WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:06.120 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with which producers narrate their 2 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:11.400 winery and their world. Teen thirty answers discover their stories, personalities, and 3 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:15.880 passions. Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alison Levine 4 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:23.039 and today I'm with Luisa Sawyer Lindquist, the wonderful winemaker president of verdd Wines. 5 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:26.519 A real treat to be here of Luisa, because ver DoD Wines, 6 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:32.159 you know, specializes in Spanish varieties. But Luisa tell us a little bit 7 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:36.359 more about Verdad. Where you're located, and you know what you're doing. 8 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:42.679 Okay, Hi Allison, Hi everyone. So I started Verdad in two thousand 9 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:49.280 and My original vision was to make Spanish for Rietal wines here on the beautiful 10 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:57.079 Central Coast. I was inspired by my love of first Albarino and the lovely 11 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:06.599 aromatic, crisp white wines used in Reaspicious and Galicia in Spain, and second 12 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:14.519 by my love of well second and third love of rose. I was always 13 00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:19.079 an avid rose drinker since I was in my late twenties, and I just 14 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:26.319 thought the wines were magical at capturing the whole feeling of summer and just a 15 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:34.920 breezy, beautiful wines that have so many different expressions. And then temporneo, 16 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:42.959 the wines of Rioja and ribert Vera del Duero have always been magical to me. 17 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:49.760 And there's so many different expressions of temporneo all over Spain, but particularly 18 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:55.519 in Rioja and Riberto del Duero that I thought it would be really fun to 19 00:01:55.599 --> 00:02:01.000 make those wines. And I thought also that they were incredibly underrepresented in California, 20 00:02:01.640 --> 00:02:10.400 especially considering California's close ties to Spain and Mexico and the Spanish culture and 21 00:02:10.759 --> 00:02:16.759 being part of Spain at one point, and also the climate, the Mediterranean 22 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:24.759 geographical features of California looks a lot like certain areas of Spain. So just 23 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:31.319 always piqued my curiosity coming over to California from the my native New York on 24 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:38.479 wine visits, how there were no Spanish grapes to speak of planted here. 25 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:43.759 Yeah, it's always a dominance of French grapes, yes, French and Italian 26 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:47.439 to some extent, And yeah, it was just like, what's going on 27 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:53.199 here? So where do you source your fruit from? Do you own any 28 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:57.240 vineyards? Are you sourcing? And where did you find Spanish frities or did 29 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:01.919 you have to plant them? Initially we had to plant them. We at 30 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:07.919 the moment don't own any vineyards. We had originally a long term lease at 31 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:15.120 Ibarra Young Vineyard and Bob, my husband, Bob of Lindquist Family Wines formerly 32 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:22.840 of QPE, planted the Ibaria drafted over and planted a Bari Young vineyard in 33 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:31.759 the eighties. So he had been using that for Sarah morved Vionnier and Marson. 34 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:39.879 And then when we actually before we got married, we planted some Alberino 35 00:03:39.960 --> 00:03:46.319 there, the cuttings which we got from Brian Babcock, one of the major 36 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:54.800 sources for Alberino were this these cuttings he took from Bodegas Morgadillo with the permission 37 00:03:54.960 --> 00:04:01.400 of the winemaker at that time at Jose Antonio Lopez, and Brian brought back 38 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:10.520 a bundle of Alberino cuttings. His friend worked for TWA Airlines and his friend 39 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:14.479 to walk them through, which you could do in those days pre nine to 40 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:18.959 eleven. And I believe he planted them around in the early nineties, so 41 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:26.720 just a little planting. He made some wine which I think he so sold 42 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:30.560 a little bit in his tasting room, but it was never a commercial wine 43 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:34.959 for him. When we found out about that, we asked to buy cuttings 44 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:39.480 from him, and we bought a basically one hundred and fifty sticks in nineteen 45 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:45.360 ninety six and planted that at a bar Young and then in two thousand and 46 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:49.240 five took cuttings from a bar Young and planted that in the vineyard we had 47 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:57.360 edna valley called Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard and two we planted two acres there. Immediately 48 00:04:57.399 --> 00:05:00.959 we saw the Alberino was I don't we can go on and on and on, 49 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:10.759 but Temporneo was a different story that