Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Same as it ever was...
just different!

“How come you take the same pictures over and over again?” asked my daughter, a touch of disdain in her voice. I feebly attempted to explain that though the subject might be similar, each image is slightly different. I don’t think my explanation had much of an impact as she gave me a brief blank stare before her attention was captured by an incoming Snapchat. If I had chosen my words more carefully, I would have explained that each photo is unique to their moment of creation, yet informed by the past. Kind of like Groundhog Day except you get to try again every year instead of starting over at the same point in time… hopefully improving with each repetition until you get it just so.

I take my camera out into the field during each harvest and I come back with a unique set of images of every year - literally a digital snapshot of the season. It not only captures the distinctiveness of that particular vintage (cluster size, vine vigor, wet or dry conditions etc.), but it captures everything that I’ve learned before, like knowing what time is the best to shoot (5:30-6:30 am) or which vineyard blocks produce the most dramatic landscapes (Scintilla Sonoma at dawn, OSR Merlot blocks, top of Capa, and the oak knoll at the crest of Vandal) and which are conducive to action shots (SLD Estate and Three Amigos). But not only do I know where to shoot, I’ve learned how to shoot, what ISO to use when, or to under-expose the night harvest pictures so the light colored items don’t “blow out,” or how to anticipate the action shot or angle for most dramatic effect. These are things learned from repetition, not unlike winemaking itself.

Every year, we turn to our same vineyards and develop a strategy based on the things we’ve learned and observed from prior vintages. The vineyards and varieties are the same, but each year is different, forcing us to consider how the season will influence the finished wine - like the current drought conditions. Everything is weighed against past experience to craft a wine that has a family resemblance, but is true and reflective of the vintage… a snapshot, so to speak. It is the same, only different… informed by the past yet true to today.

Shape-Shifter

A well crafted Pinot Gris, like this one from RSV, makes a splash at the dinner table. It is chock full of delicate pear and citrus notes along with a pleasant nuttiness that is uniquely Pinot Gris. When I was thinking about what to serve with RSV’s Pinot Gris, I thought of a meaty slab of flaky fish sparked with a high note of lemon. The wine’s nuttiness on the finish led me to artichokes, whose unique flavor is boosted by hazelnuts and their oil. Voila - I had the dish. The artichokes had their petulant, taste shifting wiles tamed by roasting. The Pinot Gris deftly sings with all of the elements - extraordinarily so! I was quite pleased and so too will you be.

Until the Next Wine....
Maria

EAT: Pan Roasted Halibut

EAT: Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes and Baby Artichokes

EAT: Roasted Maitake Mushroom Crowns

EAT: Hazelnut Vinaigrette

RSV is fortunate in that we not only work with our same vineyards year after year, but also people who have honed their craft at RSV, earning a level of fluency that can only come with repetition. Two need a shout out: Jeff Virnig, Winecrafter, has been with RSV for 27 vintages, learning, adjusting, responding to what he observes in the field and cellar to make wines that are elegant, living snapshots of the vintage.

Then there is Debby Zygielbaum, RSV Dirt Farmer and Sheep Wrangler, who has been with RSV 12 vintages, working with Jeff, Maria and myself to grow superlative fruit that is more than just organic or biodynamic, but rather vibrant expressions of place and vintage.

Experience is critical in growing and making a subtle, elegant wine like RSV’s Pinot Gris. Having beautiful fruit from RSV’s organically farmed Three Amigos and Scintilla Sonoma Vineyards, allows a strategy where less is more. Night harvested grapes arrive cold and fresh at the cellar door, then they are delicately whole-cluster pressed before going through a long, cool fermentation in stainless fermenters. Grown well and allowed to be pure, the wine preserves its natural vitality for a stunningly good Pinot Gris.