WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:04.480 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with 2 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:08.039 which producers narrate their winery and their world. Team thirty 3 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:12.039 answers discover their stories, personalities, and passions. 4 00:00:12.119 --> 00:00:14.720 Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alson 5 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:17.920 Levine and I'm joined today by Drew Martinez of Martinez 6 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:21.839 and Martinez in the Yakima Valley in Washington State. Drew, 7 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:23.879 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack and tell us a little bit 8 00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:25.239 about Martinez and Martinez. 9 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:30.760 So my name is Drew Martinez. We're located in Prosper, Washington. 10 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:35.960 It's Martinez and Martinez Winery owned by myself, my wife Monica, 11 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:40.039 my dad Sergio, and my mom Christy. And we started 12 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.759 making wine in two thousand and five and we've. 13 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:46.679 Been in the same location now the whole time, in 14 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:47.280 this building. 15 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:50.679 And so you started making wine in two thousand and five, 16 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:52.799 but you have a longer history in this area. 17 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:53.679 Right right. 18 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:57.799 So we initially started out as a grape grower. My parents, 19 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:01.159 Sergio and Christi, planted a small three acre vineyard in 20 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:04.920 the Horse Heaven Hills in nineteen eighty one, now forty 21 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:09.280 two year old vineyard. It's the oldest in the top 22 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:14.519 oldest three in the Horse Heaven Hills, and so that 23 00:01:14.680 --> 00:01:18.480 was the initial entry into the wine industry, learning about 24 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:20.519 grapes my whole life. I grew up in the vineyard 25 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.640 just a year or two younger than me and did 26 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:25.200 all aspects of growing. 27 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:29.000 Helping out. But my dad is the soul tender to 28 00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:30.640 the vineyard and. 29 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:32.519 He manages other vineyards around the valley. 30 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:38.920 He also helps in vineyard production at alder Ridge Vineyard, 31 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:41.840 and he's been with them since they started planting the 32 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:46.079 grapes in nineteen ninety six. And it was from nineteen 33 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:49.760 ninety six until today they planted about fifteen hundred acres, 34 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:52.400 starting out with about eight hundred I think, but then 35 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:58.040 increasing over the last I mean, I can't I don't 36 00:01:58.040 --> 00:01:58.920 know how many years it was. 37 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:03.599 So so you convinced him to start making wine, and 38 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:06.000 what what what was sort of the impetus to start 39 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:06.680 making wine. 40 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:12.360 So where my parents planted their vineyard, we're actually on 41 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:15.360 the same small micro climate within the Horse seven Hills 42 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:21.439 where the first or the top five point Cabernet sauvignons 43 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:26.520 have come from. And so this area is known in 44 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:29.240 the industry. You know, it's just known to have great grapes. 45 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.719 My parents they saw foresight. I guess in the eighties 46 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:35.919 nobody else was planting grapes. It was all cherries and apples. 47 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:39.120 There was one vineyard owner at Mercer Ranch Vineyard, that's 48 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:42.439 Don and Linda Mercer and Don was he had been 49 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:46.080 planting grapes. He's the first vineyard in Horse seven Hills 50 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:50.560 and he had a uh, he had a nursery and 51 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:53.520 he asked my dad, hey, Sergio, you want to I 52 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:56.319 want to grow some grapes. And my dad, my dad 53 00:02:56.319 --> 00:03:01.319 actually came from Mutual com Mexico. He was raised in Modesto, 54 00:03:01.479 --> 00:03:04.319 which is Gallo country, so they As a kid, he 55 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:07.800 worked in the vineyards and that's where he you know, 56 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:10.159 he had known about it, so he came up with 57 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:12.840 knowledge about grape growing here in Washington. 58 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.439 It wasn't a mainstream thing, but he had that knowledge. 59 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:17.800 So I think that's how they kind of came together. 60 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.120 And he asked my dad, hey, you want to make 61 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:22.680 some wine. And for that same reason, my dad having 62 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:26.479 the background in viticulture as a young kid, that's how 63 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:28.840 he ended up with the job at the adulta ridge 64 00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:32.680 with helping plant and raise the grapes there. 