called around to local nurseries, and 50 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:18.279 I believe it was Duarde Nursery supplied us with some Temporneo budwood which we planted, 51 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:25.000 and so this that was planted in nineteen ninety nine. And then a 52 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:33.759 friend of ours brought cuttings from Bodegas Pesquera and he got permission from Alejandro Fernandez 53 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:38.839 to take cuttings. His name is Steve Vancerello. He worked for Classical Wines 54 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:45.959 of Spain and then he started a winery called Paridor also devoted to Spanish grape 55 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:50.879 varieties, especially Temporneo. So I bought the cuttings. We bought the cuttings 56 00:05:50.879 --> 00:06:00.720 from Steve from Pascuera and planted a little bit in atabar Young and then we 57 00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:05.399 took cuttings from that planting and brought that into Edna Valley. So kind of 58 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:11.639 cooler climate areas to a degree. Well, I mean ibari Jung is in 59 00:06:12.759 --> 00:06:18.680 Santinez, in Los Livo's district or near Yes, it's Santa ynez Is. 60 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:24.959 It's right on the border of Santinez and Los a Livo's next right adjacent to 61 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:29.639 where the Beckmann family winery is. So and what's your total case production? 62 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:35.519 It's about twenty two thousand, Between two thousand and twenty five hundred, I've 63 00:06:35.879 --> 00:06:41.759 gone up a little bit above that. So that's what it is now. 64 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:46.279 And are you mostly like direct to consumer or are you in different markets? 65 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:50.879 I'm in different markets. And I should add that in addition to albarino rose 66 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:58.319 from Grenache or Garnatsha tem for Neo, I also make cabernet and that is 67 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:03.600 starting to become actually have larger production wine than Temperaneo. And that's something that 68 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:11.279 I'm planning on growing more. It's from organic grapes, certified grapes from Passa 69 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:15.879 Robles, and I also have some grapes that i've in Beryl wine in Beryl 70 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:21.959 that's from Santa Ynez near Happy Canyon, so really covering the central coast. 71 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:30.560 Yes, exactly exactly. Caeberne is a great grape and it's very sturdy and 72 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:34.000 it just likes a lot of new wood. But it's been really fun to 73 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:41.240 make it and work with it. So what is your first memory relevant to 74 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:46.759 wine? Oh? Gee, that's a good question. One of my first 75 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:50.360 memories, Well, when I got into wine, I was I took a 76 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:56.240 year off between high school and college and worked in Yosemite and a lot of 77 00:07:56.279 --> 00:08:01.800 my friends were older than me, and they they were Californians and they drank 78 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:07.519 a lot of wine. So I remember hanging out and partnering, partying with 79 00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:13.639 them and really enjoying wine. And probably the magical setting helped a lot as 80 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:16.560 well. But I was, you know, in that kind of I don't 81 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:20.120 know what I should study in this or that, and somehow it occurred to 82 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:24.399 me it would be really fun to study wine, and so you did that. 83 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:30.319 I did that to a certain extent. I ended up going to Long 84 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:37.639 Island University there used to be an undergraduate campus in Southampton, and as I 85 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:45.080 was in my senior year, I realized that there was a budding wine industry 86 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:50.919 there and I explored that and I asked the administration at LU if I could 87 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:58.159 work at the first winery on Long Island, hard Grave Vineyard and be kind 88 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:03.480 of an intern there and for an exchange for college credit, and they agreed, 89 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:07.840 So I got a semester that I did that full time. And I 90 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:11.960 know you got your start in Long Island working in wineries there before you came 91 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:16.039 out west, and you've obviously been in wine for a long time and probably 92 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:20.039 well, I know you've had the pleasure and privilege to drink a lot of 93 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:24.200 great wines in those years. Is there one wine that stands out? I'm 94 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:26.480 sure there are many, But is there one that comes to mind as one 95 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:30.519 of those aha moments at some point? I don't know what the aha was. 96 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:35.480 Maybe it was about a grape or a place, or just a food 97 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:37.159 pairing or who knows, or maybe it was just the setting of the people 98 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:41.840 in place. Well, there's been a few moments like that. I have 99 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:48.840 to