1690_001 GrapeVine_Spring2016_02

The Grapevine
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Every wine deserves an hour at table, delicious food
and two people in love. Wine cannot be fully understood unless all three of these conditions are met.
WD Hagen
Chapter and
Member News
Society
Happenings
Spotlight On
By the Glass
Idea Fair
page 4
page 6
page 13
page 15
page 18
Host Letter
2016–2017
Board of Managers
Terry J. Anglin, CCM, CCE
San Diego Yacht Club
Host
Jeffrey Martocci, CCM
Whippoorwill Club
Cellarmaster
Terry Anglin, CCM, CCE
Jason Asbra
Big Canyon Country Club
Kitchenmaster
Greetings from the Cellar!
The 89th World Conference in San Diego was a huge success. The weather cooperated, the educational programs
were vast, and networking possibilities were in abundance.
The conference marked the departure of Tom Czaus CCM,
CHE, as Host and I want thank Tom for his tireless work,
interest and concern for the IWS. We also bid adieu to John
Schuler, CCM, who leaves the Board after having served as
Immediate Past Host and to Craig Surdy, CCM, CCE, who
functioned as Treasurer for the IWS in 2015. Both of these
gentlemen have dedicated years of service to the Society.
John will continue to assist the Board in planning the “international” educational trips. A big thank you also goes out
to Jeff Martocci, CCM, Paul Smith and Jason Asbra for their
work on the Pre-Conference Workshop and wine auctions.
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
At the IWS Business Meeting, two gentlemen were elected
to the Board of Managers. I want to welcome Jonathan
Shear, CCM, CCE, and Blaine Burgess, CCM, CCE, to the
Board. It’s always great to have new input and I look forward to working with not only Jonathan and Blaine but also
with the rest of the Board in the next year.
As I assume the role of Host for the IWS, there are four areas
that I will ask the Board for their assistance in addressing in
2016. They are Outreach, Education, Communication and
Membership. Each board member will be assigned several
chapters to which they will liaison in order to provide support, assist in promoting wine education and information on
the happenings in the IWS. The Board will have quarterly
conference calls to share information, best practices, and
new and innovative educational programs. The idea is that
this information exchange will filter down to the IWS chapter
representatives through continued communications.
(continued on page 3)
2
Karl Habib, CCM
Spring Lake Golf Club
Cellarer
Jack Grehan
Meadow Club
Kitchener
Paul Andrew Smith III
The Field Club of Greenwich
Secretary
Nadine D. Rockwell, CCM
Lauderdale Yacht Club
Treasurer
Clive L. Smith, CCM
Waynesborough Country Club
Barrister
Colin Mack-Allen, CCM
Tavistock Country Club
Toastmaster
Blaine A. Burgess, CCM, CCE
Country Club of Little Rock
Board Member
Jonathan D. Shear, CCM, CCE
Bayou Club of Houston
Board Member
Thomas M. Czaus, CCM, CHE
Whitford Country Club
Board Member
(continued from page 2)
During the IWS Business Meeting in San Diego, I was struck
by the fact that no IWS member had proposed three new society members in the year – the first time in many years to my
recollection.
Perpetuating membership in our group is no different than at
our clubs, it needs to be top of mind. There are some CMAA
chapters that do not have IWS Representatives as an assigned
position and I will be working with their Presidents and Managing Directors to determine if the role could be filled.
On the Education front, the Board will be endeavoring to
arrange four domestic regional educational programs. These
will be two to three day programs in areas such as Oregon,
California, New York and the south. This will enable IWS
members to travel shorter distances and reduce costs of quality
programs. In addition, your Board will be working toward adding wine-oriented programs to the regular conference offerings
that would then be included in the conference registration fees.
Lastly, a Wine 101 educational video will be sent to all chapter
representatives for their chapter use. The program is the class
that has been presented at several previous World Conference
and has garnered very positive reception.
As I write this, it is March 29, and in the near future a survey will be mailed to all attendees of the annual IWS dinner
so that the Board may have some feedback on the dinner in
order to better plan for future conferences. If you were a dinner
attendee and receive a survey, please take the time to respond.
I look forward to a great 2016 in the Society and I am receptive
to any and all feedback. Have a great spring. Opening Day is
in a week. Go Pads!
Best always,
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Terry
Questions? Contact Us!