65 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:35.680 So you said you have three acres planted, that's a 66 00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:38.840 state fruit, and then you're purchasing fruit from other places. 67 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:39.520 Is that correct? 68 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:40.599 Yeah, that's correct. 69 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:44.520 So we purchased from we have the three acres, it's 70 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:49.280 cabernet savignon only, that's the nineteen eighty one planting. Then 71 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:57.719 we source Carmenier Petite Verdeaux, some more cab zinfandel and 72 00:03:58.919 --> 00:04:01.599 pretty much those from all the ridge, and then we 73 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:04.879 get whites from the Akama Valley from Tudor Hill's vineyard, 74 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:08.080 which is actually my wife's family, and she. 75 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:10.280 Was raised in grapes as well. 76 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:13.120 Her grandpa was one of the first wine makers and 77 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:18.160 actually maybe the first winemaker, Im Prosser, one of them anyways, 78 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:21.920 but he passed away unfortunately at a young age, and 79 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:25.959 their legacy didn't continue on. They wanted to tree fruit 80 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:29.000 and stuff, but later on came back to grapes and 81 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:34.160 they're growing grapes again. So we purchased Aubregno Roussin, Bonnier, 82 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:37.879 Pino Gres white wines from there in Chartnight. 83 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:40.399 Since I started with that, I taste a little of that. 84 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.319 And what's your total case production? 85 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:45.759 We're no more than two thousand cases a. 86 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:48.160 Year, and are you fully direct to consumer or do 87 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:50.000 you have any distribution In the US. 88 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.920 We're probably ninety five to ninety eight percent direct to 89 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:59.000 consumer and with just small local distribution. 90 00:04:59.360 --> 00:04:59.959 Fantastic. 91 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:03.560 Okay, So about you, Drew. I know that you said 92 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:06.439 that you grew up here, your dad has been a 93 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:10.639 grape grower your entire life. What is your first memory 94 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:13.000 relevant to wine and how old were you at what 95 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:15.519 point do you just kind of remember or was it 96 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:17.120 just always part of your life and you don't really 97 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:20.680 remember its standing out to you it as wine is 98 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:21.040 a thing. 99 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.000 I think grapes were like the first, you know, and 100 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:30.759 and just working doing weeding and helping with the things 101 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:33.360 where I couldn't reach the chord on with doing that 102 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:36.439 kind of stuff, and then slowly growing and doing suckering, 103 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:38.720 and then moving up into the court on as later 104 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:41.839 in life, those those types of things. 105 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.199 How old were you when they put you in the 106 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:44.759 vineyard there? 107 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:45.920 I was. I was young. 108 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:51.560 The weeds were my first memory. Later on, later on 109 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:55.600 the grapes came, and then and then correlating it to wine, 110 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:57.879 it was it was pretty young because we tasted wine 111 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:03.079 as youngsters and so and then tasting grapes. I mean really, 112 00:06:03.079 --> 00:06:07.879 that's that's where I see the vision of the wine, 113 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:09.040 just in the taste of the grape. 114 00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:09.519 Wow. 115 00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:14.680 So, when you started actually drinking wine tasting wine, is 116 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:16.720 there a particular wine that stands out as sort of 117 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:20.480 an AHA wine for you? And not only what was 118 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:22.480 that wine, but what was it about it that was 119 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:24.160 so aha? 120 00:06:25.560 --> 00:06:26.319 I think. 121 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:35.399 The AHA wine. I mean I just was with somebody 122 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.120 who was telling me his AHA wine, and I was like, Wow, 123 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:40.160 you got it from that? For me? 124 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:42.600 I didn't, I didn't. I guess I almost didn't have 125 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:43.439 an AHA wine. 126 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:47.480 But I think my AHA was like Wow, this is 127 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.360 something that we've been doing for thirty years already, and 128 00:06:51.639 --> 00:06:54.240 or twenty five at the time when they started getting 129 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:56.519 these hundred point wines out of out of my neighbor's 130 00:06:56.600 --> 00:06:59.800 vineyards and stuff, and and so I was like, Aha, 131 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:02.879 this is what all the hard work has been for 132 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:05.199 to try to do something like that. 133 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:05.480 Right. 