WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:04.599 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with 2 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:08.119 which producers narrate their winery and their world team thirty 3 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:12.119 answers discover their stories, personalities and passions. 4 00:00:12.119 --> 00:00:14.640 Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alison 5 00:00:14.679 --> 00:00:17.079 Levine and today I'm in the Livermore Valley at Couda 6 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:21.480 Ridge Wines with winemaker proprietor Larry Dino. Larry, welcome to 7 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:24.280 Wine Soundtrack and tell us about Couda Ridge Wines. 8 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:27.839 Well, thank you, Allison, and thank you for coming out 9 00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:33.079 and visiting Livermore Valley and our winery, Coon Ridge Wones. Yeah. 10 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:36.240 So my wife and I started the winery back in 11 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:39.920 two thousand and seven. I always call it a hobby 12 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:43.880 gone wild. So we were into wine and we'd go 13 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:47.640 to NAPA doing wine, tasting a lot and bringing friends 14 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:51.000 and doing the whole wine lifestyle type thing. And then 15 00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:54.320 we started doing home wine making in our garage in 16 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:55.280 nineteen ninety nine. 17 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:57.799 Were you living here in the Livermore Valley at that time? 18 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:01.799 We were in Fremont, so we were making wine in 19 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:05.920 our garage next to our car, and then we moved 20 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:09.920 to Livermore and then started continue to do wine a 21 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:13.400 home wine making here, learned a lot about the business, 22 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:16.719 and we moved here. The wine started getting better and better, 23 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:22.400 and then in two thousand and seven we decided to 24 00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:25.439 start up the winery. So we rented a small space 25 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:31.159 in Livermore and we got it bonded and started started 26 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:33.000 as a small production boutique winery. 27 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:35.879 And fifteen years later you have a tasting room and 28 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:37.000 a winery and everything. 29 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:40.959 So we're still small, but much bigger than we were 30 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:41.400 back then. 31 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:44.519 So where does the name M. Kuda Ridge come from? 32 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:47.280 Oh that's a good question. So I mentioned my car earlier. 33 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:53.359 So well there's a story. Should you want the long 34 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:54.799 story or the short story? 35 00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:55.680 The best story? 36 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:59.680 The best story? Okay, so I'll give you the medium story. 37 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:02.359 So we were living at Fremont and we were looking 38 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:05.640 to move out of Fremont, moved to Wine Country. We 39 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:08.840 actually were looking at some property up in Windsor, which 40 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:12.680 is up next to Sonoma. We actually put an offer 41 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:15.599 on some property there and we drive all the way 42 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:18.639 up there and the real estate agent wasn't very nice 43 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:22.960 and they weren't willing to negotiate our price, and we 44 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:25.479 just weren't happy with the old experience. So we decided 45 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:28.400 not to proceed with that. So we were driving home 46 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:31.400 and I saw this car on the side of the 47 00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:35.680 road and it was nineteen seventy Barracuda and it was 48 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:37.879 had a for sale sign on it and was parking 49 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:41.000 front of this bar. And so I told my wife Margie, 50 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:43.719 I said, well, if we can't get that property, I'd 51 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.400 like to get this car. She was not thrilled with 52 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:49.039 that idea, and we talked to her to go into 53 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:51.560 the bar. We found the owner ended up buying the bar, 54 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:53.400 So are the car. 55 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:55.680 I was gonna say about a bar. 56 00:02:55.879 --> 00:02:58.599 Just the car. So then when we were doing our 57 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:01.800 home wine making in our gag, we were rebuilding the car. 58 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:05.000 It was a multi year process, and so then the 59 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:08.240 barrels of wine were always next to the car. So 60 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:10.680 then one day we're having a party at her house 61 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:12.439 and we were trying to figure out what we were 62 00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:15.280 going to name this first vintage of wine. And our 63 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:18.680 last name is Dino, and Margie goes, let's call this 64 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:21.479 Dino's Veno. And I said, it's not a good rhyne, 65 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:24.759 but it doesn't sound sound like very good wine. And 66 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:26.919 she goes, well, it's not. It tastes like the car, 67 00:03:27.639 --> 00:03:29.800 and I got admit, the first couple home, why making 68 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:31.000 