Actually, this is old news but I will share it nonetheless. Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon fame is in search of a new persona. Long held as the court jester/Rhone Ranger of winedom from Santa Cruz California and a gifted wine maker, he is best known for many of his antics in the wine world and his capricious tirades in his famous Bonny Doon newsletter. Now as he grows older, he would like to be known as simply a gifted wine maker with a keen sense of humor.
A little less then a year ago, I contacted Randall via Twitter as he was sitting in the ferry line on Whidbey Island Washington, waiting to catch a boat to Seattle. I mentioned to him that he should really try and make his way to San Juan Island since he was so very close. The hook was an event I put on called “An Intimate Tasting With The Wine Maker” where folks can taste through the wines of a particular winery while the wine maker discusses the wine and his or her views on the wine world. This is a very popular event that is well attended. Randall and I went back and forth on Twitter for about a year until he finally made the commitment to come to the Juans for the first time.
I was elated that Randall was coming and began the preparations for the event. I secured the Yacht Club which is a venue that overlooks the beautiful harbor in downtown Friday Harbor WA. I had tasted many of Bonny Doon’s current releases and was thoroughly impressed. The ’11 Vin Gris was drinking beautifully along with the Cigar Volant rouge and blanc. I will give a rundown of my thoughts on all the wines we tasted a little later. Prior to Doonsday in Friday Harbor, Randall agreed to an interview. Talking with Randall Grahm takes a little more preparation then usual. Known as somewhat of a sesquipedalian, folks like me need a dictionary handy when having a discussion with him. However, he took it easy on me the day of the interview (I’m sure he sensed my lack of sophistication), and Randall graciously gave me some insights into his thoughts on the state of the wine world.
Stan The Wine Man: I really appreciate that you are coming to San Juan Island, it’s a really big deal for us.
Randall Grahm: I’ve got this feeling, since I’ve never been there… I dream about the San Juan Islands, I’ve had dreams about them for years and years. I just have this funny intuition that Bonny Doon will be very well received in those parts. For some reason it’s kind of an affinity I have that the people there will give me a cordial reception.
STWM: I believe you are very close to right in your thinking…I think you are going to fit right in.
I’ve been reading your book lately and I am wondering how you came up with many of your concepts in the book.
RG: The whole impetus for these literary parodies was obviously to sell wine. The idea of touting your wine and how great it is seemed fairly boring. I couldn’t really thing of anything to say about the wine and about the wine making. I mean the wine making is essentially pretty trivial. So I thought, what I really need to do is have a little entertainment if you will, and you know…Show off perhaps I guess. I don’t even know quite how I first came up with the idea. I thought perhaps I would do a little literary parody, a short piece and kind of work Bonny Doon into it somehow. And so I did a couple of small pieces that were not too ambitious, and then I did a couple of longer pieces and I realized that on a good day I had some ability of mimicry to sort of do this. I mean, not me as well as the writer for the New Yorker, but I could do it pretty well. So I kept doing it, and the pieces started to get longer and longer, of course culminating in the Dante project, The Vinferno, which is quite a long piece. But anyway, it was fun and it’s hard. I haven’t typed much in the last few years, but I may take it up again, who knows.
STWM: I realize it’s parody, but is any of it serious? Do you really feel that negative towards Napa?
RG: Not really. I’m certainly jealous of the prices they can command, and the wines are largely undrinkable (sarcasm noted). That’s their issue, I’ve got my own. I don’t have any animosity towards Napa.
STWM: I heard that since Galloni left the Wine Advocate, Robert Parker is going to take over the reviewing of Napa wines again.
RG: I actually haven’t followed that. Parker’s got his problems too. We all have our problems.
STWM: How do you feel about the whole Galloni thing, and the crumbling of the Advocates power?
