Another challenge has been living in the shadow of ’ Sarah ,’ meaning that I feel constrained to stay true to the founder ’ s vision — which is making soft , elegant and feminine wines . We have a large wine club and accounts across the country . If I suddenly changed the profiles of our wine and started to make bigger and bolder wines , we would alienate our loyal fans and the trust they have for this brand . But at the same time , I ’ d like to be able to do something different now and then . It ’ s a difficult to balance , these competing desires .
Do you have a degree in winemaking ? I earned a Master ’ s in Electrical Engineering , specializing in semiconductor physics and fabrication . Starting in 2001 when I took over the winery , I attended the School of Hard Knocks to learn about winemaking ; and in 2011 finally completed the winemaker ’ s certificate program at UC Davis . I ’ ve also worked with a number of consultants and the other local winemakers to learn whatever I can .
Who is the primary winemaker for your wines ? I ’ m the head winemaker , but it ’ s a group effort of course . We have a really good assistant winemaker , Pat , who is endlessly cheerful and good natured . And we are continuously working alongside other local winemakers , and have lots of discussions about how to overcome problems or perfect the blend of a wine . Colleagues like Jason Goelz ( winemaker at Jason-Stephens Winery ) and John Aver ( winemaker at Aver Family Vineyards ) are always willing to give honest feedback and that ’ s tremendously helpful .
How would you describe the Santa Clara wine region ? Our local wines are getting better overall , year after year . Over the last ten years there has been a big step up in our wine region ’ s quality . We have a lot of new wineries opening up and a lot of growth in the number of visitors too .
I remember forty years ago , a lot of the fine wines of California were still a little sweet , or they would be cloudy , or have a funky smell ; lots of problems . Nowadays , people demand perfection — nobody will buy a wine that ’ s cloudy or smells bad . Wine drinkers are a lot less forgiving and wine quality is much higher because of it . That ’ s true for our local area and across the entire State as well .
As a partner in The Stomping Ground , how does this fit into your business model for Sarah ' s ? We ran out of space in our little winery years ago and I needed a place to make wine . I ’ ve been working with Jason and Janu Goelz to convert an industrial space into an upscale , urban winery that currently houses four separate winery partners . Sharing equipment with the Goelz ’ s , I moved most of our wine production there . Although we will be keeping the Sarah ’ s Vineyard tasting room at our current location , I ’ m contemplating a new label with different kinds of wine which I might open at The Stomping Ground . It would be a nice way to express some individuality in the wine world !
What are your future goals ? Our overall goal is for Sarah ’ s Vineyard to be the most noteworthy winery on the Central Coast , from Santa Barbara to San Francisco . We want to make the best wine and have the best customer service ; and I ’ m fortunate in having a staff that really believes in the goal and wants to be a part of the program . I ’ d also like to make Gilroy famous as a growing area ; where everybody knows about Gilroy and our local agriculture . This is a great place to be .
What do you drink when you are not drinking your own wine ? Sancerre , from the Loire Valley in France . Sancerre is a Sauvignon Blanc that tastes like a bowl of liquid sunshine . It is especially delicious when paired with fish or oysters . A nice glass of Sancerre on a hot summer day with some oysters on the half shell is just wonderful .
What kind of vibe does your winery have ? Our goal is to provide a gracious and welcoming experience by a highly educated staff . We want to offer fine wines in nice surroundings , but not be snobby about it .
What is your all-time food and wine pairing ? As a young person , I was a very picky eater and stayed skinny until my late 20s when I discovered the world of wine . Now I ’ m a gourmand and have to watch my weight . My all-time favorite pairing is a great Bordeaux , like a 2007 Figeac , with a little piece of prime ( Wagyu ) steak drizzled with a touch of red butter sauce
What kinds of wine do you specialize in ? We specialize in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay while dabbling in Rhone wines . Most all of our grapes are estate grown .
Favorite award or accolade that you received ? We received some lofty scores for our 2015 Estate Pinot Noir . Wine Spectator gave this wine 93 points and Robert Parker , from Wine Advocate , gave us 92 points . Our wines have received a lot of good attention from national publications over the last few years , but having such highly-respected magazines give us some recognition is pretty special . It also backs up my opinion that the Hecker Pass area is a great place to grow Pinot Noir !
What is the biggest misconception about you ? Most people don ’ t realize that I do a little bit of everything at the winery — from electrical and welding to working on cars . We don ’ t hire out for these small jobs ; we ’ re old school . The other misconception is that people think that my dad still runs the winery . He hasn ’ t since 1995 .
Why are your club members so loyal ? I believe their loyalty stems from us caring about them . Most of our wine club members recognize that we are trying to make excellent wine without breaking the bank . Naturally we ’ ve stumbled and made mistakes over the years , but the local people that support us have been generous . I think they see that we ’ re always trying to improve , and they support us in return .
Which part of owning a winery do you prefer : farming , winemaking , tasting room / schmoozing with customers ? I ’ m a talkative guy and like meeting people , but I ’ d have to say ’ farming .’ There is something special about being a part of the land and growing things . I love to learn about grapevines and their funny ways . There is nothing better than a couple of dogs and a vineyard to walk around in . The dogs are happy , you ’ re happy , and the world is a wonderful place .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 gmhtoday . com
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