vintages weren't the best? 69 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:33.360 Well, that's the terwa right, it was just picking up 70 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:34.639 what it was made. 71 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:40.360 Around, Yeah, gasoline. And so then my buddy was there 72 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:44.840 and he's a car enthusiast, and he said, Larry, why 73 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.879 don't we call this Couda Ridge Wines? And I said, oh, 74 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:51.360 that's great. So when we did our home wine making, 75 00:03:51.400 --> 00:03:53.280 every time we bottled the wine, we had a picture 76 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:54.520 of the car, and we just put the picture of 77 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.800 the car on the label. So then when we started 78 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:01.280 the winery back in two thousand and seven, we decided 79 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:05.719 to carry that name forward. It has a story, so 80 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:06.360 that's where. 81 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:08.039 We are, but no more car on the label that 82 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:10.199 is there is yeah if you look closely. 83 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.039 So well the label is plumb crazy purple, which is 84 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:16.600 the color of the car. And the subliminal ridge is 85 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:20.279 really a subliminal drying of the car. So it's all 86 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:21.680 subliminal message. 87 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:25.120 And I like the car, and I do like how 88 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:26.920 he came up with the name Cootera Ridge, and I 89 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:29.600 get the bearra kuda, but the ridge was probably just 90 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:35.920 a fanciful made you sound just official. So we were 91 00:04:35.959 --> 00:04:38.920 saying that today you are in a in a proper 92 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:42.279 win ring, not in a warehouse downtown or something. And 93 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:43.639 do you own vineyards? 94 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:46.560 So we have a couple of vineyards. We do have 95 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:49.560 a small vineyard in our house. We leased this space here, 96 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:53.720 we're responsible for this vineyard. Year. We source from a 97 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:55.399 lot of vineyards across the Livermore and we do one 98 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:59.040 hundred percent little More Valley. So some of the vineyards 99 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:02.199 that we source from our small family owned vineyards. So 100 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:04.759 like some of our smaller ritals that we do, like 101 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:08.439 carmon Air, which we can talk about later, comes from 102 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:11.800 these small vineyard blocks that are owned by individuals. I 103 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:14.560 have my own vineyard manager, and so me and the 104 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:18.199 vineyard manager managed Joe's blocks exactly how we want them. 105 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:21.120 They might as well be our vineyards, right, And then 106 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:26.680 we buy some of our larger blocks from various other 107 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:27.920 growers throughout the valley. 108 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:29.959 And what you mentioned carmen Air. 109 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:32.759 What other great varieties do you work with? 110 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:36.639 Yeah, so we focus on doing Bordeaux wines, so Bordeaux 111 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:39.800 style wines. We'll talk about that later, but so we 112 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:43.800 do basically all the Bordeaux ridols. So we do well 113 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:46.040 we only do sab Blanc. We used to do Semeon, 114 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:48.199 but we don't do that anymore. And then we do 115 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:51.000 the well I call them the six Reds of Bordeaux, 116 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:54.759 so Murlow and cab cab Fronc, mall back Petit Verdeau, 117 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:57.360 and then Carmen Air, which is our new one in 118 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:57.879 the lineup. 119 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:00.759 You've gotten way back into the Bordeaux to pull up 120 00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:02.800 grapes they don't even make anymore exactly. 121 00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:06.480 We do various blends as well, and we'll do some 122 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:10.000 one off ridls of non Bordeaux, just a couple of those, 123 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:12.759 but the focus is really on the on the Bordeaux lines. 124 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:14.279 And what's your total case production? 125 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:16.959 We do about twenty four hundred cases a year, so 126 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:20.240 plus our minus a couple hundred depending on the And then. 127 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:24.560 Are you exclusively direct to consumer like online and here 128 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:27.439 in the tasting room or do you have distribution you know, 129 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:29.879 anywhere in across the country. 130 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:33.319 Right, So, yeah, we are primarily direct to consumer. So 131 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:37.439 from the tasting room we have pretty sizable wine club. 132 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:40.759 We do do have online so we can ship to 133 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:44.199 most of the states through online, and then we're at 134 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:49.399 a lot of local restaurants and wine bars and wine 135 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:53.879 stores and such. But it's all direct from winery to 136 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:57.399 the retail, so we don't have any brokers or distributors. 