WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:04.559 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with 2 00:00:04.599 --> 00:00:08.080 which producers narrate their winery and their world. Team thirty 3 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:12.160 answers discover their stories, personalities, and passions. 4 00:00:12.279 --> 00:00:14.839 Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is alson 5 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:18.199 Levine and today I'm at jmc sellers in the Livermore 6 00:00:18.280 --> 00:00:22.199 Valley with winemaker and owner Jessica Carroll. Jessica, welcome to 7 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:25.359 Wine Soundtrack and tell us about jmc sellers. 8 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:29.839 Hi, thanks for having me. Jmc sellers is currently the 9 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:33.960 newest winery in Livermore Valley. I'm really excited. We opened 10 00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:35.840 our doors in November. 11 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:37.759 November of twenty twenty three. Rex. 12 00:00:38.119 --> 00:00:42.439 Woweah, yeah exactly. I have been around in the valley 13 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:45.799 for about a decade, though last year the winery I 14 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:49.759 worked for closed sadly, and out of that came an 15 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:51.960 opportunity that I just couldn't turn down. 16 00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:53.600 And here we are. 17 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:56.560 Here, we are living a dream come true for me, 18 00:00:56.679 --> 00:00:58.960 which is just very surreal all the time. 19 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:03.479 Oh wow. So, I mean we're in your winery or 20 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:10.159 we're in a tasting room, beautiful, a beautiful white space, blue. 21 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:14.120 It's really welcoming. Welcoming. What do you welcome you with 22 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:16.640 what do you make here? We make a. 23 00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:21.040 Lot of different things. I am definitely a wine nerd 24 00:01:21.079 --> 00:01:24.239 and a wine geek, and I have a wide range 25 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:26.599 of wins that I love to drink and that I 26 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:31.400 love to make, and so we do everything from whites 27 00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:36.519 to light reds to dark reds. I mostly from Livermore 28 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:38.640 Valley fruit, but there are a few things that I 29 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:41.640 really really like that I get from outside the region. 30 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.359 I'm from Salinas originally, and so I like to have 31 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:48.400 a little bit of my hometown Monterey County, So I 32 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:50.760 go down and get some pinot and reasling from there. 33 00:01:51.879 --> 00:01:53.840 My parents love it because they're guaranteed to see me 34 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:56.480 three times a harvest, which. 35 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:58.280 Is where because nobody sees anyone during harvest. 36 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:00.400 No, it's mostly really late at night, and I leave 37 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:02.840 really early, but they say they're okay with that, so 38 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:05.959 as long as they get to you know, put eyeballs 39 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:10.439 on me. Their happy campers. And then there's some lesser 40 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:13.000 known varieties that I get from a grow up in Lodi, 41 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:18.479 like Toldego Pellerson and a few other things that just 42 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:21.159 I can't find in Livermore Valley, and I really like 43 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:21.840 making them. 44 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:23.639 Well, let's be fair, you can't find those in a 45 00:02:23.639 --> 00:02:25.039 lot of places in California. 46 00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:28.360 That is true. That is true. So with those ones 47 00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:30.439 that are really rare, you have. 48 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:33.000 To go to them, right And then here in Livermore, 49 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:35.919 are you doing the traditional grapes like Cabernet Samannion and 50 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:37.919 Cabernet franc or what else? 51 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:43.719 Yeah, there's a long list, capsav and cap franc, Malbec, Murlow, 52 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:47.599 a couple of different Sarrahs. I'm a huge Sarah fan. 53 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:50.039 That's one of my northern rhn is one of my 54 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.719 favorite regions on the planet, and I just I love 55 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:58.000 that grape. And then Petite Sarah, hopefully a Sanja Vaci. 56 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:06.080 I've done, Nebiolo, Peanot, greed Punay. We're adding Roussan from 57 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:08.400 Livermore this year, which I'm really excited about. 58 00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:11.599 So you're doing you're purchasing all your fruit or do 59 00:03:11.639 --> 00:03:13.039 you have any vineyards that you manage? 60 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:15.520 Correct? No, I purchased all the fruit. Land is a 61 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:19.520 little bit pricey, and so as a new business, we're 62 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:21.759 going with the leasing model for now, but it is 63 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:24.039 the ultimate goal is to own property at some point. 64 00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:25.840 And what is your total case production? 65 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:30.240 Last year it was just under a one thousand. This 66 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:33.919 year we're aiming for between fifteen hundred and two thousand. 