WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:06.000 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with which producers narrate their 2 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:11.080 winery and their world. In thirty answers discover their stories, personalities, and 3 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:15.759 passions. Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alson Levine 4 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:20.000 and today I am in Sonoma County with Randy Bennett, the winemaker for Sojourn 5 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:24.239 Sellers. Randy, welcome to Wine Soundtrack and tell us about Sojourn Sellers. 6 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:29.480 Thank you. I'm glad to have you here. So Sojourn Sellers is a 7 00:00:29.480 --> 00:00:34.840 boutique winery. We're actually celebrating this year our twentieth vintage, so the anniversary. 8 00:00:34.840 --> 00:00:37.479 Thank you. Yeah. I've been around for a little bit, but 9 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:44.880 always producing a lot of small lot wines from special vineyards and we make we 10 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:50.520 focus on Peino noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet sauvignon. And for the Cabernet sauvignon, 11 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:55.159 we make it primarily from Napa Valley, so vineyards in Oakville and Rutherford 12 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:00.200 versus the Peino noir and Chardonnay from the Snoma Coast and Russian River Valley. 13 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:03.640 Well, you beat me to my question about what grapes you make and stuff 14 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:06.319 and where you source it. But do you own any vineyards or are you 15 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:10.400 sourcing everything? And what are you looking for when you're sourcing vineyards? Yeah, 16 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:14.760 we do own a few vineyards, but really Sojourn grew up sourcing grapes 17 00:01:15.079 --> 00:01:19.799 from a lot of specialty small farmers around the Stoma coasts because Peano noir just 18 00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:23.719 that's how it grew up is in the in California. Is a lot of 19 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:27.439 small farmers are producing it. There's not a lot of huge vineyards for m 20 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:32.000 Peanot noir um. There are a few, but not that many. So 21 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:36.319 a lot of the real special vineyards are real small and they sell wine to 22 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:38.879 a handful of wineries or sell the grapes to a handful of wineries, um 23 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:45.000 so um. But so we primarily source. What we do is we contract 24 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:49.040 for long term contracts for specific rows or blocks within the vineyards so we can 25 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:53.719 make a consistent wine year after year that we're happy with and that our customers 26 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:57.079 enjoy. And you said you own some vineyards, so how how much are 27 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:00.000 you? How much do you own? So? Right now we have four 28 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:06.840 vineyards and they're all within Sonoma, the Snoma Valley, So kind of around 29 00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:10.159 the town of Sonoma, which is where we're based, but in the vineyards 30 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:15.039 we source from range all the way up to almost Menacino County, all along 31 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:16.960 the Snoma Coast and then like I mentioned over in Napa Valley as well. 32 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:23.039 And your total case production about fourteen thousand cases. And where can people find 33 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:25.319 your wines? Are they in the market? Readily available? One hundred percent 34 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:30.960 direct consumer a mix, it's mostly direct to consumers, so it's about eighty 35 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:34.319 percent of our sales or our direct consumers. So we sell wine across the 36 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:39.000 country through an allocated milling lists, so people sign up for our milling lists. 37 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:43.080 We release the wines twice a year. A lot of the wines are 38 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:46.719 real small lot bottlings and they sell out on release. And then there's a 39 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:50.000 few wines that we make more of, such as our Sinoma Coast Pean noir 40 00:02:50.599 --> 00:02:55.759 and chardonnay, and then those wines we distribute out in California and about ten 41 00:02:55.800 --> 00:03:00.360 other states. But it's pretty small quantities, so for most people it's better 42 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:02.599 to get on the mailing list and by direct. So Randy, I know 43 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:07.520 you grew up in southern California, so I'm wondering what is your first memory 44 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:12.719 relevant to wine. Well, when I grew up, my parents didn't drink 45 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:16.599 a lot of wine. I remember my mom drinking the green Hungarian wine severa 46 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:19.879 that stuck to sticks in my head. I don't know why he's a kid, 47 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:24.360 but really I went to a school in San Luis Obispo at Calipally and 48 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:30.240 kind of really got introduced to find wine in California through that process, through 49 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:34.319 the wines and San Luis Obispo as well as Paso rob List in Santa Barbara 50 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:38.159 County. And then after I graduated, UM started coming up to Napa Valley 51 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:42.280 and Sonoma and really trying the wines up here. So I really kind of 52 00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:47.520 got introduced to it through going to wineries and through and you know, through 53 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:53.240 domestic wines, not not drinking at international wines. And so, is there 54 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:57.199 a particular wine that you recount as being one of those aha moment wines, 55 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:00.080 one of those really memorable wines. And maybe it was at the beginning of 56 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:03.199 your career, or maybe it was last week, But what is that aha 57 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:09.000 moment wine or memorable wine? Yeah, Actually, it's a pretty interesting story. 58 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:12.680 So, I mean the wine that I kind of that is an Ahama 59 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:16.560 went for me. Was actually the first time I met the founder of Sojourn 60 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.240 Sellers, so Craig has Arow. I was brought along to a lunch with 61 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:26.439 him from someone who I was working for previously, Mike Smith, and Mike 62 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:28.319 said, hey, you want to come. I'm gonna have lunch with a 63 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.720 guy who drinks a lot of good Burgundy, and I don't know, it 64 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:33.480 could be fun. So I went along and shrew enough. Craig brought a 65 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:40.160 nice spot of Burgundy and it was a Daniel Rione. I forget exactly which 66 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:42.439 wine it was. I want to say it was a Shambo mousine. And 67 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:47.120 it really just struck me how complex and interesting the wine was and how it 68 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:50.079 evolved in glass. And it was kind of the first time I had that 69 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:54.639 kind of experience with a wine from Burgundy and that really really stuck with me. 70 00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:59.079 And so I'm sure you've drunk a lot more Burgundy since that point. 