I suspect he was probably sidestepping the issue because he didn’t want to get into talking about things like the techniques used by a company called Enologix – that’s fodder for a whole episode of its own! I read about them awhile back, and it’s pretty interesting stuff. They use software developed in-house to measure things far beyond the usual sugar, acid, pH and alcohol in a quest to match the profile of wines that get 100 point scores from Parker or the Wine Spectator. And tasting? How quaint. Why bother? It appears to be all about the numbers. The owner of Enologix, Leo McCloskey, says he’s identified about 100 chemical compounds that can affect our perception and uses them to compute a “quality index” for the wine. It kind of boils down to analyzing wines that have received the high scores for their chemical breakdown and then advising winemakers regarding when to pick, when to press, etc, based upon his analysis in order to create a wine of similar structure. He claims that winemakers can improve their scores by 5-6 points in one year by using his system. Evidently, he can even take a vineyard that’s naturally disposed to produce a restrained style and can time the pressing and blend in order to produce that unctuous, 99-point style that’s currently in vogue. His market is mainly high-end Cabs.

Who wouldn’t want 99 points? You can’t blame a businessman for trying to make a product that sells. As long as there’s been commercial winemaking there’s been that push and pull between the drive to bottle a unique artistic expression and keeping food on the table. But you’ve got to have a killer vineyard to even begin approaching these scores (I don’t think they’ve figured out a way to fake the fruit yet – stay tuned). It may be an antiquated concept, but would that vineyard make more interesting wine if the winemaker simply attuned himself to it by walking it frequently and making harvest decisions by tasting as well as testing? And used the same approach to winemaking? One of McCloskey’s clients referred to “babysitting the fermentation tank”. Well, conscientious winemakers should be doing that anyway.

And how does that producer feel if he’s made a wine of distinction that languishes on the shelf because it got an 87 from the Wine Spectator? Wine as art/wine as business. What a dilemma!

Critics of McCloskey and proponents of terroir say his methods erase the sense of place and the charming quirkiness that has been inherent to wine. The objection is that they offer us only one style: the highly extracted, so-called fruit-bombs and that we may as well make a box of Cheerios if we’re going to go by the numbers. I think McCloskey would probably say that he’s giving his clients and their customers what they want.

I just keep wondering if the industry and we, as consumers, are going through a phase. Last night I had a glass of Dolcetto with my pasta and it was 14% alcohol (no, it wasn’t a 2003). That can’t be the historic norm for Dolcetto. Sure, I enjoyed it, and it still had that nice little zing of acid you expect, but it’s kind of too bad when a producer in Piemonte feels he has to mimic the California style in order to survive. I’m waiting for the backlash when we all get tired of the huge reds just the way we got tired of fat, over-oaked, overwrought Chardonnays.

If we do, operations like McCloskey’s can simply adjust their parameters. Science marches on. And science has done a whole lot to improve wine over the years. But I think I agree with my buddy, Jeff. If I want a glass of white Burgundy, I want that unmistakable minerality, bright acidity and hint of soy you don’t find in most Napa Valley Chardonnays. If I’m in the mood for a glass of Napa Valley Cab, I want the ripe, luscious black fruit that isn’t (or wasn’t) so evident in a typical Bordeaux equivalent. It would truly be a drag if science and globalization blur the lines beyond recognition.

To read about a great man who was diametrically opposed to Enologix in his approach to winemaking, and still managed to make rich, satisfying wine that also reflects the local terroir, read about Henri Jayer, may he rest in peace.

“Great Wine” by the Numbers? is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

I think it depends upon the consumer. Representing a high-end producer here in the Napa Valley, I find that our customers care very much where the grapes came from, want to understand viticultural practices and are fascinated to know what part of Europe the variety hails from so they can draw the comparison.

The folks who want and need simplified labels are entry level consumers and I don’t blame them. This is a complicated subject, even for those of us who like to think we know something about it – just think of the first time you tried to decipher the label on a German wine or a bottle of Burgundy! Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to simplify the label and make it kind of fun by way of using critter labels or whimsical names for wines under $15.00 or so.