134 00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:08.720 So you're working with a lot of you know, classic 135 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:13.560 red varieties, Bordeaux varieties, and some Rowan varieties. If we 136 00:07:13.639 --> 00:07:15.439 came to your home, what would we find in there? 137 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:17.360 What do you what do you and Monica like to drink? 138 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:19.399 What do you sort of have in there. Is it 139 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:23.199 all wines you've made? Is it from particular producers or 140 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:25.600 any other regions or grapes that you like to explore 141 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:26.439 and that you have at home. 142 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:30.519 I enjoy the Horse Heaven Hills. It's near and dear 143 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:31.040 to my heart. 144 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:34.879 There is a you know, distinct flavored profile that I 145 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:36.399 guess I must have house palette with. 146 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:39.279 But so those types. 147 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.920 A lot of different wines from there, and then all 148 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:45.800 across Washington State you'll see very few of our own wines, 149 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:50.480 mostly other peoples. And whenever we go, we you know, 150 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:54.040 taste wine, purchase and have it around the house, not 151 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:55.800 only so that we have it to drink, but to 152 00:07:55.879 --> 00:07:59.120 share when people come, because we like to promote other 153 00:07:59.160 --> 00:07:59.800 people's stuff. 154 00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:03.839 One of the you know, so when we were younger. 155 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:07.360 Monica and I have been together since our senior year 156 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:11.040 in high school, and so through the years, she started 157 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:12.480 drinking wine before myself. 158 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:16.920 And I think one of her possible AHAs was actually. 159 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:19.839 My neighbor here at Thurston Wolf Winery, and I think 160 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:23.519 it was like it was a red red wine and 161 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:25.639 it was kind of like, you know, she really enjoyed it. 162 00:08:25.639 --> 00:08:29.120 I can't remember if it was like a mile Becker something, 163 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:31.720 but it was it was a red briding and it. 164 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:34.080 Kind of pushed her. So is there anything you opened 165 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:35.759 up recently that drank really well? 166 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:38.919 Of our owner of what did you. 167 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:40.960 Drink recently that drank really well? Was it your own 168 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:41.879 or someone else's? 169 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:49.320 For the older older stuff, we. 170 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:56.120 Did a Petite for Dove vertical with from twenty ten 171 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:03.000 to twenty twenty one, and there was some fantastic vintages 172 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:07.480 all the way through, but some really stellars like twenty sixteen, 173 00:09:08.440 --> 00:09:13.720 twenty twenty twelve, and you know, there was a couple 174 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:15.879 others that were just like from your own, from your own, 175 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:17.000 from our own actually. 176 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:19.159 Yeah, so something you can look back and see what 177 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:19.639 you've done. 178 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:22.559 Yes, And we hadn't done it until this last year, 179 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:25.960 like a full vertical before of our own wine. We've 180 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:29.279 done verticals with other like cabs, but one was ours, 181 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:32.399 one was somebody else's so on, but never like our 182 00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:33.519 whole vertical. 183 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:36.559 So you work with a number of different grapes. Do 184 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:40.080 you think there's a such thing as a perfect variety? 185 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:40.960 Uh? 186 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:47.720 I'd say, you know that cab is pretty pretty perfect 187 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:52.200 in ways, especially from Horse Hills. Yeah, Horse Heaven Hills. 188 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:56.960 Of course, now you were talking about these one hundred 189 00:09:57.120 --> 00:09:59.879 point wines that come out of course Heaven Hills. 190 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:01.639 What is it? 191 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:04.440 What is you know? It opened up your eyes. You said, 192 00:10:04.440 --> 00:10:05.919 that was kind of an aha moment for you to 193 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:07.960 see that all the hard work gets paid off in 194 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.799 these scores. So to you, what is your opinion on 195 00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:14.600 wine critics and scores? What is what is the value 196 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:20.519 the challenge or the benefit to you and of getting 197 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:23.240 a score or looking at what a wine critic offers. 198 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:28.159 It's it's tough, especially being a small micro winery. 