| The Wine Industry Spotlight |
| Ten Questions for Tony Soter - Soter Vineyards/Etude Winery |
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When you think of great Napa Cabernet wines, names like Araujo, Shafer,
Spottswoode, Dalle Valle and Chappellet come to mind. Aside from making
some of the valley’s greatest and most sought after wines, these wineries all
have something else in common and that is Tony Soter. Tony has been working
in Napa as a winemaker/consultant since 1977 and with over 30 harvests under
his belt; I guess you can say he knows a thing or two about making great wine.
Why there isn’t a wine geek or cork dork around that is unfamiliar with the
name Tony Soter. Although all of these wineries are famous for their Cabernet
Sauvignons, it is Pinot Noir that is Tony’s ultimate passion and thus became a
primary focus for the winery he started in 1982 called Etude. Maybe you have
heard of it. Tony remains involved with Etude wines today, even though he sold
the winery in the 1990’s. He has since moved back to his native state of
Oregon to pursue a new venture with his wife Michelle that he started in 1997
called Soter Vineyards. Once again the focus is on Pinot Noir, but I did get to
recently try a fantastic Cabernet Franc wine from their winery.
I met Tony a short time ago at a Soter Vineyard tasting in Dallas and asked
him if he would be kind enough to answer a few questions for us. He was very
gracious and took time out of his hectic travel schedule to jot down his
thoughts. You will find that Tony has some fiery opinions regarding alcohol
levels in today’s’ wines and some of the unfortunate happenings that are going
on in the wine industry currently. I think they are some opinions that you will
find quite refreshing to here from someone producing wines and working from
the inside of the wine machine.
How did you go from working in a wine shop with a degree in philosophy to
becoming a winemaker in Napa?
Well things don’t happen overnight but within two years of recognizing that I
wanted to know more about wine making and moving my worldly possessions in
the trunk of my car to Napa, I had been through 4 apprentice jobs dragging
hoses and scrubbing tanks (1975-77) at which point Donn Chappellet offered
me a winemaking position. I have been following my nose ever since.
You have obviously worked with some of the biggest name wineries in Napa,
what do you think it is that attracts these wineries to you? Is it your style or
approach, etc…?
Again this is kind of the cart before the horse. I was active as a consultant prior
to signing on with the likes of Shafer, Spottswoode, Viader, Araujo, Coppola,
and Dalle Valle. I owe a lot to the Spottswoode and Shafer opportunities as
they provided early situations for me to work with great property and great
people and to bring my talents into play. I probably bring a comprehensive
picture to my clients of what it will take to make great wine which means
property management, farming and winemaking as well as some sense of what
and how to approach the marketplace.
I know that Pinot Noir is your passion and you have mentioned that it is the
most challenging grape to work with. Are there any other grape varieties that
pose quite a challenge to grow and make wine with?
Every variety has its challenges and particularly in challenging places. Napa
and Cabernet are made for each other while Pinot Noir is never quiet happy in
any place, hence the challenge. Cabernet Franc is quiet challenging it has all
the bad habits of Merlot and Cabernet when they are not well behaved. It is
quiet vigorous, hard to control vegetatively and is way too productive. This is a
recipe for thin, diffuse and green tasting wine. Yet Cabernet Franc can make
the most glorious wines redolent of violet entwined with tobacco. To capture its
best means a lot of viticulture work to reign in the vigor and reduce the crop
drastically. We make a terrific example under the Soter label called Little
Creek, made from just three acres around my home in Napa.
What about any up in coming varietals you see catching fire with consumers?
I don’t make my living coming up with the next new thing. Rather making the
thing I do make taste like you just got to have it…even if it isn’t the latest new
discovery.
You make Pinot Noir wines from both Oregon and California. What do you see
as the biggest differences in growing and making wine between the two states
and how are the wines Different?