RG: Let’s just wait and see what happens. I thinks it’s kind of a historical inevitability. I think Parker was certainly a unique figure and had the opportunity to be this kind of historical figure. He was exactly the right person at the right time, and sort of garnered an extraordinary amount of power and influence. I don’t think we will ever see anyone have that kind of influence again in the wine business, which is probably a healthy thing.
STWM: I agree. The power has been diluted by all the blogs out there. There are a lot of legitimate bloggers and some bad ones.
RG: There are some pretty incoherent rants out there. My own included.
STWM: Do you know Natalie MacLean?
RG: I actually met her years ago, she came down and worked the weekend at Bonny Doon Vineyard. That was around fifteen years ago and she wrote about the experience in her book. I have to tell you that she reminds me a little of that character Jenna in 30 Rock. I don’t think anyone has seen two of them in a room at the same time.
STWM: (After laughing hard) She really blew her whole reputation when she plagiarized other wine writers material.
RG: Even before that, there was this bizarre episode of this fictional supporter. There was kind of this weird thing where she was writing these blogs in support of herself anonymously. Promotional blurbs about her book or about herself, but they were coming from her. Yet, she was going through this charade that it wasn’t her. It’s this kind of weird, slightly Nixonion paranoid thing. She is definitely a funny, funny person.
STWM: I’ve read the book “An Ideal Wine” by David Darlington. Do you like the whole premise of the book? (In this book, published in 2011, David Darlington gives the history of both Randall Grahm and Leo McCloski. Two men with very different approaches to wine making. As their history in wine unfolds, they cross paths with many well known names in the wine world. It’s an excellent read if you are at all interested in the development of the wine scene in California from the early eighties to today.)
RG: Honestly, I couldn’t bear to read it because I can’t stand to read about myself. I took a very fleeting glance at to kind of get a lay of the land. I consider him a friend.
STWM: It sounds like you spent quite a bit of time with him.
RG: I did, I did. I’m a fairly obliging person when people ask me to do stuff, I’ll generally do it.
STWM: I know you are a big pinot noir fan.
RG: When it comes from Burgundy especially.
STWM: Do you have any favorites from California?
RG: No, I don’t really care for California pinot. Calera and Rhys make a good one. The point that I would make about pinot from California or the new world is that for all the effort it takes to make a reasonable pinot in California, you’re better off not going through that and just buying one from Burgundy, and calling it a day. It’s much easier. You basically have to move heaven and earth to make a really great pinot and as a wine maker, it ends up costing you more then it would if you could produce a wine in Burgundy. To make a Burgundian pinot in California is like building a movie set. Like re-creating the Roman Empire or something. You have to work like a maniac to do it, and at the end of the day, you’re better off finding a vineyard in Burgundy and making the wine there.
STWM: I guess it’s like putting a bikini on a Sumo wrestler. (Randall laughs and agrees). Do you have a favorite from Oregon?
RG: I haven’t had a chance to really follow them much over the years. I like Bethel Heights, and I think Oregon makes some lovely Pinot Noirs.
STWM: Do you get a chance to taste very many wines from other producers?
RG: I try to taste as many as I can. Of course, I’m busy making my own so I don’t have as much time as I’d like. I already know what my wines taste like, so I like to taste others.
STWM: Speaking of your wines, the current vintages are phenomenal. I love minerality in wine, and your wines hit the mark.
RG: Thank you. I think you are really going to like the ’12 Vin Gris and the ’12 Albarino if you like minerality. They are silly good.
STWM: In the book “An Ideal Wine”, you spend some time with Kermit Lynch. Can you share some thoughts on him.
RG: I have a lot of very positive feelings towards Kermit. He was the one that really got me interested in Rhone varieties to begin with many years ago when he had a tiny shop in Albany, California. I have a great amount of gratitude to Kermit for turning me on to these things.
STWM: Obviously you are a big proponent of Bio-dynamics. How do you feel about things like micro-oxygenation?
RG: I used it in a wine this year, but we are pretty discreet in using it. Not because it isn’t a powerful and useful technique, but we are really trying to avoid high tech interventions as much as possible.
