WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:06.000 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with which producers narrate their 2 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:11.320 winery and their world. In thirty answers discover their stories, personalities, and 3 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:15.679 passions. Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alison Levine 4 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:20.440 and today I'm in Ballard Canyon in the Sandinez Valley with Peter Stultman of Stoltman 5 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:25.160 Vineyards. Peter's the general manager second generation. Peter tell us a little bit 6 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:33.039 about Stoltman. Yeah, my dad Tom was looking for limestone throughout the Central 7 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:38.880 Coast. He knew about our outcropping in Ballard Canyon. Finally went up for 8 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:43.000 sale in nineteen eighty eight. He was able to buy it in nineteen ninety. 9 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:47.840 There were no vineyards in Ballard Canyon. In Ballard Canyon at the time, 10 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.960 so he took the shotgun approach planted eighteen different fridles. Wow, and 11 00:00:54.359 --> 00:00:59.079 Sarah was the immediate big hit. So today we have one hundred, one 12 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:03.640 hundred and seventy five bakers planted. Half that is Surah and the other half 13 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:08.359 is our fourteen different fritals, so fifteen bridles total. A lot going on. 14 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:12.879 We make about thirty five different wines a year spread out over three different 15 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:18.120 brand Stoltman the classic wines, and then we have another brand, So Fresh 16 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:22.560 and actually bring the hat right now and So Fresh. It's all about carbonic 17 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:30.640 fermentation. So in Center Buber County we have amazing sun intensity, long growing 18 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:36.640 season, very compact winter, a lot of flavor concentration. We don't irrogate 19 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:41.120 our vineyard, especially in a vintage like twenty twenty three where we got plenty 20 00:01:41.159 --> 00:01:44.920 of rain. Eighty percent of the vineyard, all the mature vines will be 21 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:49.879 dry farmed, so we have these tiny grapes packed with flavor. We figured 22 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:52.799 out that if we don't crush the fruit, we leave the grapes whole, 23 00:01:52.920 --> 00:02:00.359 aka carbonic fermentation, we can make dynamic, delicious, chillible wines, fresh 24 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:06.359 wine So Fresh, so half of our production actually it's the Carbonic So Fresh 25 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:08.840 brand. And then we have a tiny little side project with a gentleman named 26 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:15.560 raj Par called Comb and those are just crazy lines like Trousseau and Chennon blanc 27 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:21.240 and Mondus. Now you said you have eighteen or seventeen different varieties or now 28 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:24.360 sorry, you're down to sixteen. But are they all roane varieties? No? 29 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:30.479 So the Rohan bridles for Sarah the Lions share rous song is our main 30 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:32.439 passion for the white. We also have a little bit of ugne and then 31 00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:38.159 granache and mouvedra. At one point Dad had Kumwah and so and so we 32 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:42.080 no longer have those too. Yeah, so we we like mushroomed up to 33 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:46.240 eighteen bridles in the late nineties and then we cut it way back and focused, 34 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:50.560 and then with the comb lines like we have our first Finich of Savignan 35 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:54.360 coming out right now. Some Jurassic bridles have been added through colmb so we've 36 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:59.159 kind of kind of it's like an hour glass shape eighteen. Then we leaned 37 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:04.800 in really focused on their own frittles of course sene Vasis or Italian creative project. 38 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:09.719 And then and then with with comb the Jurassic rattles Mondus from Safwah. 39 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:15.680 We've gotten a little carried away, a little geeky there. What's your total 40 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:20.639 case production? So from the estate we average between twenty five thousand to thirty 41 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:24.599 thousand, and then my partner Ruben, our vendor manager, has planted more 42 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:30.240 Senevasi, more grenache for the So Fresh brand, So we do a little 43 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:35.120 more than just the estates, and I'm sorry that twenty five thousand includes the 44 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:39.639 so fresh, So the twenty to thirty from the estates and then so fresh 45 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:45.520 we do total like fifty five to sixty Okay, wow, wow, So 46 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:50.479 you're buying some fruit. Well, you know it's a hybrid because Rubin is 47 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:55.639 a vineyard manager partner in the Premiere Vineyard Management Company here in some Barbara County. 48 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:00.919 So depending on the particular vineyard, we might be buying Perton, or 49 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:03.719 we might have a ten year lease or a thirty year lease. But the 50 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:09.120 beauty of having Reuben as a partner is that we can plant these venears. 51 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:13.319 We can figure out the vine density, the clonal material, the row orientation, 52 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:16.439 whatever weird grape you want in right, So the only difference is we 53 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:19.720 don't actually buy the land, which is nice. When Dad bought the land 54 00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:24.639 in nineteen ninety, Ballard Canyon was not wine country. Right. There are 55 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:29.160 a few cows, you know, dotted oak trees, golden brush, the 56 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:33.000 Golden state. Now, of course, centa Burbera county like we're no longer 57 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.959 the underdog. You know, when I travel to Europe, I think some 58 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:45.240 Buber County is the best represented American region in Europe when all the Michelin Star 59 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:48.360 restaurants of you know, Saint Maria Hill's pin and Noir, of course Sultman 60 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:53.639 Wines. That's very cool. So your wines are available around the world and 61 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:57.360 in different markets. Yeah, I counted recently, weren't about eighteen countries. 