Robert Sinskey Vineyards

MINI ME...
Little Bottles of Joy!

Every vintage, the order came down: “Make ten cases of half-bottles of each and every wine!” Never mind that we only had the regular, full-sized labels that made the little bottles look like children dressed up in their parents clothes... my father wanted them, so we made them.

Though my father could have had access to any full size bottle of wine at any time, he was averse to waste - an aversion that I assumed at the time was a lingering artifact of youth during wartime. However, the reality was simpler - he just didn’t want to drink a whole bottle of wine on a work night and, by opening a half bottle, it became less about self regulation and more about the quantity in front of him... a very early Bloombergian solution to a practical problem.

It wasn’t until later, when Maria and I started having children, that I began to appreciate the half bottle. I no longer had my hedonistic partner to share a bottle or two with and I had to learn how to imbibe at dinner with an observer instead of a participant. The solution was not as easy as one might imagine. Most wine by the glass programs were pretty dismal in those days and were either selections of mass produced plonk, close-out deals or worse yet, wines that had been open too long. Wine by the glass was not an option except at the most wine savvy restaurants.

The half-bottle selections, if they had any at all, weren’t much better. Usually a cluster of the most popular varieties and labels of the day - big oaky Chardonnay, Cabernet and the occasional Zin... depressing! I vowed that we would no longer be a part of the problem by always producing a few half-bottles of more interesting varieties.

I now love half-bottles. My hedonistic partner is back to imbibing with me, but we like a progression of flavors at the table and two full-sized bottles are too much for a school night. So whenever we go out to dine, I scan the half-bottle list first and, if I find something good in at least two categories, white or rosé and red, we go for it.

Years ago, my father wanted to grow Pinot Noir because he felt the American diet would evolve to embrace cuisines from non-wine cultures and Pinot Noir would be the ideal wine for these new sensibilities. His prescient revelation has come to be, but not only is Pinot Noir ideal for the new eclectic culinary sensibilities, half-bottles are even more apropos, enhancing the experience by allowing a progression to fit the eccentricities of the modern American menu where Middle East, West and Far East come together at one sitting.. something like: a half bottle of bright white (preferably our Pinot Blanc) with an hors d’oeuvre of Dukkah Dip, first course of Queso Fresco & Pickled Jalapeño Quesadillas, followed by a half-bottle of Pinot Noir with Tea Smoked Duck. Mini-me conquers the world!

Umami

Pinot Noir is one of the few wine varieties that has Umami. The plum, dark cherry fruit has a perception of sweetness, and a fresh and savory note on the finish that is neither salty nor sour yet enlightens your taste buds. It possesses a series of contradictory characteristics that lack description in the English language. The French would say that it has that, “Je ne sais quoi” but I think it is closer to the Japanese Umami. To me it’s the indescribable flavor that gives great depth to a wine or food and with that, great pleasure.

Tea-smoked duck is an extra-sensory dish. Black tea, soy and sweet spices come together to create the same feeling of Umami that comes from the wine. The breasts can be sliced thinly and served simply with rice, sautéed greens and roasted Kobocha squash or stuffed into lettuce cups and topped with the glaze and chopped peanuts. The 2009 vintage is singing now. The smoking is easy, so don’t let it get in the way of sheer pleasure at the table.

Until the next wine,
Maria

EAT: Tea-Smoked Duck Breast

RSV’s Pinot Noir vines enjoyed a relatively balanced and calm year in 2009 that resulted in beautiful fruit and good yields; a welcome circumstance after drought, frost pressure and poor fruit set made the previous two vintages low-yielding and challenging.

The October rain was no problem as RSV brought in all the Pinot Noir long before the storm. The grapes were perfectly ripened, with excellent flavor development at a very reasonable brix (sugar) level, making for flavorful wines with lower alcohol levels than prior vintages.