137 00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:04.319 So grew up kind of around the Livermore Valley in neighborhoods, 138 00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:08.279 you know, twenty thirty minutes away, and obviously got into 139 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:11.360 wine as an adult. But I'm curious what your first 140 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:12.879 memory is relevant to wine. 141 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:20.399 Yeah, so I have a couple. So my first one 142 00:07:20.439 --> 00:07:22.800 is really just kind of growing up. And as I 143 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:25.240 was a child, you know, my dad drank a lot 144 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:30.000 of wine. And what I remember is he always drank 145 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:35.040 these These were non varietal wines, but his favorite was 146 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:38.720 Christian Brothers. Now I don't know that they make wine anymore. 147 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.319 I know they do brandy, but back then they did 148 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:46.680 a Christian Brother's wine and it was just goldish orange 149 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:49.680 colored wine and he let me taste it and it 150 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:53.920 was like really sweet. And then of course he drank Lancers, 151 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.000 you know, when he got fancy and that type of stuff. 152 00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:59.839 So then after that, I would say, where we really 153 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:02.639 got into it was when my wife and I were 154 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:06.000 dating back in the Oh, my god, a long time ago. 155 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:11.040 Don't make sure she doesn't hear that part. The early 156 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:16.279 early eighties, and we'd always we'd always get together with 157 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:19.600 friends and we would watch Miami Vice. Kind of dating 158 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:22.680 myself here with wine. Have you heard of Miami Vice? 159 00:08:25.879 --> 00:08:28.279 So we'd watch. It was a weekly thing. We'd sit 160 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:30.759 down and watch. Yeah, and then we uh so we 161 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:36.600 The wines we started with was Green Hungarian, which is 162 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:41.240 a sweet white wine from White White Bell Winery. And 163 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:44.679 then when it was called Green Hungarian, I could not 164 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:48.720 tell you what the britol is. And then when we 165 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:52.440 got fancy and we were stepping up in life, we 166 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:56.000 started with a Navarro. It was a Navarro a gritzminer, 167 00:08:56.440 --> 00:08:59.919 which was also a sweeter style wine, but definitely upscale 168 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:01.320 from our green Hyperica. 169 00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:05.159 Well, I know, you know, it's very common to when 170 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:07.960 you start out with wine to have more of an 171 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:11.799 appeal towards residual sugar. To sweetness is more appealing than 172 00:09:11.799 --> 00:09:14.600 sometimes the big tannic bombs or anything like that. 173 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:16.440 But obviously you. 174 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:19.360 Have graduated, you've graduated into making more do varieties, which 175 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:25.480 is quite a departure from Green Hungarian sweet wines. But 176 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:29.480 I'm curious, what was what was one of those aha 177 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:31.320 moments for you and wine? What was a wine that 178 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:33.600 you had that just sort of made you kind of 179 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:34.720 shake your head and go wow. 180 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:36.279 And what was the occasion. 181 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:41.200 Yeah, So that would have been in probably the nineteen nineties. 182 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:45.879 And we had some friends in Fremont and they owned 183 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:51.360 a cabin up in Bear Valley. And the only way 184 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:53.480 you could get to this cabin or a winter is 185 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:57.039 on a sled, on a like a snow sled, so 186 00:09:57.120 --> 00:09:59.000 it was buried kind of in that in the snow. 187 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:01.639 And so we were at their house one day and 188 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:04.799 he wasn't really into wine, but he was a lawyer, 189 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:08.159 and he had all these wines lined up in his 190 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:12.320 cabinet and we were snowed in, and of course we 191 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:14.159 were drinking, and he goes, Larry, why don't you go 192 00:10:14.200 --> 00:10:16.440 pick a wine up there? And I start looking in 193 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:19.039 his cabinet and he's got all these phenomenal wines. But 194 00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:21.720 he didn't have one clue on what these wines. They 195 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:24.120 could have been Gallo, I mean, he had no clue. 196 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:26.519 Would have been green Hungarian, It would have been green Hungarian. 197 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:28.480 I would not have picked that one at this time. 198 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.840 So he had a it was an opus one. So 199 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:33.960 it was like a it was about I don't remember 200 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:37.159 the exact vintage. It was like in the mid nineteen eighty, 201 00:10:37.320 --> 00:10:39.120 so it was like an it was like it was 202 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:43.159 a ten to twelve year old opus one. And the 203 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:47.000 mice were actually eaten into the cork because when the 204 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:49.919 cabin was like locked up, I guess the mics were 205 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:50.919 trying to get good wine. 206 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:53.080 I guess it was they knew what was there. 