62 00:04:57.560 --> 00:05:05.000 Wow, Wow, go go Ballard Canyon, Barbara. The coolest. My 63 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:11.639 favorite market is France. You know, it's cool. It's cool to start 64 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:15.360 exporting into the UK and Germany and then of course Scandinavia. But when our 65 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:18.920 wines landed in Paris, you know, we had an expression. And growing 66 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:24.240 up in southern California, why would you take your girlfriend into Vegas? That's 67 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:28.560 like bringing sand to the beach. You know, they're already beautiful women there 68 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:32.240 very shop in as to we're teenagers, but I mean talk about bringing sand 69 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:38.360 to the beach, like selling California wine to the French. That was just 70 00:05:38.439 --> 00:05:41.160 like a great pat on the back. And they like it. Yeah, 71 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:45.240 and they keep reordering. It's amazing. So and how many acres total do 72 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:48.560 you own? So the ranch is two hundred eighteen acres and we have one 73 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:54.439 hundred and seventy five planted Okay, so fair amount, Fairmount. So you 74 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:59.560 were obviously younger when your dad bought the property. I'm wondering even prior to 75 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:02.160 that, or how younger were what's your first your first memory relevant to wine? 76 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:09.879 Just having my dad always loved the big like Barolo bulbs, and just 77 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:15.120 having those big crystal glasses on the dinner table, especially if we had company 78 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:19.120 over. There'd be two or three for every adult. And I just remember 79 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:24.079 a little dining room growing up and just you know, a lot of suware, 80 00:06:24.519 --> 00:06:28.839 and of course sticking my little head pretty much in that in that big 81 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:31.480 bulb, and you know, everything smelled like white wine or red wine. 82 00:06:32.279 --> 00:06:36.720 And then as a teenager, I started really picking up nuance and yeah, 83 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:40.560 get getting more and more into it. So as you got more and more 84 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:43.800 into it, is there one wine that stands out as one of those aha 85 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:47.439 moment wines and the beginning of a career or maybe more recently, I don't 86 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:54.560 know an aha moment wine. You know, my biggest Aha moment? I 87 00:06:54.600 --> 00:07:00.279 had a few a teenager, but I'd gotten back from making wine abroad and 88 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:05.279 I'd gone a job at Henry Wine Group and disturb here in California and met 89 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:11.560 my wife there, and I would go do my laundry on Tuesday nights so 90 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:15.759 at mom and dads and have family dinner. And on one such night just 91 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:17.360 tagged along. I don't think I brought my dirty laundry at that time. 92 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:23.319 And so jess Jessica my girlfriend at the time, and all my wife and 93 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:28.360 dad would always let me pick out bottles from his cellar. And you know, 94 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:30.680 we're you know, she had never been in the cellars. We're going 95 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:33.399 around and showing showing her, and she, Oh my god, look at 96 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:38.680 all this sin Equinon and sin Quenton. Of course it's this amazing cold, 97 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:43.600 like big rich, hedonistic uh son of Barbara, really the only true cold 98 00:07:43.639 --> 00:07:46.959 winery and son of Barbara. And I said, oh yeah, back when 99 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:51.639 dad sold grapes to Manford Crankle, the owner had a deal that for every 100 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:55.560 time he sold, he'd get a six pack of wine. And we're talking 101 00:07:55.600 --> 00:08:00.439 like these bottles worth thousands of dollars of that coint and and you know, 102 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:03.519 I hadn't been that into him. I was more on like a old world 103 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:07.800 kick, you know, really working to refine my palate. We were representing 104 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:11.279 Kermit Lynch and all these amazing portfolios and like, yeah, we should try 105 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:15.560 one, like I don't think she'd ever had one, and we picked up. 106 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:20.839 So it's that it was the nineteen ninety seven white wine called Twisted and 107 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:26.000 Bent, I believe, and it was Ruesong dominated with like forty percent chardinay 108 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:31.279 and it was just about ten years old, and it blew my mind. 109 00:08:31.320 --> 00:08:37.279 I'd never had a white wine that rich, that intense, that coding and 110 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:43.000 the irony is. I don't think it was like a direct catalyst for now 111 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:46.600 making a seventy thirty percent chart from the state. We call it Uni after 112 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:52.200 our local delicacy or a delicacy urgin. But I put that together like well 113 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:54.000 maybe like in the back of my mind, it has to be in the 114 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:58.679 very very back recesses in your subconscious right, And it's really just, you 115 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:03.039 know, we in the following year, I think my dad had like nine 116 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:05.080 or ten of them. We drank then all of them, and I've never 117 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:11.240 had that vintage again. But then my buddy Clark, he he owns a 118 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:16.440 restaurant called Full of Life Flatbread Manfred, and it sort of laying frequent the 119 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:22.320 restaurant, and Manfred gave Clark a bottle of his current release of white, 120 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:26.200 and he shared it with us and it was not quite the humum, and 121 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:30.759 I didn't have the bottle age, but it just goes to show like very 122 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:35.240 low yielding Rohan white. You know, it's particularly roots on then with the 123 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:39.519 cidity of chardonnay, it's a magical thing. So obviously, you live in 124 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:43.720 wine country, you work in wine, you make wine, you get to 125 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:46.200 drink a lot of good wine. Clearly, is you just expressed wines that 126 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.639 most people don't get. But I'm curious in your home, in your wine 127 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:54.799 cellar, in your office, on the floor, under a desk, in 128 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:58.720 a wine refrigerator, what kind of wines do we find in your home? 129 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.679 Is it a lot of domestic wine? Is it international? Are there particular 130 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:05.000 grapes that you team tend to drink more of? Personally, we are on 131 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:11.759 a big white burgundy kick, and no, no appellation in particular more so, 132 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:18.639 you know, anything blanc, but especially in the summertime, Like I 133 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:22.799 just love white burgundy and it's just you know, before dinner while we're cooking 134 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.879 and I'm actually overdue for a place in a couple of disorder from the source 135 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:33.240 we wiped out and you know, I only have I think red bottles right 136 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:35.399 now. Oh wow. And so like all my drinking wine, it's in 137 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:41.159 my home office. And then I keep all my collector wine up at dad 138 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:43.679 and cellar up on top of the hill and vineyard. And what's in