R A C O N T E U R

C O N T E N T S

4 An Invi ta t ion to the Table

7 Oak & the Scent of Steak

12 A Note from Andy

17 Finding Treasure in the Wind Gaps

27 High Atop the Hi l l s

33 In Pursui t of Balance

38 At an Eater y Near You

41 South Afr ica’s New Generat ion

47 Those Greedy Baboons

52 A Note from Rebecca

55 Goodbye Fusion, Hel lo Fiss ion!

63 Burgundy from the Bird’s Eye

67 Hangover wi th a Halo

75 Terroir ’s Cal i fornia Home

*

H E L L O

EXECUTIVE EDITORAli Banks

ILLUSTRATIONS: Bi l ly Simons (bicyc le i l lus t ra t ions ) | Les l ie Lewis Sigler (map & inv i ta t ions )

COVER PHOTO: Fred Lyon ( f redlyon.com )

DESIGN DIRECTORLeo Basica

ARTICLES EDITOREliza Coleman

C R E D I T S

Pg. 2

“Af ter nour ishment, she l ter and companionship,

s tor ies are the th ing we need most in the wor ld.”

- Phi l ip Pu l lman

Stor ies are indeed, universa l th ings, spontaneous th ings, the ver y fabr ic of

l i fe. We wri te new pages in our own s tor ies a l l the t ime. We in teract wi th

people, and new s tor ies emerge: characters are added, se t t ings change,

unexpected plo t l ines appear. I t i s in th is way that ever y day, the degrees

of separat ion between each of us diminish, that the wor ld fee ls a l i t t le

cozier, a l i t t le warmer, a l i t t le bet ter.

Wine is inex t r icably in ter twined wi th s tor ies. Al though i t i s jus t a humble

l iquid, that l iquid bears ev idence of the soi l s i t or ig inated in, re f lec ts the

sun that shone upon i t s grapes or the c louds that shrouded them, and speaks

of the human hands that tended i t s v ines. How s imi lar that i s to what our

own s tor ies te l l about us— where we came f rom, what shaped us, who has

in tersec ted wi th us and in f luenced us… Perhaps that i s one reason that wine

does more than jus t te l l i t s own s tor y—it br ings out our s tor ies.

Wine, l ike great ar t , has the abi l i ty to un lock the sou l ; wine f loods us wi th

connect ion, makes i t eas ier to mutual ly enjoy the wonder fu l gi f t o f l i fe we’ve

al l been given.

We are blessed to have enr iched our l ives wi th so many s tor ies to ld around

the dinner table. S tor ies to ld by us, s tor ies to ld by f r iends, new s tor ies

forged together. And always there is wine.

In these pages, we inv i te you to meet the people who have inspi red us, and

whose l ives have become in ter twined wi th ours th rough wine and who have

now come together to create a wine company un l ike any other. As you read

these s tor ies, you wi l l be amazed how the dots connect . Fur thermore, we

hope you wi l l f ind yourse l f th ick in the middle, a l iv ing par t of i t a l l , a v i ta l

character in a new and wonder fu l s tor y.

H E L L O

Pg. 3

In 1993, Char les and I f lew f rom At lan ta, where we were l iv ing, to Carmel to ce lebrate our second

anniversar y. We l ived on a ver y lean budget in those days and we spent a lmos t ever y th ing we made

chasing dreams and making memories. Re la t ive to our modes t income, even wi th our “ f ree” t ravel

perks f rom my job as a f l igh t a t tendant, our t ravel budget did not re f lec t much prudence. Most months,

my mid-month check was in fac t a bi l l f rom Del ta because we had t raveled more than I ’d worked. Who

knows how we managed to sur v ive, but we did, and i t was fun!

I t was on that t r ip that our wine journey began. We had $40 set as ide for a specia l beach picnic

n ight … a bot t le of wine, cheese, bread, and the sunset . Ear l ie r in the day, we had spot ted a quain t

wine shop at the top of Ocean Ave. that seemed a ver i table t reasure t rove. We convinced ourse lves

that amids t a l l those bot t les, there would cer ta in ly be one that would bef i t our ce lebrat ion and also

our budget.

Cer ta in that the sale bin would be in the back, we s t rode pas t the counter wi th fe igned conf idence

and a nonchalant wave. Novices that we were, we didn’t real ize that “we need no help” in a wine

shop t rans la tes to, “Hi! We wi l l be t reasure hunt ing in the back. Meet us there. ” As i f on cue, Kent ,

the ever af fable owner, met us there. He couldn’t wai t to ta lk shop wi th members of “ the c lub.” You

see, a l though no such of f ic ia l c lub exis t s , i t ex is t s . And Kent jus t might be the l i fe t ime pres ident . With

two glasses in hand and a huge smi le on his face, h is s imple ques t ions about wine somehow planted

seeds that have grown in to a l i fe long f r iendship.

You see, Kent ’s love of wine is on ly surpassed by his love for people. His joy in l i fe comes f rom

matching people wi th wines and cheeses that create moments that age in thei r memor ies l ike the

beaut i fu l wines he se l l s , even the cheap ones. Opening the door and inv i t ing people in to “ the c lub”

is h is gi f t to the wor ld.

Kent proceeded to open several bot t les of wine to help us f ind jus t the r igh t one. He brought us to the

f ron t of the shop, in t roduced us to h is o ther sa les people and to other cus tomers in the shop, began

pai r ing di f feren t cheeses wi th the wines we were sampl ing and se t t ing as ide ones he saw that we

l iked. His generos i ty and enthus iasm for craf t ing our per fec t n ight were boundless. He wrote down on

l i t t le cards the detai l s of the cheeses we chose, “sheep’s mi lk cheese f rom a grassy h i l l s ide in France”,

“goat ’s cheese aged for 12 months in ash”. The sale had to cos t h im money. Unbel ievably, we le f t on ly

s l igh t ly over budget but wi th the most per fec t picnic and memories that are pr ice less.

A N I N V I T A T I O NT O T H E T A B L E

Pg. 4

A few months la ter, I needed a bi r thday gi f t for Char les. I decided to cal l Kent— a bi t o f a lark but

wor th the t r y, I thought . What were the chances he would remember the couple who bought one bot t le

of wine and a few cheeses? Not only did he remember us, he remembered al l the wines he’d opened,

which ones we’d l iked and which ones we hadn’t l iked. “This t ime I have a l i t t le more to spend—

$250,” I said. “ I ’d l ike to real ly wow Char les and give him a whole case. Can you do that and wr i te

out a l l those l i t t le cards wi th the detai l s and in teres t ing fac ts for me?’ I t ar r ived more curated and

thought fu l than I ’d dreamed poss ib le.

Without real iz ing i t , Kent began the s tor y of our journey through the wine wor ld. I t was because of

Kent ’s k indness and generos i ty that Char les fe l l in love wi th wine and I fe l l in love wi th the people who

love wine.

Al though there is on ly one Kent in th is wor ld, there are thousands l ike h im, opening th is same door

for o thers dai ly. Ins ide the door is a wor ld that i s ever -expanding because the only requi rement for

membership is a pass ion for shar ing. Across the planet and we can spot “members” a t a l l types of

gather ings. A secre t handshake would be imposs ib le because we walk in to rooms carr y ing our la tes t

discover ies: a bot t le of wine, a new dish we’ve made, a k i tchen tool , a specia l o l ive oi l , something

we’ve jus t t r ied that we can’t wai t to share! But shar ing food and wine around the table is jus t the way

we se t the s tage for something greater – shar ing our s tor ies, and u l t imate ly, our l ives.

Cer ta in ly, we never thought that one quick s top in the Cheese Shop in Carmel would se t in mot ion al l

that i s has. We look forward to being around the table wi th you. Hear ing your s tor ies, tas t ing your

recipes, t r y ing your great f inds, and, most impor tant ly, shar ing l i fe wi th you.

Pg. 5

billy’s bicycle drawing here

Pg. 6

S T E A K & T H ES C E N T O F O A K

The f ie lds are large and open, and at the back s i t a big long dining table shaded by giant oaks, a gr i l l , and a f i re pi t for al f resco cooking

and dining. They’ve even created a backyard speakeasy…

PHOTO CREDIT

Annie Favia, Alex Becks tead, Joel le Jaf fe, Bi l ly Simons

Pg. 7

L I F E S T Y L E S H O T S

Pg. 8

I t ’s imposs ib le to spend t ime at Annie and Andy’s

proper ty and not cons ider want ing to t rade your

l i fe for thei rs . I t ’s a peacefu l , beaut i fu l , near ly se l f -

su f f ic ien t l i t t le universe tucked wi th in the v ineyards

of Napa. Annie tends the most amazing garden,

wi th ever y k ind of vegetable, herb, and legume you

can imagine, p lus f ru i t t rees and even tea plants. On

top of that , they keep bees and have a chicken coop

f rom which thei r daughters fe tch f resh eggs dai ly.

