very good. Overall, the shoot length is a little short for being this close to bloom, but definitely adequate for the vine to be able to complete fruit set. I suspect we will have our desired shoot length relatively soon. Because of the May rains, I see many varietals are now pushing laterals. Growers will need to manage their canopies to prevent them from closing in and causing too much shade in the vine’s interior. That would reduce fertility for next year and increase disease pressure. Additionally, on some varietals, having a canopy closed in may prolong the problem of methoxypyrazine, which produces vegetal character in wine.

Many vineyards that use a VSP or vertical shoot positioning system have moved the first set of moveable wires in place to train the vines and a few sites have even moved the second set of wires in place.

I am optimistic in what I’m seeing at the sites and the next few weeks will show us a lot about the vines.

Mitchell

We're at Bloom: Weather and Vineyard Update

Received this report a couple of days ago from our Vineyard Manager:

Bloom is just around the corner. Even though bud break was about 5-7 days later than average, we're seeing hints bloom is about to occur. Technically, bloom is when 50% of a cluster has the calyptras dropped so you can see the stamen. The number of clusters showing this condition on a vine is a factor growers take into consideration before they declare that bloom is taking place in a vineyard block. The current heat spell will certainly speed things up. The 600 degree day mark is another indicator that bloom is surfacing. The impact of temperature can not be overlooked because the time necessary to complete bloom is directly influenced by temperature. Typically, faster bloom periods result in better fruit set.

The series of recent rain storms offered mixed blessings. While the storms certainly helped replenish the upper soil profile, the flip side is that we have seen weed pressure and the threat of powdery mildew.

Overall, shoot growth looks good. I'm still seeing quite a bit of yellowish color in areas where Chardonnay & Syrah grow. However, I suspect those soils will warm up and dry out a bit more and the leaves will color up.

Very soon, the first set of movable wires on vertical shoot positioned vineyards will get moved upward to catch the young growth. Timing this right can be tricky. If you wait too long, the tendrils begin grabbing the adjacent shoots and the canopy becomes tangled. But, if you act too soon, you don't get enough shoots above the wires. Nothing is as simple as it seems. Then again, if high-end growing was simple, vineyard managers could find themselves on a list of endangered species.

In reading this report there are a few conclusions I can make. Overall, the rain is very good news as things were looking so dry earlier. At the 600 degree days mark we are between 1/3 and 1/4 of the way there, as we typically wind up with about 2100-2400 degree days for the year. And there is more hands on care that goes into high end wine grape growing than people could ever imagine. While the growers in the Central Valley and other places may do industrialized farming, our Napa, Sonoma Coast and Santa Lucia Highlands vineyards are much smaller and more carefully tended (by hand).

Looks at this point that things are shaping up to be a good year!

The Good Glass

The glass makes a difference. A very big difference. Anyone saying otherwise simply has not had the experience of fine wine in a good glass.

Fine wine deserves a good glass. And the price of the glass is really no more than the wine in the glass. So...just do it. In effect, the glass pays for itself the first time you use it. And you will be glad you spent that small amount of money because the glass can give you enjoyment over and over again (unlike that wine equating to the cost of the glass, which is quaffed and gone).

A good glass adds much to the whole experience. A very big part of wine tasting involves the olfactory senses. More than the actual taste, the aromas make the wine. A good glass will have a fairly large bowl. The wine fills only a small part of this bowl. The big bowl thus provides the environment in which the wine aromas can develop and concentrate. You swirl the glass and the alcohol and complex chemical compounds in the wine volatize and lift the aromas above the wine.

A good Burgundy or Pinot Noir glass will have a very large bowl- often 25 ounces or so- and a relatively small opening. When the glass is lifted to the mouth and nose, these concentrated aromatics are then directed to the olfactory senses. With fine wine, the effect can be utterly captivating and intoxicating. Never mind the alcohol- the aromatics alone can make you swoon.
The big bowl also allows you to really swirl the wine and enjoy the beautiful colors and brilliant clarity of the wine. Trust me on this. Swirl that wine in the beautiful crystal with the long elegant stem and you too will feel more elegant and sophisticated, even if you're enjoying the wine at the kitchen table in your PJs.

What to buy? There are many good brands. Riedel is the popular gold standard but is on the pricey side.

Schott Zwiesel makes several lines with titanium and no lead in the crytal. We like these glasses alot for their beautiful lines, durability (you can put them in the dishwasher, unlike alot of crystal), environmental and health friendliness (i.e., no lead) and reasonable cost. I recently bought some of their Forte Claret Burgundy line for wine tastings at about $9 per stem, shipping included from BeverageFactory.com.

Other popular brands include Spiegelau and Peugeot.

Each of these brands has at least several lines at various price levels.

At the top end, for the connesieur, are hand blown crystal glasses that can run upwards of $100 per stem. I have never used these and can't speak to whether the additional expense makes that much of a difference. Some people swear by them. While I haven't made that splurge, if you are drinking first growth Bordeaux, or Premier Cru French Burgundy or cult California Pinot Noir, perhaps the cost is justified. A $100 stem does not seem so outrageous if it is filled with wine that is also worth $100 per glass.

But to sum up, the take away here is to buy stemware that is at least good enough to really enjoy fine wine. And that can be done at a very reasonable price.

Cheers,
Dave

Takin' it to a Whole 'Nother Level

I was talking with a new wine friend, Ray Walker, recently, who put things in perspective for me.