say, gosh, that's tough because I've been so lucky and so fortunate 100 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:54.639 to be exposed to some of the greatest wines in the world throughout my varied 101 00:09:54.679 --> 00:09:58.120 career. I worked for a distributor importer in New York. I worked for 102 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:03.279 a very fine wine shop in New York where we did Bordeaux futures, so 103 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:11.399 I got to taste first growth Bordeaux and I went to early after I moved 104 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:18.200 to San Francisco in ninety two, I decided to go to the wine experience 105 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:20.720 in New York for the first time. And I've been in the business at 106 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:26.879 that point for a while how many years, but I went. So the 107 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:31.200 New York wine experience at that time was really exciting and I'm sure it still 108 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:37.159 is. I haven't been for a number of years, but one around diligently 109 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:43.840 tasting, if not to every table, certainly a lot of tables, especially 110 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:52.120 the imported wines. And I tasted up seventy six JJ Prune Auschleizer, and 111 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:58.360 that was a revelation of absolute beautiful beauty and incredible wines. There was also, 112 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.039 I think it was at that point, maybe in eighty six, but 113 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:11.039 a good you know, of Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne, which was a beautiful 114 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:16.320 wine that stood out to me very nicely. A few years before that, 115 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:18.360 I had been at one of the Lobberd tastings. They used to do it 116 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:24.080 at the Marriott Marquis in New York, and I was working for them, 117 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:30.279 and and I was a new sales rep. And the instructions were go around 118 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:35.320 to each table and introduce yourself and taste one or two wines, you know, 119 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.320 so you know our portfolio, and you say hello. And I'd been 120 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:46.320 tasting probably and mingling for over an hour, maybe an hour and a half, 121 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:52.360 and I tasted Vietti Barbaresco and it was I think again in like the 122 00:11:52.639 --> 00:12:00.720 eighty six vintage probably and it's a vineyard that source would be tough terre. 123 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:07.600 But it was a revelation in Italian wines from Pimante that it just was absolutely 124 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:11.480 mind blowing. It's like all these revelations, like every time we know, 125 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:16.080 I mean to taste wines of those caliber and then yeah, I can't imagine 126 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.600 you'd probably go on and on it. I'm like all the great wines, 127 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:22.759 I guess ridiculous, and I think covered Spanish wines yet, So if we 128 00:12:22.759 --> 00:12:26.320 were to come to your home. I mean, you make a lot of 129 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:28.320 wine, your husband makes a lot of wine. You're exposed to a lot. 130 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:31.799 What would we find in your home? Is it a lot of your 131 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:33.840 own wines or local wines? Is it wines from around the world? Are 132 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:37.840 there certain grapes? I mean, what's in your house? Oh, a 133 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:43.399 little bit of everything. We tend to drink more white wine because we'll have 134 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:48.840 that as an approoti and depending on what we're cooking, will either have a 135 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:56.840 white or red or pink. So right now, one of the wines we 136 00:12:56.960 --> 00:13:05.399 had recently while traveling was Cracker Pino gree And we were in Hawaii visiting friends 137 00:13:05.399 --> 00:13:11.879 and working the market, and we stopped at a restaurant for an appetizer and 138 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:15.279 a friend of ours lived there in Maui and said, you have to try 139 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:18.120 this wine. I love it. And it was the Crocker Pino Green and 140 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:22.919 it was delicious. So when I came home, I was just cruising the 141 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:28.679 internet and there was a special at wine dot com by six bottles blah blah 142 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:31.240 blah. So I'm like, I'm buying that. But yeah, a lot 143 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:39.240 of European wines if although it's hard, there's not a lot of shops here 144 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:45.519 that carry a great selection. Necessarily, usually we tried to zero in on 145 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:52.320 something and get it through a wholesaler friend of ours or two or you know, 146 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:58.960 having exactly but tried some We love that wines from Alsace. We love 147 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:05.360 of Albarino. Of course, we went on recently a godeo kick where we 148 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:09.799 had a lot. We tried a lot of different godeo We also try and 149 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:16.000 we drink a lot of wines from our colleagues here on the Central Coast. 