your 139 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:48.240 collections? What kind of one is? So typically all Northern Rhon. But 140 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:54.200 then I've went deeper and deeper into Brollout because I figured out I can collect 141 00:10:54.279 --> 00:11:01.159 my favorite Northern Arown wines to the quantity I want to for my So Augie 142 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:05.639 was born in twenty seventeen and Otto was born in twenty nineteen. I loved 143 00:11:05.720 --> 00:11:09.679 the nineteen vine inch worldwide. Seventeen was a little more challenging, but I 144 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:13.240 figured out there are great values still, not just like Nebulo Dalba, but 145 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:18.320 Brollo. Yeah. So you know what I'll do. I'll go through and 146 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:22.600 buy max case, figure out what I love, and then buy by the 147 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:26.440 case and hopefully you know, I love Brolo twenty years old, so twenty 148 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:30.440 five years old. So hopefully both my boys will appreciate what I'm doing for 149 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:33.200 them. If not, you will, So those you're laying down for time, 150 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:39.240 But is there anything you drink recently that drink really well. I mean, 151 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:46.480 my favorite producer probably across the board is going on from Saint Chosuf twenty 152 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:52.240 thirteen and sixteen right now are both both stellar. I just had the breathtaking 153 00:11:52.279 --> 00:12:00.440 morseau from a producer brought into California by Ted Vans of the Source Photo. 154 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:05.519 I'm drama, but yeah, that was stuff for the weekend. So you're 155 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:07.240 working with a lot of different grapes and obviously have fallen in love with a 156 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:11.240 lot of different varieties. Do you think there's a such thing as a perfect 157 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:18.000 variety? No? And I mean there's no such thing as a perfect one. 158 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:22.120 You know. I like to talk about like chasing dragons like if like 159 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:28.879 for me, like with our Russom program, I'll always be chasing the dragon 160 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:35.840 of not sin Quinon, but John Mishov Mtugeblanc, you know, just and 161 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:39.720 I still won't like I'll never forget having it out of Magnum at about twenty 162 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:45.240 two years of age, and it was like amber in color and but still 163 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:52.000 had freshness and just so coding and just the texture was just addicting. But 164 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:56.919 I wouldn't call it one perfect like it was just so delicious and wonderful and 165 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:03.480 perplexing and thought provoke. But to me, like perfection, that's not part 166 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:07.679 of wine, like right, like, because I think I'm trying to perfect 167 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:11.000 something and that to me like takes you down the rabbit hole of manipulation. 168 00:13:11.639 --> 00:13:15.240 And I think the beauty of wine is that every vintage just be different. 169 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:18.879 You know, fines are gonna get older, hopefully the wines are better in 170 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:24.679 bottle, are more captivating, right But yeah, to me, like the 171 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:31.559 word perfect that's part of the fun of our artisanal industry. Like, you 172 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:35.679 know, is there perfect painting? You know, no, but because there's 173 00:13:35.799 --> 00:13:39.519 there's there's beauty in it all. But but this idea of chasing the dragon, 174 00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:43.639 I mean, obviously, you know there are brands out there who will 175 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:48.879 chase scores. I know that's that's not how you guys make wine, but 176 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:52.320 a lot of people do follow scores and and try to seek out wines that 177 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:58.159 are these, you know, high scoring wines. What's your opinion on wine 178 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:03.919 critics and scores and how they play a role for you. I think I 179 00:14:03.480 --> 00:14:07.960 remember the wine advocate arriving at our house. You know, I forget if 180 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.759 it came out like bi monthly or whenever. And my dad would you know 181 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:15.519 read through it? And that was pre internet, right, and in the 182 00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:20.399 beginning, Parker, my dad felt like his palette aligned with them, and 183 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:26.759 he trusted him. Parker then evolved and got Richard and Richard and okier and 184 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.799 higher octane, and my dad realized, Okay, I don't like the wine, 185 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:33.879 so if he likes it anymore, but if you do find someone that 186 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:39.840 you align with, that's great. There are a few critics that are reporting 187 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:46.600 that riper high octane style'll still and I've asked them, you know about it, 188 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:50.080 and you know their based Suggists is like, listen, like I've like 189 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:56.440 defined my palette what I'm giving ninety nine hundred points, and my readership now 190 00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:00.279 knows that, and if they're on board, they're going to buy. Would 191 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:03.840 I give those huge writings to And I said, okay, like I'm just 192 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:09.039 in a cruise in that ninety five point realm and know that I'm really not 193 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:11.960 going to break out of that. And you know, it's just fun for 194 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:16.600 me to get reviewed and just to you know, everybody in the game, 195 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:22.519 they're they're sharp, and it's just interested to sit down with Galoony in particular, 196 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:26.440 it's always a fascinating, said. He said some things that have stuck 197 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:30.159 with me, others that I joke about, Like he told me once, 198 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:35.039 why do you take up your beautiful sarrah twar with sench fasi, why do 199 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:39.120 you waste it? And note to self, I'm never showing galoony sentha based 200 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:43.159 again, but I'll never forget like he I showed him a barrel sample of 201 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:48.080 why we call the great places Ruben Solarzano after my partner Ruben and he said, 202 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:52.720 when are you bottling this? So no, like after harvest? And 203 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:56.000 he said what. I'm like, Well, you know, we want to 204 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.720 give it plenty of ocage, plenty of integration. What will get better by 205 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:03.200 waiting? Like because you love the wine? Yeah, you know you're right, 206 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:07.919 Like where are we waiting? And it's so funny. I heard myself 207 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:12.039 said the same thing to yam Monier and Saint just stuff. We were trying 208 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:15.039 