I was in my law office, talking to him between legal projects. I am making wine in California. Surely, I think, I am really puttin' it on the line, makin' wine, livin' the dream. But I continue to live (most of the time ) in Greenville, still practice law, and am making tiny quantities of handcrafted artisan wine.

Ray was a stock broker. He quit his day job and went to work for Ed Kurtzmann as a cellar rat. Ray is married and has a baby daughter.

And get this, because this is the real kicker: Ray is now preparing to move from California to Burgundy to start a French winery business. He will be what the French call a Negociant. This means, in his case, that he will buy grapes and make wine in Burgundy. He will also be working with two highly regarded Burgundy winemakers.

God knows how Ray talked his wife into doing this. Ray has been very busy learning French and studying French culture. The logistics are daunting to say the least. The winemaking itself may be the easiest part of this venture because Ray already knows how to do this!

So, Godspeed and Good Luck, Ray. I hope to come visit you in Burgundy some time after you have gotten settled in to see how they do it on the other side of the pond. Check out Ray's story at http://www.maison-ilan.com/. There is a link to Ray's website on my blogroll on the left side of the Calicaro blog page. Ray recently changed the name of his winemaking business to Maison Ilan from Domaine Ilan, which is more fitting for him as a negociant purchasing grapes rather than owning a vineyard.

And if anyone stilll thinks I am crazy, I am going to tell them Ray's story!

Cheers,

Dave

Slow is Good at Reverence Vineyard

I recently received this report from Alan Baker, one of our California Calicaro people about our Napa Cabernet vineyard:

On Wednesday, April 8th, I managed to sneak out of the winery for a quick visit to Reverence Vineyard in Napa Valley’s Coombsville region. I met up with Aaron DeBeers who is the vineyard manager, and he gave me the scoop on what’s up.
Because last year was such a tough year for frost, Aaron is taking no chances this year. They did a partial pruning this winter where they cut the canes back to about 7-10 buds per cane. They saw buds swelling a couple weeks back and as soon as they saw green growth on the buds at the end of the canes, they went through and pruned each cane back to two buds. This last minute pruning causes the vine to stop pushing the remaining couple buds for a up to a couple weeks, which keeps the sensitive growth protected for that much longer in frost season. And due to that late pruning activity Reverence is only at about 5% bud break. Some nearby vineyards already have three-inch shoots.

The Cabernet Sauvignon at Reverence is planted in very rocky soil so the yield has been very low, typically below 2 tons per acre. And with frost damage last year it barely topped a single ton per acre. Aaron is on a long-term program to add organic matter into the soil. He added compost to the vineyard last October, and his guys were just finishing mowing the cover crop (mostly Rye) and mulching that between the rows. Along with adding nutrients back into the soil you want to get this cover crop down this time of year because it will trap cold air and magnify the frost threat...

Aaron doesn’t expect to apply his first spray for a couple weeks when the plants start to leaf out and become more susceptible to mildew and frost.
The Cab is Clone 115, mostly on 110-R rootstock.
Oh, and because the soil is pretty much just rock, it doesn’t hold moisture, and as a result the wells can’t keep up. This means they have to truck in water, which is basically someone’s full time job once irrigation starts. A lot of work for a couple tons per acre.
ab

Devereaux's Clive Coates Burgundy Wine Dinner

I was fortunate to be able to attend the Clive Coates Burgundy Wine Dinner at Devereaux's on April 3. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Coates, he is a renown wine critic and writer who focuses on France. He has spent much of the last 30 years living in Burgundy and has written the definitive volumes on this complex and sublime wine region. His latest, The Wines of Burgundy" came out last year and runs to almost 900 pages. I bought a copy and he graciously signed it. It will be my new "go to" resource on all matters Burgundy- an area that confounds and overwhelms me with its inter- relationships and vast numbers of winemakers.

Here are my notes from the dinner and the tasting:

Greeting Wine:
Jean Claude Thevenet Blanc de Blancs de Chardonnay Brut NV
Yeasty bread, Meyer lemon, orange, apricot, cream custard, crisp minerality. Excellent value at $28

Cauliflower Vichyssoise with Smoked Salmon Potato Salad, Sturgeon Caviar, Crispy Leeks

2006 Jean-Marc Pillot, Bourgogne Blanc
Gorgeous complex nose. On the palate, green apple, lime oil, various stone fruits, including apricot, minerality, short dry finish. Also good at $33

Seared Halibut with Bok Choy, Broccoli, Red Peppers, Five Spice Consomme

2005 Buisson, Saint Romain Rouge
Slight funk on the nose, with dried cherries. On the palate, dried cherries, sour cherries, truffles, earth. Finish with noticeable grain in the tannins. Nice light Pinot, a bit rustic. Beautifully paired with the Five Spice- each played and built off the other. Could benefit from more bottle age. Good value for a Burgundy at $36

Roasted Breast of Duck with Spiced Carrots, Onion Marmalade, Wild Huckleberry Jus

2004 JM Morey Santenay 1er Cru "Grand Clos Rousseau"
My Wine Of The Night. Slight but not objectionable alc on the nose with the classic cherry and earth. Well balanced, good acidity, dried cherries, pepper. Velvety tannins and lush mouthfeel. Med finish. Very good value at $51.

48 Hour Beef Shortrib with Celery Root Puree, Spinach, Sweet Garlic Emulsion

2005 Harmond- Geoffroy Gevrey Chambertin "En Jouise".
Noticeable alc on the nose and a little hot on the palate. Big and extracted, more like a slightly over the top Cali Pinot. Settled down a bit as it sat in the glass. Sour cherry. At $62 I would pass and go with the JM Morey Santenay described above, which had enough stuffing to stand up to the shortribs, a very rich dish.

