Interview with Tom Eddy from Tom Eddy Winery.
February 4, 2013
How long have you been making wine?
Well, this is my 40th year, coming up, of winemaking. I started with big wineries and my ultimate goal was to have my own place.
So I’m guessing, with 40 years, you’ve always been involved in winemaking…
Yeah, I discovered wine when I was still in High School….
…as did most of us!
<laughs> Yeah! True. So I fell in love with wine from an early age, and my parents moved to Davis, California, and so everything fell into place from there! From the day that I stepped out of class, graduating with a degree in Fermentation Science from UCD, then BOOM that was it, I went forward into winemaking. I’m so old that people don’t even remember the wineries I used to work for.
When was Tom Eddy winery founded?
I left the corporate winemaking world in 1991, and started the Tom Eddy brand. And from the beginning, in 1991, my goal was just to make hillside, mountain-grown, Cabernet wine. We started with 200 cases in 1991.
And why are hillside grapes so special? Could you explain a little more about that. Is it just a cool marketing term?
No, no at all. When I moved to Napa Valley to work for a couple of large wineries, I discovered all these incredible mountain vineyards, and I kept finding out that these wines were, out of the barrel, so much better. There was so much more flavor, the structure was great, ageability, texture, and tannin all were perfect. So it turns out that grapes grown in the mountain, where you’ve got a higher elevation with colder nights, a thin, minerally, volcanic soil etc…the grapes have to work much harder! So they’re highly concentrated, with small berries; it’s just worlds apart in terms of character and quality.
So compared to fruit from the valley-floor, how do you find the wines to be different?
Well, fruit from the valley-floor tends to be fatter, juicier, fruitier, and softer, because it doesn’t have the structure of mountain-fruit. It also doesn’t have the tannin; so oftentimes, wines made from valley-floor fruit can be a lot more approachable.
Which isn’t a bad thing, right?
Yes, but I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. I wanted all the best components of grapes grown on the valley-floor, combined with the elegance of mountain-fruit. I want a wine that’s big and powerful and structured, yet elegant. So, one of the things we do that’s different with our wines is that we age them in oak much longer, in new French oak, with 3 years in the barrel and 2 years in the bottle. That gives us an “iron fist in a velvet glove” approach.
…and that leads perfectly into my next point. So would you say that your program of aging wines for an extended period is what differentiates you from most of the other wineries in Napa?
Oh, absolutely! And a lot of the guys, with today’s wine critics, they’re looking to make a huge statement! They release their wines in a very raw and powerful state, and in a blind tasting they get the big “wow-factor.” But these aren’t the wines that you want to lay-down and age. We have a derogatory terms for the those wines….<laughs>…but I won’t divulge that here…
Fair enough! What are some of the biggest changes that you’ve seen in Napa over the last 5-10 years?
The influx of people coming from outside industries, with money, that want to make their mark. They have to have their own label…it’s an ego thing of course…and most of them have no experience or any kind of real passion for winemaking. They buy whatever grapes they can, they hire whatever consultant they can, and they have to make the biggest splash in the press that they can.
We went from 14 wineries in Napa in 1963, to 758 wineries today. What it does is that it drives the price of the wines up, because now everybody’s competing for the best fruit and having to pay more money to get it. Because of that, my growers are pushing me to charge more for the grapes. So what happens is that the small, craft, artisan winemakers are being pushed out. I don’t have to be a millionaire, but I have to survive.
I can imagine that’s especially tough for the small guys…
We’re a small family operation. We live on the ranch. We take out our own garbage on weekends. It’s a different world. The Chinese in particular are buying for image and prestige. They’re not buying because they have a passion for drinking wine. In-fact, some of the greatest wines in the world that end-up on corporate boardroom tables, at special meetings and events, are just thrown-back with a shotglass for a toast. I have the classic example, with something that happened to me:
I spent 12 years developing a vineyard on Pritchard Hill, that was going to be my ultimate reserve vineyard for the rest of my life, for a client that had a lot of money. And the client, was never as passionate about winemaking as me, but I helped him make a nice profit. In return, he let me buy some of the really special blocks of Cabernet and Malbec on this ranch.
So one day, he woke up; and because this guy’s a businessman worth a couple of billion dollars, said “You know….I really never loved ‘the wine thing that much’…let’s sell it.” Well, the only buyer that would meet his price were the Chinese. So they flew in, and within 45 days, the deal was closed, and that was it. They moved in their family to run it, they kicked everybody out. No more grapes. End of the story. No-one has heard from them since. They hired an International winemaking consultant, just so they could use his name…
Posted in Interview | Tagged California, interview, Napa, Napa Valley, Tom Eddy, Tom Eddy Elodian, Tom Eddy Interview, Tom Eddy Wines | 2 Comments //A Sommelier’s Guide to Picking the Right Wine for Your Valentine.