199 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:32.519 Uh, there's always room for the for bigger, larger wineries 200 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:37.600 to have the array of grapes and and all that stuff, 201 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:39.720 and it seems like they get the they get the 202 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:40.840 most benefit out of it. 203 00:10:42.039 --> 00:10:44.639 For us, you know, really, we're only we're here to 204 00:10:44.679 --> 00:10:45.960 make wine that our family likes. 205 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:48.960 And uh and then if if we like it, we 206 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:52.600 we have some following that enjoys it as well. And 207 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:56.039 so critics, you know, I'm I'm kind of over them. 208 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:00.639 But it's always nice to get a great right. 209 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:02.480 Now, of course, of course, I mean, I mean, who 210 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:04.639 wouldn't want it? So I'm curious for you as a 211 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:06.639 wine drinker, red, white or rose. 212 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:11.559 Bread. I'd say red still are. 213 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:16.000 Sparkling still, see, I like I have to pause and 214 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:18.879 think just a little bit about that. So maybe you're 215 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:19.879 just like it all. 216 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:21.320 Yeah, pretty much. 217 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:26.519 You know, we just enjoyed some of your wines while 218 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:28.960 we were eating lunch before we sat down to talk here, 219 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:32.720 and obviously just had fun kind of tasting wine and eating. 220 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:36.200 But on a on a more you know, planned out 221 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:39.559 dinner or meal, how do you approach food and wine pairing? 222 00:11:39.720 --> 00:11:41.639 Do you follow rules? Do you think that it's red 223 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:44.200 wine and steak, you know, meat, and you know it's 224 00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:47.039 white wine and fish, or are there other guidelines that 225 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:49.960 you look for that's going to help you decide what 226 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:52.480 wine to order with a meal or vice versa. I 227 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:54.320 don't know what you pick first, the wine or the food. 228 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:58.120 Yeah, yeah, I think it probably is the food, and 229 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:00.559 then the wine comes kind of with it. And and yeah, 230 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:03.320 I think we do kind of stick to the the 231 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:06.360 lighter wines with the lighter kind of dishes, and then 232 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:08.159 the heavier with the heavy. 233 00:12:08.279 --> 00:12:11.720 Stuff, and so it's more on texture and weight than 234 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:13.320 it is specifically white or red. 235 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:15.440 Yeah, yeah, kind of kind of that. 236 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:19.159 And then we're also uh in a little difference where 237 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:25.759 I'm looking at like white wines with with white wines 238 00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:30.120 with the camaron is that I would camarona is in Awa, 239 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:33.679 Chile and stuff like that, really light dishes where the 240 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:36.919 fishes cooked in the acidity, stuff like that. 241 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:38.919 And then for our reds, I'm. 242 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:44.440 Looking at carmoner with like the cot or or aas 243 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:45.960 or cottnitas and stuff like that. 244 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:49.759 You're making me hungry. Make me hungry. So for somebody 245 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:52.360 who hasn't had the pleasure to taste Martinez and Martinez 246 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:54.399 wines yet, what do you think they're missing out on? 247 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.039 H there, I think they're probably missing out on a 248 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:02.399 on a small view of of what wines should be. 249 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:04.159 And our. 250 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:09.120 Starting out, we started with like fifty cases and people 251 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:10.200 just really. 252 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:11.879 Took to us and enjoyed the wines. 253 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:16.240 So I feel like there is benefit to try and 254 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:22.320 smaller wines and hopefully we don't displease anybody. 255 00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:24.919 And also we should note that you were saying that 256 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:31.519 you were the first Hispanic second Hispanic owned winery in 257 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:32.399 Washington State. 258 00:13:33.080 --> 00:13:34.399 Yeah, I think about there. 259 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:36.879 I don't want to say it too like that's set 260 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:39.000 in stone, but at the time we came in in 261 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:42.879 two thousand and five. There was one other Latuna wine 262 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:45.879 maker and we came in, and we had been the 263 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:48.840 only ones for quite a while. But now we're seeing 264 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:53.080 a little bit more. And I'm very ecstatic because I 265 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:57.080 feel like the Mexican I don't say just Mexican, because 266 00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:59.759 now it's pseudomatic cardinals. 