Wonderful meal, great wines, an incredible evening, one I will never forget. Thanks to Clive Coates for coming to Devreaux's in Greenville, SC for this special evening. Thanks to Steven Devereaux Greene for an exquisite meal that worked so well with the wines. Thanks to Ed Greene and Richard Peck for the wine selections. And thanks to Richard and Susan, Donna, Ted, Malinda and Shauna, gracious and wonderful dinner companions, one and all.

Cheers,

Dave

Stepping Outside of the Bubble

Our new President has said he will try hard to keep in touch with the concerns of the average Americans. I don't know if this is possible, given the extent to which our Presidents are protected, but I think it is a good intention and I hope it works. If he can accomplish this I think it will serve his Presidency and this country well.

We try to take the same approach in our own small way. In other words, we believe any winemaker who drinks only his own stuff is living in a bubble.The same thing is true of a chef, a musical composer, an artist or anyone engaged in any form of creative endeavor.

So we try to keep in touch with a wide range of wines. Why?

First, we like a wide range of wines, and not just the varietals we make.

Second, even if you are making DRC, drinking the same stuff and only the same stuff all of the time gets boring. Yeah, drinking $800 bottles of Burgundy could get boring if that is all you are drinking.

Third, there are alot of Pinot makers whose stuff we like alot, and not just the Pinot makers working in our same style. We posted last weekend about a Pinot Noir Shootout and that list included some of our favorites. Others include Arcadian, Kosta Browne, Rivers Marie and many others. Some of them are very pricey and hard to find.

Part of our motivation in starting Calicaro was to make really super high end Pinot and bring it to the Southeast at a price below many of the high end brands. Given that many of these brands are north of $70 and sometimes north of $100 we can do that.

Other varietals we like include Syrah, Zinfandel, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Chards, Sauv Blanc, and more exotic whites such as Viognier and Roussane. Alot of times I feel like the quality of the fruit and winemaking is more important to my enjoyment of the wine than the varietal. A well made Sauv Blanc can trump an inferior Cab Sauv most any day.


Cheers,

Dave

Annahala (Hayley) Vineyard Pinot Noir

If you check out our website (http://www.calicaro.com/) you will see that we have two '08 Pinots listed for sale upon release this fall- one from Sonoma Coast and one from Santa Lucia Highlands.

While we haven't listed it on the website, we are also going to have a tiny bit (10 cases- 119 bottles) of Annahala (Hayley) Vineyard Pinot Noir as well. The Hayley Vineyard Pinot is '07 vintage (a stellar year in N Cali), is a single vineyard bottling from this first rate Anderson Valley vineyard located between Boonville and Philo. Hayley had 10 months in the barrel and now has had some bottle age as well before release. We are labelling the wine now and should have some ready to ship in a month or so.

We held this back because it was our first time at bat and wanted to see how it developed before offering any for sale. It has our name on it and we wanted to be absolutely sure it was done right. I am happy to report that I opened our first bottle in early March and it was tasting great.

Really fresh, pure and light on its feet, complex lifted aromatics, great concentrated red fruit flavor profile of raspberries, strawberries and cranberries. Lighter oak (33% new Francois Freres) than our other wines, nice acidity (will be excellent with food) and just a hint of effervescence. This Pinot tastes like a spring day. We opened it at a restaurant introduction and it was liked all around.

We're only going to sell a small amount as we want to hold some back for wine festival pouring, restaurant and distributor introductions, charity donations and for ourselves and very special friends!

If you want some too, shoot me an email info@calicaro.com or give me a call (864.483.9972) and we'll try to set some aside for you.

And if you're wondering why the parenthetical name- it is because Annahala is a registered trademark owned by Premier Pacific Vineyards- the vineyard owner. So we are calling our little block of this vineyard "Hayley", and that is the name that will appear on the label.

Cheers,
Dave

Widget

Drinking Wine From a Brown Bag

Last night we hosted a small group for a Pinot Noir Shootout. We kicked in a bunch of Cali Pinots and folks brought more. We bagged and numbered them and folks voted for their top 5 of the 11 that were blind tasted.

Midway through our friend Mike leaned over and said he felt like Thomas Hayden Church in Sideways. Mike is of German heritage - he loves good beer and has a great collection of beer steins. So this whole wine thing is kinda new to him. But nevertheless he said if he had to drink wine he definitely felt more at home doing it out of a brown paper bag.

We also did a blind Mystery Wine tasting. The mission is simple: guess what it is.

Here is the complete list of wines tasted. Note we did not serve any Calicaro as still in barrel:

Aperitif:

Manifesto 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Suisun Valley CA

Mystery Wine:

Whetstone 2007 Viognier Catie's Corner Vineyard Russian River Valley CA (only one person got Viognier- several thought it was a Roussanne)

Pinot Noir Shootout Wines:

Siduri 2007 Pinot Noir Sonoma County CA

Freeman 2005 Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley CA

Pey-Lucia 2006 Pinot Noir "Frisquet" Santa Lucia Highlands CA

Lucia 2006 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands CA

Loring Wine Company 2007 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills CA

Ketcham Estate Pinot Noir 2005 Russian River Valley CA

August West 2006 Pinot Noir Graham Family Vineyard Russian River Valley CA

Schug 2006 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast CA

Edna Valley Vineyard 2006 Pinot Noir "Paragon" San Luis Obispo County CA

Flying Goat Cellars 2003 Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard Santa Maria Valley CA

Pisoni 2005 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Our friend Scott also brought a very nice Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier and an exceptionally good 2005 Nicolas Potel Savigny-les-Beaune.

