WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:04.480 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with 2 00:00:04.519 --> 00:00:08.000 which producers narrate their winery and their world team thirty 3 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:12.039 answers discover their stories, personalities and passions. 4 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:14.960 Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is alson 5 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:17.239 Levine and today I am in the Livermore Valley with 6 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:21.920 winemaker Aaron Luna, a Finestra Winery erin Welcome to Wine Soundtrack. 7 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:24.519 Tell us about Finestra Winery and where we are. 8 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:29.160 Yeah, thank you, happy to be here. Yeah, Finesster Winery 9 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:32.439 is here in Livermore's. The winery itself was actually built 10 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:36.920 in eighteen eighty nine and Lanny Replogle, the owner, started 11 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.520 it in nineteen seventy six. 12 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:40.679 He actually started. 13 00:00:40.439 --> 00:00:43.600 Making wine out another property called Ruby Hill, which since 14 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:46.719 burnt down has been rebuilt in a different location, but 15 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:49.840 came to this property in nineteen eighty nineteen eighty one 16 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:55.520 and refurbished the property wow, and has been making wine 17 00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:56.240 here ever since. 18 00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:56.600 Yeah. 19 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:59.640 It's really cool because it's kind of built. It's a 20 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:02.320 full building, but it's kind of built into the mountain. 21 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:06.879 That's right, it's built into the hill. And that was 22 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:09.239 very common back in the late eighteen hundreds there's a 23 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:12.319 lot of other old wineries here in Livermore. Most of 24 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.159 them are no longer really standing, but they were all 25 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:18.560 built into the hill to help with temperature and you know, 26 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:22.280 to keep the cellar at a cooler temperature. We don't 27 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:23.560 want that wine to get too warm. 28 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:27.319 Very very interesting. We're above ground right now. I'm looking 29 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:30.959 out at the vineyards. I'm curious, do you own vineyards? 30 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:32.920 Do you purchase fruit? Is it a combination? 31 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:36.959 So it is a combination. The property here itself is 32 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:40.480 about sixteen acres and there's about six acres planted under 33 00:01:40.599 --> 00:01:44.480 vine now we're adding another acre currently, but we're growing 34 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:48.200 grenache saran moreved on the property and then we purchase. 35 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:48.640 The rest of the fruit. 36 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:52.319 So our estate grapes currently make up roughly twenty percent 37 00:01:52.359 --> 00:01:55.159 of our production and the rest we purchase here locally 38 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:55.840 in Livermore. 39 00:01:56.159 --> 00:01:58.239 And what other grapes do you work with? 40 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:01.920 We work with a lot of and greats. It's one 41 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:02.640 of the things. 42 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:05.359 When Lanny started the winery, it was more of a 43 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:07.159 you know, who was doing it as a home wine 44 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:10.719 maker and got more interested in it and started as 45 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:14.000 a professional. But it was the curiosity of all these 46 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:18.159 different varieties that you know, made this place kind of known. 47 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:19.520 For odd ball varieties. 48 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:23.439 We're not doing as many of those odd ball varieties now, 49 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:25.599 but you know, we just did a graciano a lot 50 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:27.439 of people in for that. We used to do a verdello, 51 00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:32.199 a lot of Iberian varieties. I brought Timperneo back in 52 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:36.080 Teria National is something we've done in the past, but 53 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:39.159 primarily now we're focusing focusing on their own varieties here 54 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:42.120 on the estate. So we do a rose from our grenache, 55 00:02:42.199 --> 00:02:45.159 we do a grenoch soon Morvett on their own, and 56 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:48.159 then we do a GSM blend that we call the Infrared. 57 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:51.520 But we also do a lot of Bordeaux variety, so 58 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:54.840 Sauvion blanc as a white wine, we do the five 59 00:02:54.919 --> 00:02:59.400 classic varietals for Bordeaux, and we do a blend with 60 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:02.960 that called the Conjugation. And these names, these names tie 61 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:07.439 into the owner's history as a in chemistry. He was 62 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:10.000 a chemistry professor at San Jose State. So some of 63 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:14.319 these blends have names that are kind of based on chemistry, 64 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:17.759 Like Conjugation is the label has a conjugated bond on it, 65 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:20.680 but you know, also it also kind of means bringing together. 66 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:26.199 It's meaning it's a blend. So those five varieties. 