71 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:01.959 Of course, I'm curious if we were to come into your home what kind 72 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:08.160 of wines we would find. Is it still a pretty strong California household or 73 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:13.759 would we be surprised with some international fines? More international these days, So 74 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:17.160 my wife and I both enjoy Sabilis as well as Champagne quite a bit. 75 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:24.800 So those wines are what's mostly stocked in in the lenise immediately accessible spaces. 76 00:05:25.639 --> 00:05:29.279 And then I do drink a lot of Burgundy, but for California, I 77 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:31.920 really enjoy Pedantu war, so make a lot of it, but I actually 78 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:35.199 really enjoy drinking it as well because I find it to be one of the 79 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:39.199 most versatile wines. You can just pop a bottle and enjoy it, or 80 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.040 you can go with a lot of different foods. So those are the those 81 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:45.560 are the primary wines. The other wine I kind of the other wines I 82 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:46.720 drink a lot of are ones of where I want to study a region, 83 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:53.040 right so kind of Brollo and Barbaresco or two areas that I'm trying to explore 84 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:55.800 as much as possible. So those are you'll spine those in my cellar as 85 00:05:55.800 --> 00:05:59.439 well. Is there anything you drink recently that drink really well? Something from 86 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.319 your cellar? Hmm, let's see. Um, well, I just opened 87 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:12.120 up twenty ten Barbaresco from um. Uh the producer is escaping me right now. 88 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:16.079 Oh it actually it's the it's the uh. I forget it now I 89 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:18.720 can't remember, but anyway, I just we just opened it up because I 90 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:24.279 just had a fun vacation with some my my wife's cousin and he really enjoys 91 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:27.600 wines, so we we had a fun time drinking a lot of good wines. 92 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.079 But that was when I opened up. I'll remember the producer in a 93 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:32.839 little bit, but uh um, And that was just it was really just 94 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.480 kind of opened up nicely as we decandidate and I was really interesting, gave 95 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:40.279 a lot over time. So that was a fun one. The other fun 96 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:45.839 one I opened was in nineteen seventies, saw turn from Chateau sudarat Um and 97 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:48.360 that that's my birth year, so that was a fun, a fun thing 98 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:51.800 to just enjoy. It's actually my or my wife's cousin's birth year as well, 99 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:57.000 so we had fun with that. And wow, that probably was rich 100 00:06:57.079 --> 00:07:01.720 and beautiful. Oh yeah, So you work a lot with pino noir, 101 00:07:01.879 --> 00:07:08.079 but not exclusively. And I'm wondering, when you look at making wine or 102 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:11.120 even drinking wine, do you think there's a such thing as a perfect variety. 103 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:15.480 I don't think. I don't know if I refer to anything as a 104 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:19.360 perfect variety, but I would say, one thing that's interesting about pinot noir 105 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:24.959 is one it grows well in a variety of different areas of the world. 106 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:30.639 Obviously it needs a cooler climate. But um, you know, people make 107 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:35.040 champagne with it. People I still make actually white wines from a peino noir 108 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:40.560 that's not as common. And then you know, you can make a variety 109 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:44.199 of different interesting wines, like you know, the wines from Burgundy are different 110 00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:46.720 than the wines from California and the wines from Organ and so forth. So 111 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:50.639 it's I think it has a lot of variety on versatility and is you know, 112 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:55.199 I think the reason that it's one of the you know, top selling 113 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:59.720 varieties. Yeah, so it may not achieve perfection, but versatility can equal 114 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:05.040 perfection in its own way. Um. So for you red white or rose. 115 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:09.680 For me, well, I drink a lot of white wine, so 116 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:15.560 I would say, like I mentioned, and mostly white champagne. Um. 117 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:18.480 But um, yeah, I mean I don't, I don't. I don't 118 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:20.680 discriminate anything. It's all good. I drink at all. So rose, 119 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:24.279 you know, Espessing the summer, we drink a lot of that. Um, 120 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:26.839 and then lots of red wine too. If you had to choose still 121 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:31.440 or sparkling. I'd probably go still. Yeah, a little little, little, 122 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:37.000 little more versatile, I think for me. So I'm curious, Um, 123 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:39.519 you know, obviously you you know, you have a big following with 124 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:41.919 your consumers. You know, people are buying your wine, you have an 125 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:46.559 allocated list. How much do wine critics and scores play a part in your 126 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:50.639 wine sales or just in general? For you, what do you think of 127 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:54.759 the role of wine critics and scores? Well, I think, uh, 128 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:58.519 for I think when consumers are looking at wines they've never tried, right, 129 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:05.720 then often they'll look to a critic to just gets an independent, unbiased opinion 130 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:09.360 on the wine. So I think it plays a role for consumers they're you 131 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:13.399 know, looking for, you know, kind of a validation of something. 