150 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:22.559 And I have to say, I'm always impressed with the balance and finesse that 151 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:28.200 the vineyards, the wines made from the vineyards on the Central Coast produce anything 152 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:35.200 you opened up this week that drink really well. Gosh, I have to 153 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:37.080 think you have to give me a minute to think about that. You know, 154 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:43.480 here at the winery, every day you'll see we have us staff lunch 155 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:50.679 where we sit down and we open anywhere from six to ten to fifteen wines, 156 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:54.200 depending if we have guests or not. And so we're and you know 157 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:56.399 there's always some of ours there just to kind of check in and see how 158 00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:05.080 they're showing. And then we usually you have other things, so it all 159 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:09.039 blurs now it does, and I need to Anyways, one of the things 160 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:16.919 that we had recently that it was really delicious was the Pino Gray pino blanc 161 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:24.879 from our oat from Aubon Clamont, which is lovely. We had a recently, 162 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:28.559 I'm just thinking something that really struck my mind, a lovely Surrah from 163 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:35.840 El Ugar and he's a friend of ours and really delicious. Yeah, I 164 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:39.600 could go on and on. Well, so with all these different grapes, 165 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:45.600 do you think there's a such thing as a perfect variety? I think there's 166 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:52.960 perfect spots for different grape varieties depending on the vineyard situation. So yeah, 167 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:56.600 yeah. And then another thing is you're drinking all these grape wines from around 168 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:02.960 the world, a lot of very famouss and well regarded wines that have been 169 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:07.919 critically lauded. And I'm curious what your opinion is online critics and scores. 170 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.960 Obviously, you know you're drinking wines that have gotten great scores. I'm sure 171 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:17.279 you've submitted your wines over the years. How do they work for you as 172 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:23.320 a brand and also as a consumer. That's a tough question, you know, 173 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:32.039 it's over the years you realize that there's some critics who might have a 174 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:38.200 similar palette to yours, or who might like like and understand more nuanced wines, 175 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:44.759 which I feel that we make here just because of the climate and the 176 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:48.840 weather and the grapes that we use, so you know, those are copathetic. 177 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:57.120 I remember meeting Clive Coats years ago at a dinner in Burgundy, and 178 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:06.680 I love the way he reviewed his wines because it was good, very good, 179 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:11.720 very good. Indeed, if you really, I mean, that's how 180 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.519 I want to start reviewing wines, you know. I think that's a great 181 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:21.880 way to do it. And the thing, you know, as you realize 182 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:27.160 after time in the business and experiencing tasting wines, that wines can go through 183 00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:33.440 an evolution, and there's sometimes they're quite closed, especially with high acid wines, 184 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:37.680 and if you taste the wine, you might not get anything or much 185 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:44.759 out of the a aromatic profile, et cetera, and a year later it 186 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:49.039 could be a revelation. So I think it's an imperfect system. It's good 187 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:52.640 and certainly I look at that if they happen, if I'm buying on a 188 00:17:52.680 --> 00:18:00.279 site that posts these things, but it's just hard to say. Some reviewers 189 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:06.599 are known for having palettes the bigger, the better, and those publications, 190 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:11.680 you know, have their followings, but our wines don't do well in those 191 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:18.759 and that's okay. It's interesting also to me to see that there's a stylistic 192 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:26.200 revolution going on from the big, bold wines of the late nineties early two 193 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:33.680 thousands too much more delicate, nuanced wines that are really I start to see 194 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:37.559 people really appreciating them. Yeah. So for someone who hasn't had the privilege 195 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:41.480 to taste for DoD wines yet, what do you think they're missing out on? 196 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:45.680 I know you've talked about nuance and obviously Spanish varieties, is there anything 197 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:55.519 else? They're definitely I would call have bright profiles. The Alberino has great 198 00:18:55.519 --> 00:19:06.319 acidity, minerality, aromatics. The Temporneo is from some of the cooler climates 199 00:19:06.359 --> 