Andy is the gr i l l mas ter, cons tant ly in pursu i t o f the

bes t techniques for cooking anyth ing f rom r ib eye to

squash v ia outdoor f i re of some form or another.

The f ie lds are large and open, and at the back s i t

a big long din ing table shaded by giant oaks, a

gr i l l , and a f i re pi t for a l f resco cooking and din ing.

They’ve even created a backyard speakeasy— Andy,

a long wi th Annie’s bro ther, comple te ly re t ro f i t ted an

old ai rs t ream they found and turned i t in to “ the bar”

and parked i t near the din ing area. This fabulous

p lace is , of course, home to lo ts of fun par t ies.

In thei r profess ional l ives, Andy and Annie are

both qui te ser ious. Annie knows ever y th ing about

v i t icu l tu re (and plants in general ) and has been

responsib le for the plant ing (and replant ing) of many

a famous Napa vineyard. As a se l f descr ibed “how”

person, Andy is commi t ted to learning how to make

the ver y bes t wines wherever he is making them. He

is an exper t a t le t t ing the ter ro i r sh ine through in h is

wines, so that they remain s i te - speci f ic, whi le a lso

creat ing a ver y e legant f in ished product . For that

reason, he is ever in h igh demand as a consu l t ing

winemaker.

Bu t , discuss ing ter ro i r and soi l s and aspects, as

they do al l day long at work and at fancy wine

events, i s not a lways su i ted to thei r “backyard”

sh indigs. Somet imes you need a wine that i s jus t

p lain del ic ious, and does not need any discuss ion

or in te l lec tual pars ing. And that i s the idea behind

Levia than.

Lev ia than is a red blend of the bes t f ru i t Cal i forn ia

has to of fer each year. Drawn f rom some of the

bes t v ineyard sources across the s ta te, i t usual ly

inc ludes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet F ranc,

Syrah, and Mer lo t .

“Ever y year,” says Andy, “We are of fered f ru i t

f rom amazing v ineyard s i tes, each del iver ing

in teres t ing blending components f rom di f feren t

var ie t ies. F i t t ing these together l ike a puzzle

creates Lev ia than. What I love about Lev ia than

is that , i f you look c lose ly, you can pul l ou t the

nuances of the indiv idual var ie t ies. But the wine

also has a character a l l i t s own.”

That character makes Lev ia than per fec t for any

dinner par ty —i t ’s a big, bold, del ic ious wine

that never fa i l s to p lease.

L E V I AT H A N

N A P A , C A

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Pg. 10

Pg. 11

Wine is something that has brought me great

f r iendships and taken me to amazing par ts of the

wor ld. I t ’s taught me about h is tor y and pat ience,

and i t even brought me my wi fe and l i fe par tner.

Growing up in the middle of agr icu l tu ra l land in

E lkhar t , Indiana, I th ink that ’s where I f i r s t was drawn

to the ideas of farming and craf t smanship.

Af ter s tudying and t ravel ing, I ar r ived in Napa Val ley

wi th a few phone numbers and an idea that I would

t r y th is as a vocat ion. I have been so blessed wi th

the people I ’ve met and the places I ’ve been able

to work. F rom John Kongsgaard, Michel Rol land,

and David Abreu, to Phi l Cotur r i and Raj Par r—these

people wi th s imi lar pass ions cont inue to form my

v iew of wine and grape growing.

In 2003, Annie and I were s tar t ing a fami ly, having

jus t had two beaut i fu l daughters in less than two

years. We ta lked a lo t about where we were going,

and fai r ly quick ly decided to “s tar t our own th ing.”

We immediate ly met a handfu l of great potent ia l

c l ien ts , and headed down the path to create two new

winer ies – Ovid Napa Val ley and Dancing Hares

– and I took the re ins a t Ar ie t ta, f rom my f r iend and

mentor John Kongsgaard. We also of f ic ia l ly s tar ted

our Favia label , for which we had al ready been

making wine for severa l years.

People who knew me and worked wi th me said “ there

was a guy I had to meet” in Santa Barbara, someone

that I would want to work wi th. At f i r s t I pol i te ly

decl ined, having qui te a bi t o f work to do in Napa

Val ley. I had always loved Santa Barbara, but did

not want to diver t focus f rom my new projec ts . “No,

you real ly need to meet th is guy,” these people kept

saying.

So, in the summer of 2003, I f lew down and met

wi th Char les for the f i r s t t ime. I t was c lear r igh t

away that we shared more than jus t a pass ion for

wine. We were both born in the same year, were

marr ied to incredib ly s t rong women, and were at the

poin t in our careers where we would work as hard a

necessar y to real ize our v is ions for what we wanted

out of work and l i fe. We decided to work together,

and se t to work to create Jonata in the Santa Ynez

Val ley, wi th our good f r iend Mat t Dees.

I remember at the t ime Char les saying, “ I f Jonata

goes wel l , we could do something in Napa together,

and other th ings too.” Who knew that th is would

mean work ing together on three of the most impor tant

v ineyards in Cal i forn ia, and t ravel ing al l over the

globe in search of o ther cool oppor tuni t ies? L i fe

cer ta in ly i s great when you fo l low your pass ion.

A N O T E F R O M A N D Y

Pg. 12

A N O T E F R O M A N D Y

Pg. 13

ANNIE & ANDY’S

WHOLE BONELESS RIB EYE W/

CHIMICHURRI & GRILLED VEGGIES

From Siete Fuegos, by Francis Mallmann

(Serves 20 people)

INGREDIENTS

Rib Eye

1 boneless rib-eye roast, 6 to 10 poundsCoarse salt

2 cups Chimichurri, or more if desired

6 bay leaves

Salumuera

1 cup water

1 tablespoon coarse salt

To make the salmuera, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the

salt and stir until it dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Chimichurri

(makes about 2 cups)

1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves1 cup fresh oregano leaves

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pg. 14

Preparing the chimichurri:

Mince the garlic very fine and put in a medium bowl. Mince the parsley and

oregano and add to the garlic, along with the red pepper flakes. Whisk in the

red wine vinegar and then the olive oil. Whisk in the salmuera. Transfer to

a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and keep in the refrigerator. Chimichurri is best prepared at least 1 day in advance, so that the flavors have a chance to

blend. The chimichurri can be kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks.

Preparing the Rib Eye:

Heat a wood-fired oven or a home oven to approximately 450F.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with coarse salt and coat on all

sides with half the chimichurri (reserve the rest for serving). Scatter the

bay leaves over the meat. Place on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast

for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350F and roast for approximately 10 minutes

more per pound for rare (120F). Transfer to a carving board and let rest for

at least 10 minutes before slicing. Carve the beef and serve with the

remaining chimichurri.

We like to serve this with grilled veggies – anything that’s in season! Just oil it, salt it, and toss it on the grill or on a plancha (cast iron skillet)

on top of the grill. Seared tomatoes on the plancha are delicious! Sprinkle

with fresh chopped basil. We also love to grill eggplant and peppers, and in

the fall we cook pumpkin, squash, and potatoes by burying them in the coals.

Pg. 15

Pg. 16

F I N D I N G T R E A S U R E I N T H E W I N D G A P S

The product ion has remained smal l and the brand s t i l l has a cool underground feel to i t , l ike the garage lab of a rogue

cowboy-Francophi le-winemaker.

PHOTO CREDIT

Eric Wolf inger, Bi l ly Simons, John McJunkin

Pg. 17

Pg. 18

Wine lovers wi l l know the name Pax Mahle f rom his

f i r s t (eponymous) winer y – Pax – and wi l l probably

remember the dis t inc t ive oval labels in an ar ray

of so l id colors, each wi th an ancient looking map

i l lus t ra t ion and the bold unforget table b lack “PAX”

anchor ing the design. His new projec ts – Wind

Gap and Aghar ta – have taken a di f feren t rou te

than the Pax wines, ye t the imager y of mapping is

s t i l l a t the hear t of h is labels; a nod to h is perhaps

char tered, perhaps wind-di rec ted journey through

the wine wor ld.

In the la te n inet ies, Mahle was s tudying for h is

Master Sommel ier exam af ter work ing for years as

a sommel ier in Nantucket , where he met h is wi fe

Pam, as wel l as Sarasota and Scot t sdale. But whi le

on a t r ip to France, he met winemakers Henr i Jayer

and Jacques Reynaud, two winemakers who made

him real ize he wanted to be as c lose to the wines as

they were – work ing wi th the v ines, s loshing through

the mud—rather than jus t ta lk ing about and tas t ing

wine. As he put i t , he discovered he wanted to be

“ the guy in the di r ty boots ra ther than the guy in the

bowt ie.”

Not too many years la ter, Pax and Pam launched

the Pax label , which garnered high scores and much

notor ie ty. Though he has a lways been in f luenced

by French s ty les of winemaking, i t was the bold,

power fu l Pax Syrahs that f i r s t brought praise and

at ten t ion to Pax in h is new chapter as a sommel ier -

tu rned-winemaker.

Whi le the Pax Syrahs cont inued to be popular,

Mahle’s winemaking journey had real ly on ly jus t

begun. At the t ime, Pax was sourc ing f ru i t f rom a

number of di f fe ren t v ineyards. One year, one such

v ineyard had an unusual ly cool growing season.

Ferment ing in s ingle barre ls , Mahle found that the

wines produced f rom th is cooler s i te had the al lu r ing

f reshness he had always loved in French wines. He

bel ieved they were the k ind of wines one could dr ink

ever y n ight wi th dinner, summer or win ter, whereas he

now fe l t the Pax Syrahs seemed too heavy for n ight ly

dr ink ing. (Unless of course, one l ived somewhere

cold and wanted to dine on boeuf bourguignon by

a cozy a f i re ever y n ight…

He cont inued exper iment ing wi th f ru i t f rom cooler

growing regions and began pick ing at lower sugar

leve ls , and in the mid -2000s, he created the Wind

Gap label as an out le t for th is new di rec t ion. The

wines ins tant ly caught on wi th sommel iers. The

product ion has remained smal l and the brand s t i l l

has a cool underground fee l to i t , l ike the garage

lab of a rogue cowboy-Francophi le -winemaker.

W I N D G A P

S O N O M A , C A

Pg. 19

Today, that image of the map f rom the or iginal Pax labels i s s t i l l

so ver y re levant to what Pax and Pam, who has been ins t rumenta l

a t ever y s tep of the way, br ing to the Cal i forn ia wine landscape.

To fo l low Mahle and his cur ios i ty and ever -evolv ing approach is

l ike fo l lowing a t reasure map through the wor ld of wine.

He’s discovered l i t t le pots of gold around ever y corner – in the

l i te ra l “wind gaps” on the Sonoma coas t that create in tense

paci f ic winds and in teres t ing growing condi t ions, in whole -

c lus ter and wi ld yeas t fermentat ion, in esoter ic var ie ta ls l ike

B lauf rankisch – and he’s eager to share each new t reasure wi th

h is loyal fo l lowing.

He even makes an orange wine! Using a his tor ic, but now

uncommon technique, he makes a P inot Gr is that i s le f t on the

sk ins, f rom whose pigments the wine at ta ins a pink ish -orangish

hue. Based upon Pax’s t rack record in judging the di rec t ion of

the wind, i t ’s probably a safe bet that in a year, orange wines

wi l l be al l the rage.

Pax and I f i r s t met in 1999 when he was in the wine

depar tment a t Dean and Deluca in Napa. He had th is

h i lar ious out f i t they had to wear, reple te wi th a bere t - l i ke

hat , i f I recal l cor rec t ly … Perhaps the hat has become

exaggerated in my memor y!

Despi te the out f i t , Pax and I quick ly bonded, and I became

one of h is bigges t cus tomers and he became my enabler! We

s tayed f r iends even af ter he le f t Dean and Deluca. I remember

one night Al i and I had dinner a t Ter ra in Napa, and Pax

came running over to our table and said we had to tas te h is

f i r s t v in tage of Pax wines! We loved i t and were immediate ly

hooked. I t has been a pleasure watching Pax chase his

dreams and evolve over the las t f i f teen years.

A N O T E F R O M C H A R L E SA B O U T M E E T I N G PA X

Pg. 20

A N O T E F R O M C H A R L E SA B O U T M E E T I N G PA X

Pg. 21

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Pg. 26

H I G H A T O PT H E H I L L S

More than any other s ingle event , the Judgment of Paris es tabl ished American wines as being among the f ines t in the world.

PHOTO CREDIT

Fred Lyon

Pg. 27

About Mayacamas, wine wr i ter John Gi lman once

said, “To my mind Mayacamas remains unequivocal ly

Cal i forn ia’s greates t cabernet sauvignon producer,

wi th ver y l i t t le remaining compet i t ion amongst

Cal i forn ia winer ies for producing long- l ived,

agewor thy and s t ruc tured wines that evolve for many

decades and improve immeasurably wi th ex tended

bot t le age.”

Known for i t s h is tor y dat ing back to the la te 1800s,

i t s wi ld mountain se t t ing, and i t s involvement in

the famous 1971 “ Judgment of Par is” wine tas t ing,

Mayacamas holds a specia l p lace in the saga

of the Napa Val ley, not on ly for wr i te rs l ike John

Gi lman but for any lover of the area and i t s pas t ,

inc luding Char les Banks. Af ter f ive years and

many conversat ions, when he was f inal ly ready for

re t i rement and a new chapter, Bob Travers so ld the

pr ized proper ty to Char les in ear ly 2013.

Mayacamas Vineyards is located in the Mayacamas

Mountains that div ide the Napa and Sonoma val leys.

Near the top of Mount Veeder, the o ld s tone winer y

was dug in to the s ide of a dormant vo lcano crater in

the la te 19th centur y. Deer, eagles, cougars, foxes,

bobcats, and an occasional bear and mountain

l ion s t i l l inhabi t th is rugged ter rain. Obsidian

ar rowheads and s tone grain -gr inding bowls found

on the proper ty bear s i len t tes t imony to Mayacamas’

f i r s t human inhabi tants , the Nat ive Amer icans of the

Wappo t r ibe.

I t i s f rom the Wappo language that the name

“Mayacamas” der ives. Though there is no def in i t ive

answer, “Mayacamas” is bel ieved to have meant

“ the howl of the mountain l ion.” But , as the language

was never wr i t ten, and i t s speakers are no longer

wi th us, the or iginal sense of the word Mayacamas

remains shrouded in the quie t that abides af ter

voices have ceased, and thei r las t echoes have

faded. What remains is an homage to the meaning

on the Mayacamas label , in the emblemat ic “M,”

which bears two l ions rampant dancing wi th in.

The winer y was bui l t in 1889 by John Henr y F isher,

an in tense - looking, chise led- jawed German who

had emigrated f rom Stu t tgar t to Amer ica. F isher and

his fami ly es tabl i shed Zin fandel v ines and raised

the edi f ice of the winer y on the grounds of an

old sheep herding ranch at the end of the s teep,

dus ty, Redwood-shaded t ra i l on Mount Veeder, in

the amphi theater - l i ke bowl of the volcano crater,

and named i t F isher and Sons. He sold his wine

by the barre l , fer r y ing the barr iques by barge f rom

the dock in the Napa River south across the bay to

the Embarcadero in San Francisco. From there, the

barre ls were ro l led up the s t ree ts to a col lec t ive

bot t l ing house.

But , in the smoking rubble of the af termath of the

1906 ear thquake, F isher was forced to declare

bankruptcy. The proper ty changed hands a few t imes

over the nex t decades, amazingly sur v iv ing through

prohibi t ion, as the owners made boot leg wine and

grappa and sold communion wine to the Cathol ic

church. Then, in 1941, a Br i t i sh man named Jack

Taylor and his Cal i forn ian wi fe, Mar y, purchased

the land and re -chr is tened the es ta te Mayacamas.

M AYA C A M A S

Pg. 28

1941 was the year of the London Bl i tz; Jack was

escaping Hi t le r ’s fa l l ing bombs for a new, pas tora l

(and s t i l l not undemanding) l i fe of New World

winemaking. The Taylors p lanted Chardonnay and

Cabernet Sauvignon, and inaugurated the biannual

Mayacamas newsle t te r, which announced new

re leases of wines and descr ibed thei r rough-hewn

l i fe on Mount Veeder, which, af ter decades of

v i t icu l tu re, main tained an ai r and spi r i t o f pioneer ing,

wi th no e lec t r ic i ty ye t on the mountain and a ver y

basic in f ras t ruc ture, inc luding a gravi ty - f low winer y

des ign.

The Taylors then so ld the proper ty in 1968 to Rober t

and E l inor Travers, Cal i forn ians both, and i t was the

Travers who gave Mayacamas the reputa t ion i t has

today. Bob’s pr ior apprent iceship wi th Joe Hei tz,

as wel l as h is sc ien t i f ic background as a pet ro leum

engineer a t S tanford Univers i ty, had prepared him

wel l for h is new career. He loved the land and

deduced i t s potent ia l , un t i l then only h in ted at ,

for producing wines of great character, depth,

complexi ty, and age-wor th iness, and, together, the

young couple focused thei r e f for t s on Cabernet

Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

In 1976, Mayacamas Vineyards’ 1971 Cabernet

Sauvignon was se lec ted for the famous “ Judgment of

Par is” tas t ing, which pi t ted a se lec t ion of the f ines t

Amer ican wines agains t a s imi lar col lec t ion of top

French growths. Mayacamas was also inc luded in the

10-year and 30-year replays of that landmark event ,

in 1986 and 2006, which col lec t ive ly so l id i f ied the

tas t ing’s s ta tement about the legi t imacy of the bes t

Amer ican wines, and the Amer ican wine indus t r y in

general . In the or iginal tas t ing, Mayacamas placed

7th. In the second tas t ing, in 1986, i t p laced 2nd,

beat ing al l o f the French ent r ies. In the f inal tas t ing

of 2006, which as much as anyth ing descr ibed the

wines’ agewor th iness, the Mayacamas t ied for 3rd,

appropr ia te ly enough wi th Hei tz Mar tha’s Vineyard,

again out -p lacing al l F rench ent r ies. Al l tas t ings were

per formed bl ind by some of the most dis t inguished

tas ters of the day. More than any other s ingle event ,

the Judgment of Par is es tabl i shed Amer ican wines as

being among the f ines t in the wor ld: i t es tabl i shed

Amer ican wines in the global imaginat ion.

Today, the new s tewards of th is proper ty, Jay and

Joey Schot tens te in and Char les and Al i Banks, wi th

great respect for the Taylors and the Travers, wi l l

work to both preser ve and rev ive the Mayacamas

proper ty and i t s wines. The Banks and Schot tens te ins,

a long wi th Andy Er ickson and Annie Favia -Er ickson,

who wi l l ser ve as winemaker and v i t icu l tu ra l i s t , are

exci ted and honored to car r y on the legacy that the

Travers have created at th is remarkable proper ty.

M T . V E E D E R , N A P A , C A

Pg. 29

A SPECIAL INVITATION FOR LONG-TIME MAYACAMAS LOVERS

Please join us

F O R A S U N R I S E WA L K W I T H B U B B L E S

T H R O U G H T H E T E R R A C E D V I N E S

J A C K TAY L O R P L A N T E D I N T H E ‘ 4 0 s

A N D A H O T C A M P F I R E B R E A K FA S T

O V E R L O O K I N G S A N F R A N C I S C O B AY A F T E RWA R D S

Together we will explore the winery A N D S E L E C T L I B R A R Y W I N E S F R O M

T H E C E L L A R F O R P U R C H A S E

C O M E B E A PA R T O F T H I S F I R S T H A RV E S T

A N D T H E N E X T C H A P T E R I N T H E L I F E

O F M AYA C A M A S V I N E YA R D S

Thursday, September 19, 2013F I R S T L I G H T U N T I L 1 0 A M

Space is limited to 40 guests.

Contact Ezra 925.876.5936 / echomak@terroirselections.com to reserve a seat.

Pg. 30

A SPECIAL INVITATION FOR LONG-TIME MAYACAMAS LOVERS

Please join us

F O R A S U N R I S E WA L K W I T H B U B B L E S

T H R O U G H T H E T E R R A C E D V I N E S

J A C K TAY L O R P L A N T E D I N T H E ‘ 4 0 s

A N D A H O T C A M P F I R E B R E A K FA S T

O V E R L O O K I N G S A N F R A N C I S C O B AY A F T E RWA R D S

Together we will explore the winery A N D S E L E C T L I B R A R Y W I N E S F R O M

T H E C E L L A R F O R P U R C H A S E

C O M E B E A PA R T O F T H I S F I R S T H A RV E S T

A N D T H E N E X T C H A P T E R I N T H E L I F E

O F M AYA C A M A S V I N E YA R D S

Thursday, September 19, 2013F I R S T L I G H T U N T I L 1 0 A M

Space is limited to 40 guests.

Contact Ezra 925.876.5936 / echomak@terroirselections.com to reserve a seat.

Pg. 31

Pg. 32

I N P U R S U I TO F B A L A N C E

Pioneers l ike Rajat have led the pendulum back towards higher-acid, food-fr iendly wines; a s ty le more of ten

associated wi th the old world.

PHOTO CREDIT

Bi l ly Simons, John McJunkin

Pg. 33

Pg. 34

Bel iev ing he would become a chef, Rajat Par r,

or ig inal ly f rom Kolkata, India, le f t home at age

twenty - two to at tend cooking school a t the Cul inar y

Ins t i tu te of Amer ica, Hyde Park, NY. There, he

s tumbled somewhat accidenta l ly in to wine. He was

immediate ly smi t ten, and his love of the wines of

Burgundy in par t icu lar has never wavered.

Today, he is the wine di rec tor of the Michael Mina

Res taurant Group. With h is encyclopedic palate,

s teadfas t tas tes, and opinionated nature, Rajat has

become an unequivocal ce lebr i ty amongst the wine

cognoscent i , wi th oenophi le groupies who fo l low

him on Twi t te r and swarm him at ever y Food & Wine

show.

When se t t ing the di rec t ion for h is RN74 res taurants

in San Francisco and Seat t le, Rajat made a vas t ly

misunders tood, widely discussed, and highly

cont rovers ia l decis ion that cemented his impor tance

in the wine wor ld. He announced that h is wine l i s t s

would only inc lude Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs

under 14% alcohol. As a resu l t , Raja t became the

banner -bearer for what became the “balanced wine”

movement. In the 2000s, Cal i forn ia had become

known for ver y r ipe, h igh alcohol, “ jammy” wines,

but pioneers l ike Rajat have led the pendulum back

towards h igher -acid, food- f r iendly wines; a s ty le

more of ten associa ted wi th the o ld wor ld.

Char les Banks and Rajat ’s re la t ionship goes back

to 1999, when they met a t F i f th F loor, the San

Francisco res taurant where Rajat was work ing, and

quick ly bonded over thei r pass ion for wine. Almost a

decade la ter, the two f inal ly found an oppor tuni ty to

work together. Char les, shar ing Rajat ’s apprecia t ion

for balanced wines, was eager to team up wi th h im

to show that Santa Barbara County, and the Santa

Ri ta Hi l l s in par t icu lar, had the abi l i ty to produce

high qual i ty wines in th is s ty le. Having previous ly

owned a v ineyard in Santa Barbara County, whose

wines received excel len t scores r igh t ou t of the

gate, Char les saw the untapped potent ia l of the

region, and Rajat was the per fec t person to guide

the winemaking.

Working wi th f ru i t f rom both iconic Santa Barbara

County v ineyards and lesser -known “up and coming”

proper t ies, Char les, Rajat , and thei r winemaker

Sashi Moorman (a lso the winemaker of P iedrasass i

and Sto lpman Vinayards) , have created a range

of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that express thei r

v is ion. Along wi th the county Chardonnay, a wine

heralded by publ icat ions inc luding the New York

Times, Sandhi a lso produces a range of s ingle

v ineyard wines that each expresses the unique ter ro i r

of that s i te.

Leaving as ide the jargon, the county b lend

Chardonnay is an absolu te crowd-pleaser per fec t

for any dinner par ty, and i t ’s ver y fun to do a tas t ing

of a l l the s ingle v ineyards to compare and obser ve

the nuances poss ib le wi th in chardonnays and pinot

noi rs a l l f rom the same region and even the same

cel lar.

S A N D H I

S A N T A B A R B A R A C O U N T Y , C A

Pg. 35

RAJ’S

FARRO & MORREL MUSHROOM RISOTTO(w/ SANFORD & BENEDICT PINOT NOIR 2011)

(serves 8)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cup Morel Mushroom (Sauteed)

1 tbs Whole Butter

3/4 cup White Wine

3 Bay leaves

4 tbs Garlic, minced

1 cup Yellow onion, chopped

3 cups Farro (green farro if available)

3 liters Vegetable or Chicken Stock

1/2 tsp Balsamic

2 tsp Mascarpone

2 tsp Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tbs Thyme

& a pinch of:

Parsley, chive, dill, lemon zest

Method and Notes:

1. Lightly coat a pan with olive oil, turn heat to medium, add the onion and

sautee until soft. Then add garlic and stir till light brown.