132 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:18.080 Also, I think some people you know, will find critics they enjoy their 133 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:20.120 their style, and they'll look to them. If they see something new from 134 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:24.360 that critic there where it's rated highly, they may be willing to try something 135 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:26.799 like that. And then I ultimately, I think it really makes the most 136 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:31.159 difference at the retail level end shops, right because it's just it's a way 137 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:35.399 to kind of just see something and say Okay, I'm willing to try that 138 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:37.360 that has an interesting score, So I think that's the role. I mean, 139 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:43.279 I don't think. I think the wine ratings are not perfect. You 140 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:46.679 know, someone Thuckness rated high. You may not particularly like. Something that's 141 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:50.279 rated low you may really like, So I don't think it's perfect. There's 142 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:54.879 a lot of variety and paleque, so it's all very subjective. So while 143 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:56.759 I think it plays an important role, and I still look for scores when 144 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:01.000 I'm looking at wines, I've never tried before look at that as a kind 145 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:05.840 of an input, but it's also not perfect so well, So it is 146 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:11.320 subjective and wine is subjective. But I'm curious how you feel about pairing wine 147 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:15.399 and food. Do you take a subjective approach to it? Do you find 148 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:20.240 there are any rules that you follow or any tips that you look for that 149 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:28.039 you can suggest. I don't know if I totally look or have rules that 150 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:31.399 I definitely follow. I think, like, for example, I think Peanu 151 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:33.799 and No War can go well with a lot of seafood, where people generally 152 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:35.799 think I want a white wine with seafood. So I think some of the 153 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:41.720 rules that are out there can be broken. So you know, I think 154 00:10:41.799 --> 00:10:43.879 and also some people think, oh peanut, no war, it's a lighter 155 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:48.360 wine, it won't go with red meat. But that's not entirely true either. 156 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:50.360 You know, if you go to Burgundy, they have fantastic red meat 157 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:54.399 and they drink red Burgundy. So so I don't think there's a lot of 158 00:10:54.559 --> 00:11:00.399 real rules that you need to follow to do it. I think, you 159 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.679 know, you got to look at what your preference is. As far as 160 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:07.000 you know the wine you want to drink, I think that's most important versus 161 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:11.519 the pairing. But um, you know, I think there's definitely rules around. 162 00:11:11.559 --> 00:11:13.159 If it's a bigger wine has more acid, it's going to hold up 163 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:18.120 to you know, batty your foods better than a lighter, kind of higher 164 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:22.600 pH wine. So drink what you want, but use a little common sense. 165 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:26.240 Like you know, if you have oysters, you might not want cabernet, 166 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:31.440 Yes exactly. I've never tried it, though, I mean maybe barbecue 167 00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:33.440 oysters that might work out, that's true, but you might one's infidel. 168 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:39.480 So for somebody who's never had the pleasure to taste a sojour in wine, 169 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:43.039 what do you think they're missing out on? Well, I mean, I 170 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:48.480 think My goal and our goals as a team is really to build in layers 171 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:52.360 of complexity into the wine, and which every kind of decision we make is 172 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:58.399 geared around that. And so I think when people try our wines, a 173 00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:00.919 lot of the feedback I get and the feedback I'm enjoys when people say, 174 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:03.679 oh, wow, this is a very layered wine. It's it's interesting, 175 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:09.200 and as I continue to smell it, I get additional aromas and as it 176 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:13.200 opens up over time, the flavors evolve. So I think that's that really 177 00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:16.960 is about kind of what we're trying to achieve and also what we are achieving 178 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:22.200 and based on the feedback from our customers. So I think what you know, 179 00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:24.440 that's what people are looking for is or that's what people can expect out 180 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:30.200 of it is interesting layers in the wines, and about how many skews or 181 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:33.279 different wines do you have in your portfolio right now? So we make about 182 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:39.360 twenty four different wines and half of those are peino noir. So we make 183 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:46.799 nine single vineyard peano noirs and three appellation blends, so it all peint peon 184 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:50.519 noir, but blends a different vineyard so than the Snoma coast Russian River Valley. 185 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:52.600 And then a new one we've introduced in the last couple of years is 186 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:58.480 a Pedaluma Gap Appelation wine. Okay, so you have twenty four different wines. 187 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:01.960 Space aliens were to land on your property right now, and you had 188 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.519 to give them one wine to welcome them to sojourn sellers, what would it 189 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:09.879 be, Well, we'd have to give them the Gaps Crowd in your Peto 190 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:15.120 the War, right, because you know that is um The Gaps Crown Vineyard 191 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:22.039 has become a kind of a a star on its own. Really, the 192 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:28.519 vineyard is is phenomenal. It's kind of creates a boulder, more structured Peano 193 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:35.279 noir and tends to appeal to a broader set of people. So u people 194 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:39.360 that enjoy bigger wines, you know, Cabernet lovers will enjoy that Peeno noir 195 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:43.039 as well. In addition to people that are Peanot fans and Peo fanatics will 196 00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:45.679 still enjoy it as well. So it's kind of one of those wines that 197 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:48.799 that hits a lot of different palets. And so since you don't know their 198 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:52.799 palette, you're just hedging your bets on a hedge and hedge in the bet. 199 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:58.120 And also it's generally, you know, highly regarded by our customers and 200 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:00.919 people tend to really fall in love with it, So I think it's a 201 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:05.960 safe bet. So you work with many different vineyards, and I know you've 202 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:07.279 spent some time in the Central Coast, but you've been up here for a 203 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:13.120 while and you're working in all these different vineyards. Do you tend to see 204 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:16.000 when it comes to vintages a lot of variation from year to year? Do 205 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:20.320 you see a lot of similarities and what have you kind of witnessed in your 206 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:26.720 years here? Well, going back to my winemaking style, I mean really 207 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:30.679 our goal is to represent the vineyard and the vintage and what's in the bottle. 