Salamandre Wine Cellars Fall 2008 Newsletter

Beyond Terroir: In Salamandre, It’s the People

I truly admire winemakers…and wine tasters…who can detect the subtle nuances of terroir . These are the discriminating flavors owed to the environment of the vineyard, whether the muted acid below a chalky outcrop, the musky earthiness from a marl subsoil, the ashy intrigue of volcanic dust, the cough-drop flirtation of a nearby eucalyptus grove, or maybe a cool ocean breeze tousling the vines on even-numbered Thursdays in August beneath a waxing moon. (OK, sorry….) I do make Pinot Noir from five vineyards, and they certainly are perceptibly different, but I'd have to wink broadly to suggest I could pin down the reason with terroir .

However, Salamandre's wines possess an intangible element which accounts for something bright and happy that won't appear on the label. That is the hand and spirit of friendship.

There is a 40 year circle involved. My “daytime job” is healthcare reform. In the late 1960's, as a med student working with vineyard laborers in the San Joaquin Valley , I first saw the ugly face of health disparities in California . Before that jolt, I figured I would become an “engineer doctor,” but my career took an abrupt turn…and that work has a long way to go. Pediatric practice gave me the chance to serve the families of farm workers, then teach young doctors some of what I learned, and now try to crank the stubborn wheel of change in California . I've shared in some small victories and some conspicuous failures, too, but it's worth traveling to LA every week to keep pushing. Meanwhile, the harvest also keeps the circle turning on a shorter cycle. This year marked my thirtieth harvest—or perhaps a thirtieth reunion—at the Arroyo Seco Vineyard in Greenfield . I've known the owners, managers, and workers when they became parents…and then grandparents. I've had the privilege to care for some of their children, and I have used a few “insider” tricks to help my respected friends navigate our exasperating healthcare system.

Good grapes, like good medicine, require goodwill. We harvest Chardonnay at the cold crack of dawn, since Salamandre does not have refrigeration other than Aptos fog. Sitting on the cobbly soil while waiting for the light, leaning against a fence post and sipping cinnamon coffee, we catch up on the kids. Whose asthma is all gone, who's now a vineyard foreman in Paso Robles, who just had a baby, who's going to San Jose State , who's a community diabetes teacher. Foreman Serafin Guzman rolls up in his 3-wheeled ATV and says with a grin: “For the doctor today, we pick la pura seleccion —just the golden clusters. Any bunches with any mugre , leave those behind. We'll pick those tomorrow for __-__. “ The grapes in my bins are different…and better. Terroir is an important differentiator, surely, but mostly it's the people who touched them.

When we pull the trucks up to Salamandre's tiny crush stand, another circle of friends is waiting to greet them. Most of these treasured friendships exist because the wine brought us together. As we reenact the ancient Dionysian ritual that defines civilization, the laughter and music that echoes around the press adds a flavor of mischief and optimism that goes well beyond terroir .

Come have a taste. Warning, though: we unabashedly pal around with terroirists ….