Sage advice
As many of you know from joining us this past weekend, we just held some events with owner, winemaker, local boy, brother and brother-in-law John Lancaster of Skylark Wine Company. It has been nearly two years since I had a chance to spend this kind of time with John, and it is always illuminating. In addition to being one of our favorite winemakers, John is also the wine director and sommelier at Boulevard restaurant in San Francisco. This provides him tremendous perspective, and when it is coupled with one of the best palates I know of and wine knowledge that borders on the encyclopedic, his advice on all things wine is invaluable!
As a working sommelier and wine professional, John tastes as many wines as frequently as we do here at the shop. We estimate that we taste about 50 wines per week on average, and no doubt John tastes at least that many. Given the stature of Boulevard, John is also frequently a guest at industry tastings as a panel member, amplifying his tasting experience even more.
This shared experience we have allows us to cover conversational ground on producers, appellations, vintages and varietals. At times we agree, sometimes not (after all, as the old adage goes, the best way to get six opinions on a wine is to ask two wine professionals), but it is always great “intel” on the business of wine and trends that we both see in our industry. And while the budget John has to work with at one of the best restaurants in San Francisco is a skosh different than what most of us have in the checkbook here in North Idaho, there are still remarkable similarities in what we see hear and taste.
During the day on Friday, John did much of his restaurant work via phone and email here at the shop. He was ordering from an importer who specializes in Premier and Grand Cru Burgundy. Without tasting any of the wines, John was ordering current vintage releases from some of the producers he knows well. Frankly they are well-known names to most anyone who focuses on Burgundy, either as a business or as a consumer.
While I was a bit skeptical of “going long” the quantities John was buying without tasting them first, he passionately made the case for buying producer over vintage always. It is not the first time I heard John make this argument, and I generally agree with him. The best producers find a way to make great wine in even the most challenging of conditions in the toughest years. It was good for me to have that reinforcement.
As a winemaker, John is solidly in the non-interventionist camp, letting wine become what it will with little interference from winemaking. However, he relayed a conversation with another well-respected winemaker during the early days of Skylark, who said "Always make the best wine you can." While this may seem obvious, it resulted in John getting a bit more involved at times when needed — employing water, adding acid or embracing more opulent oak treatment to get the best possible wine in the bottle. It shows!
This was no small part of John’s own wine journey. From when he and I first started drinking wine (and therefore talking about wine of course), he has always been a fierce advocate for a “less is more” approach. His favorites have always been the restrained, elegantly balanced style of wines from the “Old World.” One taste of the Skylark portfolio, and you can see that leaning shine through. For John to understand that at times you have to tinker a bit more to get, as his winemaker friend said, “the best wine you can,” was an example of him setting aside what he would prefer in his heart for what he knew intellectually. A statement on his dedication to quality.
No doubt our relationship contributes to what are far-reaching and productive conversations that take part in a relaxed and unfiltered way. We have no need to filter our feelings on all things wine for vendors, rather we are just two friends sharing their unvarnished feelings on the nectar in the glass and how we feel the wine industry is going. I have learned and continue to learn much about wine from John, and value his sage advice. Indeed, a great weekend spent with a friend, family member and one of the best wine professionals I know!
If there is a topic you would like to read about or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d’Alene Press.
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George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and table top décor shop located by Costco in Coeur d’Alene. George worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. Be sure and check out our weekly blog at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com/home/blog-2 You can get all of these articles as well as other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.