208 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:37.679 So we expect vinyage variation because every vinage is different. The weather can 209 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:45.320 vary dramatically. The overall heat when certain weather conditions come in, like rains 210 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:48.840 and so forth, can really affect in how cold it is in the summer 211 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:54.240 and in the in the springtime can affect what the vinage is going to offer. 212 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:56.879 So there's definitely variety. We do not try to make the same wine 213 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:01.559 each vinage. We don't even compare the two vinadias. When we're doing blending 214 00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:05.000 trials and I'm looking at what is the wine that I'm going to make out 215 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:09.279 of the twenty two vinage, I'm not comparing that to the twenty one version 216 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:11.799 of that and seeing, well, I want to make sure it's the same. 217 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:16.679 It's a different experience than you know. Probably some larger wineries that kind 218 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.519 of have are focused mainly on people buying the wine off the shelf. They 219 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:22.320 may try to have that consistency, and we don't really focus on that. 220 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:28.360 Well, knowing that no vintage is alike and that you want to showcase that, 221 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:31.159 how much variation do you see? Do you see a lot of commonality 222 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:37.200 from your year? Do you see big jumps from one year to the next 223 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:41.399 in one particular vineyard or one particular style. There's definitely commonalities. So one 224 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:46.919 thing that's fun about these vineyards is they have personalities and those personalities will shine 225 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:50.399 through each vinage. So the Gaps Ground pino or the San Jacomo vineer pino 226 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:56.039 or the Ruling Vineyard Pino noir, all of them have like signature characteristics that 227 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:58.559 come through each vinage. So that's kind of the fun part. I mean, 228 00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:03.120 as we taste the wines with our customers. Each vineage they'll say, 229 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:04.879 oh, yeah, that's my favorite, that's Roger's Creek Vineyard, That's sen 230 00:16:04.919 --> 00:16:11.039 Jacoma Vineyard, because it has a common characteristics that come through each year. 231 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:15.559 So I think that that trumps the vintage variation for sure, the personalities of 232 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:19.000 the vineyards, and that's based on how we make the wines and what we 233 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:22.440 try to do. We really want to represent the vineyard and kind of not 234 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:29.080 show our fingerprints and have each wine, you know, taste like that vineyard. 235 00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:33.519 So you said before that depending on you know, how much water you 236 00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:37.679 get sort of in spring or some are the cool breezes and stuff that come 237 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:41.120 in will help you determine what you're going to have. Are there any other 238 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:45.559 signs or predictors you look for that will at the beginning of I don't know, 239 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.960 bud break or at any point during the season that help you predict what 240 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:55.879 a vintage will be or is it not quite as easy? Well, certainly 241 00:16:55.919 --> 00:17:00.679 the weather the last thirty days are what really can have the most impact on 242 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:03.519 how the how the wine's going to end up. Um, but the last 243 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:07.920 thirty days before picking or yeah, the last thirty days before picking. Um, 244 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:10.839 so though that could have the most impact on it. But you know, 245 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:15.200 yeah along the way, you know, weather during the flowering period can 246 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:18.799 um impact how big of a crop it is and how much shatter there is 247 00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:23.599 and um um how big the berries are, which can affect the concentration of 248 00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:26.400 the wine. So that that that kind of weather has a has a factor, 249 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:30.480 but you really don't know. And tell you're getting closer to um the 250 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:37.319 time of picking and how um the weather is in late summer and then you 251 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:38.200 know, and then if there's going to be a lot of rain or not 252 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:42.960 can affect um what you do from a picking decision perspective, because you know, 253 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:47.640 we're in California, it doesn't rain that much until the year of twenty 254 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:52.480 twenty. Tell this you tell this winter, yes, but in generally hopefully 255 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.640 it doesn't rain that much during the growing season. Um. And uh so 256 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.839 you know we I always say we're afraid of rain here even though you know 257 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:03.519 rains all the time and Brandon Bordeaux and Burgundy, but in California doesn't. 258 00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:07.839 So um you know, so it can have a big factor. You know, 259 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:10.440 get a big storm coming in, it might affect you know, when 260 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:12.759 we decide to pick or if we decide to do something different in the vineyard 261 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:18.279 to to mitigate him. So, UM, because you know you can't really 262 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:23.839 control mother nature. How much do you spend time in the vineyards talking to 263 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:27.279 your vines trying to coax them along or reprimand them for what they're doing? 264 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:36.160 Do you talk to your vines? I know I can't disclose that, what 265 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:37.720 would I say. What I say in the vineyards stays in the vineyard. 266 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:41.599 UM. I mean, I definitely spend a lot of time in the vineyard. 