67 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:28.080 And then you know, recently did a peano no wire, 68 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:29.360 which we haven't done in a while. 69 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:31.360 Is there a peano and a war grown here in 70 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:32.199 the Livermore Valley? 71 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.759 There is, and there's becoming more of it. I probably 72 00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:40.319 shouldn't go off on that tangent. I got those grapes 73 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:43.319 from Snol Highlands, which is a much cooler area than 74 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:44.599 the Livermore. 75 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:46.159 Just at the edge of the Livermore Valley. Avia. 76 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:48.360 And what is your total case production? 77 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:53.639 Roughly two thousand cases per year. We're pretty small production. 78 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:56.919 And are you one hundred percent director consumer or are 79 00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:58.000 your winds out in the market. 80 00:03:58.759 --> 00:04:01.199 We're about I would say eighty five percent direct to 81 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:04.080 consumer and then out on the local market, so within 82 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:07.560 a thirty to fifty mile radius at all the local supermarkets, 83 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:09.639 you know, Whole Food, Safeway, Bevmo. 84 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:10.080 Wow. 85 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.400 Okay, So you grew up you were raised in the 86 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:17.279 Monterey County area a little bit south of here. 87 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:19.600 Yeah, so about an hour and a half south of here, 88 00:04:19.800 --> 00:04:23.480 big agriculture community, Salinas Valley, And. 89 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:26.279 Yeah, a lot of a lot of history there. 90 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:29.600 My family goes back many generations to the beginning of 91 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:31.560 recorded history in California. 92 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:33.079 Wow, so you go. 93 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:37.639 Gets back into a Spaniard maid marrying a Native American 94 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:38.800 woman in Carmel Valley. 95 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:41.600 So my family has been in the minor Ey County 96 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:44.680 for many generations. Wow. On my comment's side. 97 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.639 Wow, so you've got a long history here. I'm curious 98 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:51.399 what is your first memory relevant to wine. Was it 99 00:04:51.399 --> 00:04:53.240 something that you were exposed to at a young age 100 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:55.839 growing up in the Selinas Valley or when do you 101 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:59.959 first remember kind of a connection of identifying what wine is? 102 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:02.600 You know, it wasn't really until I started working in 103 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:03.240 the industry. 104 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:04.199 Really. 105 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:04.639 Yeah. 106 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:07.800 When I turned twenty one, my mother bought me a 107 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:11.480 beer brewing kit, and so I got into fermentation and 108 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:16.279 fermentation science through that. But landing about age twenty two, 109 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:18.439 I landed a job at a winery and it was 110 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:22.399 very random that I got there, but instantly fell in 111 00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:22.920 love with it. 112 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:26.959 But did you have any understanding, I mean, were you 113 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:29.199 introduced to wine in any other capacity? I mean I 114 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:31.920 did did hear a little bit before that? Your mom 115 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:36.160 was the CFO of a previous winery here. 116 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:40.519 Yeah, and that was after I was already in the industry, 117 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:43.560 so that kind of led her into retirement a little bit, 118 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:46.079 but it was for a few years down in Monterey 119 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:48.079 County that she was there. 120 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:52.079 So you come into wine kind of by accident, and 121 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:55.120 then obviously you've you know, had the opportunity to taste 122 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:57.920 lots of wines. Was there a wine somewhere along the 123 00:05:57.920 --> 00:05:59.839 way that was an aha moment for you, maybe at 124 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:03.480 the start of your career or maybe somewhere somewhere later. 125 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:07.560 You know, there, there's not any of that standout. It was, 126 00:06:07.720 --> 00:06:10.560 you know, when I worked out bernardist Windering Carmel Valleys 127 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:12.480 where it was for ten years when I first started, 128 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:17.839 and the winemaking team was we did a lot of 129 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:20.040 tastings together, so it was just sitting down at the 130 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:23.759 table with a winemaker assistant winemaker and tasting through and 131 00:06:23.800 --> 00:06:28.519 just discovering and discovering the descriptions and everything of it. 132 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:30.519 And you know, from there, I very much had a 133 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:33.680 house palette of Carmel Valley wines. They had a large 134 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:36.600 estate vineyard there and grew up there in the San 135 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:40.839 Alichio Highlands. Was another thing that I craved pino noirs 136 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:43.519 from there. It's like the pino noir go to for me. 137 00:06:43.639 --> 00:06:44.560 But why is that? 138 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:47.439 It just it has It's. 139 00:06:47.319 --> 00:06:50.199 Very identifiable as being from there, you know, especially if 140 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:53.639 you compare the Lamott Valley or even the Russian River, 141 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:56.560 they're very different pinos. And then you get into certain 142 00:06:56.639 --> 00:06:59.399 vineyards and Sanlichi Islands and they don't even taste like 143 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:00.959 pinos because much bigger wines. 