My opinion has always been that all roads lead to Napa Valley Cabernet (my own personal bias – you could just as well say all roads lead to fine Bordeaux). I’ve heard people make fun of White Zin drinkers, but not me. I say “Go for it!” I figure they’ll get bored eventually and maybe try a glass of Pinot Grigio and begin to move on.

Recently, I hosted a delightful young couple from Scottsdale who said they didn’t know much about wine, and yet they’re interested enough to have watched all 2 hours of Mondovino (oy!). We spent probably a good 10 minutes talking about the threat of winemaking becoming globalized and wine character homogenized. We came to the conclusion that while there’s some evidence of it in the low end, and there are even fine wine producers who care more about getting a 96 from Parker or the Wine Spectator than they do about producing a style that’s uniquely their own, there will always be small, artisan producers who try to capture that wonderful and mysterious sense of place.

And the really encouraging thing is to read about the Millenials, who are characterized as a generation that wants to know where its food and wine comes from and doesn’t mind spending a bit more for quality. That can only be good for the future of small producers with high standards and fortunately, while we may not produce much volume, we proliferate all over the world.

Dumbing down of wine labels and wine? is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

At least for a small producer like Goosecross, the Winemaker is also the Vineyard Manager, and he gets really up-close and personal with the crop. He’s been walking the vine rows repeatedly, starting last winter with pruning, and then on to cultivating, shoot thinning, cluster thinning, checking for nutrient deficiencies and pest problems, more thinning, and he’s still walking now, checking the sugar and acid, tasting. He has a relationship with those vines.

And harvest is his one chance the whole year to get it right. You know if you make beer, or almost anything else, you can order the ingredients and get into production when it’s convenient. Not wine. When the grapes are ready, you’d better be in the mood! He needs to make the right decisions every step of the way from fresh grapes to wine and it all happens rather quickly. Once the wine is made, its basic character is pretty much formed and the goal is to sculpt and hone – not to do damage control.

We’ve started with a bang this year! 71/2 tons of Sauvignon Blanc Tuesday the 12th, 8 tons more on Wednesday, Chenin Blanc on Thursday and Cabernet from Howell Mountain on Friday! Literally, tons of work! We’ve got a play-by-play of the Goosecross crush if you check our Harvest Calendar, which is updated regularly. I think you’ll be surprised to see how quickly grape juice converts to wine, which is why it’s 24/7, and leads to the key phrase for surviving the crush: “Stock up. It takes a whole lot of beer to make good wine!”

Another Year, Another Harvest… is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

If you know our website at all, you know that we love to eat around here and that Colleen Topper, our proprietor, is our tireless in-house chef. She’s got over 100 recipes paired with wine at “Colleen’s Kitchen” for you to choose from on our website. She and David Topper (my boss) have been friends with Sherry for years, and I’ve gotten to know her by interviewing her on topics like cooking, gardening, why to buy organic and so forth for our podcasts on Napa Valley Wine Radio.

Anyway, through Sherry’s remarkable generosity, and that of my very-indulgent boss, Colleen and I will be immersed in the wonderful world of wine and food in Provence this October. You’ve heard the phrase travel is broadening, and if you look at our itinerary, that may prove to be literal and I’m leaving my scale at home! Cooking classes, winery visits and lavish lunches in Chateau Neuf du Pape, mushroom hunts, lovely dinners at the farmhouse we’ll call home for the week… What a way to make a living.

I already know that I love the wines of the area and now have the anticipation of enjoying the regional cuisine along with those bright rosés, fragrant whites and deep, spicy reds. My part of the bargain and Colleen’s is to report back to you via blogs, podcasts, and photographs.

It’s not quite a month before we go, so please write back with your own not-to-be-missed Provencal things to do, eat and drink! Cheers!