the eighteen vintage in twenty nineteen. I'm like, when are you gonna bottle 209 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:21.200 it? So we always fuddle after harvest. I'm like, what dat gloy 210 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:26.480 You're rubbing off on me? Yeah? I mean, and I don't buy 211 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:30.159 wine end points, right, But you know, like it's fun to get 212 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.320 a huge review, and it's fun to like break out of that ninety five 213 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:37.200 point threshold and be like wow, okay, like you thought that finash just 214 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:40.279 like it, like you get it, like you know, like a vintage 215 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:44.399 like the twenty twenty vintage where we had a record breaking heatwave on Labor Day. 216 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:47.679 We didn't have fires down here, but we had that same heatwave that 217 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:51.559 was driving those fires out of control. And I mean, first hear of 218 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:56.240 COVID trying to figure out how we're gonna make wine in the era of COVID, 219 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:59.840 and then we get this enormous heat wave where at the very least when 220 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:03.559 it was it was going to compact our harvests, like everything was dotting, 221 00:17:03.599 --> 00:17:07.680 accelerated in redness. All the wines turned out breadthinking I love them, even 222 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:11.279 though they're a little riper, a little richer than than normal. But it 223 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:15.720 was just it was kind of it was reassuring about the credits to see everything 224 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:19.200 getting bumped like two or three points, like like okay, yeah, they 225 00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:22.279 like the richer repristel. Are they going to get that in nineteen or twenty 226 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:27.200 one? No, So, like I know, like okay, where you 227 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:30.279 know, we hit it out of the park and yeah, sure, like 228 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:33.599 you know our somewhere collectors to pay attention, bought the wine. A few 229 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:37.680 retail shops, you know, beg for allegations and you know, and okay, 230 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.839 that was fun. Let's move on to the next year. So if 231 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:47.519 you okay, you know, if you were to we don't go on scores. 232 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:51.759 And you were talking about a couple great wines you had that were white 233 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:55.319 wines. But as a consumer, if you had to choose red, white 234 00:17:55.359 --> 00:18:00.279 or Rose, I want to stay white, but I have to stick to 235 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:06.160 red, like like white today. But I'm overall red. And it's really 236 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:10.759 funy that you Branda like I'm I haven't been drinking much hirts day, probably 237 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:17.319 for the past decade, but I've I have a very serious addiction to children. 238 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:22.799 And again that's goes about so fresh brand. I mean carbonic reds. 239 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:26.519 You can drink cold, just like a Rose. They have more type, 240 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:33.319 Sure, they have more dynamic flavor. So as far as like getting high 241 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:37.960 on my own supply, I have Childred. I do a lot of childread, 242 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:41.400 whether it's Granache, Gamy Trousseau or Colm Trousseau or like all all the 243 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:44.680 different wines, so we're making that. That is what I gravitate too, 244 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:48.079 and it's what we cook too. Well. Speaking of cooking, how do 245 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:52.720 you approach food and wine pairing. Is it just about a really fun fresh 246 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:56.119 red wine and it goes with anything, or do you follow any rules or 247 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:59.759 guidelines? You're right, the fresh wine is to go with everything, whether 248 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:03.559 it's tie typing, meats, latin. You know, we all think that 249 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:10.960 only reasling for spice, but I love childread with spice. So yeah, 250 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:14.000 the fresh wine sort of no brainer, of course. Like you know, 251 00:19:14.039 --> 00:19:17.759 I have a guilty pleasure that I love caviar and having some like rich deck 252 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:22.000 and white wine. I don't really do champagne and cavir, but I mean 253 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:23.920 I will. I won't say no if you offer it to me, but 254 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:27.839 at home, like I'd rather do a rich or more tactile white with than 255 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:33.240 that salty, rich caviar. But yeah, there's a to me, there's 256 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:36.519 a progression, like if you're really going to eat and drink, well, 257 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:38.839 like you know, it starts for me usually starts to fight. It goes 258 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:42.119 to childred and then if we are doing red meat, then you're doing real 259 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:47.319 red wine. So yeah, I'd love to be a vegetarian. I don't 260 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:48.799 know if it's going to be in the cards. We don't need a lot 261 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:52.839 of red meat, and it's like we never cook red meat at home unless 262 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:59.400 wrapping people over right. But yeah, I mean I know one straw wine 263 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:03.079 maker it's a vegetarian. I'm like, wow. And you do wind Inn 264 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:07.839 a lot of Portobella mushrooms right right, So for someone who hasn't had the 265 00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:11.319 pleasure to taste Doltman wines yet, and obviously you're making a couple of different 266 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:17.079 style wines, but what do you think they're missing out on? The beauty 267 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:22.799 of what my dad was sneaking out and what he found. Limestone shells, 268 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:27.599 right, shelled sea creatures, aquatic creatures. You know, over a million 269 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:33.480 years, million years, between two and three million years ago, we were 270 00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:37.240 a freshwater estuary. The shells piled up. Now we're you know, seven 271 00:20:37.319 --> 00:20:41.680 hundred to eleven hundred feet above sea level. Shells don't have acidity, so 272 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:48.240 anything you grow on shells will be the opposite. And that's so important for 273 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:52.039 California and in particular particular, it's a great privilege. In Santa Barbara, 274 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:57.359 California. We get plenty of sunshine, that long growing season. So classically 275 00:20:57.519 --> 00:21:06.839 what we aim to deliver is delicious coding textures, but then with freshness, 276 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:10.279 with liveliness, and not just for so fresh but for all of our wines, 277 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:14.640 like the I think that's my number one session. I want like the 278 00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:21.119 profile of a taut, perfectly ripe grape, not a