Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 01-22-2021
Randy Meyer
As our regular readers know, from time to time, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Randy Meyer, the Director of Winemaking for BARRA of Mendocino in Mendocino County, California.
Randy graduated from UC Davis and then spent more than two decades at Korbel. He started as a cellar worker, moved to winemaking, and held various titles and responsibilities – including, at one time, brewing beer at Russian River Brewing Company. Randy joined BARRA of Mendocino in June 2019.
The Barra family has been growing grapes in Mendocino County since 1955. That of course makes them true pioneers in the region. Charlie Barra was one of the first grapegrowers on the North Coast to plant Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. After focusing exclusively on grapegrowing for four decades, in 1997, the Barra family began making their own wine under the BARRA of Mendocino brand.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 01-31-2020
Delaplane Cellars
As our regular readers know, from time to time, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Rick Tagg, the winemaker at Delaplane Cellars in Northern Virginia.
Delaplane Cellars was founded by Jim and Betsy Dolphin in 2007. Last year, Daniel and Katie Gomez, along with their friends Nicholas Jordan and Thomas Duckenfield, purchased Delaplane. They look forward to continuing the Dolphins’ legacy of producing high-quality wines, as well as adding additional options for extended tastings with food pairings.
Rick grew up in Northern Virginia and has stayed local. After discovering fine wine while working at French restaurants, he worked as the winemaker at Barrel Oak Winery, also in Delaplane, VA, before joining Delaplane Cellars. Rick is continuing as the winemaker at Delaplane Cellars under the new ownership.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 10-18-2019
Remi Vervier
As our regular readers know, from time to time, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Remi Vervier, the Managing Director and Oenologist of Champagne Palmer & Co.
Remi hails from a Burgundian winemaking family. He was born in Macon, and grew up around the family vineyard in Pouilly Fuissé. He returned to the region after his studies to work at Louis Latour, before joining Champagne Palmer & Co in 2010.
Champagne Palmer & Co. was established in 194 by seven growers. Its wines are created from 415 hectares of vineyards, across forty crus. Once vinified and blended, Palmer’s wines undergo extended sur lie aging – far beyond what Champagne’s laws require – which I think helps impart Palmer’s house style, marked by richness and lusciousness.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 08-02-2019
Trevor Durling
As our regular readers know, from time to time, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Trevor Durling, who in 2017 took over the helm as the chief winemaker of Beaulieu Vineyard.
Trevor is a native of Northern California’s wine country, born and raised in Sonoma. Like many of his colleagues in Napa and Sonoma, he attended UC Davis, worked harvest (in his case, at Sonoma-Cutrer and Gloria Ferrer), and jumped into the industry full-time after graduation. He went from Moon Mountain Vineyard to Provenance Vinerads and Hewitt Vineyard. And in June 2017, he became the chief winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard.
Amazingly, Trevor is only the fifth chief winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard in its almost 120 years’ history. Now one of the most iconic American wine brands, Beaulieu Vineyard was founded by Georges de Latour in 1900. One of Trevor’s four predecessors at Beaulieu Vineyard is the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 06-07-2019
Gabriele Tacconi
As our regular readers know, from time to time, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Gabriele Tacconi, the chief winemaker at Ruffino.
You have undoubtedly seen at least some of Ruffino’s wines in wine shops and restaurants. But you may not have known that Ruffino was founded by Ilario and Leopoldo Ruffino in 1877 — more than 140 years ago — and that Ruffino has continued traditional winemaking while collecting prized vineyards. And while you may be familiar with Ruffino’s Prosecco, Riserva Ducale (Chianti Classico Riserva), or Riserva Ducale Oro (Chianti Classico Gran Selezione), you may not have known that Ruffino also makes Lodola Nuova (Vino Nobile), Modus (Super Tuscan), and Greppone Mazzi (Brunello).
