Storytime at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands with
the Wines of Joseph Swan
Story and Photos by Camilla M. Mann
The evening began overlooking the Pacific with flutes of Julien Fouet Crémant de Loire Rosé in our hands. We mingled, reveled in the view, and eagerly anticipated the adventure we were about to have.
Ushering us into the glass-enclosed Pacific’s Edge Wine Room at
the Hyatt Carmel Highlands, Wine Director Paul Fried set the stage for the
fifth Artisan Wines of California Winemaker’s Dinner. “Artisans are people who
toil away in relative obscurity,” Fried began. He partners with winemakers to
shine the spotlight on a specific wine-growing region and showcase
seldom-available vintages, with the help of Executive Chef Matt Bolton. Our
focus for the evening: Sonoma and the wines of Joseph Swan Vineyards.
Prohibition had almost decimated the wine industry in California,
but Russian-born, French-trained André Tchelistcheff reinvigorated the area by
replanting both the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and educating local winemakers in
grape growing and wine-making. Somewhere along the way, a Hatfield and
McCoy-style feud began between the neighboring valleys. “Napa really likes
itself,” joked Rod Berglund, owner of Joseph Swan Vineyards. “Sonoma has a more
artistic spirit, diverging from the more commercial operations of Napa.” Maybe
he was only partially joking about Napa’s egocentrism. He is, after all, a
life-long Sonoma County resident.
“My philosophy is that wine’s first duty is to express a sense of
place and time,” says Berglund. “Its second job is to take its place on the
dinner table.” With that declaration, Berglund launched a veritable parade of
courses for An Evening with the Wines of Joseph Swan.
Bolton kicked off the dinner with what he called an Ocean Mosaic,
colorful tiles of fresh or lightly cured seafood, including ahi, scallop,
kampachi, wild salmon, and uni. Caviar and sea beans added bursts that tasted
like the ocean. Tempering the saltiness of the plate, the 2010 Saralee’s
Vineyard Roussane-Marsanne was both bright and rich with aromas of pear,
minerals, and a slight nuttiness.
As we made our way through six offerings—three courses, an entrée,
a charcuterie plate, and desserts—Berglund wove an intriguing tale about the
history of winemaking in Sonoma and poured some surprising wines. I am not
normally a fan of Chardonnays; I find them heavy and creamy. But the 2011
Ritchie Vineyard caught me off-guard. Not yet released, Berglund’s Chardonnay
verges on spicy with seductive vanilla notes. It was simultaneously lush and
refreshing, complementing Boulton’s paella topped with Monterey Bay red
abalone. Boulton explained that he makes his paella with carnaroli rice because
it retains its shape and has a firmer bite than other rice varieties.
With Boulton’s wild boar chop—plated with English peas and shoots,
morels, and a thyme jus—we moved to red wine, tasting the 2010 Saralee Pinot
Noir. But it was the 2010 Trenton Estate Vineyard, served with a Sonoma duck
breast, that stole the show. Berglund detailed his thoughts about Pinot Noir:
“The less you to do it, the better it is. It’s delicate and you don’t want to
bruise the wine.” I’ve never heard anyone talk about bruising wine and, through
all of my years of enjoying wine, I’ve never heard anyone describe a wine as
‘pretty.’ But Berglund was right. That wine was pretty, but modest. While many
Pinot Noirs are big, bold, and voluptuous, this one was alluring in its
restraint.
Pastry Chef Gina Hudson created gorgeous platters of mignardises
as the final offering of the night. Mignardises derives from the Old French word
for “precious” or “cute.” Hudson’s miniature sweets had flavors and textures
that ranged from sweet to bitter and fluffy to dense.
“Wines are made in the vineyard, not the cellars,” Berglund said,
“And every place has a story to tell.” He went on to talk about small pockets
where Pinot Noirs can flourish—Anderson Valley, Carneros Valley, Russian River
Valley, the Sonoma coast, and the Santa Lucia Highlands. And he mentioned one particular
Pinot Noir producer that I am going to have to track down, especially since
they are right here on the Monterey Bay: Rhys Vineyard in the Santa Cruz
Mountains.
While Berglund was referring to the terroir revealing its story
through the wines, the room where we sat also had a story to tell. Fried
narrated a tale about the beginning of the Masters—the Masters of Food &
Wine. “It all began here, in this room. Before that, people ate and people
drank wine. But no one was really pairing them in a formal way.” And for
twenty-one years, Hyatt Carmel Highlands, formerly Highlands Inn, was home to
the celebration of great food and wine. The final event was hosted in early
2007.
Though the Masters has moved on to the Park Hyatt Mendoza, in
Argentina, we are lucky to have numerous local events with the same model of
combining gastronomy and wine. On a large scale, Cooking for Solutions, Big Sur
Food & Wine, and Pebble Beach Food & Wine all aim to join chefs,
sommeliers, and wineries for unforgettable culinary experiences. While on the
more intimate side, Paul Fried, Matt Bolton and Gina Hudson are creating some
magic of their own with vintners from around the state at Hyatt Carmel
Highlands.
There is one more Artisan Wines of California Winemaker’s
Dinner this season. On June 20th, Pacific’s Edge Wine Room will host An Evening
with Sheldon Wines. I previewed the menu and it includes razor clam chowder
seasoned with coriander blossom, antelope with pearl barley and Rainier
cherries, and a white chocolate-espresso crémeux with bacon-pecan streusel and
candy cap ice cream. And, if the dinner I attended is any indication, you won’t
want to miss it. Gustatory delights await!
Nick Elliott, Guest Services Manager at Holman Ranch, met us at the Holman Vineyards’ tasting room in the Carmel Valley village and four of us loaded up into his vehicle. On the way Nick gave us a history of Holman Ranch and talked to us about the vineyards that are planted on 19 of the 400 acres that make up the Ranch. We wound through the property, up a dirt road, and headed to the lower vineyard of Pinot Noir grapes that were planted in 2007 and sits at approximately 1100 feet elevation.
As we sipped the wine, we walked through the olive grove which Holman harvests to produce its extra-virgin olive oil. We paused and Nick pointed out the different kinds of olives. The Italian trees on the right were taller and the leaves had a dusty sage hue to them while the French olive trees on the left were stouter with brighter green leaves. Holman hand‐harvests and cold presses the olives, bottling the oil onsite and offering them for sale at the tasting room and through the company’s website.
To me, Pinot Noir means ‘love’; it’s definitely my wine of choice and Holman Vineyard’s 2010 ranks high on my list. Aged in French oak for a year, it’s a full‐bodied red with robust cherry on the nose and a slight earthy layer of tobacco. It’s luscious.