baggy, drooping, 279 00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:25.400 sagging, overly ripe grape. Right, and the limestone really that that acidity 280 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:30.119 that enabled that the limestone enables really helps us to deliver that. So again 281 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:37.400 like coding hedonism, but freshman live. So if space aliens were to land 282 00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:40.880 on your property right now, which of your wines would you welcome them with? 283 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:45.559 Say, welcome to Stoltman. I have to impress them right so you 284 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:52.599 know, to me, our most collectible wine is the Great Places August James 285 00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:56.960 Stoltman, named after my elder son, who in turn is named after August 286 00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:03.720 Clop of Cornas. It's just two acre block twelve thousand vines, and those 287 00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:07.640 two acres a really tight together. It takes ten vines to make one bottle 288 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:12.720 of one. The preclonal cerameterial was so low it is today, so low 289 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:18.440 yielding. We had barely any fruit, tiny clusters, but just amazing depth. 290 00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:26.400 And that block includes the mother vine program. It's the only mother vine 291 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:32.279 that we know of in the world where we took one special preclonal cutting and 292 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:37.160 rather than by the way, the majority of our vineyard is own rooted and 293 00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:41.359 this particular block is too, so we own rooted this special cutting. And 294 00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:47.400 then rather than cutting the growth again and replanting adjacent, we trenched the growth 295 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:51.839 underground and pointing back up. So we kept the three daughters in the next 296 00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:56.440 generation connected. And then we did that again nine granddaughters and then eighteen great 297 00:22:56.440 --> 00:23:02.200 granddaughters. So we're up to nine hundred and fifty interconnected vine heads, all 298 00:23:02.279 --> 00:23:07.079 one vine. So if aliens come in like fifteen years, I'll be able 299 00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:10.440 to give them a bottle of the mother vine. So the goal is to 300 00:23:10.440 --> 00:23:17.119 make a few hundred bottles from one vine. How cool one vine being with 301 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:18.599 lots of daughters, Yeah, and out in and out of the ground and 302 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:26.319 yeah. Like apparently Domain Normany County was only like Romain come run Domain Romeny 303 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:30.079 County. The actual parcel was only like four or five interconnected vines. Through 304 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:34.759 some of the nineteen forty five vintage and it finally is to come to old 305 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:38.160 age or flocks, and they ripped it out and replanted on rootstock, and 306 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:41.839 apparently the wine was never the same. So there is a benchmark for this. 307 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:48.200 Wow. Wow. Well, so you've how old were you when you 308 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:51.680 came up to this area when your dad bought the property. So the journey 309 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:55.680 began when I was four or five, when my dad was up here looking 310 00:23:55.920 --> 00:24:03.160 for vineyard land. He bought in nineteen eighty seven red cheep Cherokee, saving 311 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:06.200 four by four out on different you know, parcels to check it out, 312 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:10.680 dig holes, lick for white rock. And so there's a big adventure growing 313 00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:15.319 up in southern California to be bouncing around the hillsides of dad meeting cowboys. 314 00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:18.720 I love it. You've really been here from the start. You've been here 315 00:24:18.759 --> 00:24:22.759 from the very beginning. You've watched it grow up at grow the vineyard along 316 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:26.720 side of you. And I'm curious you mentioned earlier. You know we have 317 00:24:27.400 --> 00:24:33.400 some vinted variation. How much do you see varying year to year? How 318 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:37.720 much commonality do you see it? Or have you seen in your vineyards? 319 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:44.039 We certainly every year we have like the Stultman Tawar stamp where you know, 320 00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:47.640 you know, it's a stoleman mind, just like everything else talking about what 321 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:52.440 limestone does, the freshness with the richness. But I do take great pride 322 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:57.680 in vinted variation because it's proof that we are picking at you know, the 323 00:24:57.720 --> 00:25:03.160 appropriate rightness. Now, if you're waiting to pick raisins every year, you 324 00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:08.160 lose that that vintage variation, you know, and you can do that in 325 00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:11.119 Santa Barbara. In most places in California, you can get the fruit that 326 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:17.880 ripe without mold or mildew, but then you lose that year to year variation, 327 00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:21.480 that that stamp of the of the vintage. But I would say that 328 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:26.119 we don't have as much vintage variation as still find in almost any region in 329 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:33.839 Europe, where you know, you just have more kind of swings in different 330 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:37.559 directions and you know what, you're a drought here. Our only variation with 331 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:41.920 rain is how much we get during the winter, because we never get it 332 00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:45.839 during the grownation. It's true, It's true. So when I worked in 333 00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:48.640 Italy like it rained a couple of days every week, I'm like, come, 334 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:52.960 I got the one vintage I'm working in Italy. It's getting rained out 335 00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:59.359 is you know, I'm never gonna turn and then yeah, there there's a 336 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:03.920 stellar and I'm like, oh okay, yeah, we're just spoiled in California. 