February 2, 2013Jacksonville Magazine recently asked to write an article for their February Valentine’s issue, and so I thought I’d share it with you all, mainly just to prove that I have indeed been keeping myself busy away from this website!
Below is their published version, and below that is the original article I submitted. I really don’t care that they edited it down the published version, but personally I prefer the original. :)
New Relationship
It’s your first date. You need a wine to calm your nerves, help take the “edge” off and to set
the tone from the very beginning. Something bright and refreshing, yet subtle and elegant,
and which doesn’t take it’s self too seriously!
The Saint-Hilaire Sparkling Brut from Blanquette de Limoux is a perfect choice for those
not quite ready to commit to true Champagne, yet not willing to sacrifice for taste. The
sparkling wines from the southern Limoux region of France would be a perfect choice, as
they were said to be one of the first “wine loves” of Thomas Jefferson.
At a third the price of Champagne, the Saint-Hilaire is light, dry and crisp, with lemon and
green apple flavors, balanced with a delicate yeasty/bready quality.
$14.99 from Riverside Liquors.
Getting Serious
You’ve moved on from the early days of the relationship, and much like your love for wine,
things have started to get all-the-more serious.
From the family of Silver Oak, comes Twomey. The Anderson Valley is a little-known
region in Northern California, known for its dedication to producing world class Pinot Noir
and treasured by wine drinkers who’ve taken their confirmed affinity for Pinot Noir to the
next level. The Twomey Anderson Valley Pinot Noir shows strawberries and stewed
raspberries up front, with rose petals, sandalwood and dried herbs on the mid-palate, and
cherry and oak on the textured finish.
$29.99 from Royal Palm Wine and Tapas.
Putting a Ring on it
You’ve laughed together, you’ve cried together and it’s all come down to this moment. A
moment you’ll remember for the rest of your lives. For that reason, wouldn’t it be a terrible
injustice to not put as much thought into your wine selection as you do your choice of
words?
No wine in this world defines romance more than Champagne, and every facet of the
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose expresses your true love… in a glass. Light tangerine, delicate
red berries, fresh cut roses, minerals and spice take shape in the glass, with timeless
personality and elegance.
$84.99 from Riverside Liquors.
Posted in News | Tagged Anderson Valley, Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose, Blanquette de Limoux, Champagne, Saint-Hilaire Sparkling Brut, Silver Oak, Twomey, Valentines Day, Valentines Day wine | Leave a comment //Castello di Amorosa “La Castellana” Napa Valley, California.
February 1, 2013
Grapes
70% Cabernet, 16% Merlot, 14% Sangiovese
Facts
- The Universe is a strange place….
”Oh dear…he’s getting all weird and deep on us!”
Wait a minute!!! Hear me out!!! So I was pouring at a wine tasting at a private residence last week, here in Jacksonville, and I happened to be looking through their wine cellar…because I’m nosy like that. Now let me just tell you that this is one of the most INSANE wine cellars I’ve ever seen; not just because of its size, because as anyone will tell you size isn’t all that matters(!), but more because of the bottles contained within the cellar. I mean, there was stuff in there I’d never even heard-of before, mainly Napa-focused, but from generally wineries you just don’t see around for sale at a retail level.
Long story short, my eyes were drawn to one particular bottle, mainly for the fact it had a wax seal; and with it being laid down on its side at the time, I needed to take it out of the rack to get a better look at the label. The bottle was: Castello di Amorosa “La Castellana.” I remember thinking that I’d really like to give it a try, but I wasn’t about to ask the owners if I could pop it open (even though they would-have in a heartbeat), so I put the bottle back, didn’t think too much more of it, and returned to the tasting.
So the very next morning, I’m sat down at my laptop typing up an email and there’s a knock at my door. It’s the FedEx guy and he has a package for me….a wine shipment (as is usually the case)…and guess who these wine samples are from…that’s right! Castello di Amorosa “La Castellana.”
I’m not a religious guy…but I think the wine God Bacchus SERIOUSLY wanted me to write this wine review!
- Castello di Amorosa first opened in ‘07, and is the side-project (and quite a side-project at that!) of Dario Sattui, who also owns and operates the V. Sattui Winery. The vision was to build a Tuscan-influenced wine estate in California. Reportedly, Home Deport and Lowe’s wasn’t going to cut it for the building materials, so they had all the marble, bricks and tile imported directly from Italy.
- “La Castellana” translates to “the lady/maiden of the castle” in Italian.
- The “La Castellana” follows a Super-Tuscan theme of using mainly Bordeaux grapes (in this case, Cabernet and Merlot) to make up the majority of the blend, with a little Sangiovese added to give an Italian-twang to that American accent.
- The wines from Castello di Amorosa are a tiny nightmare to get your hands-on, as they see little-to-no distribution in retail stores or restaurants, with the best way of getting hold of a bottle-or-three being the Castello di Amorosa website….or visiting the winery of course!