CMAA International Wine Society
1733 King Street • Alexandria, VA 22314 • (703) 739-9500
[email protected]
www.cmaa.org/winesociety
www.facebook.com/groups/cmaawinesociety
3
Chapter and Member News
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Honoring Long-Time Wine Society Contributor and 1984 CMAA President
Charles R. Walter, Jr., CCM
The International Wine Society is saddened to report the
passing of Past President, Charles R. “Chuck” Walter,
Jr., CCM. Charles first joined CMAA in 1966, earned
his Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation in 1970
and became a member of the prestigious CMAA Honor
Society in 1981. Charles first joined the Board of Directors in 1979, and served as CMAA President in 1984.
Charles was actively involved with the International Wine
Society, and coordinated more than 24 international
and domestic workshops for Society members. It was
his vision in the early 1980s that led to the development
of these highly informative programs. In 2008, Charles
was awarded Honorary Status in the International Wine
Society by the Board of Managers, honoring his contributions to the Society and its members. Charles was tireless
in his efforts to create first-class educational opportunities
for CMAA members.
His career in club management spanned more than 35
years. A retired Air Force Colonel, Charles had an extensive military career as a club manager. Clubs he managed
included Bolling Officers’ Club in Washington, DC; the
Kessler Officers’ Club in Biloxi, MS; Andrews Officers’
Club in Washington, DC; and as Chief of US Air Force
Clubs, Randolph AF, TX. After retiring from the military
in 1983, he joined the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles, CA,
as general manager. Most recently, Charles served as the
manager of the Arid Club in Boise, ID, retiring in 2007.
Charles was a graduate of Michigan State University in
Hotel and Restaurant Institutional Management.
Charles R. Walter, Jr., CCM, passed away Saturday, March
26, 2016 at his residence. Read the full obituary.
4
NJ Club Managers Association Wine Luncheon Features Round Pond Estate
Matthew Kurtas, Certified Sommelier, Clubhouse Manager, Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club,
West Boothbay Harbor, ME
Guest choice of Colossal Crab Cake, Seared Sesame
Tuna over Mixed Greens, or Arugula Salad.
Course 2: 2013 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.
Guest choice of New York Strip Steak, Filet Mignon, or
Domestic Double Cut Lamb Chops. Mushrooms, Creamed
Spinach, and Haricot Verts were served family style.
Course 3: 2012 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
On March 8, 2016, 20 Managers from the New Jersey
Chapter hosted Miles MacDonnell, CEO/Partner of Round
Pond Estate from Rutherford, Napa Valley, along with
Maggie Fox Maxwell from Allied Beverage at a Wine
Society Luncheon at the Roots Steakhouse in Morristown,
NJ. The afternoon program covered Round Pond’s history
and their diverse offerings which reach well beyond the
norm for a “valley floor winery.” Managers learned that
since its foundations in 1978, the Estate has switched its
model from growing and selling grapes to making its own
wine (while still maintaining some grower-contracts),
producing gourmet olive oils, and using some of its
production to curate interesting aged balsamic vinegars
and artisan syrups. Some of the notable producers Round
Pond has grown for include Grgich Hills Estate and
Beaulieu Vineyards, among others.
Guest choice of Warm Chocolate Caramel Cake or
Butter Cake.
The Sauvignon Blanc, as we were taught, is the culmination of three separate harvests: the earliest for acidity
and citric flavors, the middle for stone and orchard fruit
notes, and the latest for lush ripe tropical fruits. The reds
were tasted in order of ascending intensity of flavor. As
we got later into the red wines, black fruits became
more apparent, whereas earlier in the tasting red fruits
dominated. Full-time winemaker Muiris Griffin (Previous:
Chateau Pape-Clement, Opus One) and Consulting
Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown were certainly thoughtful in their cepage and selection in making these wines.
The next time you’re in Napa, don’t miss a visit to Round
Pond Estate!
Many thanks to our Wine Society Chair Ryan Brennan,
CCM, for assembling the group, to Maggie Fox Maxwell
from Allied Beverage for her support! More information on
Round Pond Estate can be found at www.roundpond.com.
The session included a tasting of four wines and a delicious
menu, as follows:
Aperitif: 2015 Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc
Course 1: 2013 Kith and Kin “Napa Cab.”
Palm Beach Yacht Club Hosts Elizabeth Neuman of Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Michael Nadeau, Club Operations Manager, Palm Beach Yacht Club, West Palm Beach, FL
On Thursday,
February
25, the Palm
Beach Yacht
Club hosted
Elizabeth
Neuman of
Joseph Phelps
Vineyards.