144 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.040 But so. 145 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:07.040 If we come to your home, now you live in 146 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:10.000 the East Bay, you live more in the city and 147 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:14.199 commute in here, reverse commute into wine country. But if 148 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:17.439 we came into your home, into your cellar, or maybe 149 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:21.560 it's a you know, in your refrigerator or in the garage. 150 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:23.160 I don't know where you keep your wines. But what 151 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:25.199 would we find in your home? Is it all wines 152 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:27.879 you've made, Is it winds from around the area, or 153 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:32.600 or there particular varieties that you tend to collect. 154 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:37.399 It's mainly wineries from Livermore. You know, there are some 155 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:40.399 bottling lines, samples that come off the line that will 156 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:44.160 end up at home, and then that we also bottle 157 00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:47.079 for many wineries and Livermore. So there's often bottles handed 158 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:48.920 out at the end of bottling of other wineries. 159 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:50.199 So that is the bulk of it. 160 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:53.920 My brother in law is very into wines and very 161 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:57.240 expensive wines, so they do some of those end up 162 00:07:57.240 --> 00:07:59.399 as gifts and end up in the in the cellar. 163 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:02.680 But I have a wine cellar in the garage which 164 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:05.839 is detached and kind of partially underground from our house 165 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:08.519 we live on a hill in Oakland. And then there's 166 00:08:08.920 --> 00:08:12.680 the water heater closet that's in the basement, which is 167 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:13.519 kind of built out. 168 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:15.480 There's a it's so. 169 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:17.360 There's some in there, and then there's a walking closet 170 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:18.680 down there where she'll find. 171 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:21.759 It's a little smattering of storage places. So is there 172 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:23.959 anything you pulled out from one of those corners of 173 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:26.959 your house that you had recently that drank really well? 174 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:27.920 Well? 175 00:08:27.959 --> 00:08:31.000 I have go to wines and they're typically from here 176 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:35.039 at Fenestra, and they're the estate infrared. If I'm looking 177 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:38.000 for a red wine, it's our GSM blend and it's 178 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:40.960 I think that's my favorite red wine that we produce here. 179 00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:44.159 Just blends in particular are always fun and I enjoy 180 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:47.080 because you really get to fine tune the wine by 181 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:52.320 blending different varieties in particular. And the garage rose that's 182 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:55.240 our state wine is like the every day, anytime of day, 183 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:56.320 wine with any food. 184 00:08:56.639 --> 00:08:59.039 You're a house guy through and through. I mean that 185 00:08:59.159 --> 00:09:01.000 is that's pride for the brand, you know. 186 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:04.519 Yeah, I very much enjoy it. 187 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:07.279 It's good that you like what you make. It is. 188 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:09.879 So you just said that one of your favorite wines, 189 00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:12.480 your go to's, is the GSM. It's a blend, And 190 00:09:12.519 --> 00:09:14.639 I'm curious, do you think there's a such thing as 191 00:09:14.679 --> 00:09:15.759 a perfect variety? 192 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:22.960 Not so much. No, No, I don't think that there is. 193 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:25.639 You know, I do think Cabernet Savion gets. 194 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:28.600 Close with just the mouth feel and the amount of 195 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:31.200 tannins you can get from It's it's just a little 196 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:34.320 bit more encompassing, where with some other wines that kind 197 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:39.279 of can kind of go in different directions. But no, 198 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:42.240 I love blending more than anything. But although I am 199 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:46.000 very true to doing varietally label wines, I very much 200 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:48.519 enjoy that to represent the varietal itself. 