Waterbrook, Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State…and Some Bloopers From I Know Jax…
January 29, 2013Start from the 14min 30 sec mark.
Posted in Reviews | Tagged Cabernet, I Know Jax, Washington State, Waterbrook, Waterbrook wine, Waterbrook Winery | Leave a comment //Tasting Room Calls it Quits.
January 27, 2013
So…no-more little wine bottle samples!?!? That sucks. I loved getting those in the mail!
Online flash wine retailer the Tasting Room has called it quits and shutdown all operations.
The basic premise behind Tasting Room was to offer 100ml mini wine bottle samples (in prepackaged flight gift packs) of popular wines for consumers to “try before they buy.” TastingRoom.com have supposedly “initiated a partnership” with Lot18, a invite-only online wine store, who also seem to be struggling themselves…
The TastingRoom.com press release reads:
It has been a pleasure serving you and sharing with fellow wine lovers our samplers and wines from producers around the world.
Unfortunately, we wanted to let you know that the TastingRoom website is no longer available. The great news is that we have arranged a partnership with Lot18, the premier provider of artisanal and boutique wines on the web. To get you started, we will be providing you with a voucher that can be redeemed on the Lot18 website upon account setup.
Watch your inbox for an email announcement from Lot18 that will include:
The voucher that will provide Lot18 credits
Instructions on how to redeem your voucher for any wine offered on Lot18.com.
To ensure your voucher reaches your inbox, please add today@lot18.com to your address book. Your voucher should arrive on January 24th. We have done our best to make this process as seamless as possible, since your satisfaction is and always has been our top concern. While this closes a chapter for us, we look forward to communicating with you in the near future about plans for a new TastingRoom.com.
Thank you.
TastingRoom
Click here for the full article from WineIndustryInsight.
My Thoughts…
Wasn’t Gary Vaynerchuk an investor in this thing? I think he was…
I had mixed feelings about this business from the start. The main purpose that I see with mini wine bottles is that you can sneak them into a movie theater easier…but maybe that’s just me. It personally takes me a hell-of-a-lot more than 100ml of a wine to discern whether I enjoy it or not.
I did actually like the basic concept behind Tasting Room, but it just didn’t seem scalable. I have no-doubt that their biggest challenge was convincing wineries of the idea…and then in turn convincing wine drinkers of the same thing. Too much convincing to be done.
With that said, the business model of “miniature wine bottle flights” will be repeated by some online business in the not-too-distant future, mark my words! The concept is just too “cute” for it to be given-up upon.
I would love to add more insightful reasons as to why TastingRoom.com shut their doors…but I never really followed their progress that much. They approached me about affiliate advertising twice (from two different accounts) back in June and July, which lead me to believe something was “up” back then.
Oh well, on to the next one…
Posted in News | Tagged Gary Vaynerchuk, Lot18, Minature wine bottles, TastingRoom, TastingRoom.com | 1 Comment //Wine Drinkers Know Bugger-All About Sonoma.
January 27, 2013
Not my most eloquent of headlines…but I think it gets the job done.
The Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance recently announced they are starting a new campaign to educate wine drinkers on the difference between Sonoma Coast and Sonoma County.
A survey of 1,000 US consumers has shown that, when choosing a wine to purchase, very few wine drinkers differentiate between Sonoma County and Sonoma Valley.
“We know that Sonoma Valley has very distinct appellations, but there is confusion with the title. Is it a coast? Is it a valley? Is it a town? A county? Or all?” stated Maureen Cottingham, executive director of the SVVGA.
‘While a substantial number of consumers (42%) can comprehend that a “Sonoma-named” AVA can reside within Sonoma County, over one-quarter are confused by combinations like ‘Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County” and 22% believe that this indicates a blend of Sonoma Mountain and Sonoma County fruit.’
Click here for the full article from Decanter.com
My Thoughts…
I sincerely hope that the SVVGA didn’t pay to have this research done. Ask the Somm in any restaurant and they’ll tell you that wine drinkers are CLUELESS about the various appellations of, not just Sonoma, but in-fact most of California.
“A recent survey of 1,000 US consumers shows that, when purchasing wine, few differentiate between Sonoma County and Sonoma Valley.”
Errrrmmmm…..seriously?
I don’t differentiate between Sonoma County and Sonoma Valley, so I’m bloody sure a survey of 1,000 “people on the street” will come to the same conclusion! For that matter, I know for a fact that a survey of 1,000 people couldn’t explain the real differences between Sonoma and Napa, let alone two regions starting with the same name!
I’m going to throw this out there: Wine drinkers don’t care. They really don’t. The only way you can potentially get people to care is to give them a reason to, i.e. illustrate the difference in TASTE between Sonoma County and Sonoma Valley. The taste (as with all things wine-related) should be first-and-foremost, then after that is clear, we can start to get into history and heritage etc etc etc….
Posted in News | Tagged Sonoma, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance | Leave a comment //← Older posts Newer posts →