Very nice. Winner was the Ketcham Estate Pinot. Second place was the August West. Third the Pisoni. Close behind were the Siduri, the Freeman, the Loring, the Pey Lucia and the Flying Goat. All of the wines were very good and it was hard to pick a winner. All wines received multple votes.

The Pinot Noir Shootout winner gets 2 bottles of Calicaro this fall!

Cheers,
Dave

Judging the Judges

Eric Asimov, chief wine critic of the NY Times, recently wrote an article hailing a so- called new style of lighter, more delicate Cali Pinots, comparing them to the traditional Burgundian approach to winemaking.

So far so good. I think virtually all winemakers are glad that the marketplace is sufficiently large and diverse as to support a wide range of varietals and a wide range of styles within those varietals.

However, Asimov went on to cast some aspersions toward the richer, riper, more robust, dark fruit style that Calicaro and many other Pinot vintners often like to make.

Again, I'll give Asimov some leeway here. As in all trends, one can find examples where things went too far, with high alcohol levels producing a hot finish and wines bearing too much resemblance to cough syrup or cherry coke flavored vodka.

But Asimov paints with far too broad a brush, not just taking up for his favored small list of brands but also choosing to denigrate all the rest of the Cali Pinot world. He takes a stance of moral superiority about a matter that is entirely one of palate preference. And no, in case you're wondering, he did not take any swipes specifcally at Calicaro or any other wine brands, instead suggesting that almost all of the Cali Pinot market seems to fall into this category, with only his small list having seen the light and found their way to true Burgundian Pinot salvation. This is riduculous. Many of the more robust style are wonderful balanced delicious wines and consumers and other critics love them.

The wine bulletin boards went into a frenzy about this. Pinot lovers are a notoriously temperamental and thin skinned variety, just like their favorite grape. Erobertparker.com's thread on the subject has had about 19,000 viewings and about 600 postings, many expressing outrage and, invitably, some taking up for Burgundy and Asimov.

Yours truly posted a number of times. My point was that we all have style preferences. Let's just acknowledge that and agree that one style has no inherent superiority over another style. Judge against others in that style and forget the rest. In other words, just because Burgundy is traditionally a lighter and more demure expression of Pinot Noir does not mean that the more rubust Cali style is inferior or unworthy. Clearly, the market agrees with me, as the richer, riper style has become more popular in the last 15 years.

And why judge Cali Pinot against Burgundy anyway? Isn't the idea of terroir to express the place where it comes from, and clearly the favorable Cali climate allows for riper fruit than Burgundy?

Shouldn't we judge wines against others of the same style rather than different styles, and just acknowledge that they are different styles and will appeal to different groups of people based on their palate preferences?

This idea started a whole new thread, which has now taken off with alot of postings.

So here's the question: should a critic judge subjectively according to his or her palate? And if so, should the critic provide full and frequent disclosure of his or her palate preference so the consumer can tell whether their palates match up?

Or should the critic reach for a measure of objectivity and professionalism, judging a wine as objectively as possible against quality parameters applied equally to other wines made in the same style?

Or is there room in the marketplace of ideas for both approaches?

Cheers,

Dave

Weather Update

The inexplicable and semi- perverse laws of the universe apply-

Bring an umbrella so it won't rain.
Cabs everywhere until you need one.
I write about the dry conditions in N Cal and the heavens open up, the rain falls and the creeks rise.

So the growers are now ecstatic because they really needed the rain. And we winemakers aren't complaining either. While we high quality winemakers like low crop yields and dry conditions can promote that, we had reached a point after 3 drought years where it was possible that growers could not even supply enough fruit to make wine. And while we have had alot of rain in N Cal in the last few weeks it really just brings it back up within the low end of the normal range. So now it looks like growers will be able to supply fruit but yields will still be small.

We are now waiting for budbreak. This should come within the next few weeks. And, with any luck, we won't have any post budbreak freezes that could dramatically reduce the crop.

And maybe I shouldn't write about that, for fear of triggering one of those inexplicable universal laws!

Cheers,
Dave
Calicaro Wine

Calicaro Barrel Sample Tasting at Soby's

We received four barrel samples of wine and one finished wine this past Wednesday. On Thursday I took them in to Soby's, a great restaurant here in Greenville, and popped corks for a tasting with the Soby's and Devereaux's management and with a possible wine distributor.

All of the barrel samples showed really well, especially considering they had been in barrel for only a few months and had then traveled cross country. Things went really well. Everyone liked the wines, some of them alot. Soby's asked me to stick around and pour for their wait staff at their evening "lineup" which is a meeting at which they talk about the evening menu specials, etc.

For me, and many others, the killer sample at this point was the 667 clone from a Francois Freres barrel for our "Paris Mountain" Lone Oak Pinot. Velvety tannins, sumptuous dark cherry and berry flavors, long finish. It was already tasting like a finished and ready to drink Pinot.

Another favorite was the Annahala (Hayley) Vineyard Pinot from Anderson Valley, our only finished wine at this point. This was bottled in 08 and now has about about 6 months of bottle age. Wonderfully fresh taste and feel, light on its feet, zingy acidity, red fruit, especially raspberries and cranberries showing. It tastes like a spring day.

The Sonoma Coast samples were a 667 clone in a Francois Frere barrel and an 828/115 clone co-ferment from a Remond barrel. Both excellent also but not quite tasting like finished wines at this early point.