201 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:54.120 Yeah, so you're a small producer. You know, maybe there's 202 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:57.200 not such a thing as a perfect variety. But as 203 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:00.240 a small producer, you know a lot of people will 204 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:04.279 turn to wine scores to determine a level of perfection, 205 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:06.960 and I'm curious what your position is on wine critics 206 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:11.279 and scores. Oh boy, go ahead, have you hit her there? 207 00:10:11.399 --> 00:10:14.279 I hope, I hope none of them are listening to this. 208 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:18.679 I mean, wine is very subjective and everyone has their 209 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:21.600 own preferences and such, so you know, if you're going 210 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:25.519 to send it to certain publications, it's usually just one 211 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:29.840 person oftentimes that you're that's rating it, and you can 212 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:32.240 almost tell by looking at what they're rating what their 213 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:35.120 preference for wine is, so you might send only those 214 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:38.279 types of lies to them. And then we do a 215 00:10:38.279 --> 00:10:40.679 lot of competitions as well, like you know, the San 216 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:47.399 Francisco Chronicle competition, and they're there are so many wines 217 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.639 and so many judges that it boggles my mind. When 218 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:53.120 I was at UC Davis, we did some sensory evaluation 219 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:57.039 courses where you know, after ten wines you're almost spent already, 220 00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.799 and if they're tasting like one hundred wines in a 221 00:10:59.879 --> 00:11:05.679 day and even expectorating or spitting that you still get 222 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.279 the effects of alcohol. And I just and and those 223 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:11.799 competitions are tough. You take the winds when you get them, 224 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:14.320 and then oftentimes you can get a really good score 225 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:15.799 at one of those and then you send that same 226 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:18.360 way to another one, and it doesn't really score at all, 227 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:20.039 and it's it's just a gamble. 228 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:21.480 So you've got to kind of put it into a 229 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:24.120 context of what it is like, take a win when 230 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:25.919 you get it, and don't take a loss. 231 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.759 As a loss. That's kind of how it is. 232 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:32.000 So as a wine drinker, redwater, rose. 233 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:36.559 It depends. It depends on the weather, what you're eating, 234 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:39.840 your mood. Yeah, But like I said, the rose and 235 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:42.320 the infrared or go to's for most. 236 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:45.799 Things, rose and red kind of dominate. 237 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:49.000 I enjoy I do enjoy a Savian blanc. I made 238 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.320 a vigne recently, which haven't done that in a while, and. 239 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:52.480 That is very nice. 240 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:55.039 It's just a little bit different, some different floral and 241 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:59.559 fruit notes to it. But like I said, it depends, 242 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:02.480 I mean, depends on the season. Even you know springtime 243 00:12:02.519 --> 00:12:05.120 when it's warming up, you're like, oh, the sun's back, 244 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:09.240 I can go outside and there's a time, yeah, exactly. 245 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:12.879 So if if wine is seasonal, how do you approach 246 00:12:12.919 --> 00:12:16.399 it with pairing with food? Do you look at rules 247 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:19.080 like white wine and fish, red wine and meat and 248 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:21.399 you don't vary off of that, or is it more 249 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:23.919 like it's seasonal I want rose and I don't care 250 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:27.240 what I'm eating. How do you approach it? Do you 251 00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:29.759 pick wine first, food first or you just don't care. 252 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:33.039 It's usually the food first, and then you pick the 253 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:36.440 wine to go with it. And I will put some 254 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:37.159 thought into it. 255 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:37.519 I do. 256 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:40.320 You know, you can do like and like and that 257 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.879 you can do also do contrasting pairings, which is always fun. 258 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:48.240 But I'm not afraid to pair a red wine with 259 00:12:48.279 --> 00:12:49.639 a fish. 260 00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:52.360 Okay, So what what will make you make that decision? 261 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:53.360 What are you looking for? 262 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:56.720 Well, that will be what you know, what seasonings your 263 00:12:56.879 --> 00:12:58.480 you know how you're cooking a fish, what type of 264 00:12:58.519 --> 00:12:59.240 fish it is. 265 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:01.639 Or you know, just you know. A lot of that 266 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:02.279 has to do with that. 267 00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:05.519 Sometimes it's the fat content or how rich the wine is. 268 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:08.919 And then you look into more higher tannic wines iron 269 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:11.960 tannin to balance that protein the protein. 