I was invited to meet Randall Grahm a year ago at the Olives restaurant here in Washington D.C. I had been all the way to Randall's winery with my father back in the 90's and because he had the flu I was unable to meet him then. We were taken on a tour by a young lady that worked there at the winery at the time and my father and I felt like we had been treated really well and we both thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Since then we have never crossed paths though I have enjoyed both selling and drinking Randall's wines over the years. I have always appreciated his willingness to step out of the safety zones and promote the lesser-known indigenous grape varieties.
When I was invited by Chris Pigott to attend this small, private luncheon at Olive's restaurant I jumped at the chance. I had kidded Chris recently about how he had brought every wine-maker/owner to our store except Randall and that I found it irksome that Randall had just recently done a wine-tasting at Calvert Woodley just up the street from us.
Before this recent meeting I had begun to wonder about some of Randall's wines. I found them to be often harsh and without balance and finesse, like the Gnarly Old-Vines Zinfandel and I wondered what was happening. I guess like many I feared that his empire of wines had grown too big? I had cut him a lot of slack because of the overall positive impact I feel personally that he has had on the California as well as wine business as a whole. For me he has always been a mentor of kinds and I have always wanted to meet him and see who and what this man is all about.
When I first began to sell Randall's wines I remember so very vividly the amazingly crazy/zany postcard fold-over emails/missives/streams of cosmic-fantastical consciousness that he would send. I have a pretty wild,free imagination myself and I found these stimulating,confusing,puzzling and unbelievable. What was this man and his innovative wine-world all about/up to?!? Where was this visionary trying to lead everyone/me? Would I be one to follow? Would I just read and try and comprehend and keep my safe distance? I just had no idea. I would read these pamphlets late at night after work at the Mayflower Wines & Spirits and later at Burka's Fine Wines. I will never forget the heights to which these streams/reams/confusions of " out-there " writings took me. I had to really pay attention, my full, undivided attention and maybe then with a real effort and a concentration I might be able to figure out what all of it meant possibly for me alone?!? Thanks Randall, I did appreciate them.
I got to Olives and there was to the left side Randall was orchestrating the opening of his various " new " wines. I got a chance to introduce myself and get a picture with him. I did not know how much time I would be able to speak to him and so I wanted to get a few precious few minutes in now, quickly before the opportunity disappeared. Randall was most gracious. I snapped several pictures while the wines were being opened, planned, orchestrated.
I was to really enjoy this tasting/luncheon more than I knew then. It just sort of flowed evenly and smoothly. I got to sit at Randall's table just a seat away from him and that pleased me no-end. It was nice to engage him in conversation with the others in between his standing to talk about his various wines. He's quite the speaker, too. He's spoken to groups like this before it is clear. He also asked us questions and engaged us in conversation. He was ready to mingle and to get something out of this just like we were doing. I can appreciate that.
I was writing the whole time that Randall was talking. Here are some of the words, phrases I captured as he spoke :
" ... unique strange universe, had to cut things extraneous, making everything biodynamic, main facts program - biodynamic. Makes wines imp- to me, get rid of the marketing shtick, banal, make the world slightly interesting, Nearly killed me, the BONNY DOON product line is shrinking. Albarino - made from biodynamic certified grapes... Basic challenge of winemaker in New World... No way of knowing what you'll end up with. Had to use winemaking tricks. This year painful learning curve. This wine - indigenous yeasts - no makeup, unadorned. I like it a lot, will develop nicely over the years, wants to develop more minerality .... the Vin Gris , two classes : 1) terminally unhip... about vin gris - cinsault totally rocks, alcohol under control/picked at good time. Other kool thing we did with the vin gris is ( " Can we pour it now ? " Randall asks the restaurant staff ) ... we used, excuse the wine geekiness, Roussane, Grenache blanc - usually are candied, bubble-gum-pleasant, simple - add white wines - gives it gravitas, now somber, adds base notes - everything is balanced, much more interesting ... aged, a year-old. "
Someone asks : " Why plant Albarino? "
Randall responds : " No one knows anything - Riesling does well, ... what made it for me ... misty in my mind now. I could smell salinity, lushness, salt air... Salina? Somehow flinty weird tangential connection - ground - sandy, granite - so Salinas valley I don't recommend. Crazy relationship, was already in it, so I had to make the best. The economic viability I have not worked out yet ... problem new world - very hot / bright - want more floral, less petrol ( Randall speaking of his Pacific Rim Riesling from the Yakima Valley, Washington State ). Petrol great when it is discreet - only have it develop later, not early. In Yakima valley I'm also planting true Gamay ( red ) and Gruner Veltliner. I'm very excited... training of the vines - the type? .... " ... ( and now speaking about his Ca Del Solo Muscat 2006 ) : " ... no sunburn, thick-skinned, more phenolic note to it. Alto Adige, more refined, subtle, jasmine. Brilliant, Stelvan closure captures everything ... takes a bit of time to develop.... Very happy with the wine... Just now getting the smell and taste interesting .... ".
Turns out that Randall had sold his BIG HOUSE empire and retained just a very small number of holdings, mostly the ones that he had begun with years ago and also now including his holdings in the southern area of Washington State where he makes excellent Riesling. He explained that he woke up one day and was not happy with what he saw/felt/had become. He wanted change and so he did by going back to his inventive, organic roots. He was happy, you could tell but he was still struggling and very much searching and working through things. Even with his success and his fame he was still having to work really hard. But it is clear that this type of work was rewarding in a way that it had not been previously for quite some time.
Randall was on a big tour of the U.S. and of Europe. I think he was going off to England, France, Italy and maybe more. I wrote it all down at the time but forget many of the details now. I will have to go back and find them and share them with you all later. This is just PART ONE. I stumbled just minutes ago on these pictures and wanted to download some of them immediately and tell Randall's " new chapter/story". I'm thrilled to have met you Randall at this most pivotal period in your life.
I gave you a couple of black-and-white India ink drawings at the luncheon and am wondering if you saw / liked them? It was my pleasure to give you something I did myself to thank-you for so much of the pleasure you have given me through your wines in the past. You signed the empty bottle of Le Cigar Volant 2003 that we enjoyed at lunch. Thanks, I just went over to look at it here in the store where it has a place of honor at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits( 202-363-4265 ) where I manage the wine department.
Come and visit us here at the store anytime Randall. We can continue our conversation of indigenous grape varieties from Apulia, Sardinia and Sicily. It was a fun conversation and one that you seemed to enjoy as much as the rest of us. Are you still writing any of those pamphlet-missives/streams-strange dreams of consciousness?!? Do you still have copies of the old ones you sent? I hope I still have one or two of them and that I did not throw them out. Cheers to you and to the pursuit of making wine for wine and food's sake and pairing and not just for scores.
Sorry that the pictures are a bit grainy. I was having trouble with my camera then and did not know it until later. I love them anyway, grainy or not! TONY
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