Wine Tasting, Vineyards, in France

Farella-Park (Napa)

Tom Farella, in front of the winery

The wine tourists who spend a day or two hopping from winery tasting room to winery tasting room along the Napa strip may come back home with souvenirs of big parking lots, stretch limos and glitzy tasting rooms. But one of the things which surprised me in this California wine region is that in spite of the full-blown commercialism of the area along highway 29, the region retains an almost intact authenticity as soon as you take a side road, like Silverado Trail for example.

The Farella-Park vineyards

Farella-Park is one of these quiet family wineries you can find on the back roads (you better have a good map, though). It is still very close to the town of Napa (east of Napa), right near the wooded, provencal-looking foothills of the Vaca mountains. This visit was planned by fellow blogger Alder Yarrow, of Vinography, who spent time with us in spite of his busy schedule that weekend (this was the Napa Valley Wine Auction weekend). We were staying a few days in the region at the Bothe Napa Valley State Park north of St Helena (great campground !) and Alder went there in the morning with his wife Ruth to meet us. Meeting in the real world someone with whom you only communicated online before, is great ! He is the same person I knew from his weblog and emails : Non-pretentious, easy going and eager to learn...

Tom Farella and Alder Yarrow in the cask cellar

B. and me step into Jack's car (Jack from forkandbottle), who spent time with us too, and whom we met the day before (a first meeting too, after having known each other online for a year or so). We follow Alder's car on the beautiful and quiet back country to Farella's vineyards. The winery looks provencal, with its tiny windows, thick walls and roughcast exterior.
The estate was started by tom's father, Frank Farella in 1985 and Tom joined for good in 1991. He had his training at UC Davis, worked at Preston Vineyards from 1983 to 1989 and also spent time (1989) in France, in Burgundy. When he worked at Domaine Jacques Prieur there, he had a very different perspective from the UC Davis teachings, this was more like rusticity and tradition. UC Davis is very scientific, which is very good for chemistry and oenology (by the way, Fresno State U. is better for vineyard management) and he felt he had to find his place between these two worlds.

Renaissance (Oregon House, California)

Gideon Beinstock, winemaker at Renaissance Oregon House, California.
I first heard about Renaissance winery a few weeks before visiting the region when I went across an article lauding several of these wines made out of the main California wine regions, from vineyards growing on the California foothills between Nevada City and Yuba City, north of Interstate 80. The region is hilly, with small narrow roads winding across beautiful woods and sparsely inhabited communities. The Renaissance vineyards (click on Terroir) make a contrasting patch in this otherwise mostly forested landscape, with the closest meeting point being the Oregon house Grocery and Deli. The winery is located in a scenic setting of wooded hills, this is eastern California as you dream it, untouched by the crowds and suburban sprawl. It sits in its own AVA (American Viticulture Area), the North Yuba AVA, created just for this pioneer winery. From what I read, their wines seem to have been somehow shunned by many critics for non wine-related reasons, one of which being the history of the estate, which was started as a new age spiritual group (the Fellowship of Friends) in the early 70's, attracting many followers from here and abroad. Wine critics are not exempt from out-of-place bias and I am often amused at the loss of temper some of them show for example when writing about french wines (but bullying must be so fun)...
So, having called in advance, I could make an appointment for a visit of the winery. When we stopped at the gate booth, bordered with palm trees, the US and California flags, and a golden statue [picture on left], the person I had spoken to on the phone happened not to be in the winery that day, but a friendly lady told me on the phone someone would come to guide us. Soon came the winemaker himself, Gideon Beinstock, a pleasant and friendly man in his 40's. He tells us about the beginnings of the winery, set inside the 1400 acres of the compound which is the property of the Fellowship of Friends. The vineyard was planted between 1976 and 1981 with vines on their own roots (no rootstock) which is not common in California. The isolation of the vineyard allowed this unusual move. The elevation (1700-2300 feet) coupled with the continental climate brings high temperature differences between night and day, and optimal fall weather. Initial surface of the vineyards was 365 acres. Gideon Beinstock arrived here in 1979 and took part in the massive planting which involved a lot of work and terracing (They even had to drill through the volcanic sub-layer to plant the vines).Gideon Beinstock showing the vineyards Gideon Beinstock is the winemaker since 1994. He is the one who pushed for downsizing the surface of the vineyard and keep the most adapted plots and compatible vineyards/terroirs. From the initial 365 acres, the surface went down to about 65 acres in production now after they understood which plots were doing the best, and with which variety. They started shrinking the surface 5-6 years ago. His philosophy is very close to natural wine's, opting for minimal intervention, respecting long elevages and refusing any cosmetic making-up of the wine through chemical additives. His training included work with vignerons in France in the 80's and one of his closest friend is Eloi Durbach of Trevallon in Provence. His mentor was Bernard Faurie of Tournon in the Rhone, with his St Joseph and Hermitage wines.

