Medal-winning wines

Fifty years ago, on May 24, 1976, a panel of renowned French wine judges selected some Napa wines over French wines in a blind taste test where they had no indication of the wines’ origins. Needless to say, the day is not celebrated in France—but it is an important date for North American wine growers and makers. The “Judgement of Paris” established the ascendency and assured the present price point of Napa Valley wines. The California wine industry had arrived.

The success didn’t happen overnight. California had a thriving wine industry under Spanish (and subsequently Mexican) government, providing wine for the religious missions that were scattered along the El Camino Real (and for the daily consumption of Spanish Dons). The Gold Rush of 1849 saw a dramatic increase in the planting of vines—especially in Amador County, which is located in the heart of Gold Country that is still mined today. (Who made the most money from the gold rush? Was it the miners, those who provided food, spirits and tools, or the ladies who provided intimate comfort to the prospectors?) Prior to Prohibition, Sonoma County, the Napa Valley and Santa Barbara all had thriving wine industries providing for the needs of the locals.

Once Prohibition took hold, a great deal of California production went underground. Creative ways were developed to meet the needs of the thirsty folk. A family of Italian immigrants, farming in the lower Napa Valley, were no longer allowed to commercially make wine even though they could produce wine for family consumption. Keep in mind, it was the age of party lines, where anyone on the same line could listen in to another’s telephone conversation. (Each household had a distinct number of rings to indicate who was being called.) This family also engaged in produce farming and raised poultry—so when some of their regular clients called in an order, they would also ask for a “Black Chicken,” which was their euphemism for a jug of potent zinfandel. That family continues to produce stunning wines to this day: the parents still process their olives and drink their estate wines from small tumblers.

Can tradition (with a little creativity) overcome all?

THIS WEEK’S PICK
It’s simply great when our wines receive the recognition they deserve—not from Ontario judges, but from a panel of international jurists. Such was the case when John Rode of Harwood Estate submitted four of their wines and came away with silver and bronze medals as a tribute to their excellence.

I had occasion to taste their 2014 Windward White, which is a striking blend of five varietals. What makes this wine so attractive is the way in which John and his team allowed each varietal show its best attributes. This is definitely a wine to have as a pre-dinner aperitif or to pair with some local perch or pickerel. It’s available at the winery located on Loyalist Parkway just west of Hillier.