WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:06.080 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with which producers narrate their 2 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:11.160 winery and their world. In thirty answers discover their stories, personalities, and 3 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:15.080 passions. Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alison Levine 4 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:20.920 and today I'm in the lovely town of Sonoma in this beautiful old adobe where 5 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:24.519 Three Sticks Wines is located, and I'm sitting with Ryan Pritcher, the director 6 00:00:24.519 --> 00:00:28.079 of wine making for Three Sticks. So Ryan, welcome to Wine Soundtrack and 7 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:32.000 tell us about Three Sticks Wines. Absolutely, thanks for thanks for having me. 8 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:37.159 Yeah, Three Sticks is a winery located in Sonoma. Like you said, 9 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:42.880 we make primarily pino noir and chardoney. We're sort of absolutely focused on 10 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:45.600 that. We've got a couple of other wines that we make, but probably 11 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:49.719 ninety five percent of what we do is pino noir and chardoney. We have 12 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:55.960 six estate vineyards located throughout Sonoma County and produce estate wines from those. We 13 00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:00.679 make about nineteen different wines from those, so it's a nice mix from across 14 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:04.159 all of these great vineyards. And we have some really notable vineyards that we 15 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:08.640 own and in some cases sell fruit to other wineries as well, so Durrell 16 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:14.519 Vineyard, Gaps, Crown Vineyard listeners may know of with other producers. And 17 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:19.200 then we have some estate properties that we produced solely what we call our Monopole 18 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:23.840 wines. Wow, so you don't source any fruit. It's all a state 19 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:26.920 fruit as of now. Yes, so we just have made that change in 20 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:32.239 the past. We actually were almost there for many years now. We've we 21 00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:36.799 had two different wines that had that we purchased fruit from. One was in 22 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:42.079 Sebastopol and our Russian River Blend and then our Castagnata White, which is from 23 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:46.519 a dear friend and neighbor of Darrell. He actually was our vineyard manager at 24 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:49.840 Darrell from the beginning, so we purchased fruit from him for a wine as 25 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:53.879 well. But yeahs as of now going forward, it's one hundred percent of 26 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:57.439 state. It's great. And your total case production right around ten thousand cases. 27 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:01.319 And where can people find your wines? Are they available in markets across 28 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:07.400 the US or are they direct consumer combination? Mostly direct to consumer? Yeah, 29 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:12.159 it's primarily through our mailing list or our wine club. That's where we 30 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:14.840 sell most of our wine. We do sell a little bit to restaurants, 31 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:16.759 out throughout the United States. You might be able to find it in some 32 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:22.439 restaurants around but I always tell people not to count on it because people always 33 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:23.960 say, you know, I didn't see I don't see it. I'm looking 34 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:27.159 for it, and you know, we we have, like I said, 35 00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:30.280 nineteen wines. Maybe four of them are in distribution in small quantities, so 36 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:36.000 you might get lucky and find it somewhere, but direct to consumer is really 37 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:42.759 the way we do it. Great. So I'm curious what your memory relevant 38 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:46.719 first memory relevant to wine is getting out of being a wine maker and living 39 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:50.639 in all this what do you what's that first memory? And how old were 40 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:54.800 you? Well, it's I grew up in Berkeley, California here so not 41 00:02:54.919 --> 00:03:00.840 far from wine country. But growing up we weren't really a wine drinking family 42 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:05.759 per se. Um. You know, we definitely had wine at the table 43 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:10.000 sometimes. I remember it more so sort of in high school as that's when 44 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:14.159 I started to kind of become aware. Um, you know, this is 45 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:19.960 now in the eighties, so Sonoma and Napa were kind of hitting their stride 46 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:23.719 or after the Paris tasting in the set late seventies. Um, so it 47 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:29.479 was it was something that wasn't super prevalent at the table, but was definitely 48 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:34.520 around. And I remember in college was when I sort of, you know, 49 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:38.360 there was a wine appreciation course that was offered at Cornell through the Hotel 50 00:03:38.439 --> 00:03:43.000 School, and all the seniors take it and everyone, you know, walks 51 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:49.840 around campus with their little alcohol. Yeah approved school approved drinking. You're yeah, 52 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:52.560 you get to take a class or you get to drink. So it's 53 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:54.919 it was. It was something everyone took. And it's actually the most failed 54 00:03:54.960 --> 00:04:00.479 class at Cornell as well, but actually pretty funny. It was. It 55 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:04.479 was a it was a sort of I knew that we had the wine industry 56 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:10.199 here in California, and it was something I just kind of had an appreciation 57 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.319 for and wanted to learn a little bit about. Knowing that, um, 58 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:15.639 you know, it would be helpful sort of later on in life, and 59 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:18.879 um, so I did that. Um. And then I also kind of 60 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:23.879 came home and we had some family friends who live up in Anderson Valley and 61 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:28.279 they would make wine home wine every year. Uh he's a doctor and would 62 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.240 just you know, bring in a half ton of pino one year, or 63 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:34.040 a half ton of cabernet and and make it at home and so he would 64 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:41.079 bring these wines to Christmas parties and things, and um, they were pretty 65 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:45.000 good. So I said, this is kind of interesting. You can make 66 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:48.319 your own wine and and um and share it and sort of pretty cool. 67 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:54.160 That was That was my first AHA into oh I could I maybe could do 68 00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:57.920 this? And you know, beer making was starting to happen out and you 69 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:00.279 know, out and around and so friends we're making beer. I tried making 70 00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:04.160 beer a couple of times, and then I said, well, let's just 71 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:10.040 go to wine. That's that's just the Uh. It gives me one chance 72 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:13.680 a year instead of every six weeks. So I take the pressure off. 73 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:16.399 We'll put more pressure on. It's a little bit of both. But so, 74 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:19.439 so you said that was one of your first AHA moments. What would 75 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:26.399 you say, is is there one memorable wine that stands out along a lot 76 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:29.519 of great wine drinking that I'm sure you've had And you know, I know 77 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:32.199 we were talking before and you travel to France for barrels and I'm sure you 78 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:34.680 drink a lot of great wine there. But along the way, is there 79 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:39.480 one wine that stands out in your mind? Is one of those AHA moment? 