We wine writers are a strange group. We are an amiable lot of fishwives and gadflies. Each generation thinks that we have discovered fire. Most writers – reporters, novelists, playwrights, poets – have heroes they read when young. Those whom they want to emulate. Hemingway. Fitzgerald. Woolf. Cather. Even foodies quote Beard, Fisher, and Child. The beer folks and whiskey folk recognize Michael Jackson. But we wine writers seem to always find the new penny without the proverbial help of the previous shoulders whom we unknowingly stand upon. Alexis Bespaloff. Alexis Lichine. Frank Schoonmaker. Kermit Lynch. I'm not sure I've ever seen a wine writer cite a scribe from an earlier generation. I doubt many of today’s writers, bloggers, and influencers have read them, and those that have, rarely, if ever, mention them.
A case in point was Steven Kolpan, who just recently passed away. Steven Kolpan was a titan in the wine writing genre. It was an odd passing. He’d not been well for some time. He had stopped writing. Our last correspondence was three or four years ago. But when he passed, there was little fanfare.
There was no obituary in the New York Times, nor the Wall Street Journal, not the Wine Spectator nor Wine Enthusiast. He was one of the best-selling wine writers in America (his books were still in print), and he had been instrumental, at the forefront, of setting up the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America. He was one of the most erudite and knowledgeable wine experts in the world. Yet, his death remained a largely private affair, and many of the winemakers of the Hudson Valley, for whom he was a champion, did not hear of his passing until many months later.
I first met Steven Kolpan a dozen years ago. We had corresponded by email several times. And we had a mutual friend – Kevin Zraly. At the time I was the VP Editorial Director of Sterlingn Epicure, and I invited him to lunch. Uncharacteristically, we met not at one of the Culinary Institute’s restaurant’s but a new French-styled bistro in Poughkeepsie named Brasserie 292. I had pitched him several book ideas, and he invited me to bring two bottles of our wines from Hudson-Chatham Winery (which we owned at the time).
At the time, Steven Kolpan was Professor and Chair of Wine Studies at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Steven was co-author of Exploring Wine, which had sold more than 125,000 copies, and was nominated as Best Wine and Spirits Book by the James Beard Foundation. It was a big deal to meet with Steven. Steven was one of the most widely published, and bestselling wine authors in America.
Steven was also co-author of WineWise, a consumer-friendly guide to the wines of the world, which won both the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Beverage Book and the 2009 Georges Duboeuf Award for Best Wine Book of the Year. He was also the co-author of A Sense of Place, a history of Napa Valley's Niebaum-Coppola / Rubicon Winery as told to by Francis Ford Coppola. That book received the prestigious Versailles Award for Best American Wine Book in 2000. He is a contributing editor and the wine columnist for The Valley Table and Salon.com. In 2007, Steven Kolpan was named Wine Educator of the Year by the European Wine Council. He was also a member of Slow Food International for 20 years.
Steven was born on June 2, 1949 in New York, NY, and was the son of the late Jack and Ruth Kolpan. “I was one of the first video artists in the United States. I was trying to use video in the same way people paint. I gave a course in video arts. They had lots of alternative studies. You had alternative history courses, or you could get credits for studying dance, music, etc. Kevin taught the first credit bearing wine class in the United States. This was the first time this had ever been done at the college level,” Steven told me. Kevin worked at a liquor store in town. The owner was very generous with his time. “Little by little I began to see Kevin more and more around New Paltz. In 1974, we both worked in this new program at New Paltz experimental studies program. You got credit in classes that were outside the normal.” Kevin and Steven became lifelong friends.
Steven met Kevin around 1970, when he started working with John Novi at the Canal House. Kevin was the bartender. Steven had just graduated from New Paltz. Kevin graduated after him. Steven recalled that Kevin was working the bar and waiting on tables. Kevin was on deck when New York Times food writer Craig Claiborne ventured in one winter day with a group of skiing companions. John Novi earned a four-star review, the first outside New York City. “When John Novi got four stars it was huge news,” said Kolpan.
Steven became the sommelier of the Dupy Canal house after Kevin left. It was a few years after he’d left. John was a friend. He knew I was interested in wine. “Why don’t you come down and run the wine list at the restaurant?” Steven started to recreate the wine list and helping with the paperwork. Then he started working the floor of the Canal House.
courtesy of The Daily Freeman
They were just two lifelong Hudson Valley hippies back then. Kevin had long shaggy hair, and wore jeans and a blazer. And Steven was a young man with a big head of Jerry Garcia-like curly hair. Kevin had actually been to Woodstock concert. They were hippies helping to run one of the best restaurants not only in the Hudson Valley but in the greater New York metro region.
