WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.919 Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with 2 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:08.480 which producers narrate their winery and their world. In thirty 3 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:12.480 answers discover their stories, personalities, and passions. 4 00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:15.439 Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alson 5 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:18.960 Levine and today I'm in the Livermore Valley with Darcy 6 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:23.239 Kent Winery and the owner and artist of the same name, 7 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.559 Darcy Kent. Darcy, welcome to Wine Soundtrack and tell us 8 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:28.760 about the winery named after you. 9 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:30.000 Thank you. 10 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:32.000 I'm going to keep saying Darcy Kent from Darcy Kent. 11 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:34.719 I know it's always very confusing. It's like me or 12 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:36.799 the brand. Thank you. 13 00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:40.200 I am so delighted, really been looking forward to the interview. 14 00:00:40.280 --> 00:00:42.159 And it's a gorgeous day. So this is a lot 15 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:48.039 of fun. We started this winery on this property eleven 16 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:51.640 years ago, but we started with a single wine mayor 17 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:55.920 Low in nineteen ninety six. But I am fifth generation 18 00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:00.000 in the United States and our seventh was just born 19 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:03.679 three months ago. Congratulations than Hazel. 20 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:05.280 How wonderful. 21 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:09.159 So you're located here in the Livermore Valley and you've 22 00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:13.239 been making wine here, but you come from a long 23 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:14.400 history of wine right. 24 00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:14.640 I do. 25 00:01:15.079 --> 00:01:15.319 I do. 26 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:19.400 The wine making and wine growing has just been a 27 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:23.760 part of every generation of our family. My great great 28 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:27.840 grandfather came over from Switzerland, you know, not a rip 29 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:31.719 rowing wine country, but big I mean, you know, they 30 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:34.319 made a living from it, yea. And they came over 31 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:40.599 and during the pandemic and they they in almost an 32 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:44.120 entire village moved over and they were looking for a 33 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:48.239 winemaker to come over. So they they enticed my great 34 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:53.079 great grandfather and his son, Christian, both named Christian Rugsuger, 35 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:57.159 to come to the Missouri River valley and they established 36 00:01:57.159 --> 00:02:00.680 a winery there called the Alpine Winery. And it was 37 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:03.560 when they started the bond. They were given the sixty 38 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:06.920 second bond, but they were they are far be four 39 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:11.159 bottons were given. They operated all the way until nineteen 40 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:18.120 sixty two prohibition. Yes, so from eighteen eighty three. They 41 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:21.919 planted the vineyards in eighteen seventy five, opened the winery 42 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:26.120 in eighteen eighty three, and then ran continuously as a 43 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:31.000 and then during prohibition it was a speakeasy, yes, which which. 44 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:33.520 He was arrested for. I had proof that we ran 45 00:02:33.719 --> 00:02:34.520 a speakeasy. 46 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:38.240 Yes, So here we are, you know, five generations later 47 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:41.879 and you're making wine here in the Livermore Valley. Tell 48 00:02:41.879 --> 00:02:44.039 me a little bit about Darcy Kent. How many acres 49 00:02:44.039 --> 00:02:46.520 do you have and what are you producing right now? 50 00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:48.159 We have eighty acres on vine. 51 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:52.319 We are producing everything from gruner velt, Leiner, sauvignon, blanc 52 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:58.960 albert Raino. So many great, right, three different clones of 53 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:05.439 pino noir, chardonnay, the uh, two different kindes of cabernet, sauvignon, 54 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:13.240 Cabernet franc, petit verdeaux mayor low wow, uh, primativo. 55 00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:18.680 Petit Sarah. That's all I can think of a thing. 56 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.199 And are all the eighty acres sort of continuous right 57 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:22.120 here around the property? 58 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:27.520 They there's fifteen acres here on vine. Then straight across 59 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:30.960 the right, immediately across the road are the rest. 60 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:34.520 Okay, so you're growing peanut no water petits around cabernet 61 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:36.479 in the same place we are. 62 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:40.319 The wine region is amazing. We have incredible diurnal swings, 63 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:45.719 which means the temperatures swing forty degrees every day, which 64 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:49.039 is unusual most you know regions. You look on the 65 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:51.680 news in the morning when the temperatures dial across the 66 00:03:51.719 --> 00:03:55.159 screen and it's usually a twenty degree swing if that, Yeah, 67 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:58.960 and we get forty, so it's the end. 68 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:00.719 Then there's the prepare vitual winds. 