Elizabeth
Neuman is the
Regional Sales Manager for Joseph Phelps Winery. She
is the granddaughter of winery founder Joe Phelps, and
was the first member of her generation to join the family
business in 2011.
Chardonnay paired with Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp,
with a little pepper bite in the sauce. The second course
side by side featured Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards
Pinot Noir and Joseph Phelps Fog Dog Vineyards Pinot
Noir with a Loch Duart Salmon Tartar, Buttered Brioche,
Black Garlic Aioli and Cilantro Drizzle.
Chef Bill Somers then prepared for third Course Joseph
Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet with a thick juicy New Zealand Cervina Venison Lollipop and Blueberry Gastrique.
For the fourth course, Joseph Phelps Insignia was paired
with a Grilled Espresso Rubbed Prime NY Strip Steak,
Sauté of Brussels Sprouts and Smashed Sweet Potatoes.
Elizabeth spoke about her grandfather’s passion and
dedication to perfection and members really enjoyed
hearing and learning about the Joseph Phelps history in
winemaking.
The reception began with Joseph Phelps Sauvignon
Blanc, followed by Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyard
5
Society Happenings
Introducing the 2016 Board of Managers
Host
Treasurer
Cellarmaster
Barrister
Kitchenmaster
Toastmaster
Cellarer
Board Member
Kitchener
Board Member
Secretary
Board Member
Terry J. Anglin, CCM, CCE
San Diego Yacht Club
San Diego, CA
Nadine D. Rockwell, CCM
Lauderdale Yacht Club
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Jeffrey Martocci, CCM
Whippoorwill Club
Armonk, NY
Clive L. Smith, CCM
Waynesborough Country Club
Paoli, PA
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Jason Asbra
Big Canyon Country Club
Newport Beach, CA
Colin Mack-Allen, CCM
Tavistock Country Club
Haddonfield, NJ
Karl Habib, CCM
Spring Lake Golf Club
Spring Lake Heights, NJ
Blaine A. Burgess, CCM, CCE
Country Club of Little Rock
Little Rock, AR
Jack Grehan
Meadow Club
Fairfax, CA
Jonathan D. Shear, CCM, CCE
Bayou Club of Houston
Houston, TX
Paul Andrew Smith III
The Field Club of Greenwich
Greenwich, CT
Thomas M. Czaus, CCM, CHE
Whitford Country Club
Exton, PA
6
Honoring the 2016 Wine Program Awards
The objective of the Wine Program Awards is to annually
recognize the best club wine programs and to laud
CMAA member-managed clubs that establish and maintain fine wine programs for their membership. The awards
are meant to be a hallmark of quality and assurance of an
eminent wine program. A club that receives recognition
should leverage its accomplishment when marketing the
club’s food and beverage program to its membership.
these changes were implemented to allow smaller club
programs to compete with larger programs in a more
subjective scoring system. The changes direct more of the
focus on a scope of its wine program and its engagement
of members and not the size of the wine list. We are
aware this impacted club’s scores compared to past years,
but we hope it will result in continued focus of club wine
programs into a better experience for your members.
Last year, the scoring system was revised for the second
time since its inception in an effort to better evaluate
a club’s wine program. The changes agreed on by the
judges allocate more points for interpretation of the
wine list and the wine program description. Primarily
Awards are given in the categories of Merit and Distinction. On the 100 point scale, an Award of Merit is
achieved when a club scores between 80 and 89, and an
Award of Distinction is achieved when a club scores a 90
or above.
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Congratulations to the Award Winning Clubs!
