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