We finished off with the Napa Cabernet from a Taransaud barrel. Big, dark, more extracted of course than the Pinots, with plenty of solid structure but not having that maximum-pucker-I'll-tell-you-when I'm- ready-which-will-be-about-15-years-from-now feel. We could tell already that this will be drinking really well upon release after another 18 months or so in French oak. Just the way we like 'em.

Cheers,
Dave
Calicaro Wine

Western Civ Survey 101, Through a Wine Glass

I'm about midway on Thomas Pellechia's book, Wine The 8,000 Year-Old Story of the Wine Trade. Pellechia has been in the wine business forever, having owned a winery, owned a wine shop...but per his bio he is not a historian. Pay no mind. Pellechia has done his homework and then some.

The book feels a bit like a Western Civ survey course...it skips like a stone across the millenia. However there are fascinating details.

The excavation of Pompeii revealed some 200 wine bars, with the prices still written on the walls.

Rome had the first cult wine, comprised of three vineyards separately vinified. It maintained cult status for 300 years.

The early vessels for wine transport were amphora that were pointed on the bottom- they held them in place by wedging them into holes.

Grappa, still popular in Italy, is made from pomace, the mass of leftover skins and seeds, and was originally made by the peasants who could not afford wine.

Viticulture was studied and written about by early Romans who advocated the idea of terroir.

Overall, I am struck by how little things have changed. Status, prestige, competition for markets, debates among viticultural gurus, branding, taxes, distribution channels, wine experts who tasted and rated wines. It was all there 2000 or more years ago.

Cheers,



Dave

The Green Movement in Wine

Anyone can see that "green" is the new statistical mean. This is playing out in innumerable ways that I have to believe will be better for our planet.

How does this affect wine? In the rarified world of wine, it is easy to forget that wine is at its core an agricultural product that is brought to market and sold. In that sense it no different than a head of lettuce (although Gary Pisoni, the well known Pinot Noir grower in Santa Lucia Highlands, famously asked his father, when his father complained about the high price of a vineyard and said that he should have stuck with lettuce, whether his father had ever heard of a lettuce tasting? Twenty some odd years later we know who was right on Gary's crazy planting vines idea).

There are a mutltude of implications and consequences of the green movement. On the bottling end, we are seeing lighter weight bottles that use less materials and can be shipped more inexpensively. The conversion to screw caps from cork is becoming widespread, even on the higher priced wines. We will probably start seeing other types of containers for quality wines. I think we will see better wines sold in the box format.

This is anethema to some but I say let's have at it. I don't think there is anything magical about heavy glass and cork. Wine, properly sealed and stored, will taste delicious out of other containers.

In the vineyards, sustainable viticulture is now widely practiced. Organic has gone mainstream and is practiced by top vineyards with excellent results. The more avant garde are now adopting biodynamic viticulture, which goes well beyond organic. Some of the biodynamic practices appear sound and some seem mystical and superstitious. One can imagine what the wine scientists at UC Davis are thinking about this latest trend.

As for the eat and drink local movement to increase freshness and reduce the use of fuel in trasporting, well, wine is different and here we have reached the logical limitations. While there are wineries in every state now (yes, even Alaska has a winery but they import the juice to make the wine) the buy local movement is not going to extend to the point of convincing people to swap Cabernet for Muscadine. I'll buy local lettuce and I'll buy some local or regional wine- North Carolina and Virginia are producing some good wines- but for the vast majority I will look to the West Coast for wine for personal consumption and for the grapes that will become Calicaro wines that we make in California.

As to other green measures, Calicaro will try to be an early adopter of green practices within the constraints of what can be done and what is available to Calicaro in the marketplace. In many instances we believe this will be good for both the wine and the planet.

Cheers,

Dave
Calicaro Wine

Lawyers Just Wanna Make Wine (props to Cyndi Lauper)

I've been a practicing attorney for 30 years now. It is for me a gratifying and intellectually stimulating career. But it is a world of abstraction and symbols. For the most part, when the legal work is done, the papers are signed and filed away and everyone hopes it is not necessary to pull them back out.

Making wine couldn't be more different. I can't think of anything more tangible than wine (well, maybe one thing but unlike wine if you pay for it in 49 states you can go to jail). Taste, touch, sight, smell and, yes, even hearing get engaged. If it is good wine and you are present with the wine, these senses can be really engaged. And if you have some powerful good juice going on in the glass, it will command your attention. I don't suppose the Zen Masters had wine in mind when speaking of mindfulness, but I don't think there is any question that good wine rewards mindfulness.

Combine this sensory engagement with how wine is produced, the sheer physicality of the making of wine. And then combine that further still with the rootedness and struggle of the vine, the prodigious fertility, the historic methods and traditions of juice becoming wine, the sacramental role of wine, all inextricably tied to the endless cycle of nature itself. Clearly, there is some big time mojo at work here.

At its core, winemaking hasn't changed in 7,000 years. One historian joked that maybe winemaking is really the oldest profession (and again, having the distinct advantage of being legal in all states). To top off all of this, the end result, what is in the glass, is deeply connected to that entire process of earthiness, richness, ripeness, rootedness.

No wonder so many winemakers and winery owners are lawyers. It is the opposite of words on paper. It is as real as real gets.

Think I am wrong on this? Well, for starters, how about Robert Parker, the most influential wine critic in the past quarter century? He is a co-owner of Beaux Freres in Oregon. Jess Jackson of Kendall Jackson fame. Tom Stolpman of Stolpman Vineyard. Ross Stromberg, a health care business attorney who poured his wine for me at a lawyer conference and unknowingly started me on this journey.