267 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:45.319 I mean, starting in about June July, and that's where I'm spending 268 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:49.920 more of my time UM is out there monitoring the progress, seeing what's happening. 269 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:56.000 And also because we work with a lot of different grower partners, working 270 00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:59.839 with each grower on like what are the viticulture viticulture operations that we want to 271 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:03.640 have UM conducted in the vineyard and in the timing of those so when do 272 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:07.839 we want certain things done? UM. So I definitely spend a lot of 273 00:19:07.880 --> 00:19:11.200 time in the vineyards monitor and what's happening and talking to the vinds as well 274 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:15.319 as to the people that are tending the vines about what we want to do. 275 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:18.519 And when the wine comes in and it's in the barrel, have you 276 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:21.640 had to talk to it then? Or do play music to it? Do 277 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:26.240 you feel communicating is something that happens and needs to happen or you just don't 278 00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:32.319 believe in that sort of sillyness. I don't think I talk to the wines 279 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:34.799 in the in the barrel. I don't think. I don't really do that, 280 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:37.920 maybe more to implementation, like come on, let's go, um, 281 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:42.880 But now I don't I don't do that. But I think that the wines 282 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:48.680 definitely have personalities and um, you know, are living living things and do 283 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:52.880 evolve in barrel and in bottle over time, so they are living organisms, 284 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:57.599 um, and so they're probably worthy of being spoken to. But I kind 285 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:00.559 of I don't do that very you mark my words. You're going to be 286 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:03.920 walking through the vineyard in a couple of months and you're gonna start talking to 287 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:07.039 your mind and go. I never realized I did it, but Alison reminded 288 00:20:07.079 --> 00:20:14.319 me. Um. So are there any sort of good luck rituals that you 289 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:17.960 have established as a winemaker or for your team here at Sojourn that you guys 290 00:20:17.960 --> 00:20:22.599 do at the start of harvest? Yeah, during harvest. Well, we 291 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:26.440 like to start the harvest usually the first our first harvest for for sojourn with 292 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:33.160 sabering a bottle of champagne and enjoying the champagne and just kind of celebrating the 293 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:37.519 beginning of harvest. And often we'll celebrate the end of harvest with some champagne 294 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.680 as well. So that's how we do it. And then a little champagne 295 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:45.799 in between. Yeah, no, stick with beer, but sometimes a champagne 296 00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:52.200 of beers, you know, a little Miller highlights. Oh yeah, no, 297 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:53.839 toy. It is true what they say that it takes a lot of 298 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:59.720 good beer to make wine. Yes, absolutely, absolutely, So I'm curious. 299 00:21:00.599 --> 00:21:03.519 You know, you said you were introduced to wine when you were living, 300 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:07.759 going to school and stuff like that. But before you decided to be 301 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:10.559 a winemaker, what did you want to be? What when you were a 302 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:11.519 little boy would you want to be when you grow up? Or maybe a 303 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:18.559 young boy well post superhero phase. Randomly, for some reason, growing up, 304 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:19.440 I wanted to be a dentist. And I don't know what, but 305 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:22.920 I think I must have, you know, known a dentist. They had 306 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:26.680 a good life, right, played a lot of golf, you know, 307 00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:32.039 I don't know, but I actually pursued a completely different career before getting into 308 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:37.799 wine. So I studied business and information systems and spent thirteen years working in 309 00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:44.880 management consulting for I initially worked for Anderson Consulting, which became Accenture, So 310 00:21:44.920 --> 00:21:49.599 I spent a lot of time doing that, helping large organizations, mostly in 311 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:53.440 the capital markets area, banks and insurance companies around the country. And then 312 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:59.200 my last project, I was actually in London on England helping out an insurer 313 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:03.279 there kind of changing and improving their business. UM so a lot of project 314 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:06.200 management. So that was kind of my first love. Was like I once 315 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:07.799 I saw what consultants did, I said, that's what I want to do. 316 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:12.079 While I was in college and spent a lot of time traveling and helping 317 00:22:12.119 --> 00:22:17.480 businesses and um But then I decided I didn't want to do that for like 318 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:21.799 the next phase of my life. And I figured that out while I was 319 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:26.200 in England and decided I always enjoyed wine. I really liked the idea of 320 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:30.839 making a product that was growing in the ground and it's something that people love. 321 00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:34.960 And I wanted to have a more rural lifestyle, so I said to 322 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:38.519 myself I'm going to go back to California and figure out if I can find 323 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:41.160 a place in the wine business. Um, so I made a big change 324 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:49.519 and from suits to flannels exactly exactly the best, right, So I M 325 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:53.200 yeah, So it was a big change for me, and I was fortunate 326 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:56.920 when I when I got here, I decided I'm going to do a harvest 327 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:59.680 internship just to kind of learn from the ground up, do all the manual 328 00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:03.759 labor and understand how that process worked. And was fortunate to work for great 329 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:07.839 wine maker named Thomas Rivers Brown and I mentioned Mike Smith. Mike Smith was 330 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:11.359 assistant wine maker at the time for Thomas, and we just had a really 331 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:14.920 good team, had a great experience. Those guys were very generous with their 332 00:23:14.920 --> 00:23:18.480 time and to teach me, you know, coming in a little older without 333 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:22.279 a lot of wine education background, and taught