267 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:01.840 Everything there's there's a little so. 268 00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:07.879 I generalized with Latino and UH and basically we're our 269 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:11.759 communities are the ones doing the actual work in the field, 270 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:15.080 and so to get to that next level where you're 271 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:18.759 making your own wine any of those things is awesome. 272 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:22.600 So absolutely so, if space aliens were to land here 273 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:25.080 at your property, at your tasting room, you know, park 274 00:14:25.159 --> 00:14:27.440 their spaceship in the first spot out here, and knock 275 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:29.639 on the door, which of your wines would you want 276 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:31.960 to say, Welcome to Martinez and Martinez. 277 00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:37.360 I'd have to say our Rose. Yeah. 278 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:42.120 Interestingly enough, the Rose just came about Uh in Uh 279 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:45.159 in the time crunch. In the crunch where we needed 280 00:14:45.159 --> 00:14:48.159 a light colored wine. We had no no white grapes 281 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:51.879 at the time, and we decided to take this Cabernet 282 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:56.120 sauvignon that everybody told us. We were nuts for making 283 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:59.559 it into rose, and we made that rose and it's 284 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:01.320 been one of our top selling wines. 285 00:15:01.399 --> 00:15:04.840 People love it. 286 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:07.559 Clean, crisp, light, acidic, a little hint the sweetness, and 287 00:15:08.519 --> 00:15:10.200 it's great for all summer long. 288 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.679 Well perfect and you know it's really pretty to look 289 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:16.799 at too. So you know, welcome to Martinez and Martinez. 290 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:21.879 So you grew up in the vines, and you know, 291 00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:23.879 I know that you're not managing the vines. That's your 292 00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:26.480 dad's job. And the Martinez and Martinez you have your 293 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.480 job to make the wine. He has his job to 294 00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:30.960 grow the grapes. But I know you spend time out 295 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:32.799 there and have spent time out there and growing up 296 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:35.840 in an area like this. Every vintage tells a different 297 00:15:35.879 --> 00:15:40.279 story in your experience. What do you see? Is there 298 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:43.559 a pattern, is there a sort of commonality, or is 299 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:45.399 there a lot of variation from year to year. 300 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:49.159 It's a decent amount of variation, more than we'd think, 301 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:51.679 even though we go through the years and it seems like, oh, yeah, 302 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:56.200 it's hot this summer. You don't you take that into consideration. 303 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:58.759 But the spring may have been cooler, it may have 304 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:01.679 been warmer, it may have been and just wet, it 305 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:04.879 may have been dry. So there's all these factors. Each 306 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:07.879 year is just seems to be totally different to me. 307 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:10.360 But that's that's the way I feel. 308 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:14.080 And are there sort of any signs or predictors that 309 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:16.360 you look for when you're out in the vineyard that 310 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:18.039 are going to tell you what you're going to get 311 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:19.720 for the year, what kind of a harvest it's going 312 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:21.679 to be, or what kind of a vintage. 313 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:27.039 Uh, just how fruit's ripening when rasion happens, both in 314 00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:31.960 whites or reds. I've looked towards reds and more when 315 00:16:32.279 --> 00:16:39.000 very when that is happening. How how how the cluster 316 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:42.360 settings look after in the spring, you know, when when 317 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:45.679 things start to develop and in those types. 318 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:49.320 So when you're walking out in the vineyard, because I'm 319 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:51.120 sure you spend time out there, and you have spent 320 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:55.200 lots of time visiting your old friends the weeds. When 321 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:57.759 you're out there, do you talk to the vines? Have 322 00:16:57.840 --> 00:16:59.279 you talked to the vines? I mean, if they were 323 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:01.120 your first friends, I'm sure you did. But do you 324 00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:02.320 still talk to the vines? 325 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:09.079 Yeah? Tell them, tell him what callouses they've got me? 326 00:17:09.319 --> 00:17:15.519 And yeah, we Uh, my dad is he's very romantified 327 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:16.240 in the vineyard. 328 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:21.480 He's very in tune with with that and uh and for. 329 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:23.720 Me growing up, it was it was a lot of 330 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:26.519 work with but it's not. 331 00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:27.960 A little more cursing at the vines. 