Fielding Estate (Niagara)

The brand-new facility at Fielding Estate Winery

Beamsville, Ontario (Niagara), late may.
Ken had the good idea (and the insightfulness) to put Fielding on our visit list. Fielding is a small size estate with, after barely a year of existence, already quite bright reviews and a place among the best of the Niagara region.
The winery was created by Ken and Marg Fielding. Ken Fielding's main business until then was oddly related to Subway sandwiches franchises (Kenfield Enterprises Ltd, based in Minden, Ontario). This abrupt turnaround from fast food to slow wine, as someone on a wine forum evoqued, was driven by passion for well-done wines.
The first winemaker there was polish-born Andrzej Lipinski
, who after settling in Canada in 1989 and working several manual jobs, landed at Vineland Estates in 1994 and found his way in the wine world. In a decade he earned a reputation for making exceptional Chardonnays and focused on the quality of the grapes and the health of the vineyard for the meticulously cared small cuvée wines of the estate. Ray Cornell is the new winemaker in charge of the vinification now. He was formerly winemaker at Hernder Estates, where he was known for his wide range of cuvées wines, especially whites.
The winery, with its vineyards around it, is backed to the woods of the Niagara escarpment. Beautiful modern architecture with metal, glass and thick wood. Walking to the tasting room, you enter through a thick wood door framed with glass windows and once inside, you enjoy a direct view on the two main things at the origin of the wine : the vineyard below and the vathouse on the side (from a vantage point also).
Curtis Fielding, son of Ken and Marg and general manager, receives us for a tour of the facility [see pic on left with the vathouse, and the tasting room at the other end]. The winery is having its one-year anniversary. The vineyards are located part on the bench, part on flatland. His family bought the place, dug the drain system and planted the vineyards. The soil is a heavy and dark clay loam They have 40 acres on flatland (not all of it planted) and 20 acres on the slope near the winery (that they planted). Curtis worked previously at Vineland Estates where he stayed 3 years. Curtis' future wife Heidi (they get married in 10 days!) worked at Jackson Triggs, a big winery.

Peninsula Ridge (Niagara)

Jean-Pierre Colas in the vathouse

Late may, Beamsville (Niagara).
After our visit at Vineland Estates we had a short lunch at George's Vineland Restaurant (good-value hamburger dish). I surprised the cook/owner there by shooting pictures of my great Hamburger/fries plate which was also the first of the trip. We then headed to Peninsula in the outskirts of Beamsville, Ontario.
Jean Pierre Colas, the winemaker at Peninsula, takes care of us along with a writer and photographer who prepare a story. He walks us to the vat house, a sleek, immaculate high-ceiling room with multiple stainless-steel vats set up with gravity in mind. You can walk on top of them through steel stairs and gangway and reach a vantage point on the vats, with glimpse on a control room on the side with computers.

Explaining the piping system
Jean Pierre Colas is a frenchman. He began to work here in june 2000, at the very start of the winery. His previous job was winemaker at Domaine Laroche in Chablis, Burgundy, where he vinified between 90 and 99, including his famous Chablis Laroche Grand Cru "Les Clos" 1996 which was named the "White of the Year" by the Wine spectator in 1998.
He came here since the very first days and overlooked the installation of Europe-imported machinery. The vats (by Tecinox, France), for example, were tailored to his wishes and needs. 12 vats in two rows, plus 8 different ones in the back. These vats are temp-controlled, multi-story vats: 100 hectoliter capacity on top (for reds) and 50 hectoliter on bottom (for whites), with an air isolation between the two levels. Lots of piping to allow closed-lid work on the juice and have the right, optimum filling for each capacity. The whole conception was designed to allow easy access and command from the ground. All the grapes are destemmed and the reds ferment with the skins.View from the top
The whole story began under the impulse of Norman Beal , a former oil commodity trader who invested heavily to create the winery and its restaurant. Norman Beal found out Colas through intermediaries and made him an offer. Colas had worked in several New World wineries (including in Chile) and accepted the challenge. Everything was made from scratch, the facility of course with its state-of-the-art equipment, and even the vineyard which was nonexistent in 1999 and which was planted in the place of former orchard fields.

Vineland Estates (Niagara)

Brian Schmidt in front of the winery (the 1998-built tower on the right)

Vineland, Ontario.
Like many estates in North America, Vineland Estates has a wide approach toward the public and offers several services to the visitor : Large tasting room, wine boutique for wines and accessories, restaurant (open year round), private events, daily tours, large parking lot.
The winery and most of the vineyards are located on Niagara's most sought-after terroir : The bench part of the Niagara escarpment, which provides cooler temperatures, breeze coming from lake Ontario and good drainage. Vineland's vineyards here have the highest elevation compared with other estates around. Total surface of the estate : 75 acres of which 45 in vineyards, the rest in woods. Average production : 45-55 000 cases.
Brian Schmidt, vice president and winemaker, manages the estate with his brother Allan. Born in Kelowna, B.C., he worked at Sumac Ridge, which his family co-founded. The two brothers moved after Sumac Ridge's sale to the Niagara region in 1987. Brian greets us at the winery (thanks to my friend Ken who made the contact with Brian for this visit !) and tells us how the Niagara region made the leap from more ordinary wines to quality wines 20 years ago : In 1984-1986, the dozen wineries operating then in the region began to plant better grape varieties. Then in 1988 the VQA system was put in place, with the goal to measure quality improvements and raise confidence among consumers and importers. Tasting panels were created to check the wines and since 2001, the VQA is a law : If a producer breaks the requirements of the law, he is subject to penalties. The government also pushes the wineries to join the VQA system as it levies smaller taxes on those who are part of it.

