The Winetasting.com Blog

Mar 17, 2011 at 10:46 AM

March 16, 2011 | Winetasting.com Team

10 Minutes With Heron Lake Vineyard and Winery

David Mahaffey, Heron Lake Vineyard Located in one of the coolest appellations of the Napa region (in more ways than one!), Heron Lake Vineyard and Winery planted its first vineyards in 1980 and began producing wines under the Olivia Brion label in 2003.

Winemaker David Malaffey sat down with us recently to discuss his role at Heron Lake as a steward of the vineyard in Wild Horse Valley.

The story of Olivia Brion: Fact or fiction? Describe how the Olivia Brion label ties in with your wines. Could you supply a few winemaker adjectives?

David: Well, if you're talking about the real Olivia Brion, the dog depicted on the wine label, then yes, she is fact. She chases turkeys in our vineyard.

The gal on the bicycle, well, she's "legend". She’s an amalgam of women who lived in history woven into one. She's a compilation of all the attributes in women I love and a composite of women she might have known or should have known. We've been historically accurate. But with her paramours with real people, we've expanded the fable here. I'm a "fabulist". That's a 19th-century word for someone like Mark Twain.

We take our winemaking seriously, but not ourselves. Once in a while, the wine business needs a poke in the ribs. Playful, sensual and adventuresome are the words I'd use to describe Olivia Brion and the wine.

Your "green story" involves a big commitment to sustainability. Can you comment on what you have underway in the vineyards?

David: As I'm working the land in my lifetime, I like to think that I'm leaving it intact. We leave wildlife corridors open, and our property is a major flightway for birds, so we end up sharing the fruit with the turkeys who get right through our netting. We use a propane cannon to scare them off, and of course, our dog.

Our guiding principle is gentle handling. We use gravity flow design to process the grapes, solar power for electricity where necessary, and no insecticides. Using native stones from the vineyard and recycled wood, we constructed an outbuilding to store bottled case goods on site instead of storing it offsite in a commercial warehouse. It is thoroughly insulated and needs no refrigeration; just a simple fan is used to create the ideal wine storage temperature.

Tell us about another of your guiding principles: "Think local."

David: We sell mainly to local restaurants and wine shops. We can because we're small, about 1,000 cases/year. I like it at this scale because I can be a generalist.

You are the co-inventor and developer of an "ozone for sanitation" system that's now used by over 700 wineries to save water and avoid harsh chemicals. Can you talk about wine and technological innovation as it relates to the environment?

David: I'm a big believer in less intervention in winemaking. However, I'm not afraid of technological advances. I just want to use them wisely.

John Newmeyer, founder and wine grower
Winegrower John Newmeyer checks the Chardonnay's fermentation.

Ozone for sanitation is a practical alternative to steam or chemical cleaning. Ozone is a form of oxygen that uses three atoms instead of two (as in O2.) An electrical current can break apart two of the atoms and briefly join three of them together. The third is held loosely, and if it has the opportunity to react, it will.

The third atom will destroy bacteria, and what you have left over is O2. It's clean and green. No chemicals needed, and it won't change the flavor of the barrel when you clean it. This use of ozone has many applications in cleaning water and other food products.

On a lighter note, what's your favorite pairing with Pinot Noir?

David: That's easy. If they were going to shoot me in the morning and I was having my last meal, it would be our '07 Olivia Brion Pinot Noir with Copper River Salmon from Alaska, grilled outdoors using the dried pruning canes as wood. The canes impart even heat and a beautiful smoked flavor.

Second choice: the same Pinot Noir with wild pig sausage. We had an invasion of wild pigs back a few years and needed the help of a trapper. We created sausage from those pigs that ate my Pinot Noir grapes!

Mar 16, 2011 at 4:25 PM

J Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

March 14, 2011 | Denise Kotopoulos

Pairing Recipe: Leek and Yukon Gold Potato Bisque

Leek and Yukon Gold Potato Bisque The philosophy at J Vineyards is that wine and food enhance each other beautifully, and have always been meant to be enjoyed together. They carefully craft their wines to complement food and offer these pairings with their tasting experiences at the winery. This original recipe was created by J Vineyards' executive chef, Mark E. Caldwell.

