Skinner Vineyards Stays True to Gold Rush Heritage

Skinner vineyards in the Sierra Foothills grow both legacy and Rhone varieties

(Photo courtesy of Skinner Vineyards and Winery)

It was never Los Angeles real estate agent Carey Skinner's dream to open a winery, but circumstances, family, and "divine guidance" have made that happen. After discovering that the family was related to one James Skinner, a Scottish immigrant who landed in California during the Gold Rush and quickly established a ranch, mercantile store, and ... winery! ... things quickly fell into place for the Skinner family.

As she told those attending a recent LA Wine Writers luncheon at West Restaurant, Hotel Angeleno, Skinner's son and his wife were visiting Lake Tahoe back in 2006 and while perusing an old atlas noticed a dot marked "Skinners," so they turned off the freeway to investigate. Near Placerville, they found a plant nursery on the location, as well as an old wine cellar dated 1861. They also visited the pioneer gold rush cemetery and after talking with a docent discovered that James Skinner, the founder of Skinner Winery & Distillery in Green Valley, El Dorado County (in today's Sierra Foothills AVA) was a distant great uncle. In the year 1861 the winery was producing 15,000 gallons of wine and brandy to serve the flocks of Italian, Scottish and other thirsty immigrants who came to make their fortunes in the area.

Lead by patriarch Mike (who is "osbsessed with family" says his wife), who felt compelled to reclaim this family legacy, the Pacific Palisades-based Skinners got on a plane north with the intention of purchasing a 5-acre plot, but when they saw it was sold they instead purchased a different piece of land -- 25 acres with a house -- just a mile and a half from the original Skinner wine cellar. There was a tremendous amount of fear involved in starting up the winery, says Carey, who only gave up her real estate career at the end of 2014 to focus on the now fully operational vineyard and winery.

One of the goals with the newer Skinner Vineyards is to be true to the ancestral one, and that includes planting legacy vines, such as the preeminent California grape Zinfandel as well as such lesser known vines as Trusseau, Angelica, and "whatever was on probate records," says Carey. Back in the Gold Rush days, in an effort to hedge their bets with each vintage, the practice was to plant vines of all varieties side by side and create what is called "field blends."

"1861" label is homage to original J. Skinner Winery

The Skinners planted their first vineyard in 2006 and also hired up-and-coming winemaker Chris
Pittinger, who had an exceptional pedigree, with stints at wineries in Sonoma and Australia. They also hired architects to design a state-of-the-art 12,000 square foot solar winery. "We hired people who knew what they were doing" says Carey, as the family's goal was to create "exceptional wine."

With soils close in composition to those in France's Rhone Valley, Skinner Winery chose to focus on Rhone varietals: Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre for reds, and Viognier, Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, and Picpoul for whites. From their vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, Skinner Vineyards faces challenges, being that they have 51 different microclimates in an area that can rise to a scorching 98 degrees on summer days and dip to 58 degrees at night. Skinner's first harvest was in 2010 (before that they used a custom-crush facility). Some years have been tough, for instance the cool 2011, when they lost their entire Viognier crop, but others have been spectacular, such as 2012 and 2014.

Sierra Foothills Rhone varietals have been receiving some good press and Skinner, along with other family-owned wineries there, may soon open a local chapter of the Rhone Rangers. This organization, which has no lack of absolute "wine geeks," has done a great job spreading the word about French varietals that do well in sunny California.

While I have yet to visit the Sierra Foothills AVA, it's on my list of must-see areas over the next year. Fortunately, Carey Skinner brought her fine wines to Los Angeles for our luncheon. Skinner wines can be purchased directly at www.skinnervineyards.com, and are to be found in some fine restaurants in San Francisco and New York.

Skinner wines are a true find!

2011 and 2012 "Seven Generations" white Rhone blend, with Rousanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and Picpoul ("lip stinger" in French). The 2013 had more Grenache Blanc, and therefore more acid, which sommeliers like for pairing with food, Carey told us.

2012 Grenache: This is elegant, light, with big cherry and raspberry flavors, and a touch of underbrush and dry herbs.

2010 and 2012 "1861," a blend of several different grapes, predominantly Grenache, with Mourvedre, Syrah, Counoise, and, in the case of the latter, a touch of Viognier to give it a more voluptuous mouth feel.

2012 Mourvedre. Much of this small-production variety is committed to Girl and the Fig restaurant in Sonoma, Calif., so it's otherwise hard to find. But if you can, it's a lovely wine, unfined and unfiltered, aged in neutral French oak for 11 months.

2010 Syrah is a tannic but well-structured red, that should be laid down for a while, with a touch (8%) of Viognier, and a hefty 15.1% alcohol level.

Skinner's whites are generally around $26 while the reds are about $30. They also have a rose for about $18.