This is a great question and one that I could write a lot about. Essentially you
are going to end up with different character of wines from these different
regions. There is no denying the amount of sunshine and heat even the cool
places in California get compared to higher latitude places like Oregon and
Burgundy. The way grapes ripen then is profoundly affected. In California
grapes gain sugar rapidly but at such a rate that they have barely been on the
vine long enough to have full development. If you think of grape maturity as a
gestation of sorts then time is as important as sugar. Here is where Oregon and
Burgundy have more in common, the cool climate allows for relatively good
development of color and flavor at what is very modest sugar (which translates
into lower alcohol). In Oregon we are waiting for the sugar to provide the
richness to what are usually nicely ripened grapes otherwise. In California we
are hoping they don’t get too sweet before the flavor peaks which mean the
heat of high alcohol or worse the flavor of shriveled grapes (raisins). At their
respective best California wines will always have a hint of candy and dried fruit
expression and will be significantly higher in alcohol. They will have a rich
heavy feel that can be opulent rather than cloying. In Oregon there will
typically be a hint of something “other” than the fine blue and black fruits…say
a little earth or savory dried herbs, or forest floor. The wines will be lower in
Alcohol and higher in tannin and acidity hence the wines are a little more
structured while still lighter on their feet as they deliver their flavor and aroma.
They age differently too. Expect to drink your CA wines with great satisfaction
3-5 years from vintage. In Oregon add another five years. This only applies to
the serious single vineyard/reserve wines. One of the beauties of Pinot is its
early enjoyment.
Do you feel we are on par with Burgundy when it comes to high quality Pinot
Noir? Anywhere else in the world you would like to source Pinot from?
Well it is fair to say there is quiet a bit of overlap today that just was so rare
even ten years ago. Today new world pinots offer real pinot lovers real
alternatives to burgundy. I say that as a Burgundy lover who thinks that
Burgundies have hardly ever been better in the nearly 40 years I have been
drinking them. But around the world fine Pinot Noirs are being made that can
be quiet satisfying and at prices that mean you could have two or three bottles
for the price of a comparable Burgundy. If you are a collector then perhaps
nothing will suffice for your certain Chambolle Musigny, but if you are open
minded you ought to try my version from our Oregon ranch called Mineral
Springs. At the very least it will make the case that satisfying Burgundy like
wines can be had from Oregon. And there are many examples from CA, NZ,
AUZ and other parts of Europe too.
You have also championed the cause regarding lower alcohol levels in wines. It
seems that the wine critics will talk about it as a growing problem, but then turn
around and reward the wines with high scores. Why do you feel this is
necessary to make better wines?
Well it isn’t necessary to make better wines. Only necessary (apparently) if you
want to score highly with the critics. The context they evaluate wines in is
typically one wine against the other times maybe 20, 30 or 50 wines in a
seating. Pallet fatigue, and no food, conspire to reward the slippery fat wines
with high over the top alcohol as they stand out when nuance and balance or
even flavor articulation are too subtle for discrimination in that context with
that level of sameness and fatigue.
What are some changes you would like to see in the U.S. Wine Industry for the
future?
Right now we have too many brands and too few distributors who do too little to
get wines to consumers at a fair price. We have too many restaurants that are
unrealistic about the prices they charge consumers. We have too many wineries
thinking they are making god’s gift to wine when in fact it just fancy grape juice.
We have too many state regulations and systems that create unnecessary
impediments to consumer access at good values. We have too many publicly
owned wine companies that don’t value the assets of a fine wine business which
isn’t good for the financial underpinnings of the industry. We have too few
people in the USA drinking wine on a daily basis. And too many critics making
them feel like wine is something mysterious and special instead of a daily
beverage.
I have personally been blown away by some of the new Syrah wines coming out
of Washington, Oregon and California. Do you have any plans for taking a stab
at Syrah wines for either Etude or Soter?
I have staked my life’s savings on this ranch in Oregon to make great Pinot
Noir. There are certainly fine examples of many varieties still to wet the
appetites of consumers and I say bring them on. When you all have explored
the various qualities of cabernet, Bordeaux, syrah, malbec, sangiovese, etc. you
will come back to the intrinsic charm and satisfaction of Pinot Noir. There is an
innate elegance that is hard to appreciate until you have spent time with bigger
more robust wine styles. One comes to appreciate that seduction and
satisfaction are not derived from weight and structure but perfume and silken
texture.
What advice would you give someone looking to become a winemaker?
Knowledge without passion is a sterile endeavor but Passion without knowledge
is a fool’s journey.
Tony is planning a visit with the Dallas Secret Wine Society
sometime this year in the October/November time frame.
Keep checking back to find out the latest details and
developments regarding this very special event.