Awards of Merit:
Awards of Distinction:
Applebrook Golf Club, Malvern, PA
Baltimore Country Club, Baltimore, MD
Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, MO
Boca Woods Golf Club, Boca Raton, FL
Capital City Club, Atlanta, GA
Lakewood County Club, Dallas, TX
Los Altos Golf & Country Club, Los Altos, TX
Lost Tree Club, North Palm Beach, FL
Manasquan River Golf Club, Brielle, NJ
Minnehaha Country Club, Sioux Falls, SD
Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, GL
Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, NC
Sailfish Point Country Club, Stuart, FL
San Gabriel County, San Gabriel, CA
Spring Brook County Club, Morristown, NJ
Spring Lake Golf Club, Spring Lake Heights, NJ
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Arden, NC
Westmoreland Club, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, CA
Birnam Wood Golf Club, Santa Barbara, CA
Charlotte County Club, Charlotte, NC
Cherokee Town & Country Club, Atlanta, GA
Governors Club, Chapel Hill, NC
Jonathan Club, Los Angeles, CA
Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Newport Beach, CA
North Ranch Country Club, Westlake Village, CA
Palm Beach Yacht Club, West Palm Beach, FL
Paradise Valley Country Club, Paradise Valley, FL
The Reserve Club, Indian Wells, CA
River Oaks Country Club, Houston, TX
Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, Menlo Park, CA
The Wanderers Club, Wellington, FL
7
The International Wine Society Would Like to Welcome Its Newest Members
Member
Club
Daniel McGee
Copper River CC
Wesson Anderson, CCM
The Penn Club
Valeria Mejia
Oklahoma City G & CC
Frederick P. Maier
Squire Creek CC
Recruited By
Phil Wheeler
Dolores (Dee) Curran, CCM
The Los Angeles CC
Ivee Yu, CCM
Heidi van der Meulen
Quogue Field Club
James S. Sargent, CCM
Town & Country Club Of Saint Paul
Vincent Tracy, CCM, CCE
Jerome Smojver, CCM
Lakeside CC
Thomas Preuml, CCM
William Hall Wade
Indian Ridge CC
Craig Surdy, CCM, CCE
Matt Murphy
Medina G & CC
Gavin B. Inglis, CCM, CCE
Knickerbocker Country Club
Ryan Brennan, CCM
September Liller
Minocqua Country Club
Paul Anthony, CCM, CCE
Paul Frintrup, CEC, CCA
The Country Club of Little Rock
Blaine Burgess, CCM, CCE
Randall Prieur
The Country Club of Little Rock
Blaine Burgess, CCM, CCE
Michelle R. Fryske
Barton Hills CC
Jennifer Howton
Ken Kosak
St. James Plantation
Desi Speh
The Arizona CC
Colin Mack-Allen, CCM
Patrick King, CCM, CCE
Army Navy CC
Colin Mack-Allen, CCM
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Reed Forbus
8
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Thank You for Your Support of the Annual Wine Auction
On behalf of the 2016 Wine Auction Chairmen – Jeffrey
Martocci, CCM, Paul Andrew Smith III and Jason Asbra –
thank you for your donations, assistance and contributions
to the 2016 Silent and Live Auctions held in conjunction
with the 89th World Conference on Club Management and
Club Business Expo in San Diego, CA. This year’s auctions
raised almost $68,000 for the Wine Society.
Bucky with their donation of $18,549 worth of wine. The
Georgia Chapter was also presented the Per Capita Bucky
for donating $130.63 worth of wine per chapter member.
A big congratulations to the Georgia Chapter!
Jason will once again chair the auction in Orlando, FL, in
2017 with two additional chairmen (TBD), and will work
hard to match if not surpass this amount next year. Please
support your local chapter’s donation in 2017 to compete
for the coveted Bucky Awards, as we cannot continue to
be successful without the generosity of CMAA’s International Wine Society members.
The 2016 Per Capita Bucky winners are Arkansas (small),
St. Louis (medium) and Georgia (large) and the Wholesale
Value Bucky winners are Central Pennsylvania (small), St.
Louis (medium) and Georgia (large) for winning the Overall
9
Wine Society’s Twenty-Eighth Annual Formal Dinner
The University Club of San Diego, February 24, 2016
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11
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
12
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
The Spotlight On
TAKE 5! In the Spotlight With Wes Hagen
By Karl Habib, CCM, General Manager/COO, Spring Lake Golf Club
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Wesley Hagen is the Consulting Winemaker and Brand
Ambassador for J Wilkes Wines in Santa Maria Valley,
Santa Barbara County, CA. Wes was also the vineyard
manager and winemaker at Clos Pepe Vineyards and
Estate Wines for 22 years.
What is your management philosophy? Hire the right
people and allow them to use their talents. Lead by
example and be willing to do any work you ask your
employees to do. Inspire with dedication, long hours,
passion and intelligence/education.
Were you in leadership roles when you were younger?
I was school President in 6th grade, but as I moved on
in public school my father was my Principal in High
School so I tried to lay low a little bit. In general, my
leadership roles began in my wine career when I began
to write petitions to establish American Viticultural Areas
and joined the Board of Directors for the Santa Rita Hills
Winegrowers and Santa Barbara County Vintners.
