VASCM: Details of Pinot Paradise Technical Session: A Journey of Terroir

[Mary Lindsay]

The Pinot Paradise Committee, and specifically Prudy Foxx, Jim Schultze 
and John Schumacher working on the Technical Session, have put together 
a terrific technical program for Pinot Paradise. Two keynote speakers, 
Joe Miller of UCSC and Clark Smith of Appellation America, plus a group 
of local vineyardists and winemakers will explore the terroir of the 
Santa Cruz Mountains and the six newly identified subregions, along with 
a representative tasting. Whether or not you are growing Pinot, and 
especially if you are, this will be a valuable educational opportunity 
to drill down into our own region. Details below.


For tickets: contact the SCMWA: (831) 685-8463

Fax (831) 688-6961

www.SCMWA.com <http://www.SCMWA.com>
 
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  *2009 PINOT PARADISE TECHNICAL SESSIONS*

March 29, 2009

$55

Villa Ragusa 9am - 12pm

Reservations Required (831) 685-8463

Held Prior to VIP & Grand Cruz Tasting

 

The 5^th Annual Pinot Paradise Technical Session will provide an 
intimate look at the Santa Cruz Mountains Appellation using the concept 
of six distinct sub-regions that are clearly distinguished by climate, 
geography and soils: the true bedrock of terroir. This approach to 
classification mirrors that of the French, whereby individual areas of 
Burgundy are respected for their enduring and endearing qualities of 
place. While this sub-region concept as applied to the Santa Cruz 
Mountains is not meant to advocate formal subdivision or sub-AVA's, the 
distinctions are instead meant as a way to understand how an appellation 
so immense ---over 400,000 acres, less than 1500 of which are planted to 
vines--- and diverse can consistently produce premium wines of 
outstanding quality, each expressing a character unique to the place 
from which they originated.

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*AGENDA OUTLINE*

* *

*Opening Orientation Speaker:*

Joe Miller, UC Professor, private winemaker, world traveler and teacher 
of extension classes on wines of the world, will take us on virtual tour 
of Burgundy, discussing terroir and comparison and contrast to Santa 
Cruz Mountain Appellation.  His intimate knowledge of Burgundy and Santa 
Cruz Mountain wines and vineyards will set the stage for a meaningful 
drill-down into the properties of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA.

 

*Sub-Region Keynote Speaker:*

Clark Smith, Enologist and Winemaker, director of Best of Appellation 
Tastings at Appellation America, will provide a unique perspective on 
the sub-regional concept as applied to the Santa Cruz Mountains. Clark 
was instrumental in helping to define the profiles of each region as 
exemplified in both the Chardonnays and the Pinots of the appellation. 
His rigorous dissection of the complex properties exhibited in wines of 
each sub-region helped define the personalities we can recognize and 
appreciate in the wines from each area. Using the vineyard map developed 
in conjunction with Mary Lindsay and Prudy Foxx of the Viticulture 
Association, Clark will provide a birds-eye view of the entire 
appellation, pointing out the features of each of the sub-regions:  
Skyline, Ben Lomond Mountain, Los Gatos/Saratoga, Santa Cruz Coastal 
Foothills, Summit, and Corralitos.

 

*SUB-REGIONAL WINEMAKER PANEL & TASTING:*

Moderated by renowned winegrower and winemaker Jim Schultze of Windy 
Oaks, a panel of winemakers from the Santa Cruz Mountains from each of 
the six sub-regions will present their wines for tasting and 
exploration. The panel will conduct an in-depth discussion of character, 
terroir, likeness and differences between the sub-regions, exploring 
what is unique to each area, as well as what they share in common. This 
is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to be part of an extended journey that 
will continue to explore what makes this winegrowing region a 
particularly rich and bountiful one for Pinot Noir.**

* *

The current list of winemakers/growers representing the sub-regions 
includes:

* *

Santa Cruz Coastal Foothills:  Sal Godinez / Raffaeli Vineyard

 

Corralitos: Steve Storrs / Christie Vineyards, Lester Family Vineyards

 

Saratoga/Los Gatos:  Jeffrey Patterson / Mt. Eden Vineyards

 

Summit:  Ed Muns / Muns Vineyard

 

Skyline:  Michael Martella/ Fogarty Estate Vineyards

* *

* *

*BIOS OF KEYNOTE SPEAKERS*

 

*Joe Miller*

Joe has been teaching courses on enology and wine appreciation at UC 
Santa Cruz for more than 35 years.  His courses have covered all  
aspects of wine making and wines from all parts of the world. Most

recently his classes have concentrated on the wines of France and 
how they influenced the development of wines in other places in the 
world,  especially California. He has traveled extensively in foreign 
wine-producing regions, especially Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhone 
Valley,  Northern Italy, and the Hunter Valley region of Australia. He 
has been  producing wines for his own use since 1972 and has made Pinot 
Noir  from widely-dispersed Santa Cruz County. vineyards as well as from 
more  distant sources in Carneros and Monterey Co. He recently started 
a bonded winery in Santa Cruz specializing in grapes from the Santa 
Cruz  Mountain area.

 


  *Clark Smith*

Clark is the winemaker for the tiny cult brand WineSmith.  In 1992, he 
founded Vinovation, Inc., a wine production consulting and service firm 
which revolutionized winemaking practices, providing tools and training 
to optimize grape maturity and tannin refinement for thousands of 
winemakers on five continents.  He is a leading authority on the 
enhancement of wine structure and a vocal proponent of living soil.

 

Clark has taught winemaking fundamentals for over two decades as an 
adjunct lecturer for five universities.  He teaches a postmodern view 
wine as fundamentally mysterious, and encourages students to move beyond 
the scientific reductionist approach of current vogue.  He judges wines 
at several competitions, edits the controversial website 
www.winecrimes.com, and writes and lectures widely on an innovative view 
of winemaking portrayed on www.grapecraft.com and his wine technology 
blog, www.grapecrafter.com.

 

In 2008, he became Director of the Best Of Appellation Evaluations for 
AppellationAmerica.com.  His goal over the next three years is to bring 
American wines competitive with the European system by moving beyond 
varietal judging to characterize the regional typicity of our 307 AVA's, 
thus connecting the consumer to the style diversity now available.