A winemaker's encompassing role

Over the holidays I was hosting a tasting with a group in the Napa Valley and the question arose about the "true role" of the winemaker and if it bears any similarity to a chef's talent in the kitchen. As with so many similar questions surrounding the art, science and business of winemaking the answer is complex in spite of its seemingly outward simplicity.

The term "winemaker" has no direct translation to French. In the Old World winemaking has always been considered a part of the overall process from vineyard to bottle and not merely the influence of a specific individual in the winery. The closest terms related to winemaker are Maître de Chai (i.e. cellar master) or Chef de Cave as he is known in Champagne.

Both terms are meant to convey the idea that this person is the head of a team making wine and not just an individual solely responsible for the cellar or process. In the New World the concept of the "team" leader seems to have morphed into an individual's role of a winemaker despite the historical connotation.

But, is this changing?

In the role of a team leader the winemaker's responsibilities extend far beyond the winery to the vineyard itself and all the important decisions made before, during and after harvest. This is where the definition of the term "winemaker" as we know it becomes a bit cloudy in its current and more familiar use considering the traditional expanded reference to the role.

In today’s “winemaking world,” there is no real difference between growing and production as it is now considered more as a singular process with multiple parts. During the growing season, a winemaker is constantly thinking about what the wine will be like and at harvest, the thought process simply moves from outdoors to indoors.

For further insight into the evolving and encompassing role of today’s winemaker, I looked to three people who are well known and highly respected in the field for their personal thoughts and experiences.

Sally Johnson Blum is one of Napa Valley’s most expressive winemakers. After an enviable career at Pride Mountain Vineyards, she is now working with CourAvant in St. Helena and Tamber Bey in Calistoga. “From the very beginnings of my career, studying viticulture and winemaking at UC Davis, I have always striven to focus equally on vineyards and winemaking. Exceptional farming is critical to the creation of a distinctive wine representing a singular place and moment in time.”

She also observes, “Spending time in the vineyards throughout the growing season allows me to build strong relationships with my farming partners and stay several steps ahead when harvest rolls around. It also helps build deep trust and mutual understanding of each other's priorities and concerns. This allows me to better project the timing of ripeness at harvest based on other observations of early season developmental markers such as bloom and veraison, so I can begin to customize my winemaking plan expressing the site and vintage well in advance.”

Mother Nature is commonly seen as the ultimate arbiter and creator of fine wines. Scott Harvey – owner/winemaker of Scott Harvey Wines in Amador County, California – was trained in his craft in the Old World and is a staunch proponent of Mother Nature’s prominent role in the ultimate winemaking process.

Scott points out, “Our role is to preserve the characteristics of variety, place, and vintage that the vineyard gives us while staying ahead of Mother Nature’s making of the wine. She sure doesn’t wait for you and if you don’t practice the science of winemaking, you will be unable to accomplish the art of producing a fine wine. Staying true to my European training, I’ve learned that it’s far better and easier to express the true character of the vineyard when harvest occurs at optimal maturity and not allowing the berries to become overripe.”

Vivier Wines’ Co-proprietor and Winemaker Stéphane Vivier (aka “The Lazy Winemaker”) began his illustrious career in Burgundy and strongly believes in his interconnected role from vineyard to winery. “From my experience, I find an understanding of the place and people who have lived with the vines is necessary in making wines that are true to their image. We must also adapt to the vineyard’s specific geography, geology and unique weather patterns also known as terroir.”

Stéphane went on to say, “Putting a picture of the vineyards in the glass is always my goal, but being able to “see” the wines before they are made makes my work at the winery obvious and simple. Perspective and experience are key and with that comes a more natural sense of intuition and feeling.”

Often a winemaker's role is compared to that of a chef as each applies well honed skills in the sourcing, preparation and style of the final product. However, I see a big difference since the winemaker is solely dependent on vintage vagaries and "fruit of the vine" as the base ingredient, where a chef has a far broader selection at his disposal for each preparation.

A chef is truly the "creator" of a dish by sourcing many individual ingredients, skillfully blending them together with great expertise to fashion a culinary delight that up to that moment may have only resided in his imagination. In contrast, a winemaker in the pure sense, does not create a wine with all of its nuances but rather shepherds the fruit as it develops on the vine through harvest, fermentation and all the subsequent steps involved in producing the finished wine.

A winemaker has many options and opportunities available in his "toolbox" (modern technology) and "spice rack" (various oak regimens, yeast strains, cold soak and maceration times, etc.) to enhance the development of aromatic, flavor and textural components. The finest winemakers exercise these options judicially in a "hands-off" rather than interventionist approach to enhance the character of the wine rather than create something unintended by Mother Nature.

In light of the historic and expansive role of the winemaker perhaps the Old World concept of Maître de Chai would be more fitting as it encompasses not only the skills needed in the winery but also the support of the team throughout the growing season and vinification.