00:19:11.839 in California maybe and the valley might have been the coolest climate. The Temporneo 200 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:19.920 is planted in California. And then even the Caberney I make part of it 201 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:26.799 is from half of it is from Whale Rock Vineyard and that's a limestone vineyard 202 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:33.160 in the Templeton Gap, which is the coolest ava and passer robules and that 203 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:37.880 lends its incredible freshness to the cabernet. So people taste that wine and they're 204 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:41.000 like, oh my god, this is not like a passive cap. This 205 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:47.119 is completely different. It's fresh and this and focus and elegant, and so 206 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:52.759 I think you do get that with my wines, you get a certain restraint. 207 00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:57.200 So if space aliens were to land at your property and knock at your 208 00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:02.039 tasting room door in slow the Slow Coast, which of your wines would you 209 00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:07.839 want to welcome them with? O? Well, I think rose. We're 210 00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:11.839 not Rose because everybody likes rose, and you know it could probably goes with 211 00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:15.119 alien food as well. Well. So I have a question, and I 212 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:18.119 want to talk to you about food in a second. But I have a 213 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:21.599 question because I always ask, like getting down as a wine drinker, red, 214 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:25.000 white or rose? Is it fair to say rose is your choice? 215 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:32.319 Well, certainly I feel that that is the most Uh what's the word I'm 216 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:37.319 looking for? Versatile? Versatile of wine? Thank you, of any wine 217 00:20:37.319 --> 00:20:44.240 it's got attributes of white and red and it can match up to meet or 218 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:49.160 just as an have it as an aperitif I had a beautiful one yesterday when 219 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:55.400 we were out to dinner, the Terra Brune from Bandol and that wine is 220 00:20:55.480 --> 00:21:00.759 just absolutely gorgeous. So yes, I love rose. And speaking of you 221 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:04.480 know, food, how I mean you're drinking all these great wines and as 222 00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:08.319 you said, you do lunches in you're opening up bottles of wine. Do 223 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:11.720 you follow any rules when it comes to pairing food and wine? Do you 224 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:15.720 look for any certain things to make the choices? Or do you just put 225 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:22.839 wines on the table and have fun a little bit of both if we're if 226 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:29.400 I'm entertaining or have a special bottle, I'll try to work around the food 227 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:36.559 around the bottle to bring out the best of that. So yeah, are 228 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:38.839 there are there things? What are you looking for? Are you looking to 229 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:44.319 match things or contrast things, or you know, do you follow certain rules? 230 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:48.400 Well, i'd like do I call it? Yes? I think if 231 00:21:48.440 --> 00:21:53.519 you're doing pasta or something with a tomato based sauce, it is amazing how 232 00:21:53.880 --> 00:22:02.279 Italian wines and Tuscan wines are really able to match that well, the high 233 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:06.240 acid and low tannin, yes, yes, and the freshness. But you 234 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:11.519 know, I tend to gravitate towards maybe less tannic reds. We do a 235 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:15.839 lot of grilling, but and then you know, we just eat. We 236 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:18.799 don't eat a lot of meat, but we do enjoy it on occasion, 237 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:26.519 and that's when we break out the temporneo and the big Surah and things of 238 00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:32.440 Tabernet, sa vegnandapot. So getting into kind of wine making. And you've 239 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:34.240 been doing this for a long time and you're working with a lot you focus 240 00:22:34.279 --> 00:22:38.079 on Spanish Fridays, but obviously with Linquist family wines, you know you work 241 00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:45.519 together on with rown grapes and other grapes. I'm curious you're working with different 242 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:48.880 vineyards along the Central coast. We know there's vintage variation from year to year, 243 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:53.119 but in your experience, have you seen more commonality or do you see 244 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:59.599 variation from year to year. Definitely a variation from year to year, and 245 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:07.319 maybe it's become a little more varied over the last five years or so, 246 00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:12.680 I've noticed a little more extremes. It's actually starting with seventeen when San Luis 247 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:18.880 Obispo Labor Day weekend was the hottest place on Earth, hotter than Afghanistan, 248 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:22.279 I mean one hundred and fifteen at that point was on the record on the 249 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:26.839 coast. Just a few miles away from