69 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:05.319 I know that, you know, as the as the you know, 70 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:08.280 climate change is happening in the central Valley is getting warmer. 71 00:04:08.599 --> 00:04:11.919 We're getting the fog brought in and the wind that 72 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:16.600 that creates deeper, longer, harder, and so our temperatures were 73 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:20.360 actually cooling. We've gone from a cool region four and 74 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:22.000 now we're a cool region three. 75 00:04:22.279 --> 00:04:24.879 Wow. Yeah, So you have eighty acres. 76 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:27.240 How many do you buy any fruit? Or do you 77 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:28.279 do only a state fruit? 78 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:30.360 We lease fruit. 79 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:37.959 We do occasionally buy and but the ninety nine percent 80 00:04:38.040 --> 00:04:41.160 of it is least in long term lease. 81 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:41.800 Or our own. 82 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:43.519 And how many cases do you make? 83 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:44.360 Oh? 84 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:50.519 God, as we're ramping up, it's over thirty thousand cases 85 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:52.959 now so closer to thirty five thousand cases. 86 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:56.199 So you're in full distribution. I'm assuming you're not just 87 00:04:56.279 --> 00:04:59.040 direct to consumer. But are your wines available across the 88 00:04:59.079 --> 00:05:01.399 country and are they available internationally? 89 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:02.800 That's a whole another story. 90 00:05:03.079 --> 00:05:06.639 We used to be and then you know, COVID really 91 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:12.120 killed everybody. The being a mid size winery, small mid 92 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:15.319 sized winery as we are, even though we're you know, 93 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:17.800 really big for this valley. 94 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:21.439 Is it's a difficult position with the distributors. 95 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:26.240 They really are playing with the big players, and because 96 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:28.839 the margins are just better, you know. 97 00:05:29.079 --> 00:05:32.319 Yeah, So so right now you're you're really relying on 98 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:35.800 the DTC that people coming in here is fabulous. 99 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:40.879 We are also distributed in southern California through you know, 100 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:45.920 Pavilions and Vonds up here through Safeway Costco as well 101 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.839 as Albertson's and yeah, so we're slowly growing in those 102 00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:52.800 markets and chains. 103 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:56.040 I feel it's a really important market to hit. 104 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:59.560 Not everybody wants to deal with getting on a phone 105 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:03.000 or the web site and ordering wines DTC direct to consumer. 106 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.079 Sometimes you just want to walk into store and buy it. Yeah, yeah, 107 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:08.759 so do I. And if you're ever in a store 108 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.079 and you see the Darcy Kent label, you know, there's 109 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.120 a real human named Darcy Kent. It's not made up. 110 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:15.199 I'm right here. 111 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:20.360 So, Darcy, you said that you are multi generation kind 112 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:23.360 of connected to wine. But what's your first memory relevant 113 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:25.519 to wine? As you. 114 00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:31.000 Wow, it probably goes back to the beginning because we're 115 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:33.399 brought up with wine in our family, and we brought 116 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:35.680 our daughters up that same way too. They at the 117 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:38.920 dinner table, they were allowed to sniffe it, describe it, 118 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.600 talk about it. As they got a little bit older, 119 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:43.560 they could have little SIPs. As they got a little 120 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:46.639 bit older, they could have a little glass. But we 121 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:50.199 just really wanted them to grow up, just like I 122 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:52.360 was brought up by my parents and my mother was 123 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:56.319 brought up to really appreciate it as a beverage that 124 00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:00.959 not only is lovely on its own, but just kind 125 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.519 of creates a you know, a celebration. 126 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:05.639 So in a way, instead of having a first memory 127 00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:07.240 of it, it's just always been part of your. 128 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:09.600 Life, always wine and art. 129 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:11.920 So with all the time, with all the wines you've 130 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:13.879 been drinking for as many years, and I'm sure you 131 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:15.720 know when you were a child, this isn't going to 132 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:17.759 be a But is there one that stands out as 133 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:20.879 an AHA moment for you? Was there a point you 134 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:23.480 tasted a wine and you just said wow? For maybe 135 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:26.120 you said now I want to make wine, or now 136 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:28.560 I want to pursue this, or I didn't know wine 137 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:29.240 could be like this. 138 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:35.879 Wow. We were making. 