207 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:57.360 So I saw, I said, yeah, so I said, hey, 208 00:10:57.559 --> 00:11:00.600 we'd better open this bottle since the mice already started 209 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:02.840 to get into the court. And this is a pretty 210 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.279 should be a pretty decent bottle of wine. So we 211 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:07.279 went ahead and opened it, and yeah, that was our 212 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:10.240 hot moment. I mean that wine was just so so phenomenal, 213 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:14.120 and it was bold, but it was softened with age 214 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:17.960 and had complexity, and it was just at the time, 215 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:19.720 the best wine we had ever had. 216 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:22.159 So I guess that's the one that set you on 217 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:25.200 your Bordeaux path. A. 218 00:11:25.559 --> 00:11:28.840 Yeah, I'm not really, you know that came later. 219 00:11:30.840 --> 00:11:32.559 So now, if we were to come to your home, 220 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:35.039 what would we find in your home, in your cellar, 221 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:39.960 in your wine fridges, under your bed, wherever you keep wine. 222 00:11:40.039 --> 00:11:41.440 What kind of wines do you keep in there? Are 223 00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:43.600 they the wines you make, are they winds of your neighbors, 224 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:48.559 they winds from another country? Is it mostly Bordeaux varieties? 225 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:54.399 Yes, yes, yes, and no. So yeah, I mean, we 226 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:59.080 have a pretty sizeable wine cabinet. But the I mean, 227 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:00.799 I would say the majority of the wines that we 228 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:04.000 have in there are our local wines. It's mostly because 229 00:12:04.039 --> 00:12:07.200 we live in they're very accessible and we're always trying 230 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:11.399 everyone's wine here locally and such. But we've been to 231 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:15.159 many wine regions, so I would say some of the 232 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:18.200 finer wines that we have are mostly from Bordeaux, Burgundy, 233 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:22.879 and a Napa. We have quite a few Napa, so 234 00:12:23.399 --> 00:12:27.120 probably Napa would be the largest, and then Bordeaux and 235 00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:31.840 then Burgundy. We also have wines from other Appalachians through California, 236 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:34.799 so I would say, uh, Pasa Robos, we have quite 237 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:39.000 a few, and then like Plymouth, Fiddleton area kind of 238 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:41.039 areas that we you know, we visit that we tend 239 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:43.440 to purchase wine and accumulate wine from those regions. 240 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.120 Is there anything you opened up recently that drank really well? 241 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:52.759 Hmmm, other than couter Ridge. I don't know. 242 00:12:53.080 --> 00:12:56.039 Maybe that's what you opened most recently, but no, I mean, 243 00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:58.679 you know, sometimes we open up wines from our cellar 244 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:01.519 that maybe we been holding on too, or maybe just 245 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:04.639 because that's where they're stored. Was there anything recently you 246 00:13:04.679 --> 00:13:07.039 opened up that just gave you joy? 247 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:10.919 Yeah? That, I mean we're always drinking wine, and we 248 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:14.200 always having friends over and doing blind tastings and wine 249 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:16.799 tastings and stuff, so there's lots of opportunities and stuff. 250 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.879 The one, I guess, the one that would come to 251 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:22.720 mind is it was a white. I mean, we typically 252 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:27.879 drink red, but it was a Marsal from Burgundy and 253 00:13:27.960 --> 00:13:30.200 it was a it was a it was a charnay, 254 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:33.279 so it was in neutral oak charnay. But it was 255 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:38.240 just yeah, phenomenal. You know, I'm not a huge chardonnay drinker, 256 00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:44.480 but that style, with all the earthiness and the rocky 257 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:49.240 granted minerality, just is just right up my alleys. 258 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:51.159 Do you remember what vintage it was? 259 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:53.480 It would have been it was when we went. We 260 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:56.879 were in Burgundy last year, so then it would have 261 00:13:56.919 --> 00:13:59.720 been I would say a couple of years before that, 262 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:02.960 so it wasn't real old. It was a premiere crew, 263 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:07.200 but a grand crew, but it was let's see what 264 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:12.200 we're in twenty twenty, I'd say around twenty probably twenty twenty, 265 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:14.399 probably twenty twenty, twenty twenty one. 266 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:21.000 Nice. Nice, So you have a focus on what you make, 267 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:25.399 as you said, Bordeaux varieties, and I'm curious if you 268 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:28.360 think among the bordou varieties or maybe beyond, there's a 269 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:31.519 such thing as a perfect variety. 