Mechage for the new casks : Burning sulphur is attached to a wood stem and will be lowered a few seconds into each of the new casks behind.

Brian says that at Vineland now, Riesling is the signature grape variety. The Riesling variety (clone Weis 21B), coupled with the soil, terrain conditions, produces a very specific taste and minerality, with grapefruit aromas and a bright acidity. He uses a strain of yeasts ( a Champagne type strain) that give no additional flavor to the wine. Enhancement of wine flavors through selected yeasts is an increasing trend nowadays, and that is something he refuses. His goal is to rely on the sole aromas present in the grapes and thus make a wine that truly renders the variety and the soil. He says he regrets that in North America, there is a general culture going toward unnatural flavors in food and beverages, and that even bottled water now receives flavor additives...
Before visiting the chai and cellar, he shows us the tasting room and boutique, set in a renovated barn (lots of wood and beams). He says the renovations and added buildings of the recent years were made with oenotourism in mind, and to be able to sell not only through the LCBO system but directly to the public: 6 to 15 people (peak in summer) work in the tasting room/boutique to receive the 120-150 000 vistors/year.
First wine is at the tasting bar :
__1 Dry Riesling 2005. To cool down after the heat of the outside. Nice texture. Minerality.
Then we walk down to the chai and vathouse.

Ottawa Garagiste Winemaker

Bernard Martineau in his basement-winery in Ottawa

Ottawa, Canada. Late may.
The high number of individuals starting a mini winery in their garage or basement exemplifies the dynamism and freedom in North America. In Canada and the U.S. many aspiring winemakers have grapes shipped to their home in frozen buckets (sometimes very far from the originating wine region) and learn all the steps of winemaking, elevage and blending. The reasons behind this maybe diverse, from the love of good, true wine to sound economics : you can get a great bottle of wine (your own wine!) for a cost (including the cask/year cost) of 8 dollars or lower, when common prices for quality wines start at 30-40 dollars around here...
Some do it (often rather well) as a mere hobby, some do it so well that it becomes their main professional acitivity.
Bernard Martineau is of them : He originally worked in the computer field for the canadian government, learning and experimenting on his own time with winemaking, following courses (he went to UC Davis, California and Geneva-Cornell, New York), even taking a sabbatical year off to get training abroad. He ended up teaching oenology and working as an external oenologist for several Niagara wineries (Herdern Estate Wines and Stoney Ridge Winery)...
Here we are, in a typical leafy neighbourhood in Ottawa heading to Bernard's basement winery. Ottawa by the way is one of the towns with the highest ratio of amateur winemakers, partly due to the fact that wine lovers want to circumvent the limitations of the retail/import monopoly in Ontario, LCBO. Amateur winemakers in Ontario are organized, and they even have their own website. I can't but dream to see this happening in France...
Bernard excuses himself for the mess in the basement/chai which contrasts with the otherwise orderly house. But I love it ! this is real life! The neon-lit room, where he produced several thousand liters along the years, is stacked with casks, containers of all sorts, bottles, tubes, measurement devices and lab accessories...It looks like a lab (with a mad-scientist-workshop touch) and a chai at the same time. There is even the small vertical press : He says it is very simple but very soft on the grapes and allows a very nuanced work at this decisive stage. It is just arduous to fill and empty, though.
This is a real tasting, now :
__1 Chardonnay 2005 (from Carneros California grapes). Sample taken from a 225-liter Berthomieu cask [picture on left]. The frozen buckets were delivered in december, allowing him to quietly vinify Ontario grapes in the earlier months, then proceed with the California grapes. The wine will stay there another month, 6 months altogether. Fermentation and elevage in cask. No stirring, elevage on its lees.
No malolactic fermentation here. It could start but he does not want it to. He prefers to have the resulting acidity in the wine. He says that the California grapes don't have much malic acid compared with Ontario grapes. This wine will have a longer laying-down potential.
__2 Chardonnay 2005 from Ontario grapes. sample taken from a 100-liter stainless vat. He got the grapes in the 1st week of october and used the Berthomieu cask for the fermentation (he needed the cask for the California grapes only in december). Rich in the mouth, hides the acidity which he says is higher in this wine. This was a very warm weather millesime coupled with frost problems earlier in the season. The harvest time came early, october 18th, which is some 2 weeks early.
As Bernard looks for the next wine to taste, I look at the empty 5-gallon buckets used for the transportation of the grapes. Bernard remembers there were 12 to 20 such buckets in the delivery. And like for a big-size vat filled with fermenting grapes, there is a real danger of suffocation with CO2 and a label on the side warns the amateur winemaker (in both english and spanish, this is California) not to let his kids play around [picture on the left]. It only takes a second for a toddler to smell the must and faint on it.