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The weather outside was frightful. Inside, however, delightful.
The weather outside was frightful. Inside, however, delightful. Paul Hobbs was content, when reminded of Mark Twain's comment that the worst winter he ever had was a summer in San Francisco; he smiled and said, "There is doubt now as to whether Twain actually said that." Then we settled down to the business at hand, tasting half a dozen wines, and catching up on new developments for one of the world's most successful, and therefore sought after, "flying" winemakers. The reason he is so successful at his work is that he puts the priorities right: passion for quality, and hard knowledge of the soil and climate that is expected to yield great fruit.
There is a winery in Sonoma, proximate to the Napa county line, at which Paul makes several wines from both counties. He makes prodigious cabernet using fruit from the legendary Beckstoffer vineyard, but says "the grapes are so good, you would almost have to be a moron to make a mediocre wine. That being said, it is still a challenge to bring out the best that fruit has to offer." There are chardonnay, notably the Augustina single vineyard, and pinot noir, notably the Lindsey vineyard, that he makes to his own exacting standards. He was instrumental in the Robert Mondavi empire, and key to the development of Opus One, thought these are not forefront in his mind these days. That is, he does not rest on past laurels.
Paul Hobbs is, to a degree, not a winemaker, but a philosopher. He was asked, early in hi career, to visit Chile, and give some advice to a burgeoning industry there, wanting to grow their quality levels. But at the request of Nicolas Catena, he decided to visit Argentina as well. This would be in the late 20th century. "I had what in retrospect was a serious advantage, at least in my mind. I drove into Argentina, instead of flying. So I saw all these higher altitude vineyards, and potential vineyard sites, up close. I discovered, also, that Argentina has what I would call a true wine culture. It is part of everyday life there. So, the nine years I spent with Nicolas were some of the most important years of my career. I was hungry for adventure, and he was hungry for change. It was perfect."
It is all about learning, and applying what you learn, to make the best wines possible in a given situation. "My life is really about exploring more with wine. Growing a deeper understanding of what works best, where." These days, given the demands on his time and expertise, Paul has to consider options careful. But for him, it is not about making a boutique wine that costs $100 a bottle. "I am involved these days with larger clients, who are committed to making the best wines possible."
That is an intriguing thought. A talented, driven winemaker who wants everyday wine culture to be a better and better part of life. As he heads out into the rain he says, "Take that Lindsey home with you, and let me know what you think, after drinking it with a meal." Safe to say, the mushroom risotto was amazing. I have the feeling he knew that.
