Stonestreet adjusts to the elements

The changing climate around the world has forced grape growers into leaving their comfort zone in search of different grape varieties that will tolerate heat, experimenting with new vititcultural practices and modifying how they make wine. It’s a revolutionary era that will preserve the industry and introduce consumers to new wines. 

We recently interviewed Christopher Jackson, second-generation proprietor of Stonestreet Estate Winery, about how his family operation is adjusting. Jess Stonestreet Jackson and Barbara Banke launched the estate in 1995. 

Located on Alexander Mountain, the vineyards are already facing difficult growing conditions even without climate change.

Jackson said, “Over the last two decades, the extreme of winegrowing on the mountain have continued to grow in intensity. In 2004, recognizing the challenges in achieving physiological ripeness and high stress to the vineyards, we began implementing regenerative farming practices that could mitigate the growing intensity of conditions and foster resilience of the land and vines.” 

He said he has identified more rigorous rootstock and clone combinations to reduce the stress on the vines. But the producer also has planted drought-resistant varieties, such as assyrtiko, chenin blanc and malvasia blanca. How these grapes fit into future wines – as a blend or stand-alone – remains to be seen.  

With disappearing sources of water for irrigation. Stonestreet added reservoirs on the mountain to capture the rainwater. Since 2008, water use across Jackson Family wineries has been reduced 43 percent.

Spaced out with Petrus

Now, here’s something you’ll want to buy.

Christie’s will hold a private sale of the bottle of 2000 Petrus that spent 14 months aboard the International Space Station. Proceeds will go to funding future space missions.

Sadly, there’s only one bottle. It will be packaged in a unique trunk made by Parisian Maison d’Arts Les Ateliers Victory. The trunk will include a decanter, glasses and a corkscrew made from a meteorite.

The 2000 Petrus, valued at about $7,000, was one of a dozen wines sent into space on November 2, 2019. One of the goals of the mission was to see h ow plants adapt to the stress of space conditions. According to the Christie’s release, “Recreating an Earth-like environment with near-zero gravity…offers a unique research framework to better understand the evolution of key components of wine, including yeast, bacteria and polyphenols.”

The space-aged wines were analyzed on March 1. Said the release, “The initial results found the bottles positively endured all the constraints of preparation, travel, and storage. Remarkable differences in the color, aromas and taste components were noted, and the wines sampled were commended for their compexity and considered to be great wines.”

In other words, the wines were the same on Earth as they were in space.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if the person who buys the Petrus finds out it is corked?

With blends, only red seems to work

I recently did a wine tasting for a small group of eager wine enthusiasts. The subject was blends — a segment of the wine industry that is growing so fast it’s just behind chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. In fact, of the wines introduced in the last year, 40 percent of them were blends.

Strangely to me at least is that no one is making a decent white blend. The two I offered to the tasters — Kitchen Sink and Apothic White — were awful. Nearly everyone — including me — dumped them. There seemed to be no consideration given to what each grape variety contributed to the wine. Awkward and overly acidic come to mind.

On the other hand, the three red blends I poured were equally delicious. Each blended different grapes — one was a California blend of mostly zinfandel and syrah; one was a South African blend of Bordeaux grape varieties; the other was a Washington state blend of 14 grapes. Each showed how well-paired grapes can produced a delicious wine with broad flavors.

I’ll be writing a column about red blends in the near future. For now, there are the three wines everyone liked:

• No Curfew Red Wine 2016 ($15). This is a very delicious and balanced blend of zinfandel, syrah, petite sirah, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Raspberry notes enveloped in a round mouthfeel with oak-infused vanilla and chocolate flavors. This is an invention of Amici, a producer known for its great values. 

• Beyond Ordinary Cabernet Blend 2016 ($15).  We didn’t expect much from this South African blend, but we’re we ever surprised. This blend uses all five Bordeaux grape varieties and offers French appeal with black currant and dark fruit flavors, soft tannins and hints of pepper and leather. 

• Apex Red Blend “The Catalyst” 2016 ($17). There are 14 grape varieties in this complex and well-priced blend from Washington state. Syrah dominates the blend, though, and provides effuse red berry flavors. Nice dose of fine tannins gives it body for a foil to grilled steaks. 

Phinney sells another one

Wine genius David Phinney seems to have a pretty good deal going. He invents a label, makes it a marketing phenom, then sells it for a princely sum to a wine conglomerate.

Phinney’s most recent deal was to sell his Locations series to E&J Gallo. It was only a few years ago that Phinney was inspired to blend wines across regions and label them after the country’s designation. Resembling a bumper sticker, “F” was for France, “E” for Spain, “AZ” for Arizona, etc. There was no regard for boundaries in deciding which varieties to use in his blends. However quixotic, the wines were tasty — and reasonably priced at $20 a bottle. It was a formula that abandoned traditions that would be Phinney’s ticket to success.

The sales price was not disclosed.

Phinney already had a friendly business relationship with Gallo, having sold his Orin Swift wines to them just two years ago. Constellation now has the Prisoner brand.

Phinney was able to launch new labels without owning any vineyards or winemaking facilities. Think about that. He sells a label. Presumably, he stays aboard and makes the wine, but I suspect it is in name only.

Phinney’s latest wine is 8 Years in the Desert made under the Orin Swift label. It is a zinfandel blend that sells for $45 a bottle.