the coast, and that that was 250 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:33.160 blew me away. We normally get a heat wave right around Labor Day. 251 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:36.880 I mean it's almost like clockwork. We'll have a cool, foggy as you 252 00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:41.400 see, overcast summer, and then Labor Day weekend, it's like the fog 253 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:47.200 is peeled away and the sunshine comes in, often with the bang. But 254 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:51.720 we have had you know, it was seventeen with super had that extended heat 255 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:59.920 wave. Again in twenty there was some heat events more than one that affect 256 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:03.720 did all the vineyards on the central coast to some degree or another. And 257 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:14.359 then last in twenty two, it was just the most difficult, challenging weatherwise 258 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:19.279 vintage that I've ever experienced. And I believe I'm not the only wine maker 259 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:23.359 that would say that. Huh, So, are there any signs or predictors 260 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:26.720 you look for that are going to tell you what a vintage is going to 261 00:24:26.759 --> 00:24:33.079 be? Like? Well, I've been fooled many times too thinking that. 262 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:40.119 I mean, we've barely had any sunshine for the past two weeks. I 263 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:44.039 mean, there was a couple hours yesterday morning, a couple of the other 264 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:48.039 afternoon, and I think and it's so it's been gray, a June gloom, 265 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:53.519 cold, and then you get trigged and we're over a month behind after 266 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:59.279 a cold, wet winter. So you can easily get tricked into thinking like, 267 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:02.279 oh, har is going to be late, but then you'll get a 268 00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:10.079 heat event and everything will equalize if we Yeah, so I right now, 269 00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:14.279 I'd say it should be a cool late vintage, but who knows. Mother 270 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:18.559 nature has her own way. So I know that you make your wines at 271 00:25:18.680 --> 00:25:22.559 Aubonne Clement in the Santa Maria Valley are based out in the Slow Coast. 272 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:26.640 That's where your tasting room is. You guys have a lot of traditions here. 273 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:30.880 As you said here you do lunch every day as a team pretty much 274 00:25:30.920 --> 00:25:36.880 Monday through Friday and usually Saturday during harvest, which is great. So do 275 00:25:36.920 --> 00:25:40.440 you have any other good luck rituals or traditions that you do at the start 276 00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:45.319 of harvest? No, not really, ill you know, we do have 277 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:52.640 a winemaker here, Michael Brugelli, who brings the priest into pluses vintage and 278 00:25:52.759 --> 00:25:56.799 the first grapes he brings in, which is really a neat tradition that maybe 279 00:25:56.839 --> 00:26:00.839 it spreads over it to the rest of the grapes exactly, hoping he shares 280 00:26:00.839 --> 00:26:07.000 the blessing with all of us. And I'm wondering this might sound like a 281 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:11.119 silly question when you go into the vineyards and you know, you spend time 282 00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:12.799 in the vines and then you know, I know, you're you're sourcing the 283 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:15.200 different fruit. But when you bring it in here and it's in the barrel 284 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:21.559 and it's your baby, Now, are you known for talking to your wine 285 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:29.079 or communicating with it? I think last year I was cursing at it. 286 00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:36.880 So yes, yes, it gets a reprimand sometimes right tough love we call 287 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:41.599 it. Yes, Yeah, it's you know. It is interesting though, 288 00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:52.480 when you have a ventage where it's even and the ripening is calm and everything 289 00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:56.759 is kind of relaxed and chill on the weather, hits all the right notes 290 00:26:57.559 --> 00:27:03.960 that the usually the resulting grapes do make exceptional wine, and there are vintages 291 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:08.000 that you just know from the beginning are going to stand out. As long 292 00:27:08.039 --> 00:27:11.079 as you don't screw it up, the wine should be pretty special. Yeah, 293 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:15.279 no talking to it, because it behaves. So you were telling me 294 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:18.640 at the beginning that you, you know, kind of were introduced to wine 295 00:27:18.680 --> 00:27:22.559 when you were in you know, end of high school type thing. And 296 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:27.319 you chose wine as a career path earlier than many people do. But when 297 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:30.319 you were a little girl, what did you want to be when you grew 298 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:38.279 up? A forest ranger or a fashion model? But I clearly not designed 299 00:27:38.279 --> 00:27:45.240 it like that fashion model. Forest ranger. I love it. And when 300 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:47.880 you're not working, how do you like to spend your free time today? 