STWM: How do you feel about other technologies such as reverse osmosis and other wine making interventions?
RG: In general, if you have to manipulate a wine, you’re probably better off not making that wine in the first place. I’m not a big fan of reverse osmosis. It’s like the old saying…”If you broke your leg in three places what should you do? Stay out of those places.” If you have to use r.o. then you are probably better off staying out of those places.
STWM: In the book “An Ideal Wine”, your alter ego is Leo McCloskey from Enologix. Is he still alive and well down there?
RG: He’s prospering. Apparently that book brought him a lot of attention and a lot of business in fact.
STWM: That’s interesting, because in reading the book I find that he is cast in sort of a negative light. I guess it’s how you approach it.
RG: When I glanced at the book, Leo comes across as vaguely evil or at least highly cynical. Leo was thrilled with his treatment in the book. He thought it was the greatest thing ever.
STWM: On your website you give very specific descriptions of the wines. What are your thoughts on wine tasting notes?
RG: There is no such thing as objective tasting. I would suggest that tasting is highly variable and highly subject to many, many factors. Tasting notes are fine, but it’s really useful for someone to be acutely aware of the enormous variability and subjectivity of tasting notes. I think that if you are aware of those factors, I think tasting notes can be useful. By no means are they the last word at all.
STWM: I work on the retail level and put my tasting notes on the wines that I feature. Customers tell me regularly how much they appreciate them. I think that if the notes are consistent it helps.
RG: In Robert Parker’s defense, I think he is nothing if not consistent. They’re banal and beside the point, but very consistent.
STWM: You were one of Parker’s darlings when you first came on the scene weren’t you?
RG: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (That made me laugh!) Oh well.
STWM: Does he review your wines now? (Parker took a long hiatus from reviewing Bonny Doon wines).
RG: We’ve sort of, almost established diplomatic relations. He’s warming. He was not terribly happy with my wines for awhile, but I think he is happier with them now. And with me as well. Oh well.
STWM: Everyone seems to be writing about the Millennial generation. There is a lot of effort to figure out how wineries should reach out to them. What are your thoughts on the Millennials?
RG: I can’t figure them out at all. I’m going to have to leave it to better minds then my own to work out what they want. Certainly I would love to reach out to them, but I don’t want to pander to them, or anyone for that matter. I know they certainly like cocktails, that’s for sure. I don’t know what that means, I don’t know whether all of us in this culture are living in the age of over-bombardment of our senses such that only things that have intense flavor really register. Whether it’s sweetness or acidity or aromaticity, we are sort of living in an age of kind of over-calibration. The more successful wines are the ones that are slightly over-the-top. Cocktails are over-the-top, cocktails are strong flavors.
STWM: So you have given it some thought.
RG: A little bit, not all that much. I think there are better marketing minds then my own that will work it out.
STWM: There are not too many better marketing minds then your own.
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RG: Well maybe, I don’t know. That’s another discussion.
STWM: I think that eventually your type of wines will be what the Millennials gravitate towards. I see a trend towards appreciating wines with a little more finesse. Maybe they look to cocktails for their sensation fix, and then they turn to wine for something a little different.
RG: I hope you’re right, but we’ll be dead by the time that happens.
That summed up the interview before we started to talk about the upcoming event. Randall Grahm is one of the most interesting wine makers I have had the opportunity to talk with, and his current releases are some of the best I have tasted from his winery. Whatever Doon Randall dances to now is working, because the wines rock!