To check out Soter Vineyards, click here:
www.sotervineyards.com
Spottswoode, Dalle Valle and Chappellet come to mind. Aside from making
some of the valley’s greatest and most sought after wines, these wineries all
have something else in common and that is Tony Soter. Tony has been working
in Napa as a winemaker/consultant since 1977 and with over 30 harvests under
his belt; I guess you can say he knows a thing or two about making great wine.
Why there isn’t a wine geek or cork dork around that is unfamiliar with the
name Tony Soter. Although all of these wineries are famous for their Cabernet
Sauvignons, it is Pinot Noir that is Tony’s ultimate passion and thus became a
primary focus for the winery he started in 1982 called Etude. Maybe you have
heard of it. Tony remains involved with Etude wines today, even though he sold
the winery in the 1990’s. He has since moved back to his native state of
Oregon to pursue a new venture with his wife Michelle that he started in 1997
called Soter Vineyards. Once again the focus is on Pinot Noir, but I did get to
recently try a fantastic Cabernet Franc wine from their winery.
I met Tony a short time ago at a Soter Vineyard tasting in Dallas and asked
him if he would be kind enough to answer a few questions for us. He was very
gracious and took time out of his hectic travel schedule to jot down his
thoughts. You will find that Tony has some fiery opinions regarding alcohol
levels in today’s’ wines and some of the unfortunate happenings that are going
on in the wine industry currently. I think they are some opinions that you will
find quite refreshing to here from someone producing wines and working from
the inside of the wine machine.
How did you go from working in a wine shop with a degree in philosophy to
becoming a winemaker in Napa?
Well things don’t happen overnight but within two years of recognizing that I
wanted to know more about wine making and moving my worldly possessions in
the trunk of my car to Napa, I had been through 4 apprentice jobs dragging
hoses and scrubbing tanks (1975-77) at which point Donn Chappellet offered
me a winemaking position. I have been following my nose ever since.
You have obviously worked with some of the biggest name wineries in Napa,
what do you think it is that attracts these wineries to you? Is it your style or
approach, etc…?
Again this is kind of the cart before the horse. I was active as a consultant prior
to signing on with the likes of Shafer, Spottswoode, Viader, Araujo, Coppola,
and Dalle Valle. I owe a lot to the Spottswoode and Shafer opportunities as
they provided early situations for me to work with great property and great
people and to bring my talents into play. I probably bring a comprehensive
picture to my clients of what it will take to make great wine which means
property management, farming and winemaking as well as some sense of what
and how to approach the marketplace.
I know that Pinot Noir is your passion and you have mentioned that it is the
most challenging grape to work with. Are there any other grape varieties that
pose quite a challenge to grow and make wine with?
Every variety has its challenges and particularly in challenging places. Napa
and Cabernet are made for each other while Pinot Noir is never quiet happy in
any place, hence the challenge. Cabernet Franc is quiet challenging it has all
the bad habits of Merlot and Cabernet when they are not well behaved. It is
quiet vigorous, hard to control vegetatively and is way too productive. This is a
recipe for thin, diffuse and green tasting wine. Yet Cabernet Franc can make
the most glorious wines redolent of violet entwined with tobacco. To capture its
best means a lot of viticulture work to reign in the vigor and reduce the crop
drastically. We make a terrific example under the Soter label called Little
Creek, made from just three acres around my home in Napa.
What about any up in coming varietals you see catching fire with consumers?
I don’t make my living coming up with the next new thing. Rather making the
thing I do make taste like you just got to have it…even if it isn’t the latest new
discovery.
You make Pinot Noir wines from both Oregon and California. What do you see
as the biggest differences in growing and making wine between the two states
and how are the wines Different?