Many, many others, some famous and some just making a little wine on the side. More than a few are what the French call garagistes, the cars parked in the driveway, the garage chock full of fermentation tanks, barrels and presses.

My takeaway from all of this? Love what you do and do what you love. And, because you will do that 40 hours a week for 40 years, find the opposite of that and love that too.

Cheers,


Dave
Calicaro Wine

'Splainin' Wine in Beer City

A classic routine on "I Love Lucy" involved Lucy getting busted in her not-so-clever ruses. When the jig was up, Desi would fold his arms in judgment, give her that look, and say "Lucy...you got some 'splainin' to do!"

I've learned that starting a California winery when you live most of the time in South Carolina means having some 'splainin' to do.

We were out for dinner recently with a group of skiing friends. The restaurant is a casual pizza place with an incredible craft beer selection. It is popular with this group of friends for two reasons- really good, big, cheap pizzas and two hundred plus craft beers. Its like a Wine Spectator Award list for beer.

As hearty brew was pounded down, I was questioned about this crazy Calicaro Winery idea, not the least of which had to do with why the wine cost over $15 a bottle.

I love this group of friends. But this is not the crowd that will swirl, sniff and talk about getting a hint of crushed violets on the nose. Its more about burning 3,000 calories on the slopes and then quickly and inexpensively replacing them so we can ski again tomorrow. But everyone was having a blast examining the never-heard-of craft made beers on the list and trying some of this and some of that.

In response to the Calicaro question, I stammered and stumbled, defensively trying to explain what I was up to and why my wine was pricey. Then the light bulb went on. Craft beer is to Budweiser as Calicaro Wine is to $20 grocery store wine.

Double the price but so much more going on in the glass. Character, personality, distinctiveness, intense flavors. Hand made. Yeah, double the price but about ten times as satisfying. Not something designed to stay on the center line so as not to offend anyone. Because when you don't offend anyone, you don't please anyone either. You are Middle of the Road and that is frankly boring.

The craft beer comparison connected. And these friends and others will try some Calicaro and other good wine soon, through some tastings. I'll try to control my missionary zeal. Nothing is worse than a well meaning friend intent on "improving" you. I really don't want to be that guy.

So, we'll see. They are all happy living in Beer City. But we'll take the bus over to Wineopolis for the day and do a little sightseeing. I'll try to be the tour guide and not the Wineopolis Chamber of Commerce President.

Cheers,

Dave

The Clone Wars

I participate in a wine bulletin board called Wine Talk on erobertparker.com. It is an amazing forum- some 7200 people from all over the world with a strong interest in wine.

Many top notch growers and winemakers participate and the discussions can get very lively, even heated about many issues.

One issue that got kicked around recently was Pinot Noir clones. Maybe a little esoteric for most folks but I find it fascinating. Basically, there are many variations of the Pinot Noir grape, all called Pinot Noir.

What was so fascinating about all of this, that even the casual wine observer might find interesting, was that on even the most basic ideas there was little to no consensus.

I will offer up one item on which there was broad consensus among growers and then mention a few items on which there was no real consensus.

Flavor and other sensory attributes are affected by what specific clone of Pinot Noir is used to make the wine. Yes- there was broad agreement!

On the following items there was broad disagreement-

The extent to which the clone selection was a factor in the wine- many saying it was very important but some saying much less than other attributes- even so far as to call it a red herring issue.

The extent to which clone selection was a factor over time- some saying the grapes mutate so fast that over a period of some years it doesn't much matter and others saying it is relatively stable and not mutating over 20- 30 years.

Whether the traditonal approach in the US of separate planting blocks of each clone is important. Some saying yes and some saying massale or field planting is a better way (mixing various clones together for growing and then harvesting and fermenting together- essentially throwing in the towel on the idea of blending wine made from different clones to make a better wine).

Is one group right and the other wrong on this? Well, maybe. But maybe not, too. Each of the growers is reflecting their own observations from their specific vineyards.

And there are at least four hugely important variables that can't be separated out. Terroir, weather, clonal sourcing, and chance.

Teroir is always a wild card, as it is in everything else in winemaking. Clone 667 may be one way here and a different way there.

Weather. There are weather variables within a single vineyard. Imagine how variable it can be when comparing different vineyards.

Clonal sourcing. In France the government maintains strict control over the Pinot clones- a grower goes to the source and gets pure clones. Here it is uncontrolled - growers take cuttings from other growers and on and on. And who knows whether the original plantings were even accurate? Lots of growers brought back "suitcase" clones that were field cuttings from various vineyards in France and for legal reasons do not want to say where they came from.

And last, but not least consider the role chance can play in this. Maybe the grape mutates and maybe it doesn't. Chance.

I love that last element. Making wine by the numbers can work up to a point. But to make great wine, chance and risk are part of the blend. And I think most would be able to agree on that!

Cheers,

Dave

2009 Vintage Weather- Wise

Although it is premature to make any firm predictions, so far it is looking like another dry year in California wine country. We have been in drought for several years now. Growers are hoping for more rain, as water tables have dropped and wells have gone dry. While growers are having a very tough time due to the low yields, winemakers have loved the last several years, provided we can get enough fruit to make wine. The berries have been small, yields low and the flavors concentrated and intense. In short, ideal for making phenomenal wine. California has a couple more months of rainy season so this could change. But as things stand, we are looking for 2009 to be similar to 2008, hopefully without the early season frost and the late summer heat spike.

