“On California…” is a thought-provoking, informative, entertaining and inspiring read. Very highly recommended!

Book Review

On California-From Napa to Nebbiolo…Tales from the Golden State is a beautifully written and compelling anthology featuring short essays from journalists, renown wine experts and winemakers that tell the stories of the who, what, when, why, and how of California wine through the lens of the past, present and future of the Golden State.

Renowned author of “The Wine Bible,” Karen MacNeil, wrote the Foreword and Warren Winiarski, Judgment of Paris winner for his 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, has wrote the Introduction.

The book is organized around nine diverse themes, with an introduction of theme and a notation of international writers who share their stories on California Wine. Most of the stories were authored in 2021, but a some, with a historical bent, are from the ’70’s, ’80’s, ’90’s and early 21st century.

The themes give the book structure, and facilitate finding a particular topic of interest if you choose to not read the book straight through.

I very much appreciated seeing familiar writers such as Hugh Johnson, Jon Bonné, Elaine Chukan Brown, Randall Grahm, and Esther Mobley. But, it was also great to be introduced to new-to-me writers such as Elin McCoy, Mary Margaret McCamic MW, Clare Tooley MW.

I didn’t begin to appreciate wine until I was in my 40’s. So many of the stories in the book were taking place in my 20’s and 30’s. At the time, I was oblivious to wine and wine culture. It was fascinating to learn some many major event were happening all around me at the time.

“On California…” is a thought-provoking, informative, entertaining and inspiring read. Very highly recommended!

The book was conceived by Steven Spurrier, who died March 9, 2021. It was launched in the US on his birthday, October 5th, to honor his legacy at Académie du Vin Library and in the wider world of wine. It was Spurrier and his American colleague, Patricia Gallagher who organized the Judgment of Paris in 1976.

It’s not just for people who love California wine, but for anyone who cares about the way wine intersects with history, geography, politics and people.

Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, Wall Street Journal

Wine Pairing

I was inspired to pair the 2013 Ridge Geyserville with this book for a couple of reasons:

First, a Zinfandel was my epiphany wine and the first grape variety I loved. For that reason, the first piece of writing I chose to read was authored by the one and only Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards, entitled “All Hail Zinfandel, Prince of California” who so eloquently wrote “Enter Zinfandel, the Horatio Alger of varietals, the ‘True American’. Born of peasant stock somewhere in Europe, Zinfandel did not make its name or fortune in its native land…Not until it was planted on the hillsides of California’s cool North Coast did it find its ideal soils and climate…The orphan had found a home where, properly handled, it could produced wine of such quality that it might some day stand beside the noblest varieties in the world“

My second inspiration was the chapter entitled “California Cuisine…? Why Not! which tells the story of how Alice Waters, who opened Chez Panisse in 1971 spurred the “California Cuisine” revolution that essentially “arrived” in tandem with California wine.

When Chez Panisse opened, there were two wines on their wine list…Ridge Geyserville and Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc.

Note: While researching this piece, I found this article entitled “How This 1976 Dinner Changed The Way We Eat”. It details a seminal wine and food dinner at Chez Panisse that featured another Ridge Zinfandel.

Tasting Note:

The wine pours translucent dark garnet in the glass with expansive aromas of black cherry, plum, cracked pepper, leather, bramble, and sandalwood. On the palate it’s medium-bodied, focused and impeccably balanced with vibrant acidity and fine grained tannins. It shows plum, black cherry, macerated boysenberry, and cacao flavors with a very appealing undercurrent of minerality with lends wonderful and distinctive savory notes. Long finish. Field blend of 73% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 1% Mataró|14.7% abv|92pts

Ridge Vineyards was bonded in 1962, and they have been making this wine since 1966.

Why Climate Action Matters And What You Can Do

Last year, the United Nations’ climate panel, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (“IPCC”), which is composed of world’s leading climate scientists, recently delivered their most forbidding warning yet about the global climate emergency. U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres described the report as “a code red for humanity.” explains CNBC.

“Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it”

Gandi

It’s great to see Ridge, which is currently the largest grower of organic grapes in Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, has a very comprehensive and impressive set of sustainability practices. Additionally, they are a member of the International Wineries For Climate Change(ICWA), an organization committed to taking collective action to decarbonize the global wine industry.

These are great steps in the right direction, but we all need to pitch in a do more.

With that in mind, here is a list of actionable things that wine consumers can do. It’s not intended to be comprehensive. In fact, what else would you add to the list?

• Buy local, if possible. It can reduce emissions associated with transportation and distribution. Or seek out producers who have earned carbon neutral delivery certification such as this.
• See out and support wineries that are sustainably producing wines (preferably certified by an independent third party). Look for comprehensive sustainability standards that go beyond farming to include things like water management, conservation, and human resource elements. (Note: Sustainability is a broad term. Click here for some existing standards)
• Consider alternate packaging like canned and bag in box wines
• Seek out and support wineries that are Regenerative Organic Certified “ROC”. Click here to learn more
• Seek out and support producers who are “Certified B” Corporation
• Don’t buy wines in heavy bottles intended to convey prestige. Instead seek out and support wineries using lighter bottles.
• Reduce your consumption of meat, particularly beef and lamb which have the largest carbon footprint

Climate Action is vital to building a sustainable world for everyone. But we need to act now!