An oak-aged California Chardonnay beautifully matches this soup's creamy-sweet flavor. Rich chicken broth creates a textural balance between the soup and the rich wine. The thick consistency of potatoes is cut by the acidity of the Chardonnay with its citrus, muscat and apple-pear qualities.

Ingredients:

1 tbs unsalted butter
6 leeks (use mostly the white part), washed and sliced
1/2 lb Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into large dice
1/2 yellow onion, cut into large dice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 pint half-and-half
1/2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs caraway seeds
1 tbs dill, chopped fine
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, potato and onion, sweat for about 5 minutes. Add the half-and-half and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until potatoes are tender enough to puree, about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer in batches to a blender. Puree until smooth and pass through a fine mesh strainer into a clean saucepan. Add caraway, lemon and dill. Bring just to a simmer, then lower heat. Adjust seasonings and keep soup warm until ready to serve.

Recommended Wine Pairing:

A sublime combination of Old World minimalist technique and New World fruit expression. Notes of Meyer lemon, peach, vanilla, toasted almond and honey tickle the nose and mouth. The weighty, seamless palate has a creamy texture reminiscent of crème brûlée. A long, luxurious finish exhibits hints of caramel, nutmeg and cinnamon.

[WJSH08R0] $27.99/bottle

Recipe courtesy of J Vineyards & Winery.

Mar 14, 2011 at 2:38 PM

March 10, 2011 | Denise Kotopoulos

Celebrity Status: Famous Names Turned Vintners

To make a success of winemaking, it takes grape-growing expertise, strong management skills, sophisticated equipment and savvy selling. Then there's dealing with Mother Nature, government regulations ... the list goes on and on. And you'll need a whole lot of money up front before you see a dime of it in return (if any).

Oh, there are certainly success stories like Kathryn Kennedy, who produced award-winning wines from her own back yard, but there's no doubt that starting with cash helps. So it makes sense that celebrities would have the capital needed to start and run a winery.

According to the Nielsen Company, celebrity wine sales jumped 19% in grocery stores in 2007 alone. It basically comes down to marketing leverage, something these musicians, actors and athletes had when they jumped into the game.

Musicians

Madonna and her father, Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, collaborated on a handful of wines bearing the superstar's name for Ciccone Vineyard & Winery. Each of the five labels incorporates artwork from Madonna's 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame is drumming up sales with his Mick Fleetwood Private Cellars.

Bob Dylan has bottled an Italian wine blend of Montepulciano and Merlot from Le Terrazze complete with his signature called "Planet Waves", the name of his 1974 album.

Dave Matthews founded Blenheim Vineyards in 2000 near his home in Charlottesville, Virginia. The winery itself was designed by Matthews himself, with the intention to have minimal environmental impact.

Actors

Antonio Banderas, a native of Spain, invested in a winery in the Ribera del Duero region in 2009. Renamed Anta Banderas, the winery produces red wines and roses.

Canadian actor Dan Aykroyd launched his Discovery Series of wines in 2007, which are inspired by his travels to wineries around the globe.

Paul Newman has extended his brand from food products like salad dressing and lemonade into wine with the help of Rebel Wine Co. As with his other products, all profits and royalties after taxes are donated to charity.

French actor Gerard Depardieu has been making wines since the 1980's and owns vineyards in France, Italy, Morocco and Algeria. His Chateau de Tigne produces reds, whites and roses bearing his face and signature.

Athletes

Wayne Gretsky went from ice hockey legend to launching a winery in 2007.

Peggy Fleming, a gold medal skater at the 1968 Olympics owns Fleming Jenkins Winery and Vineyards of Santa Cruz with husband and winemaker, Greg.

Mike Ditka, former NFL coach, has partnered with Mendocino Wine Company to create his lineup of wines which includes a "Kick Ass Red".

Mario Andretti founded Andretti Winery in Napa Valley in 1996 with longtime friend Joe Antonini, former Chairman and CEO of KMart.

Greg Norman has gone from golf to producing red, white and sparkling wines from some of the finest growing regions in Australia and California.

Fellow golfer Ernie Els has a winery in South Africa, and Arnold Palmer is collaborating with Luna Vineyards in the Napa Valley.

Mar 10, 2011 at 3:39 PM