Robert Sinskey Vineyards

What, Me Worry...

“It has no impact on my daily life” declared the gentleman sitting to my left during the dinner I recently hosted at a country club in the middle of the country. I was talking about wine and the environment when the discussion heated up. He went on, “I am an attorney and I travel from my home to my office to the club. Climate change has no impact on me.” I had to gracefully agree to disagree. He may not be attuned to climate change now, but he will eventually feel its impact, even if that impact is just financial.

I have been accused of being politically militant in my writings of late - and I have lost some customers because of it. They feel I’m choosing sides. For the record, I do not much care for political allegiances. I have been vocal about climate change, the environment and the responsibilities of business no matter if the Democrats or Republicans were in power. However, in the past, my writings were more about educating, because I felt that an informed consumer is a responsible consumer. I also felt that our leaders of the past, though they could have done more, took small steps in the right direction. Now, with the lack of leadership on climate change, I feel I need to be more direct.

RSV implemented an organic farming model almost three decades ago to not only do the right thing, but to grow a sturdier vine that could better withstand the predicted weather spikes as the affects of climate change progressed. However, after witnessing the extremes of the past few years - record rain, record heat and devastating fires - I now have a sense of urgency, especially when those in the position to do something seem to be tone deaf to the environment.

Unlike the aforementioned attorney, we see, feel and live with the affects of climate change. In our bubble, it is the weather of a particular vintage that defines our fortunes and the character - the subtlety, texture and flavor - of the wines we produce. We have even replanted a Pinot Noir vineyard with Zinfandel and Primitivo because we feel it has become too warm on that particular site to consistently make elegant Pinot Noir.

We have also been more interested in blends and cuvées as they allow us to layer the textures and flavors while employing a natural method for compensating for the less-than-ideal weather patterns. We do this with the different varieties in Abraxas, POV and Marcien and with different vineyards, clones, selections and blocks in the Four Vineyards Pinot Noir.

You can say, in the grand scheme of things, these adjustments are a minor inconvenience. But if you realize climate change has exceeded scientific predictions in just the past three decades, what will the future bring if we continue to take the attitude that “it has no impact on me!”?

Mother Earth

I’ve long had a love affair with foods from the wild. During childhood forays into the forest, a tattered copy of Euell Gibbons Stalking the Wild Asparagus was always close at hand to identify berries I picked and roots I pulled from the dirt. Wild foods speak truly of the season for if they are not in season they do not exist. Mushrooms are one of nature’s seasonal gifts and foraging for them is one of my favorite extra-curricular activities. There is nothing more contemplative and relaxing than to be in a quiet forest, bathed in dappled light and surrounded by the fragrance of damp moss and decaying leaves. This smell of decaying earth or mushroom is as intoxicating as it is soothing. The French use “sous bois” to describe the forest floor aromas and use it to define the earth and mushroom notes found in many fine Burgundies. That’s why I’m always drawn to mushrooms with Pinot Noir.

RSV’s Four Vineyards captures some of this elusive “sous bois” fragrance that makes it a great match for this soul-satisfying mushroom tart. The fat of the parmesan custard carries the flavor of the mushrooms beautifully. It is a great tart for a simple lunch or dinner and can be served from the oven after a short wait or made in advance and served at room temperature. It also reheats beautifully.

I like to make this tart when I find beautiful wild mushrooms at the market or after a day of fruitful foraging*. If wild mushrooms aren’t in the cards, farmed trumpet, oyster or maitake mushrooms are a nice fill-in. Do not despair if only button or crimini mushrooms are at your fingertips. No matter what type of mushroom you use, this tart will make you a hero at the table.

Until the Next Wine....
Maria

EAT: Mushroom Parmesan Tart

The Four Vineyards spans the Napa side of the Carneros region from the most southern to the most northern boundaries of the AVA. The Carneros region is amazingly diverse, from nearly flat land with clay loam soils next to the bay in the South, to rolling hills with volcanic soils to the North. Having these diverse vineyards allow RSV to make an excellent Pinot Noir no matter what mother nature conjures up. This unique wine is comprised of complimentary selections from within the Four Vineyards to create the most elegant, balanced and age-worthy wine of the vintage.

Though the wine is called “Four Vineyards,” not all four vineyards are included every year. The 2014 Four Vineyards Pinot Noir is comprised of selections from the Three Amigos (1 & 2), Capa, and Vandal Vineyards. Select lots of heirloom and French selections form the Four Vineyards cuvée. The “I”, “S” and “M&H” heirlooms with the Pommard and INRA French clones, compliment each other in the creation of a complex, elegant and flavorful wine. The wine was aged in French Oak barrels (30% new) that were selected for their subtlety to help lift the aromatics without intruding. The individual lots were aged for a year in the RSV caves then blended by taste to create the final cuvée.