“I had a little pocket guide to wine by Barbara Ensrud. It had a red cover. I hit the floor with that book in my back pocket,” recalled Kolpan. He was still so unsteady about what he was doing. There was no real wine education for someone at that time, except for experience. “One of the best ways I learned a lot about wine was from listening to customers at the restaurant, and tasting wines with them.”
Kolpan reminisced about events in the life of the restaurant. He told stories about the time when Mimi Sheraton anointed Novi as “the Father of New American Cooking” in a 1985 Time magazine cover story. He claimed that the kitchen was basically an “environment of controlled mayhem”. On one infamous night, Kolpan and Novi had to take turns washing dishes after the regular dishwasher left to take in a local Grateful Dead concert. That happened the day after a rave review appeared in People magazine. The restaurant had exceeded their occupancy limit! “John has never failed to surprise me,” Kolpan said.
“We had always got interesting clientele at the Canal House. John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Lots of famous people. Alexis Lichine used to come quite often,” said Kolpan. Lichine was born in Moscow, and his family had fled during the Russian Revolution. Lachine lived in the US, when to college here, and then moved back to Paris. After the war, Lichine became an importer of French wines into the United States. In 1951 Lichine purchased Château Prieuré-Lichine and in 1952 also became part owner and manager of Château Lascombes. He became one of the most important people in Bordeaux. “He was one of the great wine celebrities in the generation before us. He was one of the people we followed,” said Kolpan.
photo by Frank Wright
The first time Lichine came in, Steven walked up to him, and graciously said, “Good evening Mr. Lichine. I’m Steven an I’ll be your server this evening.”
“Where’s Kevin?” responded Lichine abruptly. Steven tried to explain that Kevin was in New York City.
“Who the hell are you?” thundered Lichine.
“My Name is Steven. I’m doing the wine here now.” Kevin had told Steven to always keep Prieure-Lichine on the wine list. Steven did not understand til just then. “Every time he came in he would order Prieure-Lichine,” chuckled Kolpan.
These were not the only visitors. There were many gourmands back then (they are called foodies today) who made the trek to the Hudson Valley for John Novi’s cuisine.
“When we first started going up to our land…we had gone exploring the area and had discovered a wonderful restaurant called The Dupuy Canal House, which was owned by John Novi, a famous New York chef. It was a lovely New England-style house, with pane windows and several rooms with fireplaces, where dining tables were set for lunches and dinners. John had a large wine cellar, with many different types of wines. People would drive two hours from New York, just to eat his famous food,” recalled Susan Hayman-Chaffer in her book Love, Please: A Memoir of Destiny, Loss and Healing. Hayman-Chaffey was a soloist with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and a poet. She was married to Satoru Oishi an architect and sculptor who worked with Jasper Johns and Phillip Johnson. “We went there one evening for dinner, having heard of his reputation, and had a truly stupendous meal. His wine steward was a large, rotund, charming man with curly black hair and a jovial, welcoming smile. Named Steven Kolpan. We all immediately took a liking to each other and became fast friends. After dinner, he took us back into the kitchen to meet John, so that we could compliment him on his stupendous meal. It was the beginning of a long and warm friendship with both of them.
Hayman-Chaffer recalled, “Steven would also be present at our group lunches, showing up with bottles of incredible wines, to which we all fell upon with joy. Everyone in our group was a wine aficionado and much appreciated Steven’s contributions.”
But then came an amazing opportunity. Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts as well as certificate programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies. It is among the most prestigious culinary schools in the world. Zraly, became a member of the board of trustees of the CIA. “He recommended me for my job there. I was always there working in a different capacity. And I was a candidate for the wine job. But I doubt I would have gotten the job without Kevin’s recommendation,” said Steven. He had that job for 31 years. “And I love it. It thoroughly changed my life.”
Steven was known as a likeable task master as a teacher at CIA. “[Prof. Kolpan] knew the power of telling stories. He would regale us with tales of wine-country visits (one, involving an Italian vintner who had landscaped his yard with fairy bridges, still stands out) and he would play films for us so we could get a sense of places the wines we tasted were grown,” wrote CIA graduate Tara Q. Thomas in Wine and Spirits magazine, June 22, 2022 (the only major beverage magazine to cover his passing). “He had a way of talking about bottles he’d tasted and pairings he’d had that was never boastful; it just made you want to find that pairing for yourself. Many of us had never thought much about wine—it was considered a sommelier thing, not a cook thing—but even the kids who didn’t drink got into it.”