80 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:43.040 Wines are super memorable and it might have just been the occasion. Yeah, 81 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:45.920 I mean, I would say one of those was in that class. 82 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:48.720 So, you know, we it was we would basically every day we would 83 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:51.800 get to every you know, every day that we had class. Once a 84 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:56.319 week, we would learn about a new region and then at the end of 85 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:00.839 the class, we would taste six wines from that region, and usually it 86 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.120 was you know, there'd be a ten dollar bottle of wine and then there 87 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:08.399 was a twenty and it was a nice mix of stuff. But they also 88 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:12.680 had this incredible seller that um, you know, past alumni would donate their 89 00:06:12.839 --> 00:06:16.959 sellers at some point in their life, and so we had access to some 90 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:21.639 really cool wines. And so I remember we were learning about pinot noir and 91 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:28.199 at the end of that class, the last wine was a nineteen fifty two 92 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:32.519 Jevrey chambertin and and you know, we're going from a twenty dollars pino to 93 00:06:32.759 --> 00:06:35.519 a you know, I don't even know what the I don't even remember the 94 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:39.720 label, but I can't get your hands on it pino. Yeah, but 95 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:43.120 it was one of those things where you said, okay, it really showed 96 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:48.079 how wine can evolve and the nuance of wine. And I remember tasting it 97 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:53.480 just saying wow, Like the it made me really wake up and understand the 98 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:58.759 differences and kind of the magic that that wine has. You know, it's 99 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:03.480 a it's a living, breathing thing and it doesn't change until it turns completely 100 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:09.240 to vinegar. Right, that's so cool. So, now, if we 101 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:12.040 were to come to your home, I'm sure you don't. Maybe you do, 102 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:15.839 but I highly don't. You have any nineteen fifty two Jevrey Schembricham hidden 103 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:17.920 in the cellar? But what kind of things would we find in your cellar? 104 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.639 What do you have at home? Well, I've got a couple of 105 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:25.519 botts with three sticks in there, of course. But you know, I 106 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:29.319 love drinking. I love drinking Chardonnay pinot noir, but I also kind of 107 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:32.639 seek out things that I don't get to taste all that often, you know, 108 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:39.800 whether it's Mencia from Spain or you know, gamy from France, just 109 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:45.079 things that I don't There's not a lot of here in Sonoma County, and 110 00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:47.480 so you'll probably find a lot of things that are just kind of weird and 111 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:56.399 different and not necessarily particularly expensive. But just I love trying new and different 112 00:07:56.439 --> 00:08:00.519 wines from different regions around the world. So is there any thing that you've 113 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:03.680 opened up recently the drink really? Well, yes, there's a lot. 114 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:11.120 The My newest one recently was a gamey from uh Boujelais, a Crue Boujelais 115 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:16.639 and so there you know, yeah it was again it was a twenty dollars 116 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:20.319 bottle of wine Dominique Perrone I think was the name of the producer, and 117 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:24.839 they just you know, it's kind of like there's a lot of similar things 118 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:28.720 with game and Peen and noir and um it was. It's just a wine 119 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:33.440 that was pleasurable. Um, you know, you could just open up and 120 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:37.159 have with dinner. It wasn't not a whole lot of fuss, but just 121 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.600 delicious wine. And I've had a couple of bottles from them recently and I 122 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:45.240 just every time enjoy it. So that's that's what it's all about, right 123 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:52.360 absolutely, speaking of enjoying wine, UM you said, you know, gamme 124 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:56.440 just pop it open and enjoy it with food. How do you look at 125 00:08:56.440 --> 00:09:00.200 food and wine pairing? Do you think that it is um, some think 126 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:03.600 their rules or their tips you look for. Are there some generalities that you 127 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:09.080 think about wine first, food first, or um you just go for a 128 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:13.799 pinot or a game a light bodied red and you're done well. I think 129 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:18.679 it shows probably the wines that I like to drink, both with food and 130 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:24.000 without food, are very similar. I think. I think that wine and 131 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:30.360 food pairing sometimes gets a little bit too People get a little bit too detailed 132 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:33.399 with it and a little bit too in the weeds with it. I think 133 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:39.360 that a good pinot noir will probably you know, go with a lot of 134 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:41.639 different things, right, I mean you yes, there are going to be 135 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:46.279 certain dishes and certain ingredients that will not go great with with pinot or with 136 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:50.879 maybe anyone. You know. I think raw onions don't generally work out for 137 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:54.879 me. That's all I taste for the next couple hours. Right, So 138 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:58.080 I found that perfect pairing hut. Now I'm still looking for it, but 139 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:01.799 it's you know, I think in general, you know, if you're looking 140 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:05.200 for a big, bold red, yeah, sure that that needs something to 141 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:11.679 stand up to it. And maybe similarly, like a sweet wine or something 142 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:15.960 that's really really super tart, like rip enamel off your teeth type stuff. 143 00:10:16.039 --> 00:10:18.840 Yeah, you want those to be. But a lot of the wine is 144 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.399 sort of in the middle, I'll say, where they have maybe a mild 145 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:26.799 tannic profile or maybe a chardonnay that isn't ripping the enamel off your teeth. 