This is a great question and one that I could write a lot about. Essentially you
are going to end up with different character of wines from these different
regions. There is no denying the amount of sunshine and heat even the cool
places in California get compared to higher latitude places like Oregon and
Burgundy. The way grapes ripen then is profoundly affected. In California
grapes gain sugar rapidly but at such a rate that they have barely been on the
vine long enough to have full development. If you think of grape maturity as a
gestation of sorts then time is as important as sugar. Here is where Oregon and
Burgundy have more in common, the cool climate allows for relatively good
development of color and flavor at what is very modest sugar (which translates
into lower alcohol). In Oregon we are waiting for the sugar to provide the
richness to what are usually nicely ripened grapes otherwise. In California we
are hoping they don’t get too sweet before the flavor peaks which mean the
heat of high alcohol or worse the flavor of shriveled grapes (raisins). At their
respective best California wines will always have a hint of candy and dried fruit
expression and will be significantly higher in alcohol. They will have a rich
heavy feel that can be opulent rather than cloying. In Oregon there will
typically be a hint of something “other” than the fine blue and black fruits…say
a little earth or savory dried herbs, or forest floor. The wines will be lower in
Alcohol and higher in tannin and acidity hence the wines are a little more
structured while still lighter on their feet as they deliver their flavor and aroma.
They age differently too. Expect to drink your CA wines with great satisfaction
3-5 years from vintage. In Oregon add another five years. This only applies to
the serious single vineyard/reserve wines. One of the beauties of Pinot is its
early enjoyment.
Do you feel we are on par with Burgundy when it comes to high quality Pinot
Noir? Anywhere else in the world you would like to source Pinot from?
Well it is fair to say there is quiet a bit of overlap today that just was so rare
even ten years ago. Today new world pinots offer real pinot lovers real
alternatives to burgundy. I say that as a Burgundy lover who thinks that
Burgundies have hardly ever been better in the nearly 40 years I have been
drinking them. But around the world fine Pinot Noirs are being made that can
be quiet satisfying and at prices that mean you could have two or three bottles
for the price of a comparable Burgundy. If you are a collector then perhaps
nothing will suffice for your certain Chambolle Musigny, but if you are open
minded you ought to try my version from our Oregon ranch called Mineral
Springs. At the very least it will make the case that satisfying Burgundy like
wines can be had from Oregon. And there are many examples from CA, NZ,
AUZ and other parts of Europe too.
You have also championed the cause regarding lower alcohol levels in wines. It
seems that the wine critics will talk about it as a growing problem, but then turn
around and reward the wines with high scores. Why do you feel this is
necessary to make better wines?
Well it isn’t necessary to make better wines. Only necessary (apparently) if you
want to score highly with the critics. The context they evaluate wines in is
typically one wine against the other times maybe 20, 30 or 50 wines in a
seating. Pallet fatigue, and no food, conspire to reward the slippery fat wines
with high over the top alcohol as they stand out when nuance and balance or
even flavor articulation are too subtle for discrimination in that context with
that level of sameness and fatigue.
What are some changes you would like to see in the U.S. Wine Industry for the
future?
Right now we have too many brands and too few distributors who do too little to
get wines to consumers at a fair price. We have too many restaurants that are
unrealistic about the prices they charge consumers. We have too many wineries
thinking they are making god’s gift to wine when in fact it just fancy grape juice.
We have too many state regulations and systems that create unnecessary
impediments to consumer access at good values. We have too many publicly
owned wine companies that don’t value the assets of a fine wine business which
isn’t good for the financial underpinnings of the industry. We have too few
people in the USA drinking wine on a daily basis. And too many critics making
them feel like wine is something mysterious and special instead of a daily
beverage.
I have personally been blown away by some of the new Syrah wines coming out
of Washington, Oregon and California. Do you have any plans for taking a stab
at Syrah wines for either Etude or Soter?
I have staked my life’s savings on this ranch in Oregon to make great Pinot
Noir. There are certainly fine examples of many varieties still to wet the
appetites of consumers and I say bring them on. When you all have explored
the various qualities of cabernet, Bordeaux, syrah, malbec, sangiovese, etc. you
will come back to the intrinsic charm and satisfaction of Pinot Noir. There is an
innate elegance that is hard to appreciate until you have spent time with bigger
more robust wine styles. One comes to appreciate that seduction and
satisfaction are not derived from weight and structure but perfume and silken
texture.
What advice would you give someone looking to become a winemaker?
Knowledge without passion is a sterile endeavor but Passion without knowledge
is a fool’s journey.
Tony is planning a visit with the Dallas Secret Wine Society
sometime this year in the October/November time frame.
Keep checking back to find out the latest details and
developments regarding this very special event.
To check out Soter Vineyards, click here:
www.sotervineyards.com
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |