Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/724494
1 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | S e p t - O c t 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m When I called Sparkman for this interview, he told me my timing was perfect. "I was just looking at our numbers and thinking, 'How in the world did our inventory of Sauvignon Blanc get so low?'" "Pearl was my wife, Kelly's, project, which started in 2009. We were drinking a lot of New Zea- land Sauvignon Blanc at the time, and her enthusi- asm for that flavor profile really drove us that way. We had access to some cooler climate Sauvignon Blanc," explains Spark- man. "We inoculated it with some South African yeast, which was really key, and matured it in stainless steel and a bit of neutral wood. I think of it as kind of a love child of New Zealand and Sancerre. It has lovely citrus and gooseberry flavors; it has great primary fruit and a bit of miner- ality that the vineyard gives it." Sparkman also says he sees more Sauvignon Blanc being plant- ed in Washington State. "When we started in 2009, people were pull- ing it out. One guy we know ripped out a 25-year-old Sauvignon Blanc vineyard. I said, 'What are you doing?! I would have bought that fruit and paid you good money!' I think he planted Syrah and prob- ably regretted it." In traveling around the country selling his wine, Sparkman says he's seen tremendous change in Ameri- ca's culinary culture since his early days in the restaurant business. "I think the American palate is really evolving. The current American wine drinker is the most educated, sophisticated and demanding consumer in the history of the wine busi- ness. They want to taste everything, and they know what they're talking about. I believe we've reached something of a tipping point in terms of the qual- ity of what's available and the sophistication of con- sumers," he says. "I was just in Nash- ville, where I was born, a n d t h e y w e r e r e a l l y e x c i t e d t o t a s t e o u r wines. There's a really savvy somm community there, and the wine lists are shockingly cool. Well- made, balanced Sauvi- gnon Blanc pairs well with a lot of food, more so than, say, very ripe Char- donnay," says Sparkman. DRY CREEK VINEYARD One California producer that's had a steady hand with Sauvignon Blanc for more than four decades is Dry Creek Vineyard. This fall will mark the winery's 45th harvest, and Sauvignon Blanc has been its flag- ship wine from the start. From the beginning, founder David Stare wanted to replicate the grassy Sancerre of the Loire that he loved to drink. Dry Creek Valley's Sonoma County Fumé Blanc has always been a benchmark, unwav- eringly varietal wine, even when the style wasn't especially fashion- able, like in the '80s and '90s. "We've always celebrated the intrinsic, more grassy side of the variety. That was just our house total Sauvignon Blanc sales versus a slightly higher 48.4% share for American wineries. And New Zea- land wines are continuing to close that gap, growing at a 16.8% clip versus 11.1% growth for American Sauvignon Blanc over the past year. The average sale price per 750 mL bottle is $11.18 for Kiwi wines and $8.44 for U.S. wines. It may not be possible to repli- cate New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the United States, but smart winemakers are at least trying to crib some notes, because it's clear the style has public appeal. SPARKMAN CELLARS One of those producers is Spark- man Cellars, which makes a ter- rific Washington State Sauvignon Blanc called Pearl. Chris Sparkman spent a couple of decades on ser- vice teams as a server, buyer and general manager for several icon- ic American restaurants, includ- ing Commander's Palace in New Orleans, La., and Chef Todd Eng- lish's Olives restaurant in Wash- ington, D.C., before founding a Woodinville winery with his wife, Kelly. Until recently, he also served as the chairman of the Washington State Wine Commission. Advertise Now 707.577.7700 x110 Advertise Now 707.577.7700 x110 Online In Print 707.577.7700 x110 Online Online In Print Online Online Online Online Online Left to right: Kelly, Ruby, Stella and Chris Sparkman with their dog, Lola. Sparkman Cellars' Pearl Sau- vignon Blancs are inspired by New Zealand-style offerings. MARKET WATCH TIM TEICHGRAEBER