146 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.759 I think they work with more things than people give them credit for. And 147 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:35.159 I think we've done a bunch of different tastings here where you know, well, 148 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:41.200 we paired some you know, paea with a red and a white wine 149 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:46.639 and it worked wonderfully because you had the white wine brought up so in the 150 00:10:46.679 --> 00:10:48.919 citrus or you know, things within that dish, and then the red wine 151 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:54.039 there's some charizo in there and that brought out that and it really worked with 152 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.360 both both of those things. And it's not necessarily a dish you would say 153 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:01.639 would work with a white and a red wine, right, So, um, 154 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:07.320 I'm very open to it. I don't go in with sort of a 155 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:13.919 hard and fast sort of ideology with it, and sometimes that means I find 156 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:16.679 some duds, but but I think it works out more often than it doesn't. 157 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.480 Well. So as a wine drinker, red, white or rose, 158 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:26.000 it depends on the temperature. If it's if it's hot outside, I'm probably 159 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.919 going white, and if it's cold, I'll probably go red. I probably 160 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:33.679 drink you know, maybe seventy percent red wine, I would say, and 161 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:37.399 you know, thirty percent white. But um, but in the summertime that 162 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:43.519 it flips seasonal and still or sparkling. Oh. I can almost never turn 163 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:48.320 down a sparkling if if it's around. So while I drink a lot more, 164 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:54.720 still sparkling when it's open is number one. So do you think there's 165 00:11:54.720 --> 00:12:00.600 a such thing as a perfect variety? You work? You work primarily with 166 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:03.399 two grapes, um, but love to explore all these different wines in the 167 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:07.120 world. I mean, do you think there's a such thing as perfection and 168 00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:13.519 a perfect variety? I think perfect perfection is is experiential is, and it's 169 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:18.879 it's also time bound. Um. Yes, I think you can have that 170 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.639 perfect wine, but it doesn't mean that it is perfect always. Um. 171 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:26.720 And I think, um, you can. It's it's who you're drinking with, 172 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:31.080 It's what you're drinking, it's what food you're having it with, it's 173 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:35.000 uh, you know your emotional state at that time. Um. And sure 174 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:41.639 there's I've had plenty of perfect wines in my life, but not perfect varieties. 175 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:43.279 I would know. I would say, there's not something that's perfect all 176 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:46.840 the time. I love peanot no orange Treny that that's what I make and 177 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:50.879 that's what I love to to drink, and I would say they are probably 178 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:56.679 more perfect than others. But but but but you know, just like um 179 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:03.720 anything, perfection is only the time you do it and you got to do 180 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.279 it again. You know you can if you're a gymnast, right, you 181 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:09.039 can hit that vault and you can get it perfect once. But it doesn't 182 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:15.399 mean you're a perfect gymnast, right, very that's a very fair assessment. 183 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:22.159 So you know, a lot of people aspire for that level of perfection or 184 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:26.759 kind of reaching those high levels the ten in the vault, and a lot 185 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:31.200 is gauged by wine critics and scores. So I'm curious what your opinion is 186 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:37.200 of wine critics and scores. I think that they play a really important part 187 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:41.440 in our landscape. I mean, I know that when I walk into a 188 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:48.080 wine shop and see that sea of wine that surrounds me, I first will 189 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:54.360 usually talk to somebody there and get an understanding. But that's honestly not always 190 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:58.440 available when you go into certain places that sell wine. Right there, you're 191 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:03.879 great wine chops, Yeah you they'll they'll curate that for you. But there 192 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:05.600 are a lot of places that don't, and so you need to have some 193 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:09.799 kind of third party out there that can help you along the way. And 194 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.960 um, you know, I think critics play that role. And um, 195 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:20.000 you know whether or not the perfect score wines matchup. Um. You know, 196 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.159 I've had hundred point wines that were really, really, really good, 197 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:26.720 and I've had one hundred point wines that they were They were good, but 198 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:31.159 I don't know if i'd call them perfect, But I think generally that's okay. 199 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:35.200 Um, you know that that wine on that day, maybe I didn't 200 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:39.200 have the perfect bottle version of that. And so, UM, I think 201 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:45.320 they they give you general guys and I think as a consumer, having that, 202 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:48.720 having that reviewer that you may follow, that you may you know, 203 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:52.879 trust their opinion, allows you to wade through all of this. Uh. 204 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:58.159 It's wine is kind of unlike any other product that you might see if you 205 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:01.320 go to the grocery store. I mean, it's good more and more now, 206 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.080 but you know, you go into the ketchup aisle and it's you know, 207 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:07.679 you've got maybe ten choices and now back in the day it was probably 208 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:13.320 two. Um. And so there's very few products that you have hundreds of 209 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:18.080 different options and and they're so varying, and so having someone to help you 210 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:22.360 navigate that, I think is an important thing for the industry. Absolutely so 211 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:26.279 for somebody who hasn't had the pleasure to try three sticks wines yet, what 212 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:31.039 do you think they're missing out on? Well, I think, um, 213 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:35.120 first and foremost, it's our You know, our vineyard sites are phenomenal, 214 00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:41.440 and so you know, Rob Harris, our vineyard manager, is does a 215 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:46.879 great job with our vineyards. We have these sites that are just historical and 216 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:50.519 m and fantastic in their own right. And so you you layer in great 217 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:54.039 farming on top of great sites, and then um, you know, hopefully 218 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:58.120 we're doing our job in the seller making great wine as well. Um, 219 00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:02.840 I think yeah, it's it's My goal with these wines is to have fresh, 220 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:07.399 vibrant wines that are delicious when you pop them now and will age for 221 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:12.639 for years to come. We're actually later today going to do a vertical all 222 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:17.840 the way back to the first wines made here. So we're going to do 223 