“Steven was an incredible influence on me and countless others who passed through the doors of Roth Hall,” commented Tim Buzinski, another CIA grad. “He was a model of excellence in the industry and I still remember many of his lessons. He was incredibly supportive of all my endeavors…”
“When Kolpan started at the CIA in 1987, the school had no advanced wine studies programs and no Greystone campus in Napa Valley’s wine country. Heck, there were only seven Master Sommeliers in the US,” continued Thomas. “Kolpan was way ahead of the game. By training hundreds of chefs—persevering with classrooms of bored, tired, clueless young cooks—he helped break down that wall, and opened doors that many of us didn’t even know existed.”
Kolpan was always in dialogue with his students. “Although I am a relic of a previous era - or several previous eras - I have been enthusiastically delving into the world of wine apps,” wrote Steven after the turn of the century. “I have asked my students for assistance in navigating this new world of apps, and they have been open and generous in sharing their knowledge without smirking or sarcasm, even if they were shocked by my lack of digital literacy. They must be thinking, "Just how old is this guy?" And of course they're right; I really am that old.”
Along with his fellow wine instructors, Michael Weiss and Brian Smith, Steven co-authored three editions of Exploring Wine, the massive CIA textbook. They also wrote two editions of WineWise, a book that won the James Beard Award for Best Wine Book in 2009. He then wrote A Sense of Place, as told by Francis Ford Coppola, about the historic Niebaum-Coppola winery. He also penned a column for The Valley Table, a high-end food-to-table magazine focusing on Hudson Valley. His column at the magazine dated back to 2011. Exploring Wine and WineWise were seminal works in American wine education.
“A small group of advisors, including Steven Kolpan and John Novi, helped define our mission early on, and the current Restaurant Week Advisory Board (profiled in this issue) continues to help keep us on track,” wrote Janet Crawshaw and Jerry Novesky the publishers of The Valley Table. “The raison d’être of this magazine is to encourage as many people as possible to eat local as often as possible. The message struck a chord in many people—it turned out to be the right message at the right time.”
Steven was a well-traveled, and knowledgeable wine connoisseur. And he was always exploring new regions, new wines. “There’s a special place in hell for winesnobs,” he once said. In the Hudson Valley he championed local wine. “I am a member of the tasting panel that selects wines for both the public restaurants and the wine classes at the CIA,” wrote. “And yes, there is great interest from our restaurant guests as well as our students in the wines produced in the Hudson River Region. We encourage our students to follow their “locavore” instincts when it comes to both wine and food, and they are often pleasantly surprised by the quality of our local wines.”
I recall with great pride, the day we met for lunch. I had brought a Seyval Blanc and a Baco Noir as his invitation. He admitted to me before I opened the bottles that he despised both grapes. We had the white with raw oysters and clams. He was absolutely shocked. We then had the Baco Noir, and he was much impressed by that. It was not long after that our wines back a staple at the CIA, and many students made their way up the valley to visit out little boutique winery. And many fun and interesting lunches followed, usually at the Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici restaurant there at the CIA. He was a friend, a consigliere, and a great story teller. And we had spirited conversations on local wines and east coast wines. He was open to new wines, and the developing regions, but he was also a hard marker. That said, when he liked a wine, he was a tremendous booster. As the President of the Hudson Valley Wine Country, I started coordinating mailings of local wine to Stephen as far back as 2011.
“There’s no doubt that, overall, wine produced in the Hudson Valley are getting better Kolpan told Kathleen Wilcox in Hudson Valley Wine magazine in the Summer issue of 2014. "Some of the wines can be extraordinary. I must say that when it comes to a particular varietal that shows a lot of promise, I choose Cabernet Franc. I’ve tasted some amazing wines form this grape over the last few years.
“I would have to say that Millbrook sets the standard for wineries that make vinifera -based wines,” Steven wrote in 2014 in Valley Table. “But there are many others who make outstanding wines from both vinifera and hybrid grapes, including Whitecliff, Hudson-Chatham, Clinton, Bashakill, Palaia, Benmarl, Cerghino-Smith, and Robibero.” He championed Cabernet Franc as a red grape in the region, which is now becoming the norm up and down the valley.