2. Add the par-cooked farro to the pan with half the butter and to coat the farro and toast it.

3. Add the white wine, raise to a boil, then simmer until reduced by half.

4. Then add the stock and bay leaves and cook until the stock has

reduced and starts to thicken from the starch in the farro.

5. While this is going on, sautee the mushrooms in olive oil until soft and

brown, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, chop the herbs.

6. When risotto-like thickness is achieved, remove pan from the heat, remove the bay leaves, and then add the mascarpone, parmesan,

lemon and Balsamic.

7. Finish with fresh herbs and sauteed mushrooms.

Pg. 36

Pg. 37

AT A N E AT E R Y N E A R Y O U

Pg. 38

AT A N E AT E R Y N E A R Y O U

Pg. 39

Pg. 40

Charles, Al i , Annie, and Andy returned to South Afr ica together to determine i f they could pul l of f re invigorat ing this wel l - loved South Afr ican

brand and recharging the American palate for South Afr ican wines.

PHOTO CREDIT

Bi l ly Simons, Andrew Schoneberger

S O U T H A F R I C A ’ S N E W G E N E R A T I O N

Pg. 41

Pg. 42

“Why Mulderbosch?” is a ques t ion Char les is of ten

asked. His answer is s t ra ight forward: “Because

South Af r ica, and Mulderbosch in par t icu lar, has the

potent ia l to produce the bes t whi te wine values in

the wor ld.”

But i t ’s not s imply about value. South Af r ica has

a centur ies -o ld t radi t ion of winemaking, meaning

generat ions of passed down wisdom and plenty of

o ld v ines, and today the indus t r y i s exper iencing a

renaissance. When apar theid ended in 1994, South

Af r ica’s l ines of t rade wi th the res t of the wor ld

reopened, and South Af r icans regained have the

abi l i ty to compete on a global leve l . This renewed

compet i t ion has, of course, cata lyzed al l o f thei r

indus t r ies, inc luding winemaking.

When Char les and Al i f i r s t v is i ted South Af r ica in

2008, they immediate ly fe l l in love wi th the count r y

and knew that someday they wanted to f ind a way to

get involved wi th a wine projec t there. As luck would

have i t , one of the pieces of the puzzle landed on

his winer y’s doors tep in 2008, when Adam Mason,

a burgeoning South Af r ican winemaker, came to

Cal i forn ia to work har ves t a t Screaming Eagle. There

he met Char les, Al i , Annie, and Andy.

Adam was then the winemaker a t K le in Cons tant ia,

a his tor ic winer y that dates back to 1685 and is

famous for i t s Vin de Cons tance – a desser t wine

that was popular in the royal cour ts of Europe in the

18th and 19th centur ies and was even wr i t ten about

by Jane Aus ten and Char les Dickens. Though he

loved his cur ren t posi t ion, Adam did te l l Andy and

Char les that he’d love to someday work together i f

there was ever an oppor tuni ty.

Only a few years la ter, that oppor tuni ty mater ia l ized

when Ter roi r began consider ing the purchase

of Mulderbosch. Char les, Al i , Annie, and Andy

re turned to South Af r ica together to determine i f

they could pul l o f f re inv igorat ing th is wel l - loved

South Af r ican brand and recharging the Amer ican

palate for South Af r ican wines.

The t r ip only fu r ther convinced them of the

oppor tuni ty that ex is ted in South Af r ica and the

amazing winemakers there who were al ready

pushing the envelope. Af ter a v is i t to Adam at K le in

Contant ia, wi th some big ta lk ing and big dreaming

over bot t les of wine, a l l agreed i t was wor th the

ef for t to pursue the chal lenge, and Adam would

ser ve as winemaker.

Having spent e ight years a t one of South Af r ica’s

mos t impor tant winer ies, Adam had developed a

s t rong desi re to te l l South Af r ica’s unique wine s tor y

to the wor ld in a compel l ing way. With Char les

keen to take Mulderbosch to the next leve l , Adam

fe l t i t was a per fec t p lace to cont inue th is v is ion.

(And, coincidenta l ly, Mulderbosch was one of the

f i r s t wines Adam had been in t roduced to, and i t

had become a benchmark for h im, as i t was for

many other South Af r icans. )

In addi t ion to br inging on Adam, Char les and

Andy also hi red an asser t ive, wel l - respected

v i t icu l tu ra l i s t who would oversee the replant ing

M U L D E R B O S C H

S T E L L E N B O S C H , S O U T H A F R I C A

Pg. 43

of the Mulderbosch v ineyards and become deeply

involved wi th the farmers f rom whom Mulderbosch

buys f ru i t . By developing s t rong re la t ionships wi th thei r

team of dedicated growers, Mulderbosch is now able

to work c lose ly wi th them in thei r v ineyards to ensure

that grape qual i ty and s ty le conforms to winemaking

requi rements in order to produce the Mulderbosch’s

s ignature s ty le of racy, aromat ic whi te and rosé wines,

as wel l as thei r c lass ical ly s ty led but approachable

red blend, Fai th fu l Hound.

Af ter updat ing the winer y and implement ing bes t

pract ices g leaned f rom the other Ter roi r proper t ies,

today, Mulderbosch is on the foref ront of winemaking

in South Af r ica. And whi le the pr ices have s tayed put ,

the qual i ty cont inues to r i se as the new generat ion of

Mulderbosch hi t s i t s s t r ide.

Pg. 44

Pg. 45

Pg. 46

T H O S EG R E E D Y

B A B O O N S

The condi t ions do not make i t easy – the winemaker and al l those seeing to the proper ty must contend wi th

aggress ive leopards, greedy troops of baboons, enormous snakes, and regular wi ldf i res.

PHOTO CREDIT

Bi l ly Simons, Stephanus Rabie

Pg. 47

Pg. 48

In 2009, a wel l - known wine cr i t ic phoned Char les

to te l l h im to look in to the Fable proper ty – then

cal led Tu lbagh Mountain Vineyard – as she bel ieved

i t could one day be the Screaming Eagle of South

Af r ica. At that poin t , Ter roi r had al ready acqui red

Mulderbosch, but Char les ’ in teres t in South Af r ica

and al l i t s potent ia l was not ye t sa ted. Whi le

Mulderbosch is pr imed to produce the bes t whi te

wine values in the wor ld, Char les knew South Af r ica

had many more dimensions to show.

South Af r ica has an incredib le divers i ty of growing

regions, many of which c lose ly mimic regions in

France and other par ts of the Old Wor ld in terms

of c l imate and soi l s . And whi le wine grapes have

been grown in South Af r ica for centur ies, the wine

indus t r y there was c losed of f to the res t of the wor ld

(and many advances in v i t icu l tu re ) dur ing apar theid,

meaning that the indus t r y in South Af r ica is s t i l l

eager ly sor t ing out concepts l ike which grapes are

bes t su i ted to which regions. As a resu l t , there are

s t i l l many potent ia l gems out there that are ei ther not

being farmed at a l l , being farmed qui te poor ly, or

a t tempt ing to grow the wrong k ind of grapes for the

area.

Such was the case wi th the Fable proper ty. Set

a lmos t di rec t ly nor th of S te l lenbosch, South Af r ica’s

equivalen t of Napa in terms of notor ie ty and

popular i ty, Fable l ies in a beaut i fu l , remote val ley

in the mids t of the rugged Witzenberg Mountain

range, in an area wi th only a smal l handfu l of

v ineyards. Few have been adventurous enough to

at tempt making wine in th is area, but the founders

of Tu lbagh Mountain Vineyard knew a winner when

they saw one. However, the condi t ions in Tu lbagh

do not make i t easy – the winemaker and al l those

seeing to the proper ty mus t contend wi th aggress ive

leopards, greedy t roops of baboons that love to

s teal grapes (and wires, and car par ts , and gut ters ,

e tc. ) , enormous snakes, and regular wi ldf i res— not

to ment ion the fac t that i t ’s ou t in the middle of

nowhere.

But when the or iginal owners had had enough,

thei r dedicated and adventurous winemaker and

v i t icu l tu ra l i s t , a lso a couple, wi th th ree chi ldren,

wanted to s tay put and see thei r v is ion through.

Char les seized the oppor tuni ty he lp them do jus t

that . The Aus t ra l ian winemaker, Rebecca had met

Paul , a South Af r ican, when she picked him up as

a hi tchhiker one day. As i t tu rned out , they were

headed to the same place – the winer y where they

both worked, each previous ly unaware of the other!