67 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:36.439 That's pretty good for a brand new liinery. So now 68 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:40.840 you said you started November twenty twenty three, but your 69 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:45.599 first harvest under your own label was in twenty twenty three. Okay, correct, 70 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:49.919 So yeah, you just announced jmc sellers after you harvested. 71 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:55.240 Well it see, we took over the lease of this 72 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:59.000 property in July, but we did a couple of things 73 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:02.840 like painting and you know, clearing it out and rearranging 74 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:07.360 the furniture and and then you know, I'm the crazy 75 00:04:07.400 --> 00:04:09.840 person who did all of that while harvest was going on. 76 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.479 So I don't know what nut job decided on that schedule. 77 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:18.480 Well here we are, so you know, congratulations. And are 78 00:04:18.519 --> 00:04:21.560 you one hundred percent direct to consumer or yes? 79 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.279 Right now, we're one hundred percent direct to consumer. We 80 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.360 do have a couple small account wholesale accounts, but mostly 81 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:30.480 local places in town. 82 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:35.199 Okay, So tell me what is your memory your first 83 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:36.639 memory relevant to wine? 84 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:44.120 Oh my gosh, that is an excellent question. 85 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:49.199 How old were you the first time you kind of 86 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:53.560 even knew anything about wine? 87 00:04:54.680 --> 00:05:03.439 You know, teenager? But I actually really didn't like it. 88 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:07.800 Let's see, after I graduated from college, I moved back 89 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:11.519 to California and moved to Pleasanton, which is right next 90 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:16.040 door to Livermore, and discovered that I was living fifteen 91 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:18.360 minutes from wine, a wine country, and that was great. 92 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:22.519 And you hadn't really realized that growing up in Salinas well. 93 00:05:22.519 --> 00:05:26.560 Selena's has some wine, but it's it was pretty pretty 94 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:31.879 spread out, it's not. It's very different now. Carmel Valley, 95 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:34.800 the village has a ton of tasting rooms, Carmel by 96 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:38.319 the Sea as a ton, river Road has more more 97 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:42.639 than it used to. It wasn't at least I didn't 98 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:45.199 pay attention to what it was like growing up because 99 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:47.040 it wasn't. I mean, I wasn't allowed to do that, right, 100 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:53.240 you know, I was under twenty one, and once I 101 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:56.360 partably my mid twenties is when I really started getting 102 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:58.639 into it because I had such easy access and it 103 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:03.079 was fun, and you know, I love pairing wine with food, 104 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:05.480 and that became more of a thing and kind of 105 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:09.480 a hobby to try to figure out, you know, what 106 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:12.759 goes with what, and which I've really dived into now 107 00:06:12.759 --> 00:06:16.240 that I once I switched my careers and. 108 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:21.079 So once you started getting to know wine, and I 109 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:22.800 know you were just saying that it's about it was 110 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:24.519 about playing with food and wine. But was there an 111 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:26.519 aha moment for you a wine that you had that 112 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:30.439 was just kind of eye opening? What here's filing? So 113 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:32.680 what was the occasion and what was the aha moment? 114 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:36.839 There are that's actually a very long list, but some 115 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:41.639 of the three that really hooked me. And this is 116 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:45.439 a champagne taste on a beer budget situation, uh coat 117 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:49.720 rote which I love and do a co fermentation of 118 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:53.319 sura and Bionier because I just really enjoy that combination. 119 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:58.839 Burrella and barbar esco so nebuolo, and then you know, champagne. 120 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:03.040 So between those three the trifecta for me, it was 121 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:06.560 those were three that really every time I tried it 122 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:08.120 for the first one of those for the first time, 123 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:10.519 it just hooked me deeper and deeper and deeper. 124 00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:14.240 So no particular occasion, just a general sort of attraction 125 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:14.800 to these. 126 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:18.399 There was one. This is after I was well into 127 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:23.800 wine though. I did a huge thirtieth birthday trip with 128 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:28.839 my mom and the whole way we were tasting everywhere. 