00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:22.919 a Peano Noir Durrell Vineyard vertical today and so we'll be tasting wines from two 224 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:26.759 thousand and two all the way up through current release. And so getting to 225 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:30.559 getting to you know, revisit those and we try to do that, you 226 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:36.919 know, periodically, to go through wines and taste what the vineyards have shown 227 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:41.440 over all these years and get a sense of how these wines are doing out. 228 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:45.519 It's almost a twenty year nineteen year vertical because I don't think twenty twenty 229 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:48.080 twos out yet right, not yet, but we will taste it, so 230 00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:52.679 we will taste it out of out of barrel. So yeah, very cool, 231 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:56.399 very cool. Um. So, if space aliens were to land on 232 00:16:56.440 --> 00:16:59.559 your property right now, land here in the middle of the adobe, which 233 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:03.000 of your lines would you want to offer them as a way to say this 234 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:08.599 is three sticks? Oh, I think I think we would have to probably 235 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:11.720 go back with something that's you know, had a little bit of age but 236 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:18.240 not necessarily been out there for a long time. Maybe something from twenty fifteen 237 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:23.039 twenty sixteen, so it's got a few years under its belt, has sort 238 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:29.960 of started to get into those secondary notes. Our Durrell pinos that will be 239 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.079 tasting today that I mentioned, I think would be a great example. Durrell 240 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:37.839 has this great history within the Sonoma wine world here. It is kind of 241 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:44.160 one of the gron Cruise. So I think a pino or shard from Durell 242 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:48.839 would be a great introduction into the Sonoma wine scene and in our wines as 243 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:52.400 well. So when you say like a twenty fifteen, I mean in your 244 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:56.240 tasting room you're doing current releases. Do people have the opportunity to taste older 245 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:00.559 vintages when they come here? Sometimes? Yes, Sometimes we will have an 246 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:04.119 older wine that will break out. It really kind of depends on the year, 247 00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:08.599 time of year, what we've got available. One of the downsides of 248 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:14.480 you know where we're at right now, is sometimes we sell through our wines. 249 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:17.720 Once our release goes out, we'll sell through our wines pretty quickly, 250 00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:19.240 and so you know, if it's right at our release, you might be 251 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:22.640 able to taste certain wines, and then as as it goes on, we 252 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:29.000 run out of wines and can't can't actually serve them anymore. So sometimes at 253 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:32.359 that point we'll bring out since we don't have our current releases, we might 254 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:36.480 bring out something older or but if you're a space alien, you will definitely 255 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:38.440 get an older vintage. We'll find one for you if you're space alien. 256 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:42.960 In fact, if you're space alien, we might we might be running away. 257 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:48.079 So you were talking about your vineyards. You said you have six vineyards. 258 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.519 I know you're not the vineyard manager, you're the winemaker, but I 259 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:56.680 assume you spend time in the vineyard in vineyards, and when you're in the 260 00:18:56.759 --> 00:19:00.119 vineyards, are you looking for any sort of side lines or predictors that are 261 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:03.759 going to tell you what a vintage is going to give you? Yeah? 262 00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:07.759 I mean I think all all year, every year we are we are watching 263 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:11.920 the vine and um, I don't think that I always try to steer away 264 00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:17.839 from making predictions on a year, because you know that. I mean, 265 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:21.359 this is one of the things with farming is you can have the perfect year 266 00:19:21.480 --> 00:19:25.759 all the way through and then a rain may come right, you know, 267 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:29.759 a week before harvesting and wipe it all out. You know. So, 268 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:36.119 Um, I think farmers are superstitious and uh and and know not to speak 269 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:40.440 too much until the grapes are picked. And even then they they hedge a 270 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:42.440 little bit. But um, yeah, I think that's that's the best day 271 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:47.279 in a farmer's uh. You know, any any grape growers life is the 272 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:51.920 day that they drop the fruit off at the winery and can walk away saying 273 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:53.480 they've done the best they can. Yeah. No one's hedging their bets on 274 00:19:53.519 --> 00:20:00.480 mother Nature. No, mother Nature. Mother nature always wins. So when 275 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:03.759 you're you've been making wine for a number of years, how many how many 276 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:11.640 harvests have you done? Who? I've done probably eighteen harvests now, Yeah, 277 00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:17.400 all in Sonoma. Uh No, Actually, I mean I actually helped 278 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:22.000 make some wine out in Colorado for a couple of years. I came to 279 00:20:22.119 --> 00:20:25.319 wine as a second career, so I was doing the home wine making thing 280 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:29.480 and helping out at other wineries for a few years before I jumped in full 281 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:33.720 time. So I've been in Sonoma since two thousand and eight harvests. Okay, 282 00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:40.559 so you have over ten years in this valley if I did my mouth 283 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:45.960 right. Oh well, getting into fifteen, and I'm curious what you're how 284 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:49.440 you look at vintage variation? Do you see a lot of variation from year 285 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:52.720 to year? Do you see a lot of commonality? I mean, we 286 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:56.920 know every vintage is different. We don't As you were just saying that you 287 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:59.880 never know what Mother Nature is going to give you, But how much very 288 00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:03.200 d see here and where do you see that coming out in the lines? 289 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:07.400 I definitely see see it. I mean every single year, with maybe a 290 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:11.640 few exceptions. You know, eighteen and nineteen in recent memory, were fairly 291 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:15.039 similar. We had fairly similar growing seasons, but there were still differences. 