They quick ly became a couple, and af ter a several

i t inerate years making wine (and beer ) and sur f ing

al l over the wor ld, the couple se t t led at Fable,

where they would not on ly make wine, but a lso raise

a fami ly, s tar t a biodynamic farm inc luding sheep,

cat t le, chickens, and vegetables, and brave the

wi lds and remoteness of the region—a l i fe nei ther

of them could have ever imagined growing up!

Af ter work ing at such es tabl i shed winer ies as Cul len

in Margare t R iver, Lakes Fol ly in the Hunter Val ley,

and Campagnola in Nor thern I ta ly, coming to

f ledgl ing Fable was qui te a change for Rebecca.

But when Char les and Andy became involved,

they quick ly upgraded technology and equipment

to a l low Rebecca to make the qual i ty of wine she

dreamed of making. To redesign the winer y, they

hi red Gerard de Vi l l ie rs , a renowned engineer who

FA B L E

T U L B A G H , S O U T H A F R I C A

Pg. 49

works exc lus ive ly on winer y and dis t i l le r y des ign. Gerard specia l izes

in process des ign—the carefu l orches t ra t ion of each s tep the grapes

go through, f rom the moment they ar r ive through to bot t l ing, tak ing in to

account fac tors such as temperature, exposure to oxygen, the use of

gravi ty versus force – and the new winer y re f lec ts h is a t ten t ion to detai l .

Today, Paul and Rebecca are focused on increasing the sus ta inabi l i ty

e f for t s on the farm, improving the qual i ty of l i fe for thei r workers (who

at mos t o ther farms would receive meager wages and noth ing e lse) , and

achieving the fu l l potent ia l f rom the v ineyards and resu l tan t wines. The

wine por t fo l io inc ludes a whi te b lend of pr imar i ly o ld bush v ine Chenin

B lanc and Chardonnay, a Syrah and Mour vedre blend, and an es ta te

Syrah. Af ter p lant ing many var ie ta ls to see what would thr ive on the

proper ty, Syrah has been a c lear winner, which is not en t i re ly surpr is ing

given that the s i te i s ver y reminiscent of the Southern Rhone in France in

terms of soi l and c l imate.

I f you have the chance to v is i t th is amazing place someday- - to h ike

through the woods where the baboons l ive, to take an af ternoon dip in

the reser voi r tucked amids t the v ines, and maybe, jus t maybe to spot the

zebra that occasional ly s t ro l l s th rough, do not le t that oppor tuni ty pass

you by.

But un t i l then, you can se t a table in your backyard and s ip these wines,

daydreaming that you’ re under the Af r ican sky.

Pg. 50

Pg. 51

I am not sure of the exact date, but I th ink i t was

some t ime in September 2009. We got a somewhat

desperate cal l f rom the previous owners of Fable,

who l ived in Singapore, saying that we had some

impor tant c l ien ts to enter ta in, and that they would

be there in 45 minutes!

This was not good news. We were in the middle

of a huge label ing run that day and were al ready

shor t - s ta f fed and so th ings were a bi t chaot ic.

To make mat ters worse the weather was abominable,

i t was pour ing wi th rain, the wind was howl ing and

i t was f reezing cold. And jus t to top i t o f f the c louds

were hanging low, and so one of our bes t asse ts ,

the monumenta l mountains that r i se up behind the

winer y, were comple te ly h idden.

Our phi losophy for v is i tors had always been that

anyone who takes the t rouble to v is i t us mus t be

given the bes t exper ience poss ib le; but how were

we going to pul l th is one of f? And who were these

people anyway, want ing to come in such bad

weather?

But the rain out here has a specia l qual i ty. I t

en l ivens the senses: there is the roar ing sound of

the r ivers tumbl ing over water fa l l s as they make

thei r way down the mountain, the smel l o f the pine

t rees and fynbos that are soaking wet, and then

there is the tas te of the water. I doubt that there are

many places that have more pure water than here.

We jus t knew that no mat ter what, we had to t r y

and take these people for a walk up through the

farm and v ineyards, and exper ience the rain, tas te

water f rom the r ivers, and jus t soak in the whole

p lace.

A N O T E F R O M R E B E C C A

So we rushed of f to the local town, bought some

wet weather gear - waterproof pants, jackets and

gumboots. Not knowing how big or smal l our gues ts

would be, we bought the whole range they had.

When Char les and Al i ar r ived, we sugges ted a

walk, and to our surpr ise they had no hes i ta t ion

agreeing, and before we knew i t , they su i ted up

in thei r wet weather gear and were ready to brave

the e lements. (A l though Char les has pre t ty big feet ,

and we didn’t have the r igh t s ize gumboots but he

squeezed in to something anyway! )

We had an amazing walk around the farm- there

was a real connect ion between us, them, and the

place. Eventual ly the c louds l i f ted jus t enough to

get a gl impse of the mountain. We cont inued on

discuss ing our v is ions for the farm, potent ia l of the

s i te, and how amazingly breath tak ing the nature

was. We then came back to the cel lar where we

al l sa t in f ron t of the roar ing wood f i re to thaw out ,

s ipping on a glass of red wine, and as they say,

the res t i s h is tor y!

Pg. 52

Pg. 53

Pg. 54

G O O D B Y E F U S I O N ,H E L L O F I S S I O N

“So much ‘cut t ing edge’ design today takes i t s inspirat ion from this power fu l movement headed by such giants as L ichtenste in,

Hockney and Warhol . Pop ar t i s s t i l l so re levant!”

PHOTO CREDIT

Riehan Bakkes, Susie Wil l iams

Pg. 55

Pg. 56

In 2008, a South Af r ican food and wine magazine

put together a feature about a local chef tu rn ing up

at a winemaker ’s house and put t ing together dinner

us ing whatever the winemaker had on hand. L i t t le

did they know that the chef and winemaker they had

se lec ted would become fas t f r iends and go on to

create some of the most exci t ing wines coming out

of South Af r ica.

The winemaker they chose was Adam Mason – now

the winemaker a t Mulderbosch – and he and chef

Pe ter Tempelhof f h i t i t o f f immediate ly.

Pe ter Tempelhof f , a South Af r ican, grew up th ink ing

he would go in to f inance. But af ter get t ing a degree

in economics, he f inal ly real ized his t rue pass ion

was for food, and SHAZAM! He’d found his cal l ing.

The res t reads l ike a fai r y ta le.

Though he got a la te s tar t , Pe ter quick ly catapul ted

upwards through the London food scene, where he

began his career wi th Marco Pier re Whi te af ter

a t tending the Cul inar y Ins t i tu te in South Af r ica and

then the Cul inar y Ins t i tu te of Amer ica. Af ter work ing

under two Michel in s tar red chefs, he was named

Execut ive Chef a t Automat in Mayfai r. Soon af ter,

Automat was named “Top Table in London” in 2005,

and was nominated for “Res taurant of the Year 2005”

by Harpers and the Queen’s Res taurant Awards.

In 2006, he re turned to South Af r ica, where went

on to receive a number of pres t ig ious awards as

the Execut ive Chef a t the res taurant a t the Grand

Provence Wine Es ta te. Then, in 2008, he became a

Relais & Chateau Grand Chef as the Execut ive Chef

of a col lec t ion of th ree Relais & Chateau proper t ies,

where he has won a dozen more accolades and

s tars, inc luding Bes t Res taurant in South Af r ica in

2011.

I t was amids t th is exci t ing ascent that Pe ter and

Adam met, became f r iends, and began laying the

groundwork for the bus iness they would create

together.

In 2009, they began Yards t ick, a label focused on

high -a l t i tude Pinot Noir and Chardonnay f rom ext reme

v ineyards around the Cape. At that t ime many South

Af r ican Pinot Noirs were r ipe and heavi ly wooded.

Peter fe l t there was a huge opening on his res taurant

wine l i s t s for a l igh ter, f resher incarnat ion of these

two c lass ic var ie t ies, and so thei r ques t was born.

The Yards t ick wines generated a lo t of a t ten t ion,

and soon, the pai r became in teres ted in pursu ing

a broader range of grapes and s ty les that did not

f i t in the Chardonnay and Pinot -on ly Yards t ick l ine;

inc luding a Syrah-based blend and a cool -c l imate

Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

“We decided that ‘Mar velous’ bes t encapsu la ted the

spi r i t o f what we were t r y ing to achieve: I t makes a

s l igh t ly i r reverent poke at the t radi t ional wine label

(a f ter a l l , wine can be so s tu f fy and exc lus ive) ,” said

Adam. “We wanted people to fee l exci ted about

dr ink ing our wines, not in t imidated. We l iked the

tongue- in -cheek re ference to the comic book era

and the pop ar t i s t s of the 1950’s onwards. Why?