301 00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:56.160 You know, I like to hike and walk, I like films, I 302 00:27:56.319 --> 00:28:02.799 like to read a lot. I love to cook. Travel is a huge 303 00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:08.559 part important part of my life as well. And yeah, just after the 304 00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:14.759 pandemic, I really appreciate times I have with friends, and so I like 305 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:19.519 to keep up relationships with my friends and family as much as possible. And 306 00:28:19.880 --> 00:28:23.440 you were talking also about how you know, you'll usually start out with a 307 00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:26.279 white wine and then if you have me's go into red wine. And you 308 00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:30.000 know, you and Bob drink a lot of really good wines. But if 309 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.599 you were going to set a romantic evening, I mean your kids graduating from 310 00:28:33.640 --> 00:28:37.960 college, like there's time to celebrate, relax, it's just the two of 311 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:41.359 you. What sort of wines do you open to make for a romantic evening? 312 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:45.680 And not just an average night or maybe every night's romantic because you open 313 00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:51.720 so many wines. Well it's okay, so this is good timing. Yesterday 314 00:28:51.720 --> 00:28:56.200 we celebrated our anniversary, not the anniversary, thank you. So we went 315 00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:02.440 out to dinner and I guess bought would be the romantic one here because he 316 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:07.839 bought a lot of ninety seven's and we bought some together. He bought some. 317 00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:14.279 And so last night we had the nineteen ninety seven Chateau Rayas and celebrated 318 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:19.240 our anniversary, had a dinner at a local wonderful restaurant called Ember, and 319 00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:26.599 it was magical and the wine was phenomenal and it really was a beautiful evening. 320 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:33.240 I love it. So romantic evenings are met with wines of significance are 321 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:37.799 fun fun wines too. So, Lisa, I'm wondering, you know, 322 00:29:40.039 --> 00:29:45.079 we're all given advice throughout our lives from you know, teachers and parents to 323 00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:48.279 mentors. Wondering if there's a piece of advice someone gave you along the way 324 00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:56.079 that you try to live or work by. Always have a sense of humor 325 00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:00.599 and you know, really never let it go you down too much where you 326 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:04.160 and I just got to get up and put one foot in front of the 327 00:30:04.200 --> 00:30:11.200 other when things when times it's tough, and luckily my husband and partner is 328 00:30:11.319 --> 00:30:18.559 a natural optimist and always always believes that the outcome will be fine and good. 329 00:30:19.880 --> 00:30:26.279 That's helpful. So when you look back at your career, what would 330 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:30.920 you say is one of your proudest achievements to date? Oh, let's see, 331 00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:37.400 I guess just getting a label on the bottle it was pretty amazing to 332 00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:47.519 me. Planting our vineyard felt great, although the capital expense was higher than 333 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:52.519 we anticipated, and on the ongoing expense is certainly a lot to take very 334 00:30:52.559 --> 00:31:00.920 seriously. Just you know, sometimes just making a wine that you're apply proud 335 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:07.880 and excited about is what. There's nothing better than that feeling of just I 336 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:11.559 think, feeling like you actually it worked. Everything kind of was right, 337 00:31:11.920 --> 00:31:19.799 And you know, I feel like my wines are good and qualitatively or consistently 338 00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:25.279 good. But you know, it's only once every few years that you really 339 00:31:25.880 --> 00:31:30.640 are spelled bound by a special wine. And I'm always very proud about that 340 00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:37.759 and lucky. So imagine a scenario. We're sitting at a table here and 341 00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:40.440 we've got your bottles of wine on the table, but there's an empty seat 342 00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:44.160 next to you. Who from any walk of life, living or deceased. 343 00:31:44.200 --> 00:31:52.359 Would you want to share a bottle over DoD Wines with Alison? Oh, 344 00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:56.079 that would be a tough one. I don't know. I mean have to 345 00:31:56.160 --> 00:32:07.200 think about that. Really. Winston Churchill would be fun. And he was 346 00:32:07.240 --> 00:32:12.119 a drinker. He loved to drink, so he would be a lot of 347 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:16.920 fun to meat and just to meet and to share some wine with that would 348 00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:20.599 be a lot of fun. See, I told you there'd be some silly 349 00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:23.440 questions. That's all I warned you. With complete the sentence. For me, 350 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:42.000 a table without wine is like a table without wine is like a bread 351 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:52.039 without butter or olive oil, covering all bases there. I love it. 352 00:32:52.119 --> 00:32:58.039 I love it. And then we're almost finished. Got got just a just 353 00:32:58.079 --> 00:33:02.000 a two? Three more quick little fun questions. One is if you were 354 00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:07.039 being sent off to a deserted island and can only take three