292 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:19.319 You know, you have temperatures may be the same, but yields may be 293 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:22.359 different, so you may have more fruit coming off of one harvest, and 294 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:27.519 that impacts what the flavors will be like in that given year. I think 295 00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:32.160 in California we do have a little bit of a benefit, you know, 296 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:37.319 in that generally we get things ripe. That is not something that's not an 297 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:41.960 issue for us generally, I guess, with the exception of you know, 298 00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:48.119 fires or rains or something like that. But you know, in you know, 299 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.640 let's say, if we're thinking of the old world in France, you 300 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:55.240 have a lot more variability where there's certain years where that just they couldn't get 301 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:59.000 the fruit ripe at all, and so that's not really something we generally have 302 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:03.519 to worry about out here. But that being said, um, you know, 303 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:07.880 you have different yields, you have different cycles throughout that year. Um, 304 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:11.960 what's it looking. I mean right now, it's been raining for for 305 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:15.240 a good long while. We're ready, We're ready for that to to slow 306 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:18.319 down a little bit. Um, but you know, so that will impact 307 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:23.000 the fruit that comes off this year, and um and so, and it 308 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:27.119 really just depends on not just when this that this stuff happens, but when 309 00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:30.480 this stuff happens. So you can have rains, you know, you can 310 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:34.920 have flooding all through the year up until now and it not really affects the 311 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:38.640 fruit very much. Well, if that were to happen in the summertime, 312 00:22:40.119 --> 00:22:45.319 you better bet that's affected absolutely. And so Thankfully in California we don't generally 313 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.839 have those problems, but we do have isolated incidents frost. We had some 314 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:53.279 frost issues last year. UM, specifically not so much in Sonoma, but 315 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:57.240 um, you know, Sierra Foothills and Oregon had terrible frost. So those 316 00:22:57.480 --> 00:23:03.200 types of things definitely hit us year and something that we hope don't absolutely. 317 00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:07.720 So you were talking about how farmers are superstitious. I know that you are 318 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:11.559 a winemaker, you're not the vineyard manager, but I'm sure you have some 319 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:18.200 superstitious tendencies. So I'm curious, Um, two things. One, do 320 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:23.880 you have any um, you know, sort of rituals or or yeah, 321 00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:27.200 rituals that you do at the start of harvest as a sort of a superstition 322 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:30.559 like this is how we have to do it. Yeah, you know, 323 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:33.559 Um, we have a bunch of things that we do and those sort of 324 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:37.160 evolved over the years. You know, we do we toast the harvest every 325 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:42.079 year, um, where we sort of blessed the first grapes that that hit 326 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:47.680 the line with a sparkling line. Um. And we actually had a French 327 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:49.920 intern last year whose family made sparkling lines who we used his, which is 328 00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:55.279 which was great. Um. There are all sorts of things throughout the throughout 329 00:23:55.319 --> 00:24:00.480 harvest, whether it's songs that we play at different times to you know, 330 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:04.200 to initiate some some things that are going on in the winery. We do 331 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:11.119 press offs and sometimes we'll play a song when that press starts, and we 332 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:15.240 play some jock jams during during punchdowns to get people going. Well, so 333 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:19.440 speaking of playing music to get people going, and this is part of the 334 00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:25.559 other superstitition when you're in the vineyards, um, do you find sometimes we 335 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:29.920 hear about people communing with nature. Do you talk to your vines? Do 336 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:33.440 you speak to the grapes or when they're in the winery? Is playing music 337 00:24:33.480 --> 00:24:37.079 a way to communicate with the grapes and what are you trying to tell them 338 00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:40.359 all? Or what do you say to them? I don't know that it's 339 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:45.440 that it's trying to communicate to the grapes specifically. Usually it's more trying to 340 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:49.720 communicate to our own selves and our own emotions. And you know, so 341 00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:55.680 when I'm out in the vineyards, generally I'm not listening to music. I'm 342 00:24:55.720 --> 00:25:00.759 sort of listening to what's going on around the sounds mother nature, the birds, 343 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:07.720 the you know, the hawks and whatnotum in the winery. Yeah, 344 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:11.440 jock jams definitely not trying to talk to the grapes. So that's that's trying 345 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:15.440 to get the uh, the seven interns going and pumping into the day so 346 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:19.119 that we can we can jock jams. Like, what's an example of a 347 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:23.240 great chock jam that you played? Oh? Like, uh, I don't 348 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:29.240 know CC Peniston or you know any of the nineties nineties rock you know, 349 00:25:29.240 --> 00:25:33.839 in nineties hip hop, um jock jams high energy. Yeah, it's just 350 00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:41.720 hard to sit still if you heard this right, Music Factory. Yeah, 351 00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:45.680 so you said that you didn't come to wine. I mean, obviously you 352 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:48.000 talked about earlier how you were introduced to wine and it's always sort of intrigued 353 00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:52.920 you since college. But you said you had a previous career. So when 354 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:55.359 you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? 355 00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:57.960 And then what did you end up doing prior to wine? Yeah? So, 356 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:02.680 uh, and I was really little, I wanted to be a sports 357 00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:04.400 doctor. But I think that was just because I wanted to, you know, 358 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:10.160 doctors sounded really important. Uh, And I like sports, But I 359 00:26:10.200 --> 00:26:14.039 realized, you know, midway through high school that that wasn't what I was 360 00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:18.960 really interested. I went to Cornell to be an engineer and or an architect, 361 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:22.359 so that was kind of my I loved buildings. I loved architecture just 362 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:29.200 in general, and wanted to potentially get into that and engineering I ended up 363 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:32.160 choosing because it kind of gave me a little bit more breadth, a little 364 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:34.680 bit more, a little bit more options. And then once I was at 365 00:26:34.759 --> 00:26:38.440 school, I ended up going into operations research and industrial engineering, which was 366 00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:45.799 essentially like process engineering, how do you make anything better? And so I 367 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:49.680 went into management consulting after after college and did that for a number of years, 368 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:55.799 and most of the things we were making better were you know, installing 369 00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:59.559 software systems to make things, you know, more efficient and things like that, 370 00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:03.480 which I liked, but I didn't love. It was not producing something 371 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:07.599 that really sort of spoke to me. And so when I learned about wine 372 00:27:07.640 --> 00:27:11.799 and started really getting into it, it was that was something where you know, 373 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:15.559 yes, you could. You're constantly trying to find the best way to 374 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:18.480 to make these wines, to grow these grapes. You know, what, 375 00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:22.799 what can you do better in the seller to to make these wines spectacular? 