me, you know, how 334 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:26.799 to make really good wine in the cellar and what's important. So it was 335 00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:30.200 a great, great transition. I didn't know if I'd still figured out after 336 00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:33.559 that, but eventually I just stayed with it. And like I mentioned, 337 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:37.720 Mike introduced me to a founder of Sojourn, So I met with Craig and 338 00:23:38.039 --> 00:23:42.359 Eric and they were just kind of starting sojourn. It was just growing growing 339 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:45.759 up, and they needed some help making the wine, and so I was 340 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:48.319 fortunate to be able to work with them. Wow. So when you're not 341 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:52.519 working, how do you like to spend your free time? Well, I 342 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:56.400 have two young children, so I spend most of my time shuttling them around 343 00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:00.599 to soccer and volleyball. I'm actually going to coach my daughter volleyball team, 344 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:07.400 which is just starting actually tomorrow is the first practice. Um. And you 345 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:10.599 know, my son's in Boy Scouts, my daughters in Girl Scouts, so 346 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:12.559 we spend a lot of time doing scouting activities. Selling Girl Scout cookies right 347 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.359 now, so let me let me know what you need after the after this 348 00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:22.200 mint, I mean cookies everybody's favorite. Um, and then but personally, 349 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:26.039 I really enjoy playing golf and skiing, So I actually just got back from 350 00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:29.440 a nice ski trip. So those are kind of my what I like to 351 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:33.720 do for recreation. Nice. And if you're planning a romantic evening for you 352 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:36.599 and your wife, you know the kids are asleeper you got rid of them 353 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:40.519 for the night somewhere friends houses or something. What sort of wines make for 354 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:44.119 a romantic evening for the two of you. We always start with the Battle 355 00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:48.960 of Champaigne. Um, So yeah, that's that's definitely the start. And 356 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:52.319 then like I mentioned, like we like Shebli a lot um and my wife 357 00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:56.880 prefers white wines typically, so we kind of stick with those usually as the 358 00:24:56.880 --> 00:25:03.400 go tos. So you know you were talking about, um, you know, 359 00:25:03.640 --> 00:25:07.039 your time in what you've done, and yes, you're we cannot include 360 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:10.720 your children in this talk because I know you're a proud dad. But when 361 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:14.200 you look back at your career, and it could be a previous career as 362 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:17.400 well, what would you say is one of your proudest achievements to date? 363 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:22.319 Oh? Boy, tough one proudest? Well, I mean, I mean, 364 00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:27.200 I think one thing I'm proud of is just having you know, kind 365 00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:32.960 of making the transition. Um. And that's something I didn't really think of 366 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:34.160 as like a huge risk in my life at the time because I'd saved a 367 00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:37.759 little money. I was able to kind of go through and learn and not 368 00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:40.680 make a lot of money for a period of time. Um, I didn't 369 00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:42.440 have children at the time. I think now i'd be a harder transition. 370 00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:45.319 I'm not sure i'd make the decision to do it. But you know, 371 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.559 it was a it was an interesting risk whereas I gave up a career that 372 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:53.359 was lucrative and I was successful at it to go try something new. Um, 373 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:56.359 And so you know, I'm proud that I was willing to take that 374 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:02.000 risk and then also sticking with it. And I'm just kind of learning as 375 00:26:02.039 --> 00:26:04.960 much as I can, as fast as I can. And you know, 376 00:26:06.119 --> 00:26:07.759 so far, you know, they've been pretty successful at it. Yeah, 377 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:12.000 how many years now? So sixteen years? Yeah, Yeah, I think 378 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:17.759 you're well entrenched in it. I think you've succeeded. So when you look 379 00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:22.039 back at your career or previous career or in your life, is there a 380 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:26.519 piece of advice that someone gave you along the way that you find that you 381 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:30.039 use in your daily life or your how you approach work or living or wine 382 00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:34.480 making or something, And who was it and what was that advice? Well, 383 00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:40.119 one thing that's always stuck with me. It was actually something that Thomas 384 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:44.000 and Mike always said as I was kind of looking at the wine business and 385 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:48.000 starting my own label and that type of thing was go make the best wine 386 00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:52.599 you can, and that means go get the best grapes that you can get 387 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:57.240 access to, because the the quality of the grapes will really define like what 388 00:26:57.359 --> 00:27:00.720 is the upper limit of what the quality of the wine can be UM. 389 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:06.039 And I remember Craig saying, you know, you can't make a great steak 390 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:08.319 without a great piece of meat. And that's that's true with with UM, 391 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:14.759 with UM with wines is that, you know, just having really interesting being 392 00:27:14.759 --> 00:27:18.480 able to access really interesting vineyards and getting those best scrapes UM. And you 393 00:27:18.519 --> 00:27:21.839 know, and part of that is the farming process too. So you can 394 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:25.039 have a great piece of dirt, but if you don't farm it right UM, 395 00:27:25.160 --> 00:27:27.559 or if the right varieties are not planted there, then you can't achieve 396 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:32.279 what, you know, what the potential is so UM. So I think 397 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:34.119 you know, that advice of like going out and just trying to get to 398 00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:38.319 the best quality UM, you know, the best quality grapes to be able 399 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:41.400 to produce the best quality wine was really something that I'm I'm glad they gave 400 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:44.480 me that advice because I you know, in my mind, I was going 401 00:27:44.519 --> 00:27:45.519 around, well how do I make the best ten dollar bottle of wine? 402 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:48.960 And that