How have your parents influenced your leadership style?
My father was a pro baseball player and a high school
administrator, so I always looked to him as an example
on how to work as a team and to keep a large group of
employees managed and working towards a common
goal. My mother was a senior partner at a very large law
firm, and was in charge of scores of associate lawyers, so
she has a very strong leadership style as well. I learned
from her to have high expectations and to verbalize those
expectations to employees.
Were there any expressions they would repeat around
the dinner table? More than anything, they told me I
could be anything I wanted to be if I put my mind and
effort behind my dreams and goals. They were wonderfully supportive and were fantastic in helping me go to
University and succeed. Dinner table was a very important part of our family life, and I would like to encourage
everyone to spend an extra hour at the table with their
loved ones every day. Wine helps!
(continued on page 14)
13
TAKE 5! In the Spotlight With Wes Hagen
(continued from page 13)
What were some early lessons for you as a young
manager? Making and keeping weekly or even daily,
meetings to make goals and check on progress is key.
Walk around, work with your team until they are on
autopilot. Show them you are willing to do anything for
success and expect the same from them.
Where did you go to college? The University of Redlands
in Southern California, where a number of my friends
were from Spring Lake, NJ!
What’s the biggest challenge facing the wine industry
today? Consolidation and homogenization of wine style.
Fortunately there will always be young, impetuous and
creative winemakers that will make exciting and fringe
styles of wine, and I hope there will always be a market
for wines made with an authentic craft perspective.
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Tell us about your family and children. My wife and I live
in Santa Maria, CA, less than a mile from the Solomon
Hills Vineyard. We decided early in our relationship not
to have children, but I do have a Little Brother at the Boys
and Girls Club that I visit and mentor regularly. My wife
does have a horse, a Hanoverian warmblood that she
trains for Dressage, and my wife also uses a Service Dog
named Pergrine who helps her with medical response
and mobility in her wheelchair.
What don’t most people know about Pinot Noir and
Santa Barbara? In a post-Sideways world, at least people
know that we’re growing fantastic Pinot Noir here in the
County. I would say that the sandy soil, fog, wind and
cool temperatures give us the ability to grow Pinot Noir
on the 34th parallel—the lowest latitude that I know of
where quality PN can be produced. We have struggling
vines on sandy soil, tiny berries and clusters. Here’s
a relatively obscure fact—color and flavor in PN are
developed by long hang time and cool temperatures, so
being so close to the Pacific Ocean and the Humboldt
current (brrrr….) helps a lot. Our average August high
temperature is around 75 degrees! Come visit in summer—we don’t even use air conditioning.
What is your favorite bottle of wine? 1972 Louis Trapet
Chappelle-Chambertin. This wine made me a winemaker
in 1999—my initiation into the deeper wisdom of all
things Burgundian, and the only wine that has ever made
me weep uncontrollably. I tried a 1966 Mondavi Cab
(his first) last weekend and that was a very special wine
as well. Chablis, Champagne, Northern Rhone whites
and Alsatian whites are my go-to tipples, and I also enjoy
silver tequila—specifically Fortaleza Blanco. It may be
the greatest spirit on the planet earth.
What is your favorite food? So hard to say, but Hog
Island Sweetwater Oysters are high on the list, as is everything I ate recently in New Orleans (boudin, crawfish
etoufee and barbecued shrimp), Mexican feast at Super
Rica, Julia Child’s favorite Mexican restaurant in Santa
Barbara. The truffle-encrusted lamb lollipops at Alain
Ducasse in Paris are probably the most amazing bites
I’ve ever had. Also, an amuse bouche salmon puff at the
Auberge de l’Ill in Alsace was stunning. The fried chicken
at Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco is also worth mentioning, and I do have a weakness for Bluefin belly—a taste I
can rarely afford.
What is your favorite vacation spot? Not even close. Big
Sur, CA. Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, Castro Cabin.
What is your favorite part of the job? Sharing wine with
interesting people over delicious food.
Are you a golfer? I am. I currently post a USGA index
of about 15, but I am a little rusty after starting my new
job and not getting out as much. I have been fortunate
enough to play some of the best courses on the Pacific:
LACC, Riviera, Spyglass, La Purisima (my home course for
20 years), the Bridges (Phil M’s home), Sherwood (Gretzky’s home), and many others. My greatest golf moment
was shooting a 79 at La Purisima and sinking a double
breaking 18 footer to par 18 and save the sub-80 round.