129 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:31.800 I picked our locations by wine region, which should shock 130 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:38.920 no one. And we were in Piedmont and everywhere we went, 131 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.079 well through France and then into Italy, and everywhere we 132 00:07:42.120 --> 00:07:44.800 tasted that I knew was old enough. I was asking 133 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:47.240 about my birth year, you know, nineteen eighty five, So 134 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:49.879 do you have a nineteen eighty five? I went with 135 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:52.560 like a huge budget for one bottle of my birth year, 136 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:56.120 just to do have it. Yeah, And everywhere we were 137 00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:57.959 all that was a really good vintage. No, we don't 138 00:07:57.959 --> 00:07:59.759 have any, And it became a joke. My mom and 139 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:02.040 I joked about it. And so by the time we 140 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:05.839 got to Italy, we were on a wine tour with 141 00:08:06.279 --> 00:08:10.199 a married couple and we're kind of joked about it, 142 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:12.399 and they ended up directing us to a wine shop 143 00:08:12.439 --> 00:08:15.439 that had one. And so I brought the nineteen eighty 144 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:18.519 five barber Esco back and I drank it with a 145 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:20.560 friend who's also the same birth year as me. 146 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:22.120 To remember the producer. 147 00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:27.040 Oh god, the one with the soldier starts with an 148 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:30.279 R and not to ron, thank you, thank you. My 149 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:37.440 brain is not functioning today. Yes, And it was absolutely 150 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.840 delightfully wonderful, like it was so good. 151 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:44.480 It aged as well as you did. I did. 152 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:47.000 I haven't tried it, RecA. It's been another, you know, 153 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:49.519 not quite decades, so I haven't tried it recently. I 154 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.039 don't know if it's as good anymore. But nine years 155 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:53.840 ago it was great. 156 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:55.600 I love that. 157 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:56.120 I love that. 158 00:08:56.679 --> 00:08:58.679 So if we were to come to your home now, 159 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.360 what would we find in? What do you collect at home? 160 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:03.039 What do you what are you a mass? Is it 161 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:05.360 a lot of your own wine? Well, you've only been 162 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:07.879 making wine for two years under your own label. Is 163 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:10.480 it a lot of local wines? Or do you collect 164 00:09:10.519 --> 00:09:13.120 a lot of wines from around the world, in particular grapes. 165 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:18.080 There's some of my own wine, but I am absolutely 166 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:21.399 terrified of getting a house palate, to be honest, So 167 00:09:21.799 --> 00:09:24.399 I drink of mostly other people's wine at my house, 168 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:32.480 not exclusively, but but pretty heavily. I have everything from 169 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:36.399 local around the area. I don't get out that much, 170 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:39.720 but when I do, I try to get stuff because 171 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:44.000 then I have supply, and then I also have I 172 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:48.200 love Piedmonts. I've got a ton of that bunch of 173 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:53.360 French stuff. I love sparkling wine from all over the world. 174 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:56.080 So whenever I find something that's fun or from a 175 00:09:56.120 --> 00:09:58.840 country I've never tried. You know, I'm grabbing a bottle 176 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:06.120 when I can, uh from The wine runs the gambit 177 00:10:06.200 --> 00:10:11.120 from everything from like a peanut grease or you know, uh, 178 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:15.120 pin blocks, to heavier whites, to light reds to dark 179 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:19.120 reds to dessert wines. Like I really everyone, they're always 180 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:22.039 which one's your which one's your favorite? I'm like, well, today, 181 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:24.600 in this moment, this is what I want. 182 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:27.639 Is there anything that you opened up recently that drank 183 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:28.200 really well? 184 00:10:29.960 --> 00:10:32.559 We have a reserve reasling that's coming out at the 185 00:10:32.679 --> 00:10:35.200 end of next month. That's a bone dry reasling Santa 186 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:39.720 Lucia Highlands fruit. And I am very in love with 187 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:42.240 this wine that I've made, and I can't believe I've 188 00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:45.919 made it. Sometimes this is this is really Usually I'm 189 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.639 very critical, you know, you're you're your worst critic, right, 190 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:53.720 and but I very much enjoy that's for whatever reason, 191 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.200 that wine, I'm able to disconnect myself from my own 192 00:10:56.240 --> 00:11:00.000 product a little bit to to. 193 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:00.720 Be able to sit with it brings you joy. 194 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:02.240 It brings me a lot of drink. They all do, 195 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:05.399 but some of them, I you know, you remember how 196 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:06.600 much work you put into it. 197 00:11:06.679 --> 00:11:10.519 Sometimes and you know so, And I love how you 198 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:12.919 know a recent wine that you drink isn't another wine, 199 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:15.279 it's one of your own that stands out and that No, 200 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:16.639 I want to try the reasoning. 201 00:11:17.879 --> 00:11:19.519 If we've got one scrolled away back there. 