I
can’t be in the tasting room for very long before someone poses the question,
“What’s your favorite wine?” I have
become adept at dodging this question.
My usual retort delivered in my most judicial tone is “rephrase your
question counselor and you may discover the information you seek.” You see my favorite changes all the
time. Right now, it is the Tempranillo
from Ann Kraemer’s Shake Ridge Ranch.
Next week it will be something different. But if someone asks “Of all the different
wines you make which one do you drink the most?” This question has a very definitive response,
“Barbera.” Barbera is such a versatile
wine that compliments so many dishes and is such a crowd pleaser that I find
myself reaching for it more frequently than any other wine. When I am with a group, I can be confident
that the wine will be appreciated by everyone.
It has a soft deliciousness that appeals to the novice and the subtle
complexities that intrigue the connoisseur.
It is the perfect accompaniment to Mediterranean cuisine.
In
the beginning we made just one Barbera. All
the grapes came from the Cooper Vineyard.
It was very popular and sold out well before the next vintage was
ready. The demand for the wine exceeded
Dick Cooper’s ability to provide us with enough grapes. In 2006 we decided to purchase additional
Barbera Grapes, and the resulting wine carries no vineyard designation. We call it the Amador County Barbera, and it
is a blend of wines made from grapes grown in the Ambra, Fox Creek,
Crain-Sleeper and Cooper Vineyards. Our
goal when producing the Amador County Barbera is to make it as good as the
Barbera made exclusively from the Cooper grapes. For the most part we have
succeeded. Darrel Corti, longtime
Sacramento grocer and wine importer, once chided me at a Barbera Festival after
tasting the two wines, “Mr. Runquist, if you are going to make two Barbera wines, make them different.” I still cherish
that statement and consider it one of the best compliments I have ever received
regarding one of my wines. The difference
in the flavors of wines produced from these four vineyards is subtle. They all
deliver raspberry fruit with pie crust spices; nutmeg, hazelnut, and allspice, but the Cooper often delivers an additional element to the wine’s aroma; a
perfumed floral note of violets or lavender that at times can be reminiscent of
potpourri. Usually, but not always, the
Cooper has a bit more color and depth of flavor.