139 00:07:37.399 --> 00:07:41.720 Ar mayor Low and all of a sudden, you know, 140 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:48.040 we started investing in things like shaker tables, and we 141 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:51.959 were investing in hand sorting and or hand picking and 142 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.959 then sorting by hand. And when that wine and we 143 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:58.160 had been playing with barrels for a long time but 144 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:03.399 really had settled on some favorite Cooper ridges. And when 145 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:07.959 we opened this wine, Julian and I, you know, I 146 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:11.279 just got weak in the knees. I had to sit 147 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:13.920 down and I cried. You know, it was like, wow, 148 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:14.600 that's kind. 149 00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:15.199 Of an AHA moment. 150 00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:18.519 Yeah, you know, you're just like, okay, you know, we 151 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:19.120 can do. 152 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:21.680 This, so that one little more low and then here 153 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:22.600 we are today. 154 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:25.759 It was it was it was our one little baby, 155 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:27.519 you know. I love that. Love that. 156 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:30.560 So now if we come to your home, what would 157 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:32.639 we find in there? I mean, is there a lot 158 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:34.480 of more low? Is it a lot of your wines 159 00:08:34.600 --> 00:08:37.120 or wines from around the world, particular great varieties. What 160 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:38.480 do you collect? What do you drink? 161 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:39.919 Big on pinot? 162 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:43.960 We really love pino noir, So that seems to be 163 00:08:44.039 --> 00:08:47.960 what our cellar has had been filled with. You know, 164 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:51.679 as we're getting I don't want to say as we're 165 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:56.159 getting older, but as we're you know, I find our 166 00:08:56.200 --> 00:09:01.039 cellars is going more to aromatic whites, huh, and also 167 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:04.320 to cab fronc some you know, things that are lesser 168 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:09.039 known and are just you know, full of aromatics and 169 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:12.840 are just you know, just have a story to tell. 170 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:14.440 Every time you take a sip, you know. 171 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:17.919 Is there anything you opened up recently that drank really well? 172 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:23.519 Oh, I should have a quick answer. I know I'm 173 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:30.519 sitting here going everything is really incredible. We you know 174 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:37.440 that I'm actually right now so enchanted with our twenty 175 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:42.840 three Sauvignon Bloc. Every time I open that bottle, every 176 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:47.559 time that those aromatics fill the room. You know, I 177 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.759 just to me, it's it's like, you know, like summertime. 178 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:57.720 It just brightens my day just to smell it, not 179 00:09:57.799 --> 00:10:00.879 even to taste it. But it's it's incredib do complex, 180 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:05.320 but also it just fills your heart with sunshine. 181 00:10:06.200 --> 00:10:09.559 Well, speaking of Sauvigno blanca and other great varieties, do 182 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:11.960 you think there's a such thing as a perfect variety? 183 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:16.279 No, much like I don't think there's a perfect genre 184 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:20.639 of music. You know, people ask me that at every 185 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:24.399 club event, what's your favorite wine? And it's like that's 186 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:27.960 asking me to choose what's my favorite music? You know, 187 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:31.080 it depends what season are we in, what time of 188 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:31.600 day is it? 189 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:33.840 What have I just done? How tired am I? How 190 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:36.840 awake am I? You know? What am I eating? Am 191 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:37.600 I not eating? 192 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:41.120 You know, there's a million selections of music as well 193 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:43.639 as you know, as wine, and thank. 