270 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:36.480 I would say, no, you know, I mean, there's of 271 00:14:36.519 --> 00:14:39.879 course certain ritals that we drink more of and gravitate 272 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:43.960 more towards than others. But in my mind, I mean, 273 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:46.679 I have a very open mind on wine and the 274 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:49.960 different varietals, and I think pretty much. I mean, any 275 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:54.919 rityle that's grown in the right place, made by the 276 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:58.879 right winemaker can be phenomenal. So to me, it's about 277 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:03.080 the sense of place where that verrietal is grown, and 278 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:05.840 then the winemaker doing a good job with that wine. 279 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:10.120 Of course, there's certain styles that I prefer than other styles, 280 00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:13.480 but that's personal preference exactly, But doesn't mean the wines 281 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:15.639 there's anything wrong with the wine. It's not much time. 282 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:18.720 But no, I mean, I mean, I can't think of 283 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:22.279 a verietyl that I have had that I said, I've 284 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:24.799 never drink that ritle again. I mean I might with 285 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:29.360 from certain areas or certain wine makers. However that wine 286 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:32.519 that varietyl made in the right place, with the right winemakers. 287 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:34.200 I mean drinking all day long. 288 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:38.200 So if somebody were to, if somebody hasn't had the 289 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:41.279 pleasure of tasting Couda Ridge wines, yet, what do you 290 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:42.279 think they're missing out on? 291 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:47.840 You know? So, yeah, we do Bordeaux wines, but we 292 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:51.639 like to say that we do Bordeaux style wines, with 293 00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:57.000 style being the keyword here, So we try to make 294 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.840 wines more of the old World style. So my pre 295 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:03.720 I mean, I really got a liking for wine going 296 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:07.639 or different styles of wine taking classes at the local 297 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:10.639 community college here. They had a really good viticulture and 298 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:14.399 knowlogy program there, especially on sensory analysis, and that's whally 299 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:17.639 I got my liking for French wines just old World 300 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:20.759 style wines in general. So that's what we strive for. 301 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:25.960 So I would say our wines are typically less fruit 302 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:28.600 forward than a lot of the wines, the local wines 303 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:32.679 or even you know, California style wines. We try to 304 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:38.480 get more earthiness, minerality, lower alcohol, well balanced wines so 305 00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:42.200 that you can have more than one glass and continue 306 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:46.840 drinking on or they pair well with food, so fantastic. 307 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:49.600 You know. I see that you have, you know, a 308 00:16:49.639 --> 00:16:53.639 few articles up on your wall, and I'm going to 309 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:56.720 assume a few metals around the way, And I'm curious 310 00:16:56.759 --> 00:16:59.960 what your opinion is on wine critics and scores. I mean, clearly, 311 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:01.279 when you do well. 312 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:02.320 You showcase it. 313 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:05.079 But in general, I mean, what is the role of 314 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:08.839 a wine critic and a score play in a winery, lakers, 315 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:10.640 or for you as a wine drinker. 316 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:14.559 Yeah, I mean to me, they're critically important. You know 317 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:19.519 some I think some have more recognition or I'm trying 318 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:22.920 to get to the right word more. You know, they're 319 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:28.640 more respected, I guess than others. But to me, it's 320 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:33.519 not so much any one individual award because there's always 321 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:37.480 error in the process, no matter if it's one person 322 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:41.400 tasting them or whether it's a competition or whatever. But 323 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:44.920 to me, it's more looking at the accumulation of awards. So, 324 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.519 you know, some wineries, you know, if they're consistently getting 325 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:51.440 you know, eighty eight to ninety, you know we have 326 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:53.119 that wine is going to be good. It's a good 327 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:56.799 decent wine. If you know, if they're getting in the nineties, 328 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:58.759 so let's say ninety four. Well, then they're going to 329 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:03.839 be pretty solid, pretty decent wines if that's consistent over time. 330 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:07.359 Similarly with the wine competitions, right if if people are 331 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:10.400 consisting it in golds and higher, you know, that speaks 332 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:14.480 to me versus you know, silvers and one gold hair 333 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:17.720 type thing. So to me, it's consistency of the awards 334 00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:19.880 from the competitions, which matters. 