337 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:06.759 Well, so are there any signs or predictors you look for that are 338 00:26:06.759 --> 00:26:10.920 going to tell you what a vintage will be? I mean they're every every 339 00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:14.240 step the way. So how much train are we getting? Wind? We 340 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:18.039 get our first warm days, when when there too is bed break? If 341 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:22.680 it's really early, are we going to have frosts? So one step leads 342 00:26:22.680 --> 00:26:26.279 to another, but you can't jump four steps ahead. And then and then 343 00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:29.920 as to get into you know, June in July, then you start looking 344 00:26:29.960 --> 00:26:33.759 at the long term forecast the Pacific ocean, how mature, how how much 345 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:36.880 heat are we going to get? How intense will it be? And then 346 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:40.519 are we going to have time then for everything to even out to happen even 347 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:45.119 March to ripeness, and you know, and then who knows what nature throughout 348 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.440 us? Yeah? So so no real predictors there, I mean guides, 349 00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:53.480 but nothing, no guarantees in June or July. Like now, the question 350 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:56.960 is are we to have heat or not? Right? And then the other 351 00:26:57.079 --> 00:27:00.759 variable if we don't get the heat. Okay, are we going to have 352 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:03.319 a very late year? Are the vines going to have the energy to continue 353 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:08.400 to ripe in into well into November? And that's a big you know, 354 00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:15.279 like twenty twenty one was a very late vintage without any significant heat waves, 355 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:18.400 and so then that became concernedly. All right, come on, guys, 356 00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:21.839 just a little more little if you ever go into the into the vineyard and 357 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:26.400 talk to your vines to courage them along or reprimand them. We don't. 358 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:30.359 It's more touchy feely, you know, just seeing how how dry the leaves 359 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:33.839 are. And you know, of course, you know, shoot inning and 360 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:38.599 shoot positioning. I'll never forget Ruben. The funniest thing he's ever saided on 361 00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:45.599 that side of things is when his son Omar was a baby. You know, 362 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:51.519 it had been we hadn't gotten much winter rain. And he told me 363 00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:56.440 one morning, you know, because Reuben lives surrounded by all the vines and 364 00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:00.680 then beautiful little hamlet within the vineyard, and you know, all the vines 365 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:08.799 are screaming at me. Luckily Omar screams louder. We'll see the vineyard manager 366 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:12.880 does talk to the vines. See the vines talk to him. Apparently that's 367 00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:19.160 true. But if he's listening, he responds, right, have you established 368 00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:22.839 any sort of good luck rituals or traditions with the wine or you need to 369 00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:27.359 kick off harvest or at any point during harvest? Just making sure we drink 370 00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:30.359 a lot of good wine. We do, We do every day, right, 371 00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:36.000 Well, we do have a tradition we blind taste one bottle at lunch 372 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:41.240 throughout the vintage. It's fun, you're drinking wine, but it really like 373 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:44.839 it gets us to actually think and talk about the wine, and it limits 374 00:28:44.839 --> 00:28:47.680 the conception because sudden we have to go back to work and we don't want 375 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:51.599 injury. So just one little blind tasting. We usually have twelve people there, 376 00:28:51.640 --> 00:28:53.200 so one bottle. You're like, yeah, it's just a taste. 377 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:57.119 But that would be our one tradition. But I've never thought of it in 378 00:28:57.240 --> 00:29:02.279 terms of bringing good luck. But I think we would be afraid to halt 379 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:04.119 it because then what would happen? Right, Yeah, I don't jinx it. 380 00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:07.880 I mean it may it is good. It's something. It's like the 381 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:11.359 same you know, not shaving or wearing a same T shirt or something during 382 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:15.079 harvest. You know, you started out in wine growing up around it at 383 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:18.279 a young age. And it sounds like you worked harvest other places and you 384 00:29:18.319 --> 00:29:23.799 worked for an importer and selling wine. Was wine something you decided at a 385 00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:27.440 young age you wanted to get into or or was there something else you wanted 386 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:32.519 to do. I fell in love with it, just coming up and falling 387 00:29:32.519 --> 00:29:37.279 in love with the beauty and just the rolling hills and the freedom writing the 388 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:40.920 ATV around when I was far too young and driving the cheap around and I 389 00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:44.680 was far too young. But my dad always like, you know, kind 390 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:47.559 of didn't He never pushed me into it. And then he also, you 391 00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:49.759 know, like you don't get into wines, like make real living, Like 392 00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:53.319 if you want to make money, you need to go out and you know, 393 00:29:55.039 --> 00:29:57.559 do something else. And so that, you know, so my dad 394 00:29:57.640 --> 00:30:00.559 encouraged me to keep my options, to get a good grades, to go 395 00:30:00.599 --> 00:30:06.720 to a good college, someone back east to Georgetown. Actually came back to 396 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:10.799 LA for my real job where I was going to make money. But I 397 00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:15.160 hated it. And what industry was it. I was a sales manager at 398 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.759 an industrial supply company. Okay, not very captiv but it's so cool. 399 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:22.599 I had to grow up real quick, you know. I was managing people, 400 00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:26.680 you know, and it was very very good for me, but I 401 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:30.400 was bored. I didn't want to be my boss in twenty years, so 402 00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:34.240 I didn't want to go get an MBA. And in the meantime, my 403 00:30:34.359 --> 00:30:40.079 dad really needed someone to run the company. And I told me that I 404 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:41.920 hate like, yeah, you know, I know you wanted me to go 405 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:45.039 off and make a lot of money and you know, be prosperous. But 406 00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:48.160 he also harped on like you need to do something that you're passionate about it. 407 00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:52.720 You need to be fulfilled. And I think I'd be fulfilled, you 408 00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:56.200 know, being a steward of this beautiful place and making sure that I can 409 00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:00.640 carry it on for you. And it worked out. That's awesome. So 410 00:31:00.759 --> 00:31:03.119 when you're not working, how do you spend your free time? What do 411 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:07.000 you like to do? I have it run right after two little boys. 412 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:11.880 Yeah, I have a frightful lack of fun hobbyists right now. The mountain 413 00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:17.519 bike has been hanging in the garage for months without being used. I'm passionate 414 00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:22.240 above surfing, but I'd love to travel to surf, and that's a great 415 00:31:22.279 --> 00:31:26.559 excuse to get on the plane and go some place tropical and beautiful and my 416 00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:30.480 little boys are getting too surfing too. Yeah, like any free moment, 417 00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:33.759 it's just family time and die time, and it's just so much fun to 418 00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:37.359 see the joy and the new things in their eyes, and to actually took 419 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:42.440 them to Italy last year and they're such good little travelers. They love it. 420 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:45.759 