2012 Boony Doon Vineyard Vin Gris De Cigare (Central Coast, California) … $17.99
Aromas of strawberries, watermelon and a hit of raspberries. This wine is Pink meets Floyd because it rocks! Notes of strawberries and melon coat the palate with a nice backbone of acidity. Loads of crushed rock (no pun intended) shows up and compliments the fruit and acidity. Finishes with cutting acidity, watermelon, cherry and strawberry notes that linger on and on. A seriously excellent pink that brings it home for rose. (A)
2012 Boony Doon Vineyard Albarino Kristy Vineyard/Jesperson Ranch (Central Coast, California) … $22.99
Albarino is typically found in the Spanish wine section of a wine shop. It always scares me when I see a producer from somewhere like California trying to produce this varietal. No need for worry hear. Randall hit it perfectly with this Albarino. Intense aromas of grapefruit, lemon rind and tangerine. Tangerine sorbet comes through on the palate rounded out by notes of peach. Excellent acidity drives the flavors across the palate with a cutting edge to it. Minerals and mandarin notes linger on the finish. This wine is bright, mineral driven and absolutely bracing in the mouth. This wine is one of my favorite whites I have tasted so far in 2013. (A-)
2011 Clos de Gilroy Grenache (Central Coast, California) … $19.99
Aromas of smokey cherries and plums with hits of minerals. Silky tannins with a backbone of acidity. Delicious cherry notes with a hit of anise and a nice dose of minerality from front to a long finish. Nice balance of fruit, acidity and minerality. (B)
2008 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant en foudre (Central Coast, California) … $41.99
This is a beauty if you are into “Old World” style wines with just a pinch of California sunshine. Aromas of rusty blackberries (I hope that makes sense), violets and rose pedal with a tiny hit of sweet vanilla. Rounded blackberry and cherries notes with a heavy dose of crushed rock. Nice backbone of acidity with notes of red flowers coming through on a mineral driven finish. 45% grenache, 30% syrah, 13% mouvedre, 7% cinsault This is well worth the 42 bucks being asked. (A-)
2009 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Blanc Beeswax Vineyard (Arroyo Seco, California) … $25.99
Aromas of peach, melon, and mango with just a tiny hit of sulfur. Round on the palate with a hint of viscosity. Notes of guava and papaya come through up front with a hint of smoke underneath maybe some petrol components. Very creamy from start to finish where it dries out a bit. This is what I would call a big white, and it’s probably why Randall asked us to serve it after the reds at the tasting. 58% grenache blanc, 42 % roussanne. (B+)
2010 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Pousseur Syrah (Central Coast, California) … $24.99
The nose on this baby is classic Northern Rhone meets California. Aromas of smokey bacon, boysenberries and tobacco leaf. Crushed rock all over the palate (Which made me fall in love immediately) with notes of bacon-fat and blueberries that flow across the palate on a bed of minerals. There is a nice hit of tobacco leaf on the medium to long finish. This is syrah with finesse and attitude bundled into one delicious package. (A-)
2007 Bonny Doon Vineyards Ca’ Del Solo Nebbiolo Estate Grown (Monterey County, California) … $37.99
Again, I have to say the Randall has found some way to bring Northern Italy to California (Too bad he can’t bring Burgundy to the same place). This is Barbaresco with California love handles. Aromas of leather, cherry, rose pedal and just a hint of stink. Black cherry with a little cola hit on the front of the palate. Leather and minerals show up on the mid-palate flowing into notes of cherries, violets and rose pedal that lingers. This wine is smooth on the palate with an edgy mineral element. Piedmont meets Bonny Doon. Love it! (A)
2008 Bonny Doon Vineyards Vinferno Beeswax Vineyard (Arroyo Seco, California) … $21.99 (375ml)
This is a dessert wine from Randall and I always have trouble rating a wine like this because most of them are just plain delicious. This Vinferno is no exception. Aromas of over-ripe golden raisins, with a hit of apple and honey. Ripe golden raisins and a big hit of honey. Some subtle mango and papaya notes back up the honey. I could pour this on my pancakes, put it over my vanilla ice cream or simply enjoy it during an episode of Duck Dynasty. It really doesn’t matter, because it is absolutely delicious and finishes clean. 51% grenache blanc, 41% roussanne. (A)
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