194 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:44.080 God for that. 195 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:49.039 Yeah. Well, and you know you're making you make a 196 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:51.080 variety of wines. You talked about all the grapes that 197 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:53.799 you're growing, so you're clearly working with a lot of 198 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:57.480 different grape varieties. And I'm wondering for somebody who's never 199 00:10:57.559 --> 00:10:59.960 tasted your wine before, they've never had a Darcy Can't wine, 200 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:01.080 what do you think they're missing out on? 201 00:11:04.200 --> 00:11:10.000 Tasting the fruit? It's authenticity the vineyard. What happened in 202 00:11:10.039 --> 00:11:13.240 the vineyard that year. You know, how much did the sunshine, 203 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:17.480 how much did a rain? What were the flowers or 204 00:11:17.879 --> 00:11:20.879 grasses growing? You know, because those are all the things 205 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:24.279 that you're picking up on and you're tasting. We let 206 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:28.200 the wine be made in the vineyard, Julian and the team. 207 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:30.919 We have a very light hand, and we want the 208 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:35.240 wines to be lower in alcohol, brighter in acidity, and 209 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:40.600 balance well with foods, but also, you know, just a 210 00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:42.600 we want you to taste what's in the vineyard. 211 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:46.159 So if space aliens were to land on your property 212 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:48.279 right now and walk up and knock on the door, 213 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:50.639 which of your wines would you welcome them with to say, 214 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:52.240 you know, this is Darcy Kent Winery. 215 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:57.000 I would do our sauvign miscue, the Sauvignon Blanc. It's 216 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:02.360 the misca clone, so very aromatic, very aromatic, because it's 217 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:07.120 it's just something that doesn't hide. And even a novice 218 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:10.080 is going to, you know, immediately their eyes will pop 219 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:12.440 open and and they're going to see that, oh, this 220 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:16.320 this smells good. I do want to try this. But sometimes, 221 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:18.399 you know, a wine, you know, you have to coax 222 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:21.519 it a little bit, or it has more nuances. This 223 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:24.120 Sauvignyan blanc just leaps out of the glass. 224 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:26.919 Is it liked by most people that taste it? 225 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:32.879 Oh? Yeah, It's won the Sauvignon Blanc Summit this year. 226 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:35.120 This one congratulations. 227 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:38.279 You you know it's it's gotten a ninety plus plus 228 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:43.360 score in the Wine Enthusiast Double Gold at the San 229 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:44.480 Francisco Chronicle. 230 00:12:45.080 --> 00:12:46.759 And yeah, I think. 231 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:51.879 It's everybody seems to go crazy over it. It's this 232 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:58.519 the Sauvignon mousque clone is just it's exquisite and I can't. 233 00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:00.919 Wait for more people to discover it. 234 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:03.399 So here's a wine that the first thing you said 235 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:05.960 when we started, it's a wine that you love. It's 236 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.279 a wine that's drinking so well that you love it. 237 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:10.919 But you also just named all these awards that it's 238 00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:13.840 won and scores has gotten and I'm wondering what your 239 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:18.639 opinion is online critics and scores like that segue. 240 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:23.120 You know, it's it's fun when you're winning them all, of. 241 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:25.440 Course, and so you know, this is a great year 242 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.879 to ask me because it's like we're winning everything. So 243 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:31.919 I love it In years when you're not winning, you know, 244 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:35.000 you're just kind of you're like, ah, you know. And 245 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:37.320 same as with the art. Not everybody's going to love 246 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:43.159 everything that you do, but there's enough. Yeah, I think 247 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.120 you've got to make wine that you're proud of that 248 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.960 is without fault. You don't put out a wine that 249 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:56.759 has faults, and we never do. And so there's a 250 00:13:56.840 --> 00:14:03.639 real standard of hygiene, cleanliness and standard, you know, so 251 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:06.559 we'll never have a wine go out of here that 252 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:11.639 doesn't live up to that live up to those standards. 253 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.240 So we're very proud of everything that goes out. And 254 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:17.080 not everyone loves everything. I mean, we have, you know, 255 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:19.480 the thousand club members that will be coming here two 256 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:21.200 weeks to talk to us. I have so many who 257 00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:22.960 come up to me and say, I don't drink rutter, 258 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:24.840 I don't drink wine, or I don't drink this, or 259 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:25.639 I don't like. 260 00:14:25.639 --> 00:14:28.399 That, and it's like, great, we have something else. You 261 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:29.919 know what it's going to show you. 262 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:31.799 And so when it comes to kind of wine critics, 263 00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:34.879 you know, of course, when you're getting great scores, you know, 264 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:37.279 you take them and you sit up a little straighter, 265 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:39.919 but you're not changing. You don't change things to adapt 266 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:43.039 to scores. That doesn't drive your wine. 267 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:48.000 No, it helps with the distributors and with the stores, 268 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:51.840 so it is very important for that. 269 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:54.559 But then when people come here, they just taste and 270 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:55.120 they enjoy. 