wines with you, 355 00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:10.079 With all the great wines you drink and have drunk and love, what 356 00:33:10.119 --> 00:33:15.000 three wines would you pick if you could only take three? I would take 357 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:23.680 obviously this is an unlimited budget. Yes, I would take the Tat and 358 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:32.240 Jay compe des Champagna rose would be one. Oh gosh, I'd have to 359 00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:43.559 say the I'd take a Mao Temporaneo or keep their right outside of Regrettel Duero 360 00:33:44.200 --> 00:33:50.359 one of their higher level blends, which would beautiful wines. And then oh 361 00:33:50.519 --> 00:34:00.240 gosh, for white wine, Oh gosh, it's just too hard, and 362 00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:05.680 might want something that's you know, there's some wines that are really special and 363 00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:09.079 full bodied and you know, very satisfying when you have a bottle once in 364 00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:13.039 a while, and there's some things that you want to drink all the time. 365 00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:19.719 And hmm, I know, so many choices, so many choices. 366 00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:23.519 Gosh, almost tempted to do a rose because it goes with so many. 367 00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:37.000 Why not let's see that. Yeah, can give me a minute, you 368 00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:39.400 know, being on an island, i'd have to say, I might want 369 00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:45.159 to load up on some of that Bandol rose that we had as an apparaitif 370 00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:52.000 last night. That was spectacular. There you go. So we're almost finished, 371 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:54.920 but it is time for a little game where we pair wine with music. 372 00:34:55.599 --> 00:35:00.239 Not distress you too much, but based on we'll keep it easy. 373 00:35:00.280 --> 00:35:05.000 We're going to focus on your three wines that you make, well, you 374 00:35:05.039 --> 00:35:07.000 make four, but I'll focus on your Spanish writing, so I want to 375 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:14.320 start with your albarino. Okay, I would say that would be a line 376 00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:31.000 for some good country maybe like Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton music. It's been 377 00:35:31.320 --> 00:35:37.960 fun and great stories and not what I would expect, but I like that. 378 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:49.960 And you're Rose of Garnaca. That would be a definitely more of a 379 00:35:52.360 --> 00:36:07.079 Oh let's see what would be perfect grenache? Probably some h some some thank 380 00:36:07.199 --> 00:36:22.760 celebratory, some kind of high energy jazz but not but but fun jazz, 381 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:25.440 not something that you have like if you go into a cloud, people are 382 00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:36.239 going to tell you to be quiet, and you're temporanneo. Tempornia has got 383 00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:40.800 to be bossanova. I love it. I love it. Not what you 384 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:46.440 might expect. Well, Louisa, you've been great and I know that put 385 00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:50.199 a lot of pressure on you to do the music. So this should be 386 00:36:50.199 --> 00:36:53.599 an easy two part question. The first part is what wine region in the 387 00:36:53.599 --> 00:36:58.480 world is at the top of your bucket list to go explore that I haven't 388 00:36:58.480 --> 00:37:02.000 been to yet or maybe return to. It's up to you. Oh wow, 389 00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:08.880 well, I've never been to Bordeaux. And it turns out our youngest 390 00:37:08.880 --> 00:37:13.239 son is going to do his last semester in college at the University of Bordeaux. 391 00:37:13.719 --> 00:37:21.800 So I'm excited to have that opportunity finally to visit there. And another 392 00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:32.440 for white wine is the area of Galicia where Godeo is planted, and I 393 00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:37.480 have not been there, and I feel like that's dying to go there, 394 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:39.880 dying to go. So in two places at the top of your bucket list. 395 00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:44.840 And if our listeners wanted to come find you, take a trip up 396 00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:46.920 the coast, come to or down the coast, depending or out to the 397 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:51.679 coast, depending on where they're coming from. You're in the slow coast. 398 00:37:51.719 --> 00:37:54.960 And where can they find you and how can they find your wines. Well, 399 00:37:55.000 --> 00:38:01.639 we have a tasting room in a Royo Grande. It's right now at 400 00:38:04.280 --> 00:38:07.039 it's right in the village of the old village of Arroyo Grande. We're moving 401 00:38:07.079 --> 00:38:13.840 locations, so by the middle to end of August we'll be just at another 402 00:38:13.880 --> 00:38:17.400 location in the village of Arroyo Grande. And you can look us up on 403 00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:28.239 at www dot for Dad Wines and linquisfamily dot com and you can we can 404 00:38:28.280 --> 00:38:31.199 tell you how to get our wines. Wonderful. Well, Liusa, thank 405 00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:35.320 you for joining us on Wine's Soundtrack. It's been fun chatting with you and 406 00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:37.840 I'm ready to go taste some of your wines. Great. I can't wait. 407 00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:42.800 Thank you, Allison, it's been a pleasure. Appreciate it. Thanks 408 00:38:42.800 --> 00:38:46.519 for listening to a new episode of Wine Soundtrack USA. For details and updates, 409 00:38:46.679 --> 00:38:51.760 visit our website winesoundtrack dot com.