335 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:24.759 Yeah, absolutely so of your wines, assuming they were all consistent. 336 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:25.880 I'm pretty equal. 337 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:28.400 If space aliens were to land on your property right now, 338 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:30.440 knock on the door, and you had to choose one 339 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:32.880 of the wines to welcome them with, which one would 340 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:33.079 it be? 341 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:38.039 Yeah, that was a hard question because I'm biased, But 342 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:40.240 I think all of our wines are good. And then 343 00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:43.039 of course it varies from year to year, but I mean, 344 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:45.279 I mean in general, I mean I would say I 345 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:48.640 do Caberny fronc. That's what we're known for, is our 346 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:51.400 Cabernet franc So I like to share that whenever I can. 347 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:54.839 But also, you know, it's a nice wine. It's got 348 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.200 good it's got good complexity to it, it's got a 349 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:00.640 softness to it. It's not over bold. It's a wine 350 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:06.440 that I think you know, appeals to a large consumer base. 351 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:08.599 So it's the wine you. 352 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:11.519 Gave me when I arrived. So I guess you know 353 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:20.799 perhaps now you mentioned obviously you make predominantly red wines. 354 00:19:21.240 --> 00:19:24.160 You do have sauvignon blanc, but as a wine drinker, 355 00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:31.359 red white or rose red still or sparkling still. And 356 00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:33.799 you also mentioned that you make wines that are a 357 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:37.039 little lower in alcohol, a little less fruit forward, a 358 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:41.160 little more mineral driven, balance something to pair with food. 359 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:43.519 So how do you approach food and wine pairing? Do 360 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:45.519 you believe in the rules of you know, white wine 361 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:47.519 and fish, red wine and meat. When you have a 362 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:52.119 selection of predominantly red wines, you make it work with everything, right. 363 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:57.720 So we have so I guess you can answer that 364 00:19:57.799 --> 00:20:01.680 a couple of ways. So you know, we pretty much 365 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:04.599 always have wine open at the house. A lot of 366 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:07.000 times we just have wine left over from our tasting 367 00:20:07.079 --> 00:20:08.759 room that we have you on the counter for a 368 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:11.680 couple of days. So pretty much almost every meal that 369 00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:15.240 we have at the house we're paired with wines. But 370 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:19.880 when we're doing more formal pairings like with restaurant, we 371 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:24.480 do a lot of winemaker dinners or formal wine pairing 372 00:20:24.599 --> 00:20:29.960 competitions that type of stuff. You know, the protein to 373 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:33.440 me takes a back seat. So I mean, there are 374 00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:36.720 certain things in the protein I think that that are 375 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:40.079 important for the wine, like the vattiness, the body, and 376 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:45.200 the weight of the protein. However, to me, it's the spices, 377 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:49.160 the sauces and all the other companiments that go with 378 00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:53.759 that protein that influences as much as anything else. I 379 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:57.119 guess my AHA experience there was we were doing a 380 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:00.359 winemaker dinner at a nice local restaurant here uncle Use. 381 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:04.519 It's an Asian restaurant and the owner is a Sawmine 382 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:07.160 and I brought my Cabernet fronc. Well he had had 383 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:09.039 my cabernate fronc, but I had brought it. We was 384 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:11.079 gonna be on the menu, and he goes, Larry, we're 385 00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:14.400 gonna pair this little white fish. I go, I go, Nick, 386 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:18.400 here crazy, not because you followed the rules. I was 387 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:22.119 trying to follow the rules. And he goes, no, really, 388 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.160 So anyway, we had He brought it out with a 389 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:28.279 It was with a peaking sauce, so kind of a 390 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:31.160 spicy red sauce with a little bit of sweetness to it, 391 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:34.839 and it just it was just a parry made in heaven. 392 00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:37.319 So when I worked with like chefs and stuff like, 393 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:40.279 we have our big wine tasting event come up here 394 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:42.480 and live more later this year. It's called Taste Ar 395 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:45.480 Tear War. We've actually done quite well at that competition. 396 00:21:46.759 --> 00:21:48.599 More awards on the other side of my wall. I 397 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:50.799 didn't notice those, but no, yes. 398 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:56.319 So we work with you know, high end chefs and 399 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:59.920 coming up with those pairings, and what we always like 400 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.119 to do is I always like to have them decompose 401 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:06.839