376 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:27.680 And and you had this product that was just sort of such a fabric of 377 00:27:27.720 --> 00:27:33.400 culture and food and and and it changed with time too. So even when 378 00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:36.200 you know, normally when you make something, you look at it and you 379 00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:37.640 say, yes, it did a great job, and that's great. Well, 380 00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:41.920 with wine, you now need to worry about that wine for the rest 381 00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:45.079 of its life, right, And so it's kind of like raising kids or 382 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:49.599 you know, you're never really done never ever ever. So speaking of that, 383 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:52.880 I know you have kids and you were saying they're they're on spring break 384 00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:56.559 right now. But when you're when you're not working and not busy on spring 385 00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:00.119 break, what do you do in your free time? It's it is it's 386 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:03.599 spending a lot of time with my family. You know, we I spend 387 00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:07.559 a lot of time at the winery throughout the year. So when when I'm 388 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:11.640 at home, I'm I'm spending time with them. We're going to soccer practice, 389 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:15.440 We're, you know, taking trips as a family. That's that's where 390 00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:22.319 um, I spend most of my time outside of work and something that I 391 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:26.000 love. And you mentioned that you were a sports fan because you were going 392 00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:30.319 to be a sports doctor. M Is there a particular sport or a particular 393 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:32.319 team that you're a big fan of. I mean, you are from the 394 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:34.480 Bay Area, so I have a few guesses. I'm an Oakland A's fan. 395 00:28:36.359 --> 00:28:37.920 It's been a rough it's been a rough go for a number of years 396 00:28:37.960 --> 00:28:41.480 here now. And you're a loyalist. I'm a loyalist. And as long 397 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:45.000 as they don't move to Las Vegas, then I don't know if I can 398 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:48.759 do it anymore. But well, if they stay in Oakland and they eventually 399 00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:52.000 were to win a championship, which of your wines would you want to give 400 00:28:52.039 --> 00:28:56.559 them as a congratulations who I'm trying to think if there's any like play on 401 00:28:56.599 --> 00:29:00.319 words with any of our wines that would go, but I don't think would 402 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:02.519 be. I would have to go with our cuve eve Marie. I think 403 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:06.599 that's that's sort of our barrel selection. That is our wine. That is 404 00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:12.160 the the you know, the genesis, the top of what we do. 405 00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:18.039 I think, um, And it's a wine that is shows both place and 406 00:29:18.519 --> 00:29:22.359 a selection of that place, a very small selection from that place. So 407 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:26.400 we do a barrel selection on the wines that come from the One Sky Vineyard 408 00:29:26.440 --> 00:29:32.519 and and some some other vineyards that will will soon be I'm I'm hedging right 409 00:29:32.519 --> 00:29:37.000 now because right now that wine is specifically from the One Sky Vineyard. In 410 00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:40.720 future releases, it will be from all of our vineyards, the best barrels 411 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:44.960 from all of our vineyards together blended together. So um, that would be 412 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:48.359 that would be one if if they win it next year, then they'll get 413 00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:52.119 they'll get the Couve Marie from One Sky. Well, let's hope that they 414 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:57.599 win. I'll save a bottle for him. So when you're planning a really 415 00:29:57.720 --> 00:30:03.279 romantic evening for you your wife, when you know you got the kids off 416 00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:06.200 and you you actually have time to sit down, I'm sure you have wine 417 00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:11.359 often, but what kind of wines make for a romantic evening versus just a 418 00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:15.480 Tuesday night. Well, I think you got to go back to sparkling again. 419 00:30:15.079 --> 00:30:19.200 Champagne. You know, people ask sometimes, you know, what's your 420 00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:22.519 favorite wine that you've ever had? And I think one of my favorites at 421 00:30:22.599 --> 00:30:26.200 least I don't know if I could ever say which one was the favorite. 422 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:30.640 But my wife and I on our tenth anniversary wedding anniversary, we went out 423 00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:34.680 to an old restaurant that we had gone to and you know, prior to 424 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:41.039 being married, and uh, and brought a vintage dom Perignon and it was 425 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:45.279 just perfect, you know. And um, I think, like I said, 426 00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:48.920 it's it's who you're with, what you're celebrating, and the wine itself. 427 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:53.200 And you hit perfection and we did sparkling. Sparkling. Uh, you 428 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:57.880 know, great great champagne is is hard to hard to miss on. So 429 00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:03.839 when you look back at your career and maybe your previous career, although you 430 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:06.519 know as much as you said you enjoyed it, it didn't great give great 431 00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:10.160 satisfaction. But is there something you look at along your career that you say 432 00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:15.759 is one of your proudest achievements to day proudest achievements over time. Um. 433 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:19.960 You know, I think sometimes it's not necessarily the best wines that you make. 434 00:31:21.079 --> 00:31:26.920 Sometimes it's the wines that you've struggled through or the things that you've You've 435 00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:32.519 taken something that wasn't didn't, didn't, you didn't have a high expectation for, 436 00:31:32.839 --> 00:31:36.599 but you worked really hard at and um and were able to sort of 437 00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:41.519 turn that into something really really good. Maybe it wasn't the best again, 438 00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:44.720 but it was really really good. I think those are the ones where I 439 00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:49.160 tend to look to and say that's those Those are proud, proud moments where 440 00:31:49.400 --> 00:31:56.799 where you've you've turned something from good to better and when you know, another 441 00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:00.480 question, another thought provoking question, is you have children, so I'm sure 442 00:32:00.480 --> 00:32:05.319 you're giving them advice all of the time, but I'm curious if there's a 443 00:32:05.319 --> 00:32:07.680 piece of advice someone gave to you along the way that you know you like 444 00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:12.799 to you try to live your life by, or how you approach winemaking or 445 00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:20.559 work or or anything. Yeah. I remember my one of my aunts one 446 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:23.400 time came to me and was talking about my dad and saying, you know, 447 00:32:23.480 --> 00:32:28.279 like, you know, I'm really love that your dad followed his passion. 