Because so much ‘cu t t ing edge’ des ign today takes

i t s inspi ra t ion f rom th is power fu l movement headed

by such giants as L ich tens te in, Hockney and Warhol .

Pop ar t i s s t i l l so re levant!”

The tone of the brand is l igh t -hear ted, the qual i ty

of the pr in t ing, which speaks of type-se t t ing in i t s

or ig inal form, us ing spacing, fon t s ize and le t te r

p lacement to communicate a fee l ing, re f lec ts the

M A R V E L O U S

W E S T E R N C A P E , S O U T H A F R I C A

Pg. 57

ser ious love of craf t smanship that a winemaker and a chef share and

wanted to convey in thei r product .

Jo in ing Mulderbosch was ins t rumenta l in a l lowing Adam to scour the

v ineyards around the Cape to f ind in t r iguing, unique and specia l

v ineyard pockets wi th which to craf t these wines, so that despi te thei r

s l igh t ly p layfu l presenta t ion, the wine qual i ty a lways bowls people over.

That ’s when SHAZAM!, KABOOM! and KA-POW! real ly happen….

With the combinat ion of pop-ar ty, unfussy labels, food- f r iendly b lends,

and reasonable pr ices they had hi t a per fec t t r i fec ta. By 2012, al l the

cooles t Cape Town res taurants were car r y ing the wines, and Amer ican

wine s leu ths had caught wind of the brand and were ask ing when i t

would be avai lable s ta tes ide. The f i r s t sh ipments ar r ived in spr ing

2013 and are now avai lable onl ine and in se lec t wine shops.

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Pg. 59

ADAM’S

CRUNCH THAI SALAD WITH BEEF CARPACCIO

(Serves 6-8)

For the Beef:

3.5lb fillet of beef

1 heaped tablespoon of coriander seeds

1 handful of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

light sprinkling of dried oregano

Pound the coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle, then mix in rosemary, salt,

pepper and oregano and sprinkle on to a board. Roll and press fillet into the

mixture, ensuring the mixtures adheres to the fillet’s surface. Sear on a very

hot ridged skillet or barbecue grill until brown and lightly crisped on all

sides.

Searing time will depend how thick your fillet is and how pink you want it in

the middle. When desired doneness is achieved, remove from heat and allow to

cool for 5 minutes before slicing thinly.

To Top the Beef:

1 handful of very finely sliced fresh ginger

2-3 fresh green chillies, deseeded and finely sliced1 good handful of radishes finely sliced

1 small handful of fresh cilantro, leaves picked,

stalks finely sliced lengthwise

sesame seed oil

soy sauce

juice of 2 limes

Gather the ginger slices and cut finely across to form thin matchsticks. Flick

randomly over the beef with the chillies, radishes and coriander. Drizzle with

a very small amount of sesame seed oil, some soy sauce and freshly squeezed

lime juice ensuring each slice of meat gets a good dousing.

Pg. 60

For the Salad:

Serve the beef with the Thai Salad, which is made from any combination of the

following ingredients:

Baby spinach, arugula, savoy or chinese cabbage, whole sugar snap peas,

beansprouts, finely sliced red peppers, deseeded and finely sliced red or green

chillies, cilantro leaves, sliced spring onions, peeled, gutted and

sliced cucumbers.

Finally, dress your salad with the following dressing:

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

brown sugar to taste ( a good pinch should be sufficient)

1/2 clove of finely sliced garlic

1 fresh red chilli deseeded and finely sliced

large handful of fresh cilantro and basil, chopped.

Finally, sprinkle over the salad some lightly roasted cashew or sesame seeds,

and pair with KA-POW! as the combination of exotic spicy and floral aromascombine so well with the fragrant Thai ingredients, and there is plenty of

umami on the palate to handle the beef...

Bon Apetit!

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B U R G U N D Y F R O M T H E B I R D S ’ E Y E

He can appreciate their craf tsmanship the way few can, the way a t rue craf tsman longs to be appreciated, regardless of the

pres t ige their name carr ies.

PHOTO CREDIT

Bi l ly Simons

Pg. 63

Pg. 64

Travel ing wi th Rajat th rough the cel lars of F rance on one of h is f requent t r ips

there provides proof that he has found his t rue cal l ing in l i fe. Not only does

he love the process of v is i t ing the winemakers and tas t ing through thei r la tes t

v in tages, but the winemakers c lear ly a lso enjoy tas t ing him through thei r

wines. He goes about the whole th ing wi th a ser iousness of purpose and

focus that makes i t c lear why they love to hos t h im. He is there to tas te, and

he can remember h is ever y thought about ever y v in tage they have previous ly

ser ved him, and for that and other reasons, they respect h is opin ion. He can

apprecia te thei r craf t smanship the way few can, the way a t rue craf t sman

longs to be apprecia ted, regardless of the pres t ige thei r name carr ies.

I t i s th is reputa t ion that a l lowed Rajat access to some of the bes t v ineyards in

Burgundy f rom which he could produce his own label— an oppor tuni ty few

f rom outs ide Burgundy are given. And that i s what makes Maison L’Oree such

a compel l ing projec t . For Amer icans, Burgundian wines are of ten an enigma

– we know we are supposed to l ike them, but the labels are of ten confus ing,

and we cer ta in ly don’t know i f they are t ru ly wor th the high pr ices they of ten

command.

With Maison L’Oree, Char les and Rajat saw an oppor tuni ty to showcase

Burgundy, wi th Rajat ser v ing as curator, se lec t ing f ru i t f rom his favor i te

v ineyards and overseeing i t s t reatment in the cel lar. The range inc ludes over

twenty di f fe ren t wines, wi th something ever yone, f rom a Burgundy novice

looking to dip a toe in to th is famous region, to a Burgundy devotee eager to

compare s ingle v ineyard se lec t ions s ide by s ide.

M A I S O N L ’ O R E E

B U R G U N D Y , F R A N C E

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Pg. 66

Mil l ions of dol lars a year are given to chari ty v ia wine auct ions across the countr y. But , mi l l ions more could be.

A H A N G O V E RW I T H A H A L O

PHOTO CREDIT

Beal l + Thomas Photographers, Andrew Schoneberger, Cynthia Warren

Pg. 67

Pg. 68

We al l share admira t ion for the great ar t i s t s and

designers l ike P icasso, Chanel , and Fer rar i . Some of

us might even have pic tures of our favor i te objects of

ar t and design pinned on a bul le t in board to ser ve

as inspi ra t ion in our l ives. Beauty and craf t smanship

inspi res us, and yet of ten, i tems l ike a Fer rar i or a

Chanel su i t jus t remain “ inspi ra t ion” – outs ide of our

grasp.

As a consumer, I couldn’t s top th ink ing about what

Target has done for the consumer exper ience over

the las t decade. They took the wor ld of f ine des ign

and brought i t wi th in reach.

From 1962 to around 2000, they had spent thei r

proverbia l 10,000 hours learning how to be a big

box re tai ler. Then the l igh t bu lb went on for them,

and i t has s tayed on ever s ince. They decided to

b lend ar t and bus iness. They took thei r 10,000

hours spent gain ing exper t i se and added in the ar t

by par tner ing wi th renowned designers. “Capsule

col lec t ions” were born. Frank Gehr y des igned one,

Missoni did one, Phi l l ip L im, Prabal Gurung, Michael

Graves— the l i s t i s long and growing.

Target ’s knowledge of how to produce at ever yday

pr ices combined wi th these ar t i s t s ’ abi l i ty to create

beaut i fu l th ings made al l o f us happy. I t was a win -

win -win: for the consumers, for Target , and for the

des igners. What a gi f t to the wor ld to devise a

sys tem that a l lowed the exper ts in a f ie ld to share

thei r abi l i t ies wi th a much larger audience.

This was par t of the inspi ra t ion for Cul t iva te. Pr ior

to s tar t ing Cul t iva te, we had been in the “couture”

sector of the wine indus t r y. L ike fashion houses

such as Missoni that pour met icu lous at ten t ion in to

thei r products, l ike hand s t i tch ing thei r garments, a t

Screaming Eagle, hand de-s temming was de r igueur,

and no cos t was ever spared. Yet Target managed to

main tain the Missoni look that ever yone loves whi le

producing i t a t access ib le pr ice poin ts . So how could

we take the pass ion and know-how behind wines

l ike Screaming Eagle and create wines at Target - l i ke

pr ices?

In order to produce t rue wines that we are proud to

put our names on, we had to create a new path to

market . Rather than owning a v ineyard to produce

f ru i t for Cul t iva te’s wines, we have our genius

winemaker, Nat Gunter, source the bes t ju ice at the

bes t va lue f rom around the wor ld. He t ravels to long-

t ime fami ly -owned farms in Argent ina, Chi le, and

I ta ly to tas te and blend our wines.