We don't have any big trips this year, and they're starting to ask 421 00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:51.279 when are we going on an airplane again? It's good. You just teach 422 00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:55.200 them they're going to surf the mountain bike and travel with you. Perfect not 423 00:31:55.240 --> 00:31:57.240 a bad bike, not a bad light. Lucky little kids. So when 424 00:31:57.240 --> 00:32:00.920 you put them to bed and you're planning a room to givening for you and 425 00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:04.519 your wife, since you're both from the wine industry and you both know a 426 00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:08.200 lot about wines, what kind of wine set a romantic tone? Romantic tone? 427 00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:15.599 I think that's high end champagne to me, Like there's something you know. 428 00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:22.200 It's so funny. Like one downside of blind tasting is like I actually 429 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:27.799 get upset when I realized that there was a really expensive bottle that we're blind 430 00:32:27.799 --> 00:32:31.079 tasting, Like I want to like okay, like wow, that's one hundred 431 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:34.839 dollars bottle, Like I wanted to actually just enjoy the pleasure of that. 432 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:38.440 And so it's really interesting, like that association of like how dear the wine 433 00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:44.400 is it's first to monetary versus how much enjoyment. But there is something you 434 00:32:44.440 --> 00:32:50.680 know, even though like just doesn't care about you know, fancy things, 435 00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:54.720 but there's something really special about popping open a salos with just you and you 436 00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:59.400 and your partner and like, okay, this is a really started. We 437 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:01.640 can only have ORed a couple of these a year, and then to do 438 00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:06.559 that one on one, you know, we don't want to share this with 439 00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:08.519 our other friends. That's just for this is a moment for you and I. 440 00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:16.559 That makes perfect sense. So when you look back at your achievements to 441 00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:21.039 date in work, not because your family of course, is going to be 442 00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:22.200 your first answer to this, but what would you say is one of your 443 00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:29.200 proudest achievements to date? You know, when when I took over, it 444 00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:32.200 was in the middle of the two thousand nine recession. Our bank had opted 445 00:33:32.200 --> 00:33:37.279 not to renew our credit lines were there too. We're in default for a 446 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:42.359 year and a half and just now that we are healthy, that that you 447 00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:47.279 know, we've we've done so much work in the vineyard certified organic. This 448 00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:53.359 year was certified. We finally got certified to meet our dynamic. But you 449 00:33:53.400 --> 00:33:58.119 know, we were talking about how much wine we make, and we're not 450 00:33:58.200 --> 00:34:04.039 a tiny operation. But the really cool scale that we've reached is that we 451 00:34:04.200 --> 00:34:07.800 are small enough to do everything by hand, to control everything. I'm small, 452 00:34:07.880 --> 00:34:14.039 formends, touch our minds fourteen times a year, employee, thirty four 453 00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:17.199 full time workers in the vineyard. But then we're big enough where we can 454 00:34:17.320 --> 00:34:22.280 have red wines that are twenty four twenty five bucks, where say it's a 455 00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:25.840 little more affordable, not every bottle out the door and needs to be fifty 456 00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:32.280 dollars one hundred dollars. And it's just really cool to watch her wines sell. 457 00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:37.079 You know, I don't have to travel anymore for promotion. I need 458 00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:40.320 to stay home with the family. And you know, we're no longer worried 459 00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:45.800 every pay roll like a weed. Are are the check's gonna bounce? And 460 00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:50.159 it's just beautiful that, like, you know, we're always worried about the 461 00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:53.840 economy, and you know, but you know, we have an amazing group 462 00:34:53.880 --> 00:34:59.000 of collectors or wine club, and you know, it's really cool to sit 463 00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:01.679 back with my dad and and look at you know, how far we've come, 464 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:06.159 and to feel confident that one day I'll be able to hand over the 465 00:35:06.159 --> 00:35:12.079 reins to perhaps one of my sons. Not obligatory though, right, I 466 00:35:12.159 --> 00:35:15.519 learned that from Dad. Yet that's awesome, That's really beautiful. So is 467 00:35:15.559 --> 00:35:20.639 there a piece of advice that someone gave you, maybe it was your dad 468 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:24.480 or maybe a teacher, mentor friend, that you try to live by or 469 00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:30.639 work by, something that you've always kind of carried with you. I think 470 00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:36.440 it wasn't per se advice, but I think just knowing Ruben my whole life, 471 00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:43.960 I learned early on that he only respected people once he saw like how 472 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:47.199 willing they were to work hard and not necessarily how hard they worked like you 473 00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:52.039 know, and I think he's always appreciated work life balance and family time. 474 00:35:52.519 --> 00:35:58.880 But you know, seeing how hard Ruben worked, and you know he's first 475 00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:01.840 general, you know, he's an immic, and he is the American dream 476 00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:08.280 in one generation. His willingness to get it done, and you know, 477 00:36:09.119 --> 00:36:13.199 you know he was ambitious, but he you know, he worked its way 478 00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:16.760 up from field hand to now like the grape whisper, you know, known 479 00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:22.559 worldwide for being a vineyar On. You know, I think that really, 480 00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:28.880 like, you know, it feels really good to Yeah, I'm an entitled 481 00:36:29.039 --> 00:36:34.920 second generation wine brat, but Ruben respects me because he saw how hard I 482 00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:37.320 worked and how willing I was to do what it takes to you know, 483 00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:42.920 get the winery successful and make sure that we do everything right, that we 484 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:46.159 don't cut corners. So when I figured out that I'd earned Ruben's respect, 485 00:36:46.199 --> 00:36:51.800 I'm like, okay, so like a silent advice work hard. Yeah, 486 00:36:51.880 --> 00:36:54.400 I like that. So imagine a scenario. We're sitting at a table. 487 00:36:55.679 --> 00:37:00.280 There are bottles of stolen wine on the table, and there's an empty seat 488 00:37:00.280 --> 00:37:02.880 next to you. So who from any walk of life, living or deceased, 489 00:37:04.360 --> 00:37:07.800 imaginary or real, would you want to share a bottle of Stoeman wine 490 00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:15.679 with? Bill Murray? I like, how hip that was? Wow? 491 00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:21.360 Okay, why Bill Murray? I mean I just love everything about it. 492 00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:25.519 I mean it just seems like one of the most fun humans on the planet. 