270 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:15.120 So for somebody who hasn't had the pleasure to try 271 00:13:15.159 --> 00:13:17.679 finestra wines, what do you think they're missing out on? 272 00:13:19.559 --> 00:13:23.559 They're missing out on quality wines. I do like to 273 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:26.200 make food friendly wines, so they're usually a little bit 274 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:28.519 have a little bit more tartness too, which I think 275 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:30.639 helps you know, I think wine should be had with 276 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:34.039 food for the most part. But you know, since we're 277 00:13:34.039 --> 00:13:39.000 so much, we're so much direct to consumer that it's 278 00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:42.519 coming to the property and enjoying the wine and the 279 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:45.960 variety of wines we have. You know, it's a comment 280 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:48.840 I hear very regularly when I'm here. 281 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:51.360 During the tasting days, is we haven't had a wine 282 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:52.000 we didn't like. 283 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:54.360 You know, that's a great thing to hear. 284 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:58.559 It is. We don't do a lot of the heavier reds. 285 00:13:58.600 --> 00:13:59.840 We do do some petite. 286 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:01.799 Seraw, but I age it a little bit longer and barrel, 287 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:05.120 so the tannins are a little bit more tamed. There's 288 00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:08.480 a great book I think it's Tim Hanny or Henny Henny. 289 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:10.200 He does Why you like the Wines you like? 290 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:12.639 And it's a great It's like my favorite wine book 291 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:15.399 because it talks about the phenotypes and how everyone has 292 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:18.320 a different taste or you know, what they like, right, 293 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:20.000 and so there's a lot of that here. 294 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.639 So first, if space aliens were to land on your 295 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:26.559 property right now, you've got this nice open parking lot 296 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:29.360 where they can land their spaceship and they come knocking 297 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:31.440 on the door, which of your wines would you want 298 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:34.240 to welcome them with to say, you know, this is Fenestra. 299 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:39.559 The infrared, I think because an alien would understand infrared. 300 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:43.399 What you're going on the name just as well as 301 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:44.759 I love it. 302 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:46.799 And it's a blend of the three grapes you grow here, 303 00:14:46.840 --> 00:14:49.559 which really represents you know, our spot. 304 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:54.080 That's great. So you know, every vintage tells a different story. 305 00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:56.600 You came from the Carmel Valley, you said, where you 306 00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:59.399 sort of developed a house palette, you know, really liking 307 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:02.039 the wines. You like the San Lucia Highlands. And now 308 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:04.799 we're here in the Livermore Valley and in your career 309 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:10.039 being in different areas, do you see the Livermore Valley 310 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.960 as being more consistent year to year? Do you see variation? 311 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:15.840 What do you think vintage means in a place like this. 312 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:20.799 Compared to Carmel Valley, It's different. It's much more consistent here. 313 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:24.799 You do have there are seasonal variations from year to year. 314 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:26.840 It's you know, harvest can be two or three weeks 315 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:30.279 before or after the previous ones, so it kind of 316 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:34.000 a moving target. It's a you know, the growing region 317 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:37.240 itself is great for many varieties. And you might hear 318 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:39.159 this from other winemakers as well. That you know, our 319 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:43.240 growing season is fairly extended, but we get the cooling 320 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.559 of the coastal influence with the fog coming in. 321 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:48.679 We have the ultimate pass here where they have the big. 322 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:50.879 Wind turn by. The wind really rips through here in 323 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:55.720 the afternoon and cools it off, but get you get 324 00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:59.879 some really good consistency. It's perhaps a little bit warm 325 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:04.480 certain varieties, but perfect for most varieties. I would say 326 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.279 some years it's are more bad. Is usually the last 327 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:11.200 thing we pick, and that's usually determined on how much 328 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:16.639 rain is actually coming. It's November quick and some years 329 00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:19.600 Kieberney Semon doesn't ripen as much as you would like 330 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:22.240 it too. So you know a lot of people think 331 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:24.759 of Livermore as a very warm spot. They relate to 332 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:27.440 the Central Valley. We're still another little mountain range over 333 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:31.360 from the Central Valley, so you know, we don't always 334 00:16:31.399 --> 00:16:32.279 ripen caps off. 335 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:35.799 Interesting. Yeah, I'd always kind of thought of it as 336 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:38.879 a warmer area. But there is this lovely breeze that 337 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:41.720 you can feel when you're outside. You can feel it 338 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:45.159 coming through. It's not a heavy wind right now, but 339 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:47.120 you feel a consistent breeze. 