271 00:14:55.480 --> 00:14:58.919 Yeah, you know, the customers actually, you know, I mean yeah, 272 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:01.080 when you're trying to choose what flight you're going to 273 00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:02.720 taste or what winds you want to taste, if there's 274 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:06.159 a score next to it that you respect, then it 275 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:07.000 becomes easy. 276 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:11.120 Well, what about what you drink red whiter rose, I 277 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:16.600 drink them all still are sparkling both. I really love 278 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:19.279 bubbles and I'm getting into bubbles more and more. And 279 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:22.559 we are also getting into bubbles more and more. We 280 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:26.200 have a cook card press now and we're we'll be 281 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:29.960 introducing our Blanc de Noir this fall, made with the 282 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:34.159 Pino Noir, Pino Noir, the three Clones de Jon, the 283 00:15:34.279 --> 00:15:37.840 Swiss Clone and oh my gosh, I'm. 284 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:42.679 Having a senior moment. Pomar Okay, okay, well that is 285 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:44.840 the yeah, Pamar de Jon and. 286 00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:48.919 The Swiss Clone. So it's it's beautiful and I'm very 287 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:51.120 excited about it. But this year we're also going to 288 00:15:51.159 --> 00:15:55.399 do a Soovin and blanc an al Barino, a Rose 289 00:15:55.559 --> 00:15:56.679 of Malbeck. 290 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:59.279 All sparkling, and you have the greener Velt Leader that 291 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:00.360 I'm sipping on now. 292 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:05.039 Yes, I just think that bubbles, Oh my gosh, you know, 293 00:16:05.159 --> 00:16:07.519 there's so much fun and they just get the party 294 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:11.320 started right, and you know it's it's why aren't we 295 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:16.360 drinking more of these beautiful varietals in this way with bubbles? 296 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:16.679 You know? 297 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:20.200 So we're still we make all the base wines and 298 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:24.559 we have a partner winery who fit does the dressage. 299 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:31.080 But then but we're we're hopefully within the next year 300 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:33.559 or two, we will be able to do all of 301 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:37.480 that on side. So with all the sparkling wines and 302 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.519 all the different wines you make in the different styles, 303 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:43.080 and you talk about them as being speaking about the grape, 304 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:46.000 letting the grape shine through, and not being you know, 305 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:51.960 overly big or anything, how do you then approach pairing 306 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:54.600 these wines with food? Do you look at rules to 307 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:58.039 follow or do you just pair sparkling wine with everything? Well, 308 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:01.960 spark Sparkling's easy to pay was just about everything you know, 309 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:05.319 it really is, but there are nuances to it, and 310 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:07.880 you just there's so many foods that can just wipe 311 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:12.400 it out and make it go quiet. So I just 312 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:15.599 came from a tasting that we do with our with 313 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:19.720 our restaurant partner before the club event, and we tasted 314 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:24.079 three different pairings for each wine, and you know, some 315 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:28.599 of them like this time we did from Chef Hiszeus 316 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:34.200 of Zephyr's his vicous Suah with the with our unoaked 317 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:35.960 chardonna was. 318 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:38.880 Made the wine sing. 319 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:41.200 What do you think it was? Was it that they 320 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:45.200 matched that they contrasted. Was it the wine elevating one 321 00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:46.559 or the food the other, or. 322 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:51.000 Was it elevated the wine and made the fruit notes 323 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:55.519 of the wine just just come out and jump for joy, 324 00:17:55.559 --> 00:17:58.839 you know. And and an unlikely pairing he did, like 325 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:06.680 a roasted be salad that made the rose of malbec 326 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:09.359 just go leaping. 