Gabriele has been with Ruffino since 1998. After eleven years, in 2009, he became Ruffino’s chief winemaker, handling production of all of Ruffino’s wines, and he has continued in that role for ten years now.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 04-26-2019
Aaron Lieberman
As our regular readers know, from time to time, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Aaron Lieberman, the winemaker at Iris Vineyards in the Willamette Valley.
Aaron’s interest in the wine industry fittingly started when he was a student at Oregon State University. After some time in Peace Corps, Aaron returned to Oregon and in particular to Willamette Valley to work at Amity Vineyards. After later working at De Ponte Cellars and at Owen Roe, as well as making wine for his own label, in 2008, Aaron became the winemaker at Iris. He has remained in that position for more than 10 years now.
Iris Vineyards is located in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Mountain Range at the south end of the Willamette Valley. Iris Vineyards is owned by Richard Boyles and Pamela Frye, who live on the 800 acre estate. That estate includes Chalice Vineyard, in which Iris Vineyards grows its own grapes.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 07-27-2018
Armando Castagnedi
As our regular readers know, we frequently pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Armando Castagnedi, the owner and winemaker of Tenuta Sant’Antonio in the Veneto region.
Armando was born into the wine industry: his father produced grapes for a wine cooperative. So the industry was natural to him. But it took an affirmative decision by him and his brothers to move from growing and selling grapes to winemaking. They did this over the past three decades by purchasing additional land and initially hiring winemaking consultants.
Today, Armando oversees the estate’s production of various Amarone, Valpolicella, and Soave bottlings, as well as some sweet wines and grappas.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 04-13-2018
Anthony Walkenhorst
As our regular readers know, we frequently pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. After a long hiatus, this week, we are featuring Anthony Walkenhorst, the chief winemaker at Kim Crawford Wines.
It is hard to name a more well-recognized New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc than Kim Crawford’s. But Kim Crawford’s history isn’t long. Founded in 1996, Kim Crawford quickly expanded, exporting its wines to the United States within just two years, and becoming the recognized brand within a decade. In addition to Sauvignon Blanc, Kim Crawford also produced Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Rose. It has just launched a reserve bottling of Sauvignon Blanc.
Anthony joined Kim Crawford as an assistant winemaker in 2005, after graduating with a degree in agricultural science from the University of Adelaide in Southern Australia, and working harvests around the world. Initially at Kim Crawford, Anthony worked alongside the founding winemaker Kim Crawford and focused his efforts on the reds. Then, in 2010, Anthony became the chief winemaker.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 09-15-2017
Jill DelaRiva Russell
As our regular readers know, we frequently pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Jill Russell, who was recently promoted to be the winemaker at Cambria Winery of the Santa Maria Valley in California’s Central Coast.
(We recently interviewed Jonathan Nagy, the winemaker at Byron Winery, who had previously worked at Cambria.)
Cambria is a part of the Jackson Family Wines portfolio. Following the footsteps of the late Jess Jackson, Barbara Banke and Katie and Julia Jackson manage the estate.
Jill studied winemaking at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. After graduating, she stayed in the area and began her career as assistant winemaker at Stephen Ross Wine Cellars. She then worked harvest in France and joined Paul Lato Wines, before being named Cambria’s new winemaker.
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Posted by Albert Pak | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 09-08-2017
Kevin Bersofsky
As our regular readers know, we frequently pose a series of questions to a winemaker to probe their winemaking philosophy and to gain insight into how they became who they are. This week, we are featuring Kevin Bersofsky, the winemaker at Montagne Russe, a California winery specializing in cooler climate regions like the Sonoma Coast and the Russian River Valley.
Kevin gained interest in wine when he took the wine course at Cornell. When he graduated, he began work in other industries, but shortly after 9/11, Kevin decided to abandon his first career to become a line cook in LA. Then he got a call to work for a Napa winery, and soon thereafter made his first wine in his garage with his friends. That was the beginning of Montagne Russe, which now sources fruit from several growers in the cooler California regions.
“Montagne Russe” literally translates to “Russian Mountains,” but the term in French means roller coasters. Kevin explains why he named the winery so.
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