Currently, I play disc golf a few times a week and love the
sport. If I was the King of Golf, I would make the practice
swing illegal to make the game less excruciatingly slow.
Final Thoughts: I hope to make it to Spring Lake in 2016
for a winemaker dinner or pouring event. I hope New
Jersey and the East Coast is ready for these delicious J.
Wilkes wines and some fun education on wine!
This article is part of a series of interviews featuring
industry icons and leaders. Please e-mail your comments
and feedback regarding this conversation and any
potential features to [email protected].
14
By the Glass
From left to right: Fred Merwarth, Winemaker, and Oskar Bynke, Owner/Manager.
Redefining Riesling Along Seneca Lake:
An Interview With the Team at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards
Matthew Kurtas, Certified Sommelier, Clubhouse Manager, Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club,
West Boothbay Harbor, ME
This month’s interview feature focuses on Fred Merwarth
– winemaker, and Oskar Bynke – owner and manager, of
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards along West Seneca Lake in
the Finger Lakes Region of NY.
On Business at Hermann J. Wiemer
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
What styles of wine are you known for? What sets
Hermann J. Wiemer apart from other producers in your
region? Explain the terroir of your plots and single sites.
FM: The styles of our wines are determined by where
and how we farm our vineyards. We have three unique
vineyards with distinct viticultural advantages and
challenges. HJW, our coolest site and home to Hermann’s
original plantings, sits on a high shale bedrock table. This
ensures a solid mineral backbone and clean acidity for
which our estate Rieslings, Chardonnays, and sparkling
wines are known. But HJW is further from the lake and
is more vulnerable to cold snaps late in the spring and
early in the fall. It is therefore suitable to a smaller range
of varietals than our two warmer vineyards- Josef and
Magdalena. Those sites have deeper soils and longer seasons so we are often more concerned with yield control
during the growing season. Those sites can also host more
varietals which introduces the challenge of planning
plantings that make sense
for the soil type and site.
We recently decided
to pull up Chardonnay
planted in 1975 from our
Josef Vineyard because we
couldn’t square using our
ripest site for Chardonnay
destined for sparkling wines. Our biggest challenge, and
our main focus at harvest, is determining what that fruit
is telling us, i.e. what qualities can we assign it as we
determine its best use.
We’ve also been at the forefront of efforts in the Finger
Lakes’ to improve vineyard health with ecologically
engaged/enhanced vineyard management. We have
improved our cover crop program to promote beneficial
species in our vineyards, reduce soil erosion, and build
the natural defenses of our vineyard ecosystem. To that
end we have used only organic sprays in our vineyards
and eliminated any herbicides since 2004. We alternate
tractor traffic, which if it sounds boring, is actually
quite important in reducing the adverse effects of soil
compaction.
(continued on page 16)
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Redefining Riesling Along Seneca Lake
(continued from page 15)
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
OB: I think everything Fred wrote helps to separate us
from other producers in general, not just in the Finger
Lakes. Our vines/wines start in our Nursery. We bench
graft each piece of bud wood onto rootstock selected specifically for certain plantings. The precision with which
we can plant and farm is therefore hard to match. We
take that site-specific approach all the way to the winery
where each block or set of pickings is isolated before
we assess how any given wine will come together. This
approach means we have the components necessary to
build our wines without making artificial acid and sugar
adjustments, or any other adjustment for that matter. We
do not use any filter or fining agents either. Our careful
farming means we have healthy fruit enough to have all
of our fermentations rely on indigenous yeasts- giving
each wine a distinct mouthfeel and set of aromatics that
we don’t find with conventional yeasts. This also gives us
a stylistic identity that is as rooted in place as varietal.
On Management and Life
What brought you to the wine industry? How has
becoming a parent influenced your management style?
What is your management philosophy? What are the
greatest challenges you face not only as winemakers, but
as managers?
FM: I started here after a cold call to Hermann. I
graduated from college and knew I wanted to work
in agriculture. While studying abroad my senior year
at Cornell I was lucky enough to get to taste in Alsace
and the Mosel. Those experiences introduced me to
the agricultural side of wine making and really piqued
my interest. As for management style/ philosophy/ team
building we have always focused on educating the team
here at Wiemer. If everyone on the team knows why we
hand pick then we have more buy-in on those long days
when multiple blocks need to come in. As for what being
a parent has taught me about managing- you cannot
control everything. In fact there is probably a lot that you
can’t control. So I’ve learned the value of being flexible in
business as you have to be in life.