340 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:49.039 Yeah, in the afternoons, the winds pick up. 341 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:51.039 You'll have like a fifty degree. 342 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:54.960 Diurnal shift from the temperature some nighttime to daytime. Especially 343 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:55.960 during this time of year. 344 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:57.320 It aligns with acidity. 345 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.639 Yes, you can maintain some nice nowidity. 346 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:05.119 That's great. So are there any kind of signs or 347 00:17:05.160 --> 00:17:07.480 predictors you look for that are going to tell you 348 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:08.799 what a harvest is going to bring? 349 00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:10.119 Uh? 350 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:13.200 Yeah, I mean you start. I'll start with the calendar 351 00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:15.680 when bud break is, and I can compare that to 352 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:19.359 previous year's. A good idea was that, you know, looking 353 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:21.039 over the you know the past. I've been here for 354 00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:24.319 ten years, so getting a better record on where we 355 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:26.400 are on the swing of things. And then you have 356 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:29.880 flowering when's that happening? And you look at fruits set 357 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:31.799 so you know these things that those are happening in 358 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:35.279 May or so. And then vasion and then it's like, okay, 359 00:17:35.319 --> 00:17:38.079 I bet I better get ready. I've only got you know, 360 00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:42.480 maybe five weeks until it's skill go go wow. 361 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:44.599 So you sort of have these markers that tell you 362 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:47.599 what's coming in. As long as everything stays on track, 363 00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:50.599 you're good. Then mother and nature can throw something at you, 364 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:51.720 and that throws everything off. 365 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:51.920 Huh. 366 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.119 Yes, And you know I thought, you know, going back 367 00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:56.799 to where Livermore is very consistent. 368 00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:58.799 It's like, you know, you know, all the. 369 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:02.000 Unfortunate fires up in the North Bay and nappened. Sonoma's like, oh, 370 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:04.680 you know, we're just more grassy hills here and not 371 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.920 a problem. And then twenty twenty happened, and multiple things 372 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:11.119 happened that year, but we had some fires back here 373 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:16.359 and it was like hardly any sun smoke ash and 374 00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:18.359 you know, we had a hard time ripening grapes that 375 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:20.079 year because of the lack of sun. 376 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:21.799 Yeah, kind of like an inversion layer. 377 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:22.839 Yeah. 378 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:25.160 Yeah, I just really sat down in here. In fact, 379 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:27.200 I had some ash on some of the grapes that 380 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.039 came in and we actually ended up not following those wines. 381 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:33.799 Wow. So in the ten years that you've been here, 382 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:36.200 have you established any sort of good luck rituals that 383 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:38.200 you do at the start of harvest for yourself or 384 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:39.200 for your team. 385 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:43.279 No, it's it's reminding my wife that she's going to 386 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:46.480 be a widow, a harvest widow for a couple of months, 387 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:50.359 and I'll need all the help. Last year, you know, 388 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:53.880 we did a cheers with my assistant, you know, with 389 00:18:53.920 --> 00:19:00.559 some sparkling whine, not into the last day of crush. 390 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:02.160 But nothing that's sort of like a I if I 391 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:04.720 don't do this, it's gonna jinx me. 392 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:09.680 No, I don't know. I'm not super superstitious like that. 393 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:10.119 I know. 394 00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:14.640 So you said you buy about eighty percent of your fruit, 395 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:18.599 but obviously you have your own vineyards here, and I'm 396 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:21.440 curious you spend a lot of time in the vines 397 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:24.400 in the vineyards here. I'm assuming they're right outside the door. 398 00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:25.839 It's hard not to walk through them. 399 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:27.880 I was just in there about an hour ago. I 400 00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:29.880 was walking the vineyard, and I'm. 401 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:32.039