202 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:26.720 Yeah, So I'm curious. Do you think that there's a 203 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:30.200 such thing as a perfect variety as someone who's drinking 204 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:32.559 all these different wines and now, you know, working with 205 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:35.240 different varieties. Do you think there's a such thing as 206 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:36.600 perfection with any of them? 207 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:41.080 I don't think so, to be honest, because everyone may 208 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:44.960 differ with that, because but with my own palate, because 209 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:48.519 I like different things at different moments. In this moment, 210 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:52.480 there might be something that's perfect for me, but next day, 211 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:54.919 when it's thirty degrees cooler, I'm gonna want something else, 212 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:57.240 or or I have a different meal in front of me, 213 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:00.840 or I'm in a different mood, or you know it really, 214 00:12:02.919 --> 00:12:04.879 as I said, people ask me what my favorite, I 215 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:06.480 was like, I don't have a favorite, and they're like, 216 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:08.519 that's a cop out answer. I'm like, no, it's really 217 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:09.960 like it changes constantly. 218 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:14.240 You guys, Well, if somebody's never had your wines, I've 219 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:16.120 never had JMC cellar wines. What do you think they're 220 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:16.759 missing out on? 221 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:21.159 Awesomeness? 222 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:24.879 I'm just kidding. 223 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:30.200 I being able to try maybe something you've never had before. 224 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:34.039 I again, I'm a wine nerd and a wine geek. 225 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:34.080 And I. 226 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.559 Love this industry and I love that I get to 227 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:43.759 do my life's passion and I think it's reflected in 228 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:46.159 my product and hopefully other people think that as well. 229 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:54.519 That's awesomeness. That's what it is. Awesomeness. So I know 230 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:57.759 you don't like to pick a favorite child, but if 231 00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:00.120 space aliens were to land on your property, come up 232 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:01.720 to the door and knock on it, and you wanted 233 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:03.679 to welcome them with one wine that said, this is 234 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:06.440 gmc sellers, which of your wines would you welcome them with? 235 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:11.559 Actually, probably the Floor Savage in this moment today, that 236 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:13.440 is my favorite, so we're going to go with that. 237 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:18.120 It is a co fermentation of mostly Surrah with three 238 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:21.600 percent boner. Okay, So co fermentation, for those of you 239 00:13:21.639 --> 00:13:26.320 who don't know, is the process of blending the fruit 240 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:30.440 together before fermentation, so it's together from the get go. 241 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:34.440 To do an analogy for it, traditional blending is a 242 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:39.200 lot like digital photography. You've done everything separately. You pull samples, 243 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:41.679 you do blending trials. If you're not happy with the product, 244 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:43.919 you can change it in real time and try again, 245 00:13:44.120 --> 00:13:46.720 or start over and try again, and keep going till 246 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.080 you get a product you want and that you think 247 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:53.919 is perfect. Co fermentation is a little bit more like film, 248 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:56.519 where you have an idea of how you're framing it up, 249 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:59.200 but you don't know for sure until it's fully developed. 250 00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:04.120 I do love the film and photo analogies, which there 251 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.159 is a tie into that, which I want to bring 252 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:08.360 up in a second. But before I do that, I 253 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:15.600 do want to ask you red white or rose white 254 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:17.679 still are sparkling? 255 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:18.919 Sparkling? 256 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:24.600 I do want to get to the art part. But 257 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:27.720 you've talked a lot about food and wine pairing, and 258 00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:32.600 I'm curious how you approach that. Do you follow strict 259 00:14:32.679 --> 00:14:36.039 rules such as white wine and fish, red wine and meat, 260 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:39.240 or do you have other guidelines that you could recommend. 261 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:44.200 I do not follow the strict guidelines at all. There's 262 00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:46.799 different levels of wine pairing too, depending on what you're 263 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:49.320 trying to do. So if you're just trying to you 264 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:50.840 want this is the wine you want to drink, and 265 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:55.120 that's the food you want absolutely fine, doesn't matter. The 266 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:57.000 other end of the spectrum and there's a couple in 267 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:02.799 between is like the synergistic pairing, right, And there's like 268 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:05.320 a dozen rules that came out of the Food and 269 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:09.360 Wine textbook that I learned from, and there are rules 270 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:12.200 of thumbs, but there's always exceptions, so it's kind of 271 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:15.080 you really have to play around with it. And it's 272 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:18.759 taken me many, many years of just doing it very 273 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:22.039 casually to get to the point where I can get 274 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:25.840 pretty close without without really needing all of it ahead 275 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:32.480 of time to try it. However, Yeah, I mean it's 276 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:33.919 sometimes that doesn't work either. 