Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Well, you're right, I'm left, and she's gone!

Wine Wars in the New World...

Why are some people threatened by the convictions of others? Almost every day, the media exposes us to extremist spawned hostilities in far off lands. The nature of the “us versus them, all or nothing” attitude foments a type of intolerance that I find difficult to comprehend. Though we are fortunate to live in a country that allows healthy debate, we are not immune to the wrath of the extremist.

Though some people, particularly the French, might consider wine a religious experience worth fighting for, in this case I am not alluding to religious intolerance, but rather why some people are threatened by the way other people farm or make wine. Is it worth the energy to denigrate others in order to make oneself feel superior or is the real threat financial in nature?

Recently, a winemaker created a blog titled “Biodynamics is a Hoax.” Predictably, its purpose is to attack or mock the rituals of Biodynamic farmers. I have to say, we might make easy targets, but do we deserve vitriol from a fellow winemaker who claims to be a sustainable farmer? What does he have to gain by putting others down?

The wine industry is at a tipping point. It does not know how to define, or redefine, itself. Many believe that fine wine should be artisanal; however, many New World wines abandoned authenticity in favor of technological proficiency. As the technician replaced the artisan, more wines achieved a level of competency that emulated highly rated wines. Initially, these wines enjoyed success, but now these “manufactured for market” wines are struggling to differentiate themselves, no longer unique enough to command a price premium. If technology can assist a wine in emulating the best of the recent past, what differentiates modern wine?

Not too long ago, place, conditions, and a bit of luck determined wine quality. Some places, by the nature of climate, soil as well as favorable environmental conditions during the fermentation process, consistently produced expressive and elegant wines. These site-specific wines came to define quality. A good wine was pure, it was right and it had a sense of place. In a nutshell, a good wine was authentic.

Then came the competition with a technological toolbox of herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, spinning cones, micro-oxygenation units, enzymes, color additives and on and on. Suddenly place mattered less and more mattered more... along with a high score.

Now we have come full circle. We know we have the ability to replicate the style of wine a critic will respond to, but the question is how do you make a wine that is true and authentic? As winemakers define the future, they are becoming Balkanized into hierarchical tribes, complete with bickering sub-factions. There is a growing perception, and for some a growing fear, that this hierarchy will become established in the mind of the consumer, leaving some to slug it out on the discount battlefield. The tribes, as currently perceived in ascending order, are:

• Conventional
• Sustainable (with various sub-factions including
Napa Green/Fish Friendly Farming)
• Organic (with its sub-faction of “Natural”)
• Biodynamic

If you are in one camp and another is capturing the public’s imagination, it is in your best competitive interest to belittle those outside your tribe and confuse the consuming public. Conventional farmers claim that organic is elitist and their product is just as good, yet cheaper. Sustainable farmers claim they are farming organically but they don’t want to do the paperwork or pay the membership fees and besides, they say, organic certification has been diluted to where it does not mean anything anyway.
Some organic farmers claim Biodynamic farmers are engaged in a cult, performing whacky rituals. And Biodynamic farmers... we wonder which is whackier, applying herbicides, pesticides, salt based fertilizers and any number of synthesized chemical products on grapes, replete with residue, or working with nature while applying a little horn manure on the land?

I must admit that this diatribe is a little self serving... and perhaps I am perpetuating the feud. However, when people ask if Organic or Biodynamic methods make better wine, I have to say they both help, but having a distinct Point of View creates even better or, at least, more unique wines.

Born of Necessity...

The ritual of making an authentic Bolognese is one I love. Especially since labor’s reward is a warm, rustic and comforting meal. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of ways to make Bolognese. Ask any passionate Italian cook and they are sure to give up a recipe of their own. Like many long-simmered dishes, it was born of necessity to make not very much into a lot more.

You’d hardly think that something this delicious was rooted in poverty. The juices of this sauce are smooth and silky, kissed with just enough acid from the tomato and wine to balance the rich, tender chunks of meat.

This play of acid and richness make a lively partner for the bright plum and berry fruit of POV. The moderate tannins and balanced acidity of this youthful fruit-forward blend, cut through the rich sauce, allowing you to take another bite and another sip until your plate, and glass, are empty.

I like to serve this sauce with Canule pasta. The long twisted strands keep the sauce in place. If you can’t find Canule, make the dish more traditional with Fettucine. Take time out to make this sauce on a weekend or a stolen afternoon. Then sit with your family and friends and enjoy with a glass of POV.

Until the next wine…
— Maria

EAT: Bolognese Authentic Style

You can’t accomplish much without a point of view. At RSV, we pursue wine as the craft we believe it was meant to be. From the beginning, we found our own unique - some would say contrarian - way to do things. We learned early that if we chased wine scores, we’d become blind to the unique character of our own vineyards. Instead, we developed a few mantras:

• Follow nature and craft wines that are true to place.
• Learn over time and plant varieties, clones or selections
that maximize the natural potential of the place.
• Make wine with techniques that respect the purity and
quality of the fruit without overwhelming it.
• Wine shouldn’t hurt! It should be elegant and delicious
and make a fine dining companion.

Almost 30 years ago, RSV wagered that the cool, maritime climate of the Carneros would allow Bordeaux varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) to thrive, with slow, gentle ripening, creating balanced, expressive fruit. It really was not a great leap of faith as, viticulturally speaking, the Carneros has similarities with Pomerol and St. Emilion in that they both share clay based soils and a similar annual heat summation.

POV chronicles the interaction of site, variety and vintner that occurs every vintage on RSV’s certified organic and Biodynamic Carneros vineyards, illustrating the concept of interrelationships as each variety complements the other, making for a wine that transcends its individual components.