448 00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:31.880 My dad as a photographer and or is a photographer, and um, 449 00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:37.799 and I that really stuck with me because you know, it's not necessarily the 450 00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:43.160 you know, you don't necessarily go after money, you don't go after fame. 451 00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:45.559 You just go after what you love. And that's what he did, 452 00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:50.680 and um, it's eventually what I did. And I would say the same 453 00:32:50.759 --> 00:32:53.480 thing for for my kids is just do something you love. Do something that 454 00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:58.839 you love to do every day and and it doesn't really feel like work. 455 00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:01.000 If if that's what you doing, and if you are good at it, 456 00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:04.960 and you, um, you know, you spend the time to do that 457 00:33:05.240 --> 00:33:08.039 to the best of your abilities, it will more than likely work out. 458 00:33:09.400 --> 00:33:13.440 Now, there's probably people out there now who are saying, you know, 459 00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:15.799 I did the same thing and I'm still making nothing. It's not working out. 460 00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:22.920 But but you know, I think there are there are ways to make 461 00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:25.559 a livelihood out of the things that you love to do, and I think 462 00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:31.279 it's worth worthwhile, absolutely so complete the sentence for me, A table without 463 00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:37.319 wine is like an empty table. We talk a lot about we talk a 464 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:42.359 lot about table fellowship here at Three Sticks, and UM, it's you know, 465 00:33:42.440 --> 00:33:45.920 it's gathering around the table and it's sharing wine, sharing food, sharing 466 00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:51.920 relationships. And I say that empty table in jest. You can obviously have 467 00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:58.839 those those relationships and meaningful experiences without it, but to me, it's it's 468 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:04.759 one thing that that ads and completes that that process and so um, you 469 00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:07.880 know, it's something that I love to do. But I've had some great 470 00:34:07.880 --> 00:34:13.800 conversations without wine as well. Well. You're saying that it's at a table, 471 00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:15.360 it's a place to gather and to share wine, and there's an empty 472 00:34:15.400 --> 00:34:20.239 seat next to you and your wine's on the table. Who from any walk 473 00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:22.400 of life, living or deceased would you love to be sitting in that seat, 474 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:27.119 sharing a bottle of wine, gathering with you and chatting about wine and 475 00:34:27.239 --> 00:34:30.719 life. Um, there's I think any of the people that I think about, 476 00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:35.880 they probably would. I don't know if I would be so excited to 477 00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:40.039 actually have them. You know, someone like Abraham Lincoln across the way probably 478 00:34:40.119 --> 00:34:44.639 scare me pretty I don't. I don't know if i'd have that that great 479 00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:46.039 of a time. But although once he has a glass of wine his hand, 480 00:34:46.119 --> 00:34:50.400 you never know. Right now, you know, there are so many, 481 00:34:50.800 --> 00:34:57.400 so many people from history, and you know that that sharing these bottles 482 00:34:57.440 --> 00:35:01.519 of wine would be phenomenal, but um, quite frankly, it's doing it 483 00:35:01.639 --> 00:35:06.960 with family. Um, that's who who I would love to you know, 484 00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:10.719 I wouldn't be scared of that. So you know, my parents, Um, 485 00:35:12.239 --> 00:35:15.599 you know, my grandparents. Being able to share that with him would 486 00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:22.000 be would be wonderful. Um, we've talked about a little bit about vintages. 487 00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:27.880 You were talking earlier about vintage variation and some of the extreme weathers we've 488 00:35:27.960 --> 00:35:30.800 had, and um, where do you see Where do you see wine in 489 00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:34.840 three hundred years or something or beyond? Do you think we'll be making wine 490 00:35:34.880 --> 00:35:39.239 and drinking wine? Well beyond our lives? I yeah, we have to 491 00:35:39.320 --> 00:35:45.960 be. I mean, it's it's one of the oldest, oldest beverages in 492 00:35:45.159 --> 00:35:51.159 time now, it's been hundreds of years in the making. And uh, 493 00:35:51.480 --> 00:35:55.000 and it will I think will certainly continue. I think, um, it 494 00:35:55.079 --> 00:36:00.280 will definitely look different. We probably won't be in the same places. But 495 00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:05.000 I think that's another great thing as well as as we learn more and more 496 00:36:05.039 --> 00:36:07.639 about wine and learn more and more about what grows. Well, you know, 497 00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:13.480 even in California we're sort of still at the infancy of winemaking, and 498 00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:16.719 so um, you know, we're going to be really good in three hundred 499 00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:23.000 years. And it may be you know, we may be doing it in 500 00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:28.800 Alaska, but but it'll be It'll be happening somewhere for sure. Um. 501 00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:32.280 And if unfortunately, you know, the world were to end tomorrow and you 502 00:36:32.360 --> 00:36:36.519 were sent off to a deserted island, or the world didn't end, but 503 00:36:36.599 --> 00:36:38.320 you were sent off to a dessert, which three wines would you want to 504 00:36:38.360 --> 00:36:44.239 take with you? Oh? Three wines. I would have to probably have, 505 00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:50.760 um, a a Sheblis on that island with me, because you know, 506 00:36:51.719 --> 00:36:58.280 a desert island was Sheblis is kind of perfect. Um A particular producer, 507 00:36:59.400 --> 00:37:05.360 um, not specifically. I love Le Clo vineyard is one of my 508 00:37:05.400 --> 00:37:08.920 favorite vineyards from out there. So I've had some great wines from a number 509 00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:14.400 of different producers that that do that. Um, So that would probably be 510 00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:17.280 a fun one to have out there. Um. I would say we'd have 511 00:37:17.360 --> 00:37:23.280 to have a three sticks pino along with that, because after all your hard 512 00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:27.000 work, you want to remember it. Yeah, I'd like to see how 513 00:37:27.079 --> 00:37:34.039 that wine ages on a deserted island. And then m oh, I can't 514 00:37:34.079 --> 00:37:36.960 say sparkling because we've already talked a little bit too much about sparkling, but 515 00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:40.519 it would be pretty pretty nice out on that island. You always say sparkling, 516 00:37:40.760 --> 00:37:44.480 Well, you know, yeah, sparkling. Sparkling would be great. 