493 00:37:25.639 --> 00:37:30.360 You know, just I'm sure we would have We would be cracking up 494 00:37:30.360 --> 00:37:34.079 the entire evening and you know, just having a blast. Yeah, making 495 00:37:34.119 --> 00:37:37.599 Caddyshack references or something. You know, Like, I think I've watched documentaries 496 00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:42.480 about him and just like you know him and showing up to house parties and 497 00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:47.559 just you know, being enjoy and yeah, obviously it's hilarious. So how 498 00:37:47.639 --> 00:37:52.000 fun? Okay complete this sentence? For me, A table without wine is 499 00:37:52.199 --> 00:38:00.480 like boring. Yes, of course you use it. There's no dnswer, 500 00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:05.599 there's no wrong answer. I should say. Okay, I have a we 501 00:38:05.719 --> 00:38:07.920 play a little game. This is a great way to talk about your wines. 502 00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:10.320 Since we haven't, we've spoken a little bit about them, and I 503 00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:15.000 just you know, wine soundtrack, we pair wine with music, have a 504 00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:17.239 little fun. Can be a genre, it can be a song, can 505 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:22.039 be an artist. Don't stress. But based on some of the wines you've 506 00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:25.000 spoken about, and then also you know some of the other wines you make. 507 00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:32.400 Let's see I want to start with let's see Carbonic, with one of 508 00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:37.119 your so fresh wines. Let's see Carbonic. Did you say you have a 509 00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:44.360 trousseau? Yeah? Yeah, so Beyonce all the way? Wow? And 510 00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:49.920 why is that? It's just happy, dancy, great rhythm. Just you 511 00:38:49.960 --> 00:38:52.800 know, you want to stand up and you know, maybe not you don't 512 00:38:52.800 --> 00:38:55.840 have to dance like you know, kind of move into the beat, it's 513 00:38:55.920 --> 00:39:04.440 just like a happy, joyful one. What about the Stoptman Russon. That's 514 00:39:04.599 --> 00:39:19.679 right, it's serious but beautiful. You know what, I'm gonna go mhm 515 00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:27.880 Stumper the Russan. Think that's because my mind is going in. It's just 516 00:39:28.119 --> 00:39:34.239 you know, like let's say like Ryan being out like just really cool but 517 00:39:34.400 --> 00:39:42.119 yet like deep and soulful and just tell us an amazing story like that's like 518 00:39:42.400 --> 00:39:45.320 Russan just like goes on and on, like there's so many layers so nothing. 519 00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:55.840 And the Surrah because like I feel like the Srah like I have to 520 00:39:55.840 --> 00:40:02.519 be mature about this and like talk about like a timeless artists not a guilty 521 00:40:02.519 --> 00:40:08.719 pleasure? Why not a guilty because it isn't a guilty pleasure, Like you 522 00:40:08.760 --> 00:40:12.719 really have to work for it. You have to like and learn to appreciate 523 00:40:12.760 --> 00:40:17.320 it. But I don't really listen to music like that. That could be 524 00:40:17.320 --> 00:40:21.679 like Mozart or something, but that would be like I'd be a fraud. 525 00:40:21.719 --> 00:40:47.159 If the Serrah you'll edit out the sounds, sir god. I'm thinking like 526 00:40:47.960 --> 00:40:58.440 British sophistication going down that pan mm hmmm, sophistication really yeah, so complex, 527 00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:07.760 Yeah, okay I just have to like it's so timeless and age worthy 528 00:41:07.559 --> 00:41:12.320 but beautiful. I mean, I just stuff like Default of the Beatles. 529 00:41:12.920 --> 00:41:16.920 Why not timeless, age worthy? I like that. I like that. 530 00:41:17.440 --> 00:41:22.280 So I have another question for you. You talked about a lot of delicious 531 00:41:22.280 --> 00:41:24.960 wines that you've drunk, and I'm wondering if you had to go to a 532 00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:29.480 deserted island, what three wines you would have to will you you would pick 533 00:41:29.599 --> 00:41:32.920 to take with you? Of all these wines that you've had. Okay, 534 00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:39.320 so we've we've talked about quite a few of them. I think Jacques Solos 535 00:41:39.599 --> 00:41:47.880 in Nichelle Champagne. Nothing not the fancy one of you go on old old 536 00:41:47.960 --> 00:41:54.960 like, let's go with like nineteen ninety Jean Misha Mtajwog probably, but on 537 00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:59.960 an island you don't need redline, right, I assume it's a tropical Ada, 538 00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:08.039 it's any anywhere. And then let's do like the perfect Terry alamand shioh 539 00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:15.840 or love it love it? So last part you're almost Oh, I just 540 00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:22.119 told the wine perfect like a stillar vintage lambassad associating perfection with wine, or 541 00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:29.559 here I am calling Terry Alaman perfect but stunning. It's perfect for a deserted 542 00:42:29.599 --> 00:42:35.599 island time and place. So last question. This has been so much fun 543 00:42:35.599 --> 00:42:37.679 listening to you and hearing all your stories. But my last question is you 544 00:42:37.719 --> 00:42:43.559 took your boys to Italy last year, and I'm wondering whether you take them 545 00:42:43.639 --> 00:42:45.519 or not. What wine region in the world is at the top of your 546 00:42:45.519 --> 00:42:52.519 bucket list? You know, I really want to take the boys to South 547 00:42:52.559 --> 00:42:59.400 Africa and you know, yeah, flying to Cape Town and just venture out 548 00:42:59.800 --> 00:43:04.039 and you know, enjoy like I was. I went to South Africa when 549 00:43:04.039 --> 00:43:09.079 I was about twenty, backpacked for a month and just the stunning, raw 550 00:43:09.119 --> 00:43:14.119 beauty is really what's like calling me back there? Plus some really good wine, 551 00:43:14.199 --> 00:43:20.000 yeah, some good shut and Block. And last part is if people 552 00:43:20.079 --> 00:43:22.960 want to come visit, you come taste Doltman wines. Where can they find 553 00:43:22.960 --> 00:43:28.000 Stoltman? What can they experience here in the Sandy Has Valley. Yeah, 554 00:43:28.039 --> 00:43:30.599 so we have a beautiful little tasting room in the town of Los Alvos, 555 00:43:30.719 --> 00:43:36.079 which is just the most becolic, little pleasant town with the flagpole in the 556 00:43:36.119 --> 00:43:40.480 middle. We have the classic patio for just you know, the traditional surah 557 00:43:40.599 --> 00:43:45.280 rous song Sanji Basi, and then next door we have the fresh garage, 558 00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:52.559 so all the carbonic wines, different soundtrack, really fun, more Beyonce vibe, 559 00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:55.639 then a little bit more you know. Well it's still laid back, 560 00:43:55.679 --> 00:44:00.559 but little fancy your classic patio. So there right in downtown Los Libos. 561 00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:07.079 And we have amazing restaurants in Los Livos and throughout the valley. The great 562 00:44:07.079 --> 00:44:10.639 hotels were like all of a sudden, we're like, I think the like 563 00:44:10.800 --> 00:44:16.079 restaurant and hotel culture has caught up to the wine culture. So yeah, 564 00:44:16.280 --> 00:44:20.719 I mean, to me, it's just the perfect spot to come visit on 565 00:44:21.079 --> 00:44:24.159 a wine and food trip. And of course the raw beauty a little different 566 00:44:24.159 --> 00:44:30.559 than South Africa. But right, yes, but one bucket list is someone 567 00:44:30.599 --> 00:44:35.159 else's, you know, regular this could be someone's bucket list. They should. 568 00:44:35.159 --> 00:44:37.800 I mean, Sandy Inez Valley is an amazing place to discover and Losolivas 569 00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:43.599 is such a charming town. So you get to taste the state fruit, 570 00:44:43.639 --> 00:44:45.519 you get the so fresh I mean, you just get a whole selection of 571 00:44:45.559 --> 00:44:50.039 wines from Storltman. So, Peter, thank you for joining us today. 572 00:44:50.079 --> 00:44:52.840 It's been really fun chatting with you. And let's go taste some wine. 573 00:44:52.119 --> 00:44:55.400 All right, I'm ready. Thanks for listening. To a new episode of 574 00:44:55.440 --> 00:45:02.599 Wine sound Track USA. For details and updates, visit our website windsoundtrack dot com.