Every vintage has its challenges and the winemaker must be able to react to what Mother Nature dishes up. We think we are going to have some great fruit and will be able to have another very high quality vintage. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Cheers,

Dave
Calicaro Wine

Transparency

I've been thinking about the idea of transparency recently. It is a timely topic in many regards. Wherever you fit on the political spectrum, you would probably agree that the institutions of government and big business have not demonstrated much transparency in recent years. Even the institutions themsleves have fallen victim to lack of transparency, for example, in buying and selling the so called credit default swaps- the bushel baskets of mortgage backed securities filled with bad apples.

While Calicaro is about as far away from the world of high finance as you can get, I've been thinking about our responsibilities to our customers.

And transparency seems particularly apt, as it is a word many Pinot Noir makers use to describe wine revealing its terroir, ie, the sense of place showing through in the wine.

While we are a new winery, we are starting with a clear sense of who we are, how we want to conduct our business, and how we intend to deal with our customers. Here is our very simple code of ethics:

1. We will be transparent in our winemaking techniques and the wine in all of our communications.

2. We will provide detailed information on the label and our website about the wine chemistry so educated, knowledgeable consumers can make informed choices.

3. We will promptly respond to and address all customer complaints. Where appropriate, eg "corked" wine, we will provide a replacement bottle.

4. We will make the best wine we can. Compromises are for relationships, not for winemaking.

5. We believe high quality winemaking can best be accomplished by staying small. We will stay small to maintain quality.

6. Wine is for enjoyment, pleasure and sharing. As an extension of the enjoyment of the wine itself, we will endeavor to make all of our customer relationships enjoyable.

Cheers,

Dave

Andrea Immer's Great Wine Made Simple

Andrea is one of my favorite wine writers. I am on a first name basis with her even though we haven't met. Maybe it is bit presumptuous of me. But read Andrea and you'll see why. She is one of those people- the kind you just know you could sit down with, share wine, and have a very enjoyable and interesting time.

In a scant few years, Andrea went from Wall Street investment banker to Beverage Director for Windows on the World, the renown restaurant on top of the World Trade Center. Fortunately, the world did not lose Andrea in the 9/11 tragedy and it is a better place for her presence. The last I heard she is Dean of Wine Studies of the French Culinary Institute in NYC.

Her accomplishments are far too numerous to mention here. She has every reason to feel proud. But, unlike some of the wine world, Andrea's writing reveals that she does not place stock in her own importance.

She writes clear, expository, understandable, transparent prose. She grew up in Southern Indiana and she "gets" that most of the world is intimidated by wine. And she hasn't forgotten where she came from. She comes at wine from that perspective. She breaks it down and organizes it into simple charts. She knows that telling most Americans that a wine tastes like red or black currants is of little help because we don't see currants in grocery stores here. So she will find another way, a solution - suggesting we buy a jar of red currant jelly that can be found in the average grocery store.

You can learn alot about wine by reading Andrea. And you may learn something about life too.

Here are a few quotes:

" 'Don't think. Drink.' In that moment, in those words, I learned the true meaning of wine."

"The real purpose of wine is not about the snobbery, the fancy labels, the big bucks, and status symbols that are supposedly going to make you look and feel sophisticated. Its real purpose is simple: Wine is a lube for life."

"...when all is said and done, the wine is just an enhancement to living. It is the life part that matters-the occassion, the lover, the meal, whatever. Now that is real wine knowledge."

From pages 196-7, Great Wine Made Simple.

This advice is coming from from one whose every financial and career incentive is to convince you that it is ALL about THE WINE. That, my friends, is keepin' it real.

Cheers,

Dave
Calicaro Wine

Bring On Da Funk

Really good Pinot Noir often walks a razor's edge between earthiness and elegance. It is one of those really intriguing qualities about this grape. Its kind of like a tuxedo, in all its black classic elegance, that was hung up in the barn for just a few days before the gala event. And that may sound bad, but its definitely not.

Pinot's head may be in the clouds but its feet are planted firmly on the ground. That earthiness brings it back down to. ..well...earth. Pinot reminds us, no matter how elegant or elite the occassion, that we are of this earth. We smell and taste and breathe this earth. It sustains us and when we are gone, what remains of us here is returned to this earth.

And what an earth it is. Taste and smell a variety of good Pinots. It will be unmistakeable. The earthiness gets variously described as mushrooms, truffles, leather, savory herbs, wet earth, loam, barnyard, forest floor, wet animal fur, sweaty socks...

I'll stop there before the descriptions get too funky. You get the idea. All of these fecund complexities and riches, combined with the flavors and aromas of bright red or deep, dark black fruit and counterbalanced with good acidity, can produce a wine that sings. And connects you with the earth and the ages.

Cheeers,

Dave

January 09 Barrel Tasting Notes

Winemaker Barrel Tasting Notes as of January 2009

Our winemaker Chris Nelson forwarded these notes to us recently. Everything is progressing very nicely and the wines are developing with the style and characteristics we are looking for!

2008 Liberty Bridge Pinot Noir

Color: deep purple Aroma: black fruit with cola/spice, smells concentrated Palate: rich mouthfeel with great fruit concentration, good tannin structure and acid. very nice!

2008 Paris Mountain Pinot Noir

Deep garnet color with UV hues. Smells great! Nose shows depth with black and red fruit (blackberry, raspberry, etc), touch floral/spice. Solid tannin backbone from 667 clone, good acid balance, excellent concentration, jammy, some weight forming. Very nice.