Unl ike the big brands, we do not add any impur i t ies

to our wines. Who knew you could? St range as i t

seems, the FDA only mandates that the percentage

of a lcohol and the region of or ig in be disc losed

on the bot t le— not the ingredients! “ Ingredients?”

you ask. We did too! We had never heard of

W O R L D W I D E

Pg. 69

such a th ing. But in order to create the

mouth fee l , deep colors, oaky, but ter y

f lavors, and consis tency of f lavor that

big brands want, they s imply add dye

and unpronounceable ingredients that

thei r consumer wi l l never know about.

We said “no!” to that .

There were a few other Amer ican

companies that we chose to emulate

as we bui l t Cul t iva te. Ben & Jer r y ’s ,

The Body Shop, Whole Foods, and

Patagonia were chief among them. Each

of these companies had a product they

were pass ionate about and fe l t cal led to

produce, and, l ike us, each commi t ted

to bui ld a cu l tu re and a company that

had thei r va lues at the core. Values f i r s t ,

success second. We loved that .

Because Cul t iva te does not have

inves tors, Char les and I were f ree to

exper iment wi th a to ta l ly new and

unusual bus iness model. In the years

leading up to Cul t iva te, one of the th ings

we had been most amazed by was the

power of wine in phi lan thropy. The

Naples Winter Wine Fes t iva l was one

of our favor i te weekends of the year. I t

was here that we saw f i r s t hand how

incredib ly generous people real ly are.

Mi l l ions of dol lars a year are given

to char i ty v ia wine auct ions across

the count r y. Bu t , mi l l ions more could

Pg. 70

be. Under those ten ts we saw a big

oppor tuni ty. F ive hundred people

at tended. F i f ty people bought lo ts . Bu t

the buzz and joy that f i l led the ten t that

day was shared by al l who at tended,

not jus t the bidders. And, ever yone there

would have loved that fee l ing to las t

a l l year.

When you give, you fee l good. When

you dr ink wine wi th f r iends, you fee l

good. I t was then we knew we needed

to make wines to f i l l up the other 364

days a year and keep the giv ing going!

And so, our ver y own capsu le col lec t ion,

Cul t iva te was born. To keep the giv ing

going al l year, Cul t iva te commi t ted to

giv ing ten percent of i t s revenue back

to the wor ld through grants to non-

prof i t s . These wines are not meant to be

col lec ted or ce l lared. They are meant

to be shared! At book c lub, a t bunko,

at your Chr is tmas par ty, a t the beach.

In our ver y f i r s t year, we touched for ty -

f ive communi t ies across the globe wi th

grants to ta l ing over $450,000!

Some nights i t jus t fee ls good to dr ink

an ex t ra glass wi th your f r iends. Now,

because of Cul t iva te, your hangover jus t

might come wi th a halo! Thank you for

jo in ing us in cu l t iva t ing l i fe and hope

around the wor ld by shar ing wine wi th

f r iends and fami ly!

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T E R R O I R ’ SC A L I F O R N I A

H O M E

Pg. 75

Pg. 76

Ever y th ing happens for a reason. Nothing happens by

chance or by means of luck. I l lness, in jur y, love, los t

moments of t rue greatness, and even sheer s tupidi ty

a l l occur to tes t the l imi t s of your sou l . Without these

smal l tes ts , whatever they may be, l i fe would be

l ike a smooth ly paved, s t ra ight , f la t roadway to

nowhere. I t would be safe and comfor table, but du l l

and u t te r ly poin t less. As a chef, I know th is too wel l .

Then suddenly, people come in to your l i fe and you

know r ight away that they were meant to be there,

to ser ve some sor t o f purpose. They may teach you

a lesson, or he lp you f igure out who you are or who

you wish to become. You never know who these

people wi l l be: a re la t ive, neighbor, long- los t f r iend,

or a comple te s t ranger.

One gloomy spr ing af ternoon, Char les and Al i

Banks ar r ived at one of our Nashvi l le res taurants

to promote thei r Cul t iva te wines. Ear ly on, I was

in t roduced to Char les and Al i by a mutual f r iend.

As the night progressed wi th pai r ings of Japanese -

inspi red dishes and Cul t iva te wines, i t appeared to

be a fai r ly s tandard event for Nashvi l le. A decent

tu rnout and the food came out wi th the pai r ings in a

t imely manner.

L ike most events of th is nature, ever yone was

ta lk ing, not real ly paying at ten t ion to the gent leman

speaking about the wines. Leaning agains t the

bar, across f rom a bot t le of Double Bl ind, Char les

pronounced the second-coming of a his tor ic Los

Ol ivos, Cal i forn ia res taurant . He spoke of a l i fes ty le

and a hospi ta l i ty - re la ted idea (or twenty - th ree) . As I

look back and ref lec t on that evening: Char les, Al i ,

and Mat te i ’s Tavern were that person. Al l o f l i fe ’s

l i t t le tes ts suddenly had meaning and purpose. I t

was magnet ic!

At one poin t dur ing the evening of our event , Al i was

speaking wi th my wi fe Emi ly when she ment ioned a

new res taurant that she loved in Aspen. I t embodied

the character is t ics of what her and Char les enjoy

in a res taurant : f resh, innovat ing, engaging, and

wi t ty. The cuis ine was s imple, ye t mouthwater ing.

A menu del iver ing inherent f lavors that you wake

up craving the next morning (not wonder ing where

you jus t spent 5 -hours of your l i fe led by a wai ter

ins t ruc t ing you: “ the chef would f i r s t l i ke you to drag

the langous t ine across th is , then inhale the vapor

l ike so, immediate ly dr ink f rom th is cup,” and so

on). At some poin t Emi ly had to in ter jec t : “That ’s

my husband Robbie’s res taurant ! He created al l o f

the food. That was his concept!” F rom that poin t

in t ime, ever y th ing pre t ty much began to fa l l in to

p lace. The Banks + The Wilson’s + Mat te i ’s Tavern.

In re t rospect , Emi ly and I fe l t ra ther b lessed.

I would be speaking the t ru th to say that Char les and

Al i could cer ta in ly annex any l ike -minded Chef f rom

some nonparei l k i tchen to share thei r v is ion. This i s

Santa Barbara wine count r y af ter a l l : a near - f lawless

c l imate, pr is t ine product , Paci f ic Ocean, Santa Ynez

Mountains, and al l wi th in earshot of any place you

wish to be in Cal i forn ia. But the fac t that Char les and

I both bel ieve phi losophical ly that the beauty and

grace a per fec t cheeseburger i s indis t inguishable to

that of a s i lken -bu t ter y torchon of fo ie gras may have

sealed the deal.

L ikewise, Emi ly and I were at a poin t in our own l ives

where nour ishment ou tweighed the avant -garde. Both

Char les, Al i , Emi ly and mysel f envis ioned creat ing an

atmosphere that inv i ted gues ts to l inger, a gather ing

place of sor t s , that each gues t would soon cal l thei r

own. No pre ten t ion. No pomp. An ex tens ion of our

homes where we al l enjoy shar ing “ the gi f t ” of food

and wine.

Mat te i ’s Tavern is in fac t a discover y and an

in terpre ta t ion of Santa Barbara cuis ine and spi r i t .

I def ine our di rec t ion as a nod to the his tor y of the

res taurant and the area, and a wink to the fu tu re and

the sum of i t s poss ibi l i t ies. The menu here exploi t s

on ly the bes t of the local product . Technique is on ly

used to enhance the ingredient , not a l te r.

As the seasons change in the val ley, subsequent ly

the menus and the inspi ra t ions change as wel l . The

beef here at Mat te i ’s i s ver i tably and conscious ly

sourced f rom jus t up the road, and for that mat ter, so

is our p la te ware. From s tag-handled s teak knives,

to hand-car ved wooden pla t ters , Mat te i ’s Tavern

ce lebrates ever y th ing that i s Santa Barbara County.

Af ter a l l , and at the ver y leas t , we owe that to the

fami l ies and gues ts that dine wi th us, the locals, and

even ourse lves.

Pg. 77

We hope you enjoyed the s tor ies in th is f i rs t i ssue of Raconteur. To receive fu ture issues of Raconteur, s tay in the loop about fu ture

Terroir happenings around the countr y, or put together a case of wine for your next special occasion, s imply cal l Ezra at the

number above. He knows ever ything there is to know about al l of these wines and wi l l take great care of you.

Pg. 78

T H A N K Y O U

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