(with apologies to Frank Schoonmaker)
Frank Schoonmaker (August 20, 1905 - 1976) was an American
travel guide writer, wine writer and wine merchant. He was born in Spearfish,
South Dakota, and attended two years at Princeton University, after which he
dropped out of in 1925 to live and travel in Europe. He wrote two travel
guides, Through Europe on Two Dollars a Day and Come with Me to France. He
wrote a series of essays for The New Yorker. While involved in this latter
project he met Raymond Baudoin, the editor of the La Revue du vin de France,
who took him under his wing and taught him about wine. Schoonmaker also
collaborated in the wine trade with Alexis Lichine, another wine writer, and
the pair were considered the two most influential wine writers in the US for
several decades.
Both men called for an end to the ugly American practice of
calling U.S. wines by European names. Fanciful names such as California
Burgundy, New York Champagne, California Bordeaux, California Chablis, and
other bastardizations were frowned on by Schoonmaker, who was vociferous in his
condemnation of such practices, and insisted U.S. wines be called by their
rightful name.
Schoonmaker’s influence finally held sway with a maverick
California winemaker named Robert Mondavi, who made varietals, and thus started
to label his wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, etc. Thus the drive for varietal labeling helped
differentiate California wines from their European counterparts. Schoonmaker
praised Mondavi and those that followed. And Schoonmaker was right….then.
Schoomaker also called for the wine industry to establish a difference between
table wines and fine premium wines in the market place, so Americans could rink
better wine on the whole.
“I blame Frank Schoonmaker for making wine enjoyment so
freakin' difficult,” wrote David Baer, wine educator in an article entitled, ‘Damn
You, Frank Schoonmaker!!’ “That's not completely fair, but he did have a lot to
do with the American obsession with THE GRAPE. When I teach wine consumers, one
of the first things I tell them is to forget about the grape. We have become
fixated on grape varieties, and it was all Schoonmaker's doing.”
But in the east, this practice, especially with red wines of
exceptional quality, is difficult. Because of varying weather, cold winters,
shortened seasons, etc. these cool climate growing regions, especially New
York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, all of which make gorgeous wines, find their
wines vary accordingly. In California for the last 10 years the concept of
vintage has become obsolete. However, France and Italy still have the same
issues as the east. The weather is too variable for them not to find some
importance in the vintage.
With the rise in popularity of cool climate wines, and the
increasing reputation of wines from New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, how
do we ensure fine quality reds on an every year basis? While Schoonmaker
dissuaded US winemakers from emulating their European brethren, he encouraged
U.S. winemakers to strike out on their own. He urged them to create separation
from their European counterparts. I think the time has come now when we in the
east can draw closer together with our friends across the pond.
The great reds of Europe tend not to be single varietals,
but blends. What that blend mix should be I will not get into here (that’s a
whole other article), just to say that red blends seems to me the sure fire way
to create 90 point plus reds for the east coast. And thus create the final
stage of serious red wine to make the east coast a serious and collectable wine
producer in the world.
It’s obviously not just blending. It’s taking into account a
blending of not just wines, but of techniques, massaging the various wines in
American, Pennsylvanian, Hungarian, and French oak. We need to consier aging
like the Spanish do for a minimum of one year, or two years, or three. The idea
is to help raise the bar to guarantee better quality. I don’t think it needs to
be standardized, but I think it needs to become standard practice.
As recently as last year, I heard winemakers from several east
coast states complaining about the consistency of their own red varietals, as
if blends were not as serious a sign of success and succeeding singularly with
Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot etc.
And this is why I think the future of east coast wine lies
in Bordeaux. For these wines to be as heartily desired as their European
counterparts, the east coast needs to “creatively adapt” some of the best
practices of Europe to ensure a whole generation of superb red wines.
The great houses of Bordeaux blended their wines because
like those winemakers here on the east, the quality of their varietals was not
consistent. The idea was to blend Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, and Malbec
and Petite Verdot, and many other grape varieties in different mixtures to fill
in where the holes of one varietal aided another. The other practice was to
hold back a certain amount of wine each year to blend in with the wine next
year, thus establishing a consistent flavor profile from year to year.
These practices hold sway even today. And French wines have
never been more popular or collectible. The Top two growths don’t let most wine
writers taste their top wines any more. The wine writers, no matter how
effusive, cannot help increase the astronomical prices they are already getting,
especially through the Hong Kong/Asian markets, where the popularity of wine
has skyrocketed with the burgeoning Chinese middle class.
Ripasso is another style which east coast winemakers should employ
more often. Pressing new grapes over the desiccated skins of previously crushed
grapes, and adding them to the masceratin, helps add favors to your wines, and
increases their fullness and roundness.
And we need to embrace the notion of terroir…at least of our
own terroir. Dirt and location and sunshine and air drainage all make a place
unique.
Now, I am not announcing anything new here. But I will opine
that there is a whole new class of Bordeaux-styled reds available on the east
coast, and they have firmly established their dominance in terms of quality and
flavor. Yes, there are some exquisite Cab Francs, Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays
being made here on the east coast. I am not dismissing them. That’s not what I am
talking about here. Stop being argumentative. Listen up! If we want to create
big world class red wines here on the east coast, wines that will stand
shoulder to shoulder amongst California and France, Italy, Spain and Chile and
Argentina, then we need to look to France and emulate them, because there is no
hope of emulating California unless global warming continues to spiral out of
control. You have a better chance of emulating Baron Phillippe than Robert
Mondavi. That’s not a bad thing.
Truly, some of the best reds of the east already follow this
pattern and I strongly urge other winemakers to consider this trend. And I
strong recommend to consumers that you try some of these very good blends!
For winemakers and consumers, I highly recommend the
following wines (in no particular order):
Philip Carter Meritage 2006 (VA)
Wagner Meritage 2010 (NY)
Arrowhead Springs Meritage Reserve 2007 (NY)
Karamoor Estate Meritage 2008 (PA)
Boxwood Esate Boxwood 2010(VA)
Black Ankle Slate 2011 (MD)
Rockhouse Vineyards 2008 Meritage (NC)
Unionville The Big O (NJ)
Tarara Winery 2007 Meritage (VA)
Damiani Wine Cellars 2007 Meritage (NY)
Trio 2007 (PA)
King Family Vineyards Meritage 2007 (VA)
Jason's Vineyard 2000 Meritage (NY)
Ravines 2007 Meritage (NY)
Stinson’s Meritage 2010(VA)
Barboursville Octagon 2008 (VA)
Whitecliff Vineyards Sky Island Red 2011 (NY)
Hudson-Chatham Empire 2010 (NY)
Brotherhood Mariage 2006 (NY)
Benmarl Proprietor’s Reserve 2010 (NY)
Va La Mahogany (PA)
Chaddsford Merican 2007 (PA)
Leonard Oakes Estate Reserve Mertiage 2010 (NY)
Wagner Meritage 2010 (NY)
Bedell Musee’ 2008 (NY)
Paumanok Assemblage 2004 (NY)
Peconic Bay Winery Lowerre Family Estate 2007 (NY)