277 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:36.480 But we did. 278 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:41.279 We do a series called geek Out with GMC and 279 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:44.679 it's once a month guided tasting that we do between 280 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:50.080 February and August every year, and last month was actually 281 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:53.360 the Food and Wine Pairing class. So when my seller 282 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:55.840 Master Shannon and I got together because we did because 283 00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:58.960 we did want to get a synergistic parent to present, 284 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:02.440 and we kind of made a dinner off the cuff 285 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:05.399 and we had the wines open, and it did not 286 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:07.759 go with the wine we thought it would at all. 287 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:10.480 The wine we thought it would go with actually did 288 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:12.960 not go together. In any way, shape or form. It 289 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:17.440 made both of it just not like I don't want 290 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:19.080 to eat or drink this, but just kind of like 291 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:20.039 not as good. 292 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:20.879 Neither shown. 293 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:22.960 Neither shown what went with it? And it was a 294 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:28.480 steak like flank steak with snap peas and udon noodles 295 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:33.399 and and kind of olive oil with a little bit 296 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:36.720 of red pepper flakes kind of a thing. 297 00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:39.480 And what did you think it would pair with one of. 298 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.799 The reds, kind of a lighter red. We had one 299 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:45.240 called peller Sen that we thought it would go with 300 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:49.120 and it did not. It actually went with a peanut. 301 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:52.759 Green and I'm gonna guess that's because of the red 302 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:55.120 chili flakes and the. 303 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:00.080 And the snap peas. We thought the Pellersin would have 304 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:02.519 enough acid to kind of and then enough tannin to 305 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:06.319 go with the beef, but really the dish ended up 306 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:09.400 being way more on the side where it needed like 307 00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:12.599 a crisp white wine with beef. 308 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:16.119 So yeah, and there you go, because sometimes you need 309 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:19.519 the acid to balance the dish and sometimes you need 310 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:22.839 the roundness of the wine to balance the dish. So 311 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:27.359 it's all about harmony, right exactly, synergy harmony. It is 312 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:27.839 a fun. 313 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:30.279 It's a fun hobby for anyone who wants to do it, 314 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:31.759 to be honest and just trying. 315 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:35.839 Yeah, it required to get to eat and drink a lot. 316 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:44.720 What's not to like about that. So I'm curious. You're 317 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:48.519 a small brand, You're not like a lot of other 318 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.279 wineries that have a lot of awards hanging on the walls. 319 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:56.240 Yet maybe maybe not. I'm curious what your take is 320 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:59.200 on wine critics and scores, like, is it something that 321 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:01.839 you think will help build your brand? Is it something 322 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.519 that you're not interested at all? Where do you find 323 00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:06.519 that it has a place, especially with a young brand 324 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:09.960 starting out that hasn't quite maybe utilized it yet. 325 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:15.680 I'm kind of following in between. So it is something 326 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:19.680 we did. We did enter into the chronicle. We realized 327 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:21.079 you have to pay for the plaque now, which we 328 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:25.839 forgot about, so we are ordering that. But we entered 329 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:29.559 five wines and they all meddled, which was kind of 330 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:33.720 I I enter. I've been entering stuff in the Chronicle 331 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:36.480 every year. It's local, like it's you know, it's a 332 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:40.319 good one and I love my wine. But I was 333 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:46.440 I was just very very flattered that they get so 334 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:50.559 many thousands of entries like that. It was just as 335 00:18:50.599 --> 00:18:56.319 really