OB: I am an agronomist from Sweden but did some of my
studies at Cornell where Fred and I met. Began with the
winery in 2006 after a few years in the distribution world
in NYC. I left NYC after Fred and I spoke about what we
thought were some big opportunities for the region and
the winery.
I think that enthusiasm still carries through with everything we do. Not only are we very enthusiastic about our
product and process but we focus on trying to only hire
passionate people in order to be on the same page.
Our management style might be rather “Swedish” were
hierarchy is of lesser importance. We take everyone’s
ideas in consideration as long as there is sound reasoning
behind it.
We have abandon the arguments- “Because Oskar
and Fred say so” as Fred and I also need to justify our
(continued on page 17)
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Redefining Riesling Along Seneca Lake
(continued from page 16)
decisions with clear arguments or/and informative plans.
In this way, the team is all onboard. In an ideal world this
is how we will raise our kids also; (Fred has a four year
old son, and I just became a new father this past year).
However, that has been shown to be more challenging.
We also approach our management by “doing”; it might
perhaps sound inefficient but Fred and I are deeply
involved in all aspects of the winery. We are a rather
small farm so I guess it is easier than a big organization.
Speaking for both Fred and I, we really enjoy what we do
and we enjoy our team work. Therefore, I think the challenges and “let downs” coming our way, we approach
with much enthusiasm and ‘go getting” spirit.
On the Wine Industry
The wine industry is beginning to converge with tourism.
What updates have you made to your property to build
your brand and an experience for guests when they
come to Seneca West? Where in the scheme of the
marketplace would you say Finger Lakes Wines are?
Where do you see Finger Lakes Wines going from here?
FM:
OB: It’s true that we see a lot more tours and increased
foot traffic of people coming to the Finger Lakes for a
weekend away. We recently completed a winter tasting
room and we’re always looking for ways to make guests
more comfortable and better informed when they visit
us. As our core approach is education and hospitality at
the winery, we are focusing on tourists who are into wine
and also want to enjoy a high-end experience more than
perhaps bachelorette parties.
• “Desert Island” wine: depends on the latitude of the
island but probably an aged Barolo.
On Enjoying Wine
• “Desert Island” wine. If I have the choice to bring
my lovely wife to the island I think the best selection
would be Champagne.
• If you were stuck on a desert island and could only
drink one wine for the rest of your life, what would
it be?
• What’s the secret to a great food/wine pairing?
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
Fred Merwarth, Winemaker
• What reaction do you want someone to have when
they drink your wine?
• Secret to pairing: You should go into the pairing
knowing you like both the food and the wine. That’s
half your battle!
• Desired reaction to HJW Wines: Balance, Character,
complexity.
OB:
• Secret to pairing: Focus on the wine. I always pick the
wine first! However, a not so secret pairing, but what I
like is botrytis Riesling with gorgonzola.
• Desired reaction to HJW Wines: “Delicious!!”
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Idea Fair
Red wine
consumption
skews somewhat
to those over the
age of 50
White wine
consumption is
spread evenly
across all the
generations
Rose
consumption
skews to those
under 50
Sparkling wine
consumption
is greatest for
Millennials
Wine Consumption by Generation
Wine Opinions, a leading US wine market research firm,
recently published a new report on “American Wine
Generations,” which is based on a comprehensive survey
of high frequency wine drinkers across generations, and
an in-depth survey of 1,400 Millennial wine drinkers of
all consumption frequencies.
Sparkling wine consumption is greatest for Millennial
wine drinkers, while white wine consumption is spread
evenly across all the generations.
More information on this report is available at
http://wineopinions.com/.
Continue this conversation in the Wine Society Facebook
group available at www.facebook.com/groups/cmaawinesociety/. Is this survey reflective of what you see in
your club?
Based on this research, red wine consumption skews
somewhat to those over the age of 50, while rose consumption skews to those under 50.
Total Consumption by Wine Color and Generation Amongst High Frequency Wine Drinkers
Vol. 29 No. 1 • Spring 2016
(Average Percentage of Total Consumption by Volume)
Millennial
Generation X
Baby Boomer
Other
Red wine
53%
56%
62%
60%
White wine
27%
28%
26%
29%
Rose or blush wine
10%
9%
6%
5%
Sparkling wines of any kind
10%
7%
6%
6%
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