2008 Charles Towne Cabernet Sauvignon

Color: Deep, dark red color. Aroma: Dense nose, packed with blackberry and cassis notes. The oak is just starting to integrate into the layered nose. Some nice dried herbs note showing through as well. Palate: Fleshy in the entry, the wine is full bodied, still tight due to its youth, with aggressive tannins packing the finish with focus and structure. Showing tremendous promise.

How and Why Do We Make Wine?

Many people ask us this question. Making good wine is a challenge. Making great wine is a very big challenge. Making great California wine while living in South Carolina? Well, some would say, there is a bed waiting for us at Marshall Pickens Psych Hospital.

Why?

This part is easy. My dad bought a home winemaking kit when I was a kid. He was an engineer who liked science, and tried to expose his kids to this in fun ways. In retrospect, I suppose this was his way to introduce us to chemistry. It worked.

We experimented with every kind of juice we could find, making some really bad wine in the process. After the first go round, we collectively decided a better wine making kit might help and made a trip to a specialty winemaking store that carried high quality varieties of grape juice and equipment. This batch turned out better.

It was great fun, even tasting the really bad wine. Watching the fermentation was like magic. We did not realize we were taking part in a process that, according to archaeologists, has been going on for 7,000 years.

The second catalyst occurred when I was in California last spring at a health care legal conference. An attorney colleague was pouring his own wine at the legal conference wine tasting. I thought: if he can do this then so can I.

After the conference we went to the Monterey Peninsula to sightsee. In the process we tasted some of the local Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. Some of it was good. Some of it was way beyond good. It was all small production wine, sold mostly in California. I thought: we HAVE to get more of this stuff to South Carolina!

How?

Here it gets trickier. First and foremost, we work with really top notch professional people. They make it possible. And fun, although we are very serious about making exceptional wine.

Second, we take a very different approach than a traditional winery. We don't own any land or vineyards. This would tie up too much time, capital and risk. We also don't own any tasting rooms or fancy faux French chateaux. We don't even own a trailer.

Third, we share the winemaking facility, supplies and equipment with other winemakers. This is a common (but not widely acknowledged) approach for small high quality brands and even some bigger wineries. This allows us access to state of the art equipment and processes that we could never afford on our own.

Our facility is in a converted warehouse in the industrial district, far from any Napa or Sonoma wine tours. It ain't pretty and would not impress the tourists (however, our tourist count = zero) but it has everything we need to make great wine.

And this is all good because the grapes don't know the difference. Our money gets spent on really great fruit and really great winemaking people, processes and techniques. We will pay more for the best fruit, talent and equipment and skip all of the window dressing.

And it is showing up strongly in the wines. Our fellow winemakers who have been at this for a few years now are posting some big scores and getting lots of recognition. We are confident we will too. For us, the focus is all on what goes in the glass and nothing else.

The Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs, the movie stars and the retired Fortune 500 CEOS can acquire or create a small Napa or Sonoma California winery for $10-25 million or so. Those fortunate few can buy an instant wine lifestyle.

The rest of us, including many passionate young winemakers with virtually no capital, have to be more creative.

So that is what we do and honestly, we prefer our approach. The camaraderie and shared expertise make for more fun and better wine.

How? Part Two

Next time I'll talk about what happens when the grapes arrive. It's all about fork lifts, getting stained purple up to your elbows, double sorting through tons of fruit and why winemakers say it takes a lot of beer to make wine. It's REAL glamorous!

Cheers,

Dave
Calicaro Wine

Rolling the Dice on Ripeness

When to pick is either the last step in grape growing or the first step in winemaking. As a winemaker I view it as the latter. It also is unquestionably one of the really important choices that can have a profound impact on the wine.

For people who grow fruits and vegetables this seems like such an easy question. The answer, obviously, is to pick when ripe and get it to the table as quickly as possible.

Sometimes it is that easy with wine grapes too, but not often. More frequently, it turns into a high wire act. The sugars race ahead of acid development, or we have good factors on the chemistry analysis (ie pH, brix, TA, etc.) indicating analytical ripeness of the fruit but we still have thicker skins, greenish seeds and stems and the like indicating lack of physiological ripeness and a risk of making a bitter, astringent, tannic wine.

Come September, the growers and winemakers all nervously watch the weather forecast each day and take regular samples for tasting and testing. A late season heat wave will cause the brix (ie sugar) to shoot up and shrivel the grapes, essentially a condition of dehydration that is manageable for a short while but will require a decision to pick right away if the heat drags on.

Conversely, although not much of a problem in California, in Oregon Pinot country (the Willamette Valley) fall means the rainy season. The roots take up the rain water which gets pumped into the berries and dilutes flavor and all of the other good stuff. Imagine pouring 2 ounces of water into your 5 ounces of wine. That's what they do for the little tykes in Europe, but no self respecting adult would want to drink that.

While winemakers have a number of tools in the kit to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at us, most everyone agrees that the ideal is picking when all is ripe and in the best balance, so we don't have to make adjustments in the winery. If only Mother Nature would consistently get on board with this plan!

Many California winemakers, including Calicaro, like longer hang time for the fruit on the vine, producing a richer, riper style of wine. We opt for this approach and strive to peak at peak ripeness, believing our tastebuds and our customers' tastebuds will enjoy that extra concentration and full mouthfeel. Our general preference is rich, round, ripe wine over something tasting bitter, astringent or tannic. So, we will generally roll the dice in favor of longer hang time, trying to squeeze in a few more days on the vine to get that extra flavor that will then show up in the glass.

Cheers,

Dave