Culinary Getaways a la Provencal is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

I think he missed the point. We’re talkin’ history, here. In the first wine-boom in California’s history in the 1880s, Cabernet and Chardonnay weren’t it. They were planted here, but Zinfandel was by far, BY FAR the most widely planted grape variety in the state and also here in Napa Valley. Aside from Zin, you probably wouldn’t recognize a lot of the most popular grapes of that day like Mission or Palomino. But Zin is the one that came roaring back after repeal of prohibition while those other formerly popular varieties faded into obscurity. It’s one of the most widely planted varieties in the state. I think it has something to do with the combination of being adaptable and yummy (they used to eat Zin like table grapes).

No, I’m not a spokesperson for ZAP! I know a lot of people think that this was all a publicity ploy on their part, and maybe so. But they’re certainly right that Zin has played a key part in California’s wine history. Whether or not we need official state recognition is another question, but I don’t see why it was necessary to veto such an affectionate little bill. As state Senator Carole Migden said, “Here was at least one thing that Democrats and Republicans came together over – wine!” Bully to that!

Zinfandel is not our state historic wine??!! is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

I was surprised to learn that so little is written about it, and yet, in a way, it makes sense because most people think of bubbly as something you sip at a celebration, not the thing you have with your tuna carpaccio or mushroom omelette.

One of the great pleasures in my life was discovering that sparkling wine is probably the most versatile of all wines with food. Maybe we don’t need to write about it! If someone asked you to create a 5-course meal and pair each course with sparkling wine–no problem, piece of cake (maybe almond cake). Lord help you if that 5-course meal is to be paired with Syrah!

I enjoyed a pleasant feeling of validation as I read on to find the very wide variety of food suggestions, especially from the Champagne producers: scallops, duck, lamb with mushrooms (mushrooms seem to recommended by everyone repeatedly), rabbit, veal chops, soft cheese (brie, comte), hard cheese (parmigiano reggiano), eggs (a very tough match), spring rolls, salmon, blini with caviar, fish and chips, apple and quince tart… You might as well just say “whatever…” Of course, they used different styles of bubbly with the different foods, but the array of possibilities is still pretty impressive. Of course, the dessert is always the trickiest. Just serve a dessert that’s not quite as sweet as the wine and it should work.

Evan Goldstein’s great new book with his mother, Joyce Goldstein, called Perfect Pairings, attributes the incredible adaptability of sparkling wine to its lack of oak, low alcohol and high acid. The lack of tannin probably doesn’t hurt either.

Recently, we’ve done some wine and food pairing events with the Napa Valley Grille and have unexpectedly put the theory to the test. Chef Lyman puts 2 different appetizers on a plate, paired with a couple of Goosecross wines, then 2 small entrees on a plate with a few more Goosecross wines, and then dessert. Inevitably we all mix and match, and over and over again we find that the Goosecross Sparkling Rosé is the wine that marries happily with most of the dishes most of the time – certainly more often than one of our Cabernets! Now, I know Goosecross isn’t known for its sparkling wine – this is something we made to celebrate our 20th anniversary – but it was gratifying to see all those happy faces around the table, course after course.

So, for me, I’ll continue to believe that when in doubt, pop some bubbles (actually, that’s a great philosophy whether there’s food involved or not)! What do you think?

Pairing Sparkling Wine with Food? is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Then, I remembered driving down the street one day as I pulled up behind a car that had thundering music blaring through it’s closed windows. Just as I was getting irritated, I noticed a bumper sticker on that car — “If this music is too loud, then you’re too old”. Trust me, any complaint that I had, I did not voice.

This memory got me thinking, if I don’t understand blogging, then maybe I am getting too old or, at the very least, out of touch with the way those in their 20′s and 30′s choose to communicate (have you ever seen the way their thumbs dance across the keypad of a cell phone IMing?). So, suffice it to say, that was all it took for us to join the new age of information sharing and dissemination. Welcome to the Goosecross blog!

So, where shall we go from here? I feel like I’m throwing a party and don’t know who to invite. But we’ll figure it out…

Welcome to the Goosecross Cellars Blog! is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.