332 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:31.839 There's a little more of that, but at the same time, 333 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:35.119 I definitely am seeing more of what he sees and 334 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:40.160 and it's uh, it's a super rigorously tough job in 335 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:40.799 the vineyard. 336 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:41.839 Wineery. 337 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:44.880 You know it can be also, but vineyard is definitely 338 00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:50.279 next level stuff for that. So uh just uh yeah, 339 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:55.200 keeping keeping thanks in there to continue producing and and 340 00:17:55.319 --> 00:17:58.519 uh and we'll try not to give us too hard 341 00:17:58.559 --> 00:17:58.960 up a time. 342 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:01.319 Yeah, so you keep them at bay. So once they 343 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:02.680 come in here and you make the wine, do you 344 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:04.279 have a little more tendency to talk to it? 345 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:04.519 Then? 346 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:07.640 Do you have to encourage it or ever reprimand it? 347 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:09.480 Do you play music to your wine or do you 348 00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:10.920 not believe in any of that stuff? 349 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:15.079 Definitely serenade it with wine with music, with music you 350 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:18.519 personally sing, no, but I'll dance for it like crazy. 351 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:26.079 Yeah, you give performances, I see, Okay, that's right. So 352 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:28.599 having grown up in this, is this something you always 353 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:30.279 knew you wanted to do or when you were a 354 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:31.599 little boy, what did you want to be when you 355 00:18:31.640 --> 00:18:32.079 grew up. 356 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:36.440 I did not see myself in there, did not want 357 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:40.480 to be doing that. You know, That's basically what shows 358 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:42.599 you that you need to get out and do something 359 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:47.160 different is when you're doing farm labor. You know, anytime, 360 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:49.400 it doesn't matter if you're a little kid or you're 361 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:52.279 an adult, that's usually the time when you're like, oh, 362 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:54.720 it's either this or I'm gonna do something different. 363 00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:57.559 I gotta go and grind to do that. 364 00:18:58.039 --> 00:19:01.319 And so that's basically what I felt like as a youngster. 365 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:04.559 I was ready to get out. I Uh I did uh. 366 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:07.599 I did scuba. I was a scuba instructor for a bit. 367 00:19:07.960 --> 00:19:14.119 I did some land development stuff, scooba instructor, school instructor, 368 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:17.400 all these all these things helped me because with uh, 369 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:20.160 with the math that is in wine making, I'm not 370 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:24.960 formally trained. So these uh, these jobs that I have 371 00:19:25.160 --> 00:19:28.680 that uh utilized equations and stuff like that helped me 372 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:32.599 to really get my math better, UH the science revolving 373 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.680 around it. After that, I did go to school, got 374 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.279 a science degree, just basic. I was going to become 375 00:19:38.279 --> 00:19:42.960 a nurse at the same time I didn't get accepted 376 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:46.559 into nursing or because then I ended up actually becoming 377 00:19:46.599 --> 00:19:47.559 a dental hygienist. 378 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.400 But the nursing didn't happen, So I was going to 379 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:51.920 wait a year. 380 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:55.599 I was just gonna do full on chemistry BAUH with 381 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:57.440 with micro as. 382 00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:58.440 A kind of a background. 383 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:01.519 But then I got accepted to the dental hygiene program. 384 00:20:01.799 --> 00:20:05.319 Did that, and that's basically what helped us get started 385 00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:06.960 with the winery because I could work about two to 386 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:09.799 three days a week at the dental office, and then 387 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:13.160 I can the rest of the seven days a week, 388 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:15.079 I can work wine and vineyard. 389 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:17.680 So on your weekends you're a dental hygienist and then 390 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.480 your day job is a winemaker. 391 00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:22.039 Actually opposite. 392 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:26.480 I'm Monday through Wednesday half day at the dental office 393 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:28.640 and then seven days a week here. 394 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:33.559 So when you have free time, how do you like 395 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:35.759 to spend your free time? Do you still go scuba diving? 396 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:36.480 No? 397 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:39.440 No, scuba diving, it's too cold up here. Monica was 398 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:42.000 going to WSU and that's basically what brought me back 399 00:20:42.039 --> 00:20:46.880 from scuba, started the science stuff and started dental hygiene. 400 00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:50.279 The reason why we started the winery is the building 401 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:52.880