would have been a different experience for me, and I really enjoyed 403 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:53.880 the experience of going out and and working with exceptional vineyards, trying to make 404 00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:59.279 the best wine that we can. So we're sitting here at a table and 405 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:02.559 you've got some bottles of your wine on the table, but there's an empty 406 00:28:02.599 --> 00:28:06.160 seat next to you. And if there was anyone from any walk of life 407 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:10.279 that you could share one of living or deceased, a share a bottle of 408 00:28:10.279 --> 00:28:14.240 sojourn sellers with, who would you want that to be? Well, it's 409 00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:18.839 pretty interesting. I'm actually listening to a book that's from the Dali Lama, 410 00:28:18.119 --> 00:28:22.240 and so it's kind of I was, So, what comes to my mind 411 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:25.039 right now is I love to have the Dali Lama here and share wine. 412 00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:26.880 I'm not sure if he drinks wine or not. To be honest, I 413 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:33.079 don't know, but I think that would be really interesting to hear a perspective 414 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:37.720 on it from him, and and just to have a kind of interesting conversation, 415 00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:44.240 contemplate discussion life over wine, right exactly. So, you know, 416 00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:49.240 the last thing I remember reading in the book was you know that life purpose 417 00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:56.200 is in a pursuit of happiness, and so I think for me, wine 418 00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:00.559 is is a pursuit of happiness. As well. That well, so then 419 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:03.079 I want you to complete the sentence for me. A table without wine is 420 00:29:03.160 --> 00:29:15.640 like table without wine is like bread without butter. Oh I like that. 421 00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:21.839 Well, I mean you know, we're I got you in some of the 422 00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:25.839 serious, thoughtful questions. Now we get a little of the silly questions. 423 00:29:25.920 --> 00:29:30.000 But I'm curious, Um, this is a little more on a personal level. 424 00:29:30.119 --> 00:29:33.839 If you were sent off to a deserted island, what three wines would 425 00:29:33.880 --> 00:29:37.680 you want to take with you? Well, we used play the game where 426 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:41.680 what what single variety would you take with you? About single variety? With 427 00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:45.960 that I've always so, I mean I always say it's peanut a wire, 428 00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:51.519 right because I can have champagne, I can have Burgundy, and I can 429 00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:56.119 have a California peanot so and you can have a white peanut wires. Well, 430 00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:59.400 so I don't want to say yeah and a rose. So to me, 431 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:02.279 I get a lot of aliety and I'm happy, Okay, But I'm 432 00:30:02.279 --> 00:30:06.680 asking you three wines you would take them? Not getting off the hook that 433 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:11.559 easy. Um, So if I three wines I would take, well, 434 00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:15.079 I think, um, I would take of course, I have to have 435 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:21.559 my champagne and my shibli and then a California peanut and any particular ones are 436 00:30:21.640 --> 00:30:30.039 just the generic champagne Shibbli. Well, um, let's see. I I 437 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:36.240 the current champagne I I'm really enjoying is um Is Jackson, So I probably 438 00:30:36.279 --> 00:30:41.359 pick one of theirs um and um as far as Shabbli goes, I mean 439 00:30:41.880 --> 00:30:47.599 um, if I can get anything from the Leclo Vineyard, I would probably 440 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:49.640 take that um. And then for peanut no Wi, i'd have to bring 441 00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:52.480 I don't know. I don't drink a lot of the wines that I make, 442 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:57.640 but I would probably enjoy bringing one of our peanut no Wars, particularly 443 00:30:57.640 --> 00:31:06.640 from Ruling Vineyard for sojourn and why Ruling Vinuard it's an interesting maybe you have 444 00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:10.119 to pick nine out of nine pinos, yet you just picked your favorite child. 445 00:31:10.359 --> 00:31:12.480 Well, it's pretty funny actually every year because I get this question all 446 00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:15.720 the time, like which one do you like? And actually for me, 447 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:18.440 I do kind of think about it each Finich, like which wine do I 448 00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:22.559 think it's really standing out, you know, as we evaluate the wines and 449 00:31:22.920 --> 00:31:27.319 what happened during that harvest, and it's interesting. But for me, Ruling 450 00:31:27.720 --> 00:31:33.119 has this interesting complexities and it does evolve quite a bit in glass and bottle, 451 00:31:33.160 --> 00:31:37.160 and it has some he has nice fruit which you get out of California 452 00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:41.319 pino, right, a really nice fruit character, but also just like a 453 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:45.880 save savory components and different layers of like spice and savoriness that kind of make 454 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:48.279 it something interesting. So if you're stuck on on desert island for a while, 455 00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:52.079 you want something that's going to evolve and give you something different each time 456 00:31:52.119 --> 00:31:56.000 you try it, and so I think the Ruling Pino tends to do that. 457 00:31:56.160 --> 00:31:59.319 Oh, you're giving me a perfect segue into the final final part, 458 00:31:59.359 --> 00:32:02.319 which is our game of pairing wine and food. So um, you know, 459 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:06.880 let's start with that Ruling Pino noir. I mean, you've described the 460 00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:09.960 wines, so what kind of music would would best exemplify that or would you 461 00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:14.920 want to listen to while you were drinking it? The Ruling Pino. I 462 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:16.039 don't let me think about it again. Let me smell a little bit, 463 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:24.000 get some inspiration here. I don't know why, but you know, and 464 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:27.359 this is a band I don't listen to very much, but for some reason, 465 00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:31.799 the who comes in my mind when I'm smelling this right now, I'm 466 00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:39.079 not sure which which song I don't know, but for some reason, like 467 00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:43.799 a little little little like kind of fun classical rock and roll kind of fits 468 00:32:43.799 --> 00:32:46.039 with that one. And and if you want to describe what you're getting off 469 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:50.000 of it right now, because yeah, it in front of you, I 470 00:32:50.039 --> 00:32:54.440 give kind of like a a little bit of like kind of a stewed kind 471 00:32:54.480 --> 00:33:00.759 of note in a good way, like you kind of get um and um, 472 00:33:01.160 --> 00:33:06.119 you know, I get definitely some like candy cherry characters and then a 473 00:33:06.119 --> 00:33:09.240 little bit of like savoriness. Um, some i'd call like a kind of 474 00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:15.839 Asian