327 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:10.720 Out with strawberries, you know. 328 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:11.240 Wow. 329 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:14.640 So the idea is obviously to make the wine and 330 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:17.839 the food both jump. Do you look for certain things 331 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:19.359 if you were to pick a pairing or do you 332 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:20.400 trust the chef to do it? 333 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:21.000 No? 334 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:23.680 No, we and that's why we you know, he prepared 335 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:28.039 almost twenty different dishes for us to taste through and 336 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:31.759 select in and we're you know, like he thought, for sure, 337 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:36.000 these federals with this onion jam would be incredible with 338 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:39.960 the pino noir, and I you know, it's like it 339 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:43.319 just the wine went flat to me, and you know, 340 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:45.960 it was like it's not working for me. 341 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:47.559 Did you find another pairing for those? 342 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:48.960 We did? 343 00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:57.640 It's a toastata with short ribs and a molet sauce 344 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:03.359 like a cheat because I have them, but heavy, heavy, 345 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:06.960 heavy on the blackberries. I mean it was just loaded 346 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:11.599 as a BlackBerry malay Wo and it really did pair 347 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:12.640 beautifully with it. 348 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:16.160 Wow, making me hungry. And I can keep talking about food, 349 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:17.839 but I mean it all comes from the vineyard. It 350 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:20.920 all starts in the vineyard. And we are looking out 351 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:23.079 at your vineyards. We walked past your vineyards as we 352 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:28.200 came in here. And you know how much time do 353 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:29.759 you spend walking through your vineyards? 354 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:32.160 Oh, every day, every day, every day. 355 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:36.680 You have two German shepherds, and we walk through them 356 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:39.079 every day every day of the year. 357 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:45.480 You know that we're here so so awake occasionally, but you. 358 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:48.200 Know there and then in the fall, like last fall, 359 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:50.680 you know, we were all we were the ones out 360 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:51.759 there dropping all the fruit. 361 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:54.319 David and I my husband and I and are two 362 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:55.200 German shepherds. 363 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:59.920 They don't do much work, but. 364 00:19:58.440 --> 00:19:59.039 They're more also. 365 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:02.200 You know, it's but it's glorious to be in the 366 00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:06.200 vineyards that much and really get to know them. You know, 367 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:09.880 you understand your different locations in the vineyard, where your 368 00:20:09.880 --> 00:20:12.279 trouble spots, where your really glorious spots. 369 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:17.200 Yeah, I know, as a as a dog lover, I'm 370 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:19.640 sure you talk to your dogs all the time, because 371 00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:22.000 I know that as a dog lover, I talk to 372 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:23.799 to the dogs in my life, and we talk to 373 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:26.079 our dogs, and we feel that they respond to us. 374 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:28.160 I'm curious, do you talk to your vines and feel 375 00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:29.039 that they respond to you. 376 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:36.119 I think the vines respond to care and I feel, 377 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:41.240 you know, you know, on our d N DNA, we're 378 00:20:41.319 --> 00:20:45.000 not that far removed from vines there. 379 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:47.640 You'd be surprised how close we are. 380 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:54.759 And it's there's got to be more than we to share, than. 381 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:00.519 Than than we know or observe, you know. 382 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:06.799 I think we we benefit from a healthy plant, and 383 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:11.359 they benefit and get energy from a healthy person, you know. 384 00:21:11.640 --> 00:21:13.839 So there is a level of communication that goes on 385 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:16.839 between it. As you walk through the vines and you've 386 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:20.240 been here, you said, eleven years you've had these vines. 387 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:24.440 Oh no, we planted We produced our first wine in 388 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:28.519 nineteen ninety six from these vines here, from this. 389 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:30.920 Vineyard across the street. Oh yeah, the Mari Low. 390 00:21:30.920 --> 00:21:33.279 So ninety six. So we're talking about. 391 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:34.160 Planted in ninety two. 392 00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:39.279 So we're talking about over thirty years. In that time, 393 00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:42.680 As you've seen the vineyard mature, and as you spend 394 00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:45.839 vintage after vintage, do you see more variation from year 395 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:48.000 to year. Do you see a nice common thread that 396 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:51.240 goes throughout? What have you noticed, because we know every 397 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.599 vintage tells a different story, and you talked about how 398 00:21:53.640 --> 00:21:56.519 you want your wines to express that. But how much 399 00:21:56.599 --> 00:21:57.559 variation do you see? 400 00:21:57.880 --> 00:22:01.920 There's a lot, you know, because our vns go from 401 00:22:01.960 --> 00:22:06.039