excited. It also helped that they had to at 336 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:58.480 least new to me. I hadn't entered them before. But 337 00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:02.920 Toroaldego and Montepucian had their own categories, which was really cool. 338 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:07.000 And then not this pinot, but there is a pino noir, 339 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:12.440 and then there was a white wine blend and mine 340 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:15.200 forgetting one grenache because that was the other one. 341 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:18.960 And and of course that makes you feel good and 342 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:21.440 it says something to you. I mean, it makes you 343 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:23.759 feel it gives you a pet on the back. But 344 00:19:24.119 --> 00:19:27.160 I mean, where do you think wine critics kind of 345 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:29.279 fall into that? Is that something that you're going to 346 00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:32.119 be seeking out. Is it going to determine how you 347 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:35.039 make wine or don't make wine? Or does it not 348 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:37.000 play a part in how you're working. 349 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:44.440 It probably won't affect how I make wine. However, it's 350 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:47.599 funny you're bringing this epsis this week was talking about 351 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:51.680 figure you know, I've never submitted wine to get points 352 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:56.359 like rated before, and so figuring out that process and 353 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:59.200 who we want to send to and and doing that 354 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:02.599 to have a have things scored, because it is I 355 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:06.119 mean for a small place. The reality is that is 356 00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:09.160 one avenue to get your name and brand out there. 357 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:16.359 So I think that that's part of the marketing side 358 00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:20.400 of wine making, is that for someone who's not well known, 359 00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:23.400 it is a way to get recognition so that you 360 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:24.559 get your name out there. 361 00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:29.279 So getting away from all the marketing stuff that you 362 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:31.640 have to do, let's get back to the ground. Like 363 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:33.839 you're buying fruit from a number of vineyards, do you 364 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:35.240 spend a lot of time in the vineyard. 365 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:37.599 We were in the minyard this morning, a couple of 366 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:42.880 them this morning, actually as much as I can, especially 367 00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:46.440 obviously during as we get closer to harvest, and it's 368 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:49.839 looking like the ones we looked at today were just 369 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:52.279 starting variasion, which means. 370 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:56.519 A clock starts gets started. So are there any signs 371 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:58.519 or predictors that you look for that's going to tell 372 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:00.720 you what kind of a harvest you're going to get? 373 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:07.200 Mother nature is probably the biggest predictor. It's I think 374 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:10.119 it's gonna be a really hot summer, which we've all 375 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:13.519 been saying for a couple months. I think, And I 376 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:16.839 my guess, you know, it's all. 377 00:21:17.319 --> 00:21:20.319 You just never know what she's gonna throw it. 378 00:21:20.359 --> 00:21:22.720 But my guess is it's gonna be a slightly earlier 379 00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:29.119 harvest than normal and uh, probably fast and furious. But again, 380 00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:31.839 it all depends on the next couple months and what 381 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:33.440 mother nature decides to throw away. 382 00:21:33.640 --> 00:21:36.119 So the signs and predictors you have right now is 383 00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:39.440 the heat and everything that says early. But again that 384 00:21:39.799 --> 00:21:46.880 nothing she could change, things change, She's fickle. In the 385 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:50.240 time that you have been working in this area, and 386 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:53.440 you grew up generally in this area, so you're you're 387 00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:55.720 this is a this is a part of California. You 388 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.400 know pretty well. We know every vintage tells a different story. 389 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:03.079 Have you noticed in your experience and just spending time 390 00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:05.799 in this area. Is there a lot of variation from 391 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:09.960 vintage to vintage, extreme variation or is it really more 392 00:22:10.359 --> 00:22:13.119 you can really see a through line that it's pretty consistent. 393 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:16.960 I would say it's more consistent than not. You're always 394 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:21.079 going to have those years that are a little very 395 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:26.559 different from the previous ones. But I'd say in the 396 00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:29.880 US in general, those are a little more rare for 397 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.839 us because we get to irrigate and we get to 398 00:22:32.839 --> 00:22:36.039 do a lot of vineyard management techniques that other regions 399 00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:37.559 who drive farm are not. 400 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:38.160 Allowed to do. 401 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:43.799