517 00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:46.960 But you know, I think to round it out, you know, maybe 518 00:37:47.039 --> 00:37:51.519 there's a maybe there's a ron a rone blend out there as well, just 519 00:37:51.639 --> 00:37:54.119 to kind of mix it up a little bit, have something with a little 520 00:37:54.119 --> 00:37:59.719 bit more weight, um and maybe i'd maybe there'd be like a stake that 521 00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:04.800 floated in one day and we can we can have it with Ryan. You've 522 00:38:04.840 --> 00:38:08.360 been a great sport, but I'm going to challenge you one more time looking 523 00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:12.239 at your wines. We're coming to the end here, and now we're gonna 524 00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:15.920 based on some of the wines you're making, and a great way to express 525 00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:21.639 your wines to pair them with music sort of what you'd want to be listening 526 00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:23.519 to, what it reminds you of. Now, you've spoke a lot about 527 00:38:23.559 --> 00:38:30.360 the Durrell Vineyard pinot noir, so maybe we can start there. So Durrell 528 00:38:30.639 --> 00:38:35.840 specifically, Durrell has sort of like an earthiness to it and fruit, So 529 00:38:36.159 --> 00:38:38.760 I think in terms of music with that, I would go with something like 530 00:38:38.840 --> 00:38:45.119 a little bit more a little folksy or something like that. You know, 531 00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:49.679 it a little bit of a little guitar, maybe a little banjo, a 532 00:38:49.719 --> 00:38:52.760 little babe, you know, stand up bass with it. We do these 533 00:38:53.119 --> 00:38:58.320 destination Durell where we have a big party in the vineyard every year, and 534 00:38:58.440 --> 00:39:00.920 so that's that's typically kind of music and the vibe that we have there it 535 00:39:01.000 --> 00:39:05.119 and it fits. It's kind of like it's not quite country but a little 536 00:39:05.159 --> 00:39:08.719 folksy. Um. Yeah, So I'd probably go with that for that. 537 00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:14.360 And then you know, you go to something like a GAP's Crown or something 538 00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:15.880 that's a little bit farther out in the Sonoma coast, and then you get 539 00:39:15.960 --> 00:39:22.440 into these more like ethereal um, I don't know, like electronic music, 540 00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:27.719 maybe like an ambient electronic where you've got this like fog rolling in and just 541 00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:31.039 kind of this just just soundscapes around you. I think is something that that 542 00:39:31.079 --> 00:39:34.639 would work well with Gaps. I like it. I like how you gave 543 00:39:34.679 --> 00:39:39.199 me two two wines there. So what about your Chardonay Russian River Valley M 544 00:39:39.360 --> 00:39:43.280 Chardonnay. This is um what I have in front of me a lot of 545 00:39:43.320 --> 00:39:45.519 vineyards. So it's a single vineyard. M chardonnay, what about this one? 546 00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:51.599 Yeah? So Alana is another one of those sort of Sonoma Coast It 547 00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:55.800 is amongst the redwood, so it's you know, it kind of almost reminds 548 00:39:55.880 --> 00:40:00.679 you of the e walks in Star Wars, right, like the these big 549 00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:05.599 redwoods and then you've got these little sort of clearings throughout that area, and 550 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:08.280 that is where the Alana Vineyard is. And so it's kind of similar to 551 00:40:08.320 --> 00:40:12.519 that GAP's crown that I was saying. But it's but I don't know what 552 00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:15.559 the what the Ewoks music is, but there's there's a there's a song they 553 00:40:15.639 --> 00:40:22.559 sing and maybe that would work. And then um, what about your Sonoma 554 00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:27.239 Mountain Pino noir? Yeah, our Sonoma Mountain Pino. So that's where our 555 00:40:27.320 --> 00:40:31.760 couve ever Marie comes from. That's really high atop the Sonoma Mountain. It's 556 00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:36.920 um, you know, above above the valley, above the clouds. It's 557 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:42.440 kind of super airy and light. Um. That would probably be like a 558 00:40:43.320 --> 00:40:50.000 big sort of orchestral um. I don't know something, it's just something something 559 00:40:50.599 --> 00:40:53.280 big, and you know, the violins and the and the cellos kind of 560 00:40:53.400 --> 00:40:58.760 just go uh and it's just it's it's bigger than life. And um, 561 00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:01.599 you know, may be a big, big drum or a French horn thrown 562 00:41:01.639 --> 00:41:07.039 in there as well, but it's uh that that vineyard is really spectacular sitting 563 00:41:07.079 --> 00:41:12.039 above. You know, they grow cavernet down in the valley below, but 564 00:41:12.280 --> 00:41:15.239 you go up this mountain and we're at fifteen hundred feet, so it's it's 565 00:41:15.320 --> 00:41:20.039 soaring up there above everything else. Wow. Well, I won't put any 566 00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:25.400 more pressure on you for for music of wine, so I have a final 567 00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:30.360 two part question for you. First is I know that you're going to France 568 00:41:30.440 --> 00:41:34.960 in two days, so I mean, I know you're traveling into other wine 569 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:37.199 regions, but what wine region is at the top of your bucket list to 570 00:41:37.320 --> 00:41:45.079 explore? Well, I've got um, I think New Zealand is the place 571 00:41:45.159 --> 00:41:47.639 that I really want to get to, both from for a wine and for 572 00:41:49.079 --> 00:41:53.239 a vacation kind of spot it. You know, everyone I've ever talked to 573 00:41:53.320 --> 00:41:57.599 who's been down there, I've I've never been down there, So it's it's 574 00:41:57.639 --> 00:42:00.280 something there. Peanut noir and chardonnay and obviously they've got so many and blank, 575 00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:02.719 but I would be a little bit more interested in the pino and shard 576 00:42:04.159 --> 00:42:08.159 side of it, But just the spectacular beauty down there, the u and 577 00:42:08.320 --> 00:42:12.960 the wines that I've had from there have been spectacular as well. So, 578 00:42:13.360 --> 00:42:16.199 um, that's that's kind of on my bucket list. And we'd probably go 579 00:42:16.280 --> 00:42:20.960 to Australia as well if we If we made it down there. It's a 580 00:42:21.079 --> 00:42:24.599 long trip, but both deserve equal like long trips. Yeah, you can't, 581 00:42:24.679 --> 00:42:29.400 you don't want us. We were just I was at the aquarium with 582 00:42:29.480 --> 00:42:34.440 my son and they were we were watching a movie on Australia and I was 583 00:42:34.519 --> 00:42:37.679 just like the vastness of it, right, and it was so vast and 584 00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:42.079 like to go there you would need weeks and weeks, like you just can't. 585 00:42:42.320 --> 00:42:44.760 You can't pop over there for a five day trip, right, No, 586 00:42:45.719 --> 00:42:47.519 But New Zealand really is one. I've been there and it's really one 587 00:42:47.559 --> 00:42:52.440 of the most beautiful places I've ever been. And there are a lot of 588 00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:57.119 beautiful places, including Sonoma where we are. And Um, the final question 589 00:42:57.360 --> 00:43:00.880 or a part of that is if people want to come visit you, how 590 00:43:00.960 --> 00:43:04.679 can they find you, How can they find your wines? And what kind 591 00:43:04.719 --> 00:43:07.639 of experiences can they have here? Yeah, So the easiest way to find 592 00:43:07.719 --> 00:43:13.199 us is just go to our website three Stickswines dot com. You can call 593 00:43:13.320 --> 00:43:15.039 us to make reservations to come out to our Adobe. We have a tasting 594 00:43:15.119 --> 00:43:21.199 room right off the square in Sonoma, which is great. It's a historical 595 00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:24.280 site. It's the second oldest residence in the town of Sonoma. So Sonoma 596 00:43:24.360 --> 00:43:30.840 has this rich California history with it being sort of the birthplace of California, 597 00:43:30.920 --> 00:43:34.039 and and you come to the Adobe and you get a little bit of that. 598 00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:37.360 You get a real sort of intimate, sit down tasting. We do 599 00:43:38.679 --> 00:43:43.079 just a couple of tastings a day and a couple of different spots where people 600 00:43:43.159 --> 00:43:47.599 sit down and it's a sort of a curated experience. We've got wine and 601 00:43:47.679 --> 00:43:52.360 food pairings you can do. We've got different experiences based on the different time 602 00:43:52.400 --> 00:43:55.440 of year that you might come. So we've done oysters, we've done caviar, 603 00:43:55.559 --> 00:44:00.840 we've done you know, it's a potato chip, hot porn. It's 604 00:44:01.039 --> 00:44:04.960 depending, yeah, depending on the time of year and sort of when you 605 00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:10.559 come. We offer different experiences and really just a chance to taste our wines 606 00:44:10.639 --> 00:44:16.920 in a beautiful setting and hopefully allow people to sit back and relax a little 607 00:44:16.920 --> 00:44:20.480 bit too well. Fantastic. I mean, right now, the sun is 608 00:44:20.519 --> 00:44:24.079 shining and there's the outdoor and indoor, and it is just off the square 609 00:44:24.079 --> 00:44:28.320 and it's very peaceful. So if you're heading to Sonoma, definitely come to 610 00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:30.519 Three Sticks Wines. Ryan, thank you so much for joining us on Wine 611 00:44:30.559 --> 00:44:35.880 Soundtrack. I hope you had fun. It was great and a lot of 612 00:44:35.960 --> 00:44:38.000 good thought provoking things that I'll have to mull over here for the future. 613 00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:44.760 Well, thank you for joining us, and cheers. Thanks for listening to 614 00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:49.320 a new episode of Wine Soundtrack USA. For details and updates, visit our 615 00:44:49.360 --> 00:44:51.480 website Wine soundtrack dot com.