By 2014 he was in declining health. I had written to him about an upcoming tasting, to which he responded, “I AM IN THE HOSPITAL (have been for more than a month). I need to focus on getting well. I can't commit to anything right now, even though I would love to. Sounds like a great event.” This was also around the time they published the second edition of Wine Wise. From there he was just not well enough to meet. We exchanged emails around the holidays. He continued to publish articles with Valley Table. On January 21, 2018 he wrote, “I just thought I'd let you know that I have retired from the CIA (after more than 31 years).” It must have been a tough email to send.
He continued to write. He wrote a small piece for Hudson Valley Wine magazine in June 2018, discussing the struggles of the Hudson Valley wine industry. "We can only hope that Hudson Valley wine expands its footprint over the next ten years, because this would mean a continuation of a farming tradition in an area that has been “discovered” as the new Brooklyn or whatever," he lamented. "While wine may have a kind of lifestyle appeal, farming is hard work, especially when developers are throwing money at you to buy your land, making the cost of farm land both scarce and prohibitively expensive. If, however, local growers and producers commit and recommit themselves to making fine wines in the Hudson Valley, the wines will be excellent. All of the raw material is here, including the terroir and personal passion."
Steven Kolpan died on a Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at his home in West Hurley, NY. He was 73 years old. He was survived by his brothers, Gerald Kolpan (Joan) and Leslie Carter (Anne), nieces and nephews.
Steven Kolpan had as great an effect on American wine, and the understanding of wine by Americans as almost anyone else. He belongs up there with his friend Kevin Zraly, with Frank Schoonmaker, with Bespaloff and Lichine. (And so do Wiess and Schmidt – but that’s a different article). Whether you are a wine writer, an influencer, or a consumer, your knowledge of wine was affected by him, whether through the students he taught or the books and articles he wrote. Truly, a sad loss. So, I say, forget toasting Steven, instead, read one of his articles, read one of his books. We'll all be better off for it.
Quotes for A SENSE OF PLACE:
"Kolpan, wine professor at the Culinary Institute of America, tells of the rise, fall, and rebirth of the Neibaum-Coppola Winery...Kolpan nicely incorporates vivid figures (including Rafael Rodriquez, a Mexican who started at Inglenook as a migrant worker in the 1940s and now serves as the vineyard manager and historian) and explanations of such viticultural concepts as 'terrior.'." -- Publisher's Weekly, 8/30
"Steven Kolpan's remarkably well researched book on the Niebaum-Coppola Winery goes well beyond the walls of the vineyard of the winery itself. In addition to addressing the importance of this remarkable winery, it offers a passionate and informative look at the history of the California wine industry as a whole. A Sense of Place is one of the most enjoyable, educational and significant wine books I have ever read." -- Daniel Johnnes, Wine Director, Montrachet, New York City and the author of Daniel Johnnes' Top 200 Wines: An Expert's Guide to Maximum Enjoyment for Your Dollar
"Kolpan ends his book with his own detailed tasting notes of every Rubicon, the premier red wine produced here. This alone is invaluable information, as are the interviews, the history and a sense, not only of place, but of what is right and great about Napa Valley. Steven Kolpan has written an unforgettable book about an unforgettable story." -- The Underground Wine Journal
"Having grown up in the Napa Valley and watched Inglenook decline, is was wonderful to see Francis Ford Coppola resurrect the Inglenook Winery from the ashes and restore it to its past glories. Steven Kolpan's A Sense of Place captures the essence and the spirit of this metamorphosis." -- Louis "Bob" Trinchero, Chairman and CEO, Trinchero Family Estates/Sutter Home Winery
Further Reading:
https://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com/news/wine-news/steven-kolpan-1949-2022
https://www.keyserfuneralservice.com/obituaries/steven-kolpan
https://m.chronogram.com/hudsonvalley/vin-populi/Content?oid=2168613&showFullText=true
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dailyfreeman/name/steven-kolpan-obituary?id=35252018
Articles By Steven
http://stevenkolpanonwine.blogspot.com/
https://eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com/2012/06/steven-kolpan-raves-about-hudson-valley.html
https://eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com/2012/09/steven-kolpan-praises-hudson-valley.html
https://eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com/2019/03/steven-kolpan-celebrates-hudson-valley.html?q=kolpan
https://eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com/2014/03/steve-kolpan-calls-for-signature-grape.html?q=kolpan
https://valleytable.com/tasting-great-wines-a-new-york-approach/
https://valleytable.com/full-disclosure-who-makes-your-wine/
https://valleytable.com/new-york-state-of-wine-long-island/
https://valleytable.com/on-vintage-and-parker-power/
https://hvwinemag.com/a-revolution-a-decade-in-the-making/