or baking spices um that are coming out um starr annas and that type 475 00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:20.200 of thing. So it's pretty a lot going on. So you um, 476 00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:22.359 then okay, so you make nine Pinot Noirs. We picked one of them. 477 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:27.880 But you did speak also about the Gaps Crown soon about that one Gaps 478 00:33:27.880 --> 00:33:30.440 Crown, So that's um, you know, I like rock and roll, 479 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:34.680 so I'm gonna have to you know, for me, it's that's a rock 480 00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:37.799 and roll night. You know specific song. You know it's um um because 481 00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:43.680 it's um, it's it has a nice boldness to it kind of hits you 482 00:33:43.720 --> 00:33:47.039 over the head a little bit for for a pinot noir um and um has 483 00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:52.480 great structure and length and um so I think if it's with a rock and 484 00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:57.200 roll night, okay. Um and then of course you do shardonnays. And 485 00:33:57.440 --> 00:34:00.160 so let's talk about your ruling vineyard chart. Nay. Since I've got in 486 00:34:00.200 --> 00:34:04.319 the glass and I can, I can share along with you and see if 487 00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:13.199 I agree. Um. So we're sticking with this the song pairing. See, 488 00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:15.000 this is a little more elegant, you know. I think the ruling 489 00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:20.519 panot to me is um, I'm sorry, chardonnay has nice you know, 490 00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:24.840 richness to it. Um. But um again, it also has an interesting 491 00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:28.719 kind of savoringness, but in a different way. It's more of like, 492 00:34:28.760 --> 00:34:34.880 you know, kind of dried herbs and um and some floral notes. Um. 493 00:34:34.920 --> 00:34:38.440 So, I think this would be probably more around the classical music kind 494 00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:45.280 of a genre. I'm not a specific song coming in my mind right now, 495 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:47.039 but I'd say this is a this is something different, we got it, 496 00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:52.320 okay, and then um one more um sojourn sellers. In addition, 497 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:58.119 I know makes a sparkling wine a classic method sparkling wine. Um so what 498 00:34:58.199 --> 00:35:07.639 about your brute m hmm. Let's see um, why is uh, let's 499 00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:10.079 see what what's this song? I don't I don't know. I think that 500 00:35:10.119 --> 00:35:14.119 I think of brute. I think is something of a celebration. Right, 501 00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:20.039 So for some reason, that crazy song what's it called? You can sing 502 00:35:20.119 --> 00:35:22.440 it if you want. I definitely can't do that. You don't want any 503 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:28.239 part of that. Um um gosh, I can't remember the day of this 504 00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:30.719 song, but it's like, what are the Oh, well, it's called 505 00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:36.599 champagne showers. For some reason, that video just came to mind brain of 506 00:35:36.760 --> 00:35:39.280 celebrating. That's pretty funny. I'm not sure that's what people want to do 507 00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:44.159 with our you know, it's not exactly an inexpensive battle of sparkling so um, 508 00:35:44.599 --> 00:35:46.360 but yeah, we make we make a brute. Um. That's about 509 00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:50.039 half and half pen warrant and chardonnay. So it's a lot of fun. 510 00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:52.880 Well, Randy, you've been a good sports so I won't put you on 511 00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:55.920 the spot for any more music. I'm pairings. I'm going to ask you 512 00:35:55.960 --> 00:36:00.960 a final question and two parter, and that the first part is where in 513 00:36:01.320 --> 00:36:06.920 the world is on the top of your bucket list to go explore wine region 514 00:36:07.039 --> 00:36:12.079 or perhaps other Well, one thing that's on my mind right now is to 515 00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:16.159 actually go to Antarctica because my wife, when I first met her, she 516 00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:20.280 said she wanted to go to six to the seven continents, and I said, 517 00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:23.559 why not all seven? So we've been actually talking about making making a 518 00:36:23.639 --> 00:36:27.159 plan to kind of go down there. So I think you pretty much have 519 00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:30.880 to go to you know, the south of South America and then catch a 520 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:34.519 little cruise over when it's the right time of year. So that that's kind 521 00:36:34.519 --> 00:36:36.880 of a place that is kind of on the bucket list as far as to 522 00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:40.159 go really see what's going on down there, um, but more more immediately, 523 00:36:40.199 --> 00:36:45.079 I'm planning to go to Europe this summer and really, like I mentioned, 524 00:36:45.400 --> 00:36:52.760 explore the regions of Piedmonte and in Italy and visit Barolo and Barbaresco and 525 00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:57.599 all the little villages in between, which is enjoy those wines. I've been 526 00:36:57.679 --> 00:37:00.559 like trying to like learn as much as i can about I'm looking forward to 527 00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:04.840 seeing the regions in person well as you plan your trip to go explore all 528 00:37:04.840 --> 00:37:07.760 the different regions of Pimente. If someone wanted to come here and explore all 529 00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:13.360 the little nuances of Sonoma, of course they can taste sojer and wines and 530 00:37:13.400 --> 00:37:15.800 get a real taste of different vineyards. So how can they find you? 531 00:37:15.800 --> 00:37:21.119 Where can they taste your wines? How can they purchase them? Well, 532 00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:25.639 we have a little by appointment, sit down style tasting salon in the town 533 00:37:25.639 --> 00:37:29.840 of Sonoma, so right off the plaza. We call it a tasting salon 534 00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:34.840 versus a tasting room because it's kind of a sitdown style tasting, like coming 535 00:37:34.840 --> 00:37:37.840 into our living room. So you sit down on table, you taste the 536 00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:40.760 wine side by side, so you can taste three different peno no wars and 537 00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:45.440 see how each vineyard. You know what the distinctive characteristics are of each vineyard. 538 00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:47.960 So that's the best way to come in and get to know us. 539 00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:53.440 Also, like I mentioned people, a lot of the people get to know 540 00:37:53.559 --> 00:37:58.079 us by joining our mailing list and buying some wines and trying them and getting 541 00:37:58.480 --> 00:38:00.000 getting on the mailing list that way. So you can just go online to 542 00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:04.000 Sojournsellers dot com and do that as well. If you can't make it out 543 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:06.760 the cinema, well great, well, Randy, thank you so much for 544 00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:09.079 joining us on wine soundtrack And it gets time to go drink a little wine. 545 00:38:09.079 --> 00:38:15.719 What do you think its Thanks for listening to a new episode of Wine 546 00:38:15.719 --> 00:38:20.519 Soundtrack USA. For details and updates, listen to our website, wine soundtrack 547 00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:22.480 dot com.