While Carey Skinner told us that the gold in the soil of the Sierra Foothills does not in any way affect the flavors in her wines, I can say that the wines themselves are a true find.

Until next time, Cheers!

Provence Wines Are "In the Pink"

For me, nothing says "Spring" quite like rosé wine. It's light, refreshing, youthful, and full of fresh fruit flavors. Last week, when I walked into the rooftop terrace of L'Hermitage Hotel in Los Angeles and saw table after table of pink bottles in all shades, shapes and sizes, I just felt like Spring had truly sprung. (Truth be told, Spring never really goes away in LA, nor does my hankering for rosé!)

Part of the national "Provence in the City" tour of the Conseil Interprofessional Des Vins de Province (www.vindsdeprovence.com), the event highlighted 60 plus wines and about 25 winemakers from this sun-bathed region in the South of France.

One of the most interesting things about Province rosés is that they come in many shades of pink, from light, almost onion-skin, to rose petal to coral to cotton candy, cherry, ruby and raspberry (per the 'Rosé  Barometer' supplied by Chateau D'Esclans, see below). They are beautiful to look at.

Courtesy of Chateau D'Esclans

The color of the rosé depends on the grape or the grape blend used as well as the period of skin contact, which is a wine maker's choice. For instance, Whispering Angel from Chateau D'Esclans is made from a blend of Grenache (red), Rolle (white) and Tibouren (red) grapes and is quite pale, maybe a "light pink." The white Rolle, known as Vermentino in Italy, lightens up the wine. L'Esprit de Provence from Domaine du Grand Cros, made of Grenache and Syrah, both red grape varieties, is a much deeper pink, closer to cherry red.

Province is thought to be the oldest wine-growing area in France and is the world's largest rosé specialty region. In the last century, the area fell into over-production and developed a reputation for cheap table wines, but over the last 20 years or so, many of these poor-quality vines were pulled and a renewed effort to produce higher-quality, terroir-driven wines has taken place, with an emphasis on rosé. There is some some white wine production, with Rolle/Vermentino being a popular variety, as well as some earthy, or rustic, reds made from Carignan, Mourvedre, and other varieties.

Through my own observations selling wine at The Wine House (www.winehouse.com) rosé is gaining in popularity with consumers. And per a press release issued by Vins de Provence, exports of their rosés to the US have grown at double digit rates for 11 consecutive years. Citing statistics from French customs and CIVP, exports climbed 29% by volume from October 2013 to October 2014.This number is backed up by a Nielsen survey showing that rosé sales have experienced 10 straight years of double-digit growth, at 41% by volume in the same time period, compared with just 1.0% growth in the total table wine market.

I am heartened that more consumers are coming to the realization that rosé is often a great choice as both an aperitif and food pairing wine, and conversely, that winemakers are taking this once-denigrated style of wine more seriously and offering formidable choices.

Following are some of the wines I tasted and liked at the Wines of Provence event. Note that not all of these wines are currently distributed in all US markets. Either consult your local retailer or search www.wine-searcher.com.

Chateau de Brigue "Signature," 2014 vintage, is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Tibouren, and smelled and tasted of citrus fruit, pear and minerals, typical Provence rosé (retail around $17.00). The reason I loved it so much was its beautiful mouth feel, which the winemaker described as "voluminous," and he was right. Note that this winemaker said he will soon produce a Provence sparkling rosé. I am looking forward to that! (www.chateaudebrigue.com)

Chateau Roubine made three different rosé wines, but the Tete de Cuvee Inspire-Crus Classe made me say "I'd have this for breakfast" because of its aromatic pink grapefruit flavors. Made of Tibouren and Syrah, this wine retails for around $40.(www.chateaurobine.com)

Domaine du Clos D'Alari is a family owned vineyard/truffle farm/olive grove/B&B that captured my attention. In the Province hills northeast of the coastal St. Tropez, owner Natalie Vancoillie makes lovely wines, either first press (green label) or second press (pink label), priced at around $10. You can check out this property at www.leclosdalari.com.

Hecht & Bannier caught my eye first because of their beautiful packaging. Yes, their Cote de Provence Rose is delightfully expressive of Provence with its floral notes and minerality. But the thoroughly modern approach to presentations was as refreshing as were the wines. The labels are of a plastic material that can be peeled off easily, and does not bubble up when wet (good, since rosé should be chilled in ice water), and the stoppers are of clear plastic material that is reusable. Hecht & Bannier are "negociant" wine makers, meaning they buy grapes from multiple vineyards, blending them to bring out the best possible characteristics. They don't own the vineyards. This is a practice more often associated with Burgundy and Bordeaux than with Provence. Read more about them at www.hechtbannier.com.

This is just a small sampling of the wines from Provence, but as rosé season approaches, I am excited about the restocking that's happening at The Wine House and other retailers. Pink just seems to brighten everything up.

Until next time, drink the pink!