Robert Sinskey Vineyards

FIELD DAY...
you're either on the bus or off the bus!

It was an outstanding day in the field last June. While the thermometer danced in the mid-80’s, 150 people enjoyed wine, conversation and dinner by Spruce chef/partner Mark Sullivan and his crack culinary team. The venue: A long table in one of the avenues between the Pinot and Merlot blocks of RSV’s OSR Vineyard in the Carneros.

The event was organized by a group known as Outstanding in the Field, founded by self confessed slacker/chef/artist/surfer dude Jim Denevan who stumbled upon the idea of taking the party to the farm some 15 years ago. He is now the leader of a moveable feast – a roving troop of vagabonds in an ancient bus who conduct up to 90 dinners a year on farms throughout the country. A veritable Keseyan journey of believers whose mission is to enlighten all who venture onto their path.

“Now, you’re either on the bus or off the bus. If you’re on the bus, and you get left behind, then you’ll find it again. If you’re off the bus in the first place-then it won’t make a damn.”
Ken Kesey

What is amazing, besides how great the events are, is how successful they have become. Tickets for these farm dinners sell out in minutes... guests at our event told me they had to plan to have no interruptions at the moment the tickets went on sale because if not purchased within a few minutes, the events would be sold out. It’s the culinary equivalent of landing tickets to a Grateful Dead concert back in the heyday.

It appears we have a quiet revolution going on.... a desire for authenticity in the age homogeneity. Now there are a lot of people out there who are still more comfortable with something predictable and safe, but there is a growing movement of seekers who want something real, unique, and distinctive.

This attitude gives me hope. It tells me there are many restless folks who will brave the weather and sacrifice creature comforts for the experience of connecting with the farms that produce their food... this time, enjoying lamb that not long before grazed the vineyards of RSV and washing it down with wines grown in the same spot.

I would like to think that those of you who have been following the wines of RSV and my ramblings are on the bus. There might be times when you’ve gotten off, but since you’re reading this, I have to assume you’ve gotten back on. Enjoy the ride.

Louie Louie, Oh Baby!

Pinot Gris is one of my favorite grapes. Though its reputation has been maligned by a slew of inexpensive Italian Pinot Grigios, the grape in and of itself is quite noble. The French versions of Pinot Gris from Alsace can be dry, off-dry or sweet and botrytised. In the Alto Adige region of Italy, fine producers of Pinot Gris capture its weight, aromatics and crispness in delightfully refreshing wines. RSV’s Pinot Gris embraces the best attributes of Alto Adige and Alsace. Flavors and aromas of spice, pear and melon combine with a roundness on the palate and a crisp and lingering finish to capture what a new world Pinot Gris should be about - freshness with a touch of opulence and musky, slightly sexy, fruit.

My mouth waters at the thought of drinking this wine with a wide variety of foods from grilled sausages with sauerkraut, to herb roasted chicken or a salad full of vegetables and sweet, delicate shellfish. Pinot Gris’ versatility and palate pleasing nature is why it has become so beloved at my house... and beyond.

Until the Next Wine....
Maria

EAT: Crab Louie

The Merry Pranksters of RSV are at it again, challenging the status quo, producing a varietal wine that comes with preconception and offering up a consciousness- expanding alternative; always with an eye on pure pleasure at the dinner table.
Pinot Gris is known by many names and many styles; from the light as water Italian Pinot Grigio from bottom-line oriented large producers to the artisanal rendition from the growers of Alto Adige who believe the grape can be much more when farmed attentively from selective locations. In Alsace, we experience Pinot Gris styles that run from mineral and dry to sweet and intense. In the US, we see everything from barrel fermented and flabby to crisp as a fresh apple.

RSV’s Pinot Gris is always about growing it well and not messing it up in the cellar. The wine is from a single block of RSV’s certified organic Three Amigos Vineyard in southern Carneros. A night harvest helps pass the acid test, delivering fresh, bright, crisp fruit to the winery in the wee hours of the morning.

Upon arrival at the cellar door, the crew loads the press with whole clusters of Pinot Gris, gently coaxing the juice from the grapes, extracting the goodness while avoiding potentially bitter compounds that can come from the skins, stems, and seeds. The juice is held at a low temperature for a couple of days to settle out solids before a long, cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks. No oak, no induced malolactic fermentation.

It is non-cerebral and complex at the same time, offering youthful enthusiasm while young, before evolving into a thought-provoking array of mineral, spice flavors and aromas as it ages.