What do winemakers drink when they're not drinking wine?
Herman Story is one of our favorite wineries.
The wines are impossibly huge, with well-integrated flavors. So you might be surprised to learn that Russell From, Herman Story’s winemaker and owner, is a huge Coors Light fan.
For some reason, every known photo of From and Coors Light is blurry. Like this one.
Photo courtesy of Herman Story Wines
And this one.
Photo courtesy of Herman Story Wines
Come to think of it, I’ve seen more photos of From drinking Coors Light than I’ve seen of him drinking wine!
This got us thinking about what other winemakers drink. Is it wine or nothing? Or do other winemakers also enjoy the occasional break from fermented grape juice?
So we posed the question to several winemakers whose wines we really like: What do you drink when you’re not drinking wine?
Their answers were both fun and surprising.
Neil Collins, Tablas Creek Vineyard
“I drink Bristols Cider!”
Located in Paso Robles, CA, Tablas Creek specializes in Rhone varietals. These are typically wines that pair well with a wide variety of foods, and Tablas Creek produces quite a few crowd pleasers. We’ve discovered a few new-to-us grapes while visiting the winery, such as Picpoul Blanc, which makes the tasting experience even more fun.
Collins told me he struggled to find good cider when he moved to California from England, so he founded Bristols Cider in 1994. It’s pretty cool that he’s both a winemaker and a cider maker! (I really don’t know if that’s the correct term for someone who makes cider.)
Photo courtesy of Neil Collins.
Sally Ottoson, Pacific Star Winery
“I’ve always said I only drink wine or water.”
This was a bit surprising, only because Ottoson is the only winemaker I contacted for this post who doesn’t enjoy other alcoholic beverages.
Pacific Star is located 12 miles north of Fort Bragg, CA. We had a lot of fun chatting with Sally on one of our visits. She shared some great stories and really knows her craft. Plus, this is the only winery we know where you can taste wine and watch whales at the same time!
Jeff and Sally at Pacific Star in 2013.
Laurent Gruet, Gruet Winery
Gruet’s go-to drink is a gin and tonic, made with an aromatic tonic.
Gruet is best known for sparkling wine, and we usually have a bottle of Blanc de Noirs on hand. Years ago, we hosted a “coast-to-coast” New Year’s Eve party, where we opened a bottle of sparkling wine from each time zone in the United States. Gruet comes from New Mexico, so it was really nice to have a quality sparkler from the Mountain time zone.
Photo courtesy of Gruet Winery.
Michael Keenan, Keenan Winery
“It’s hard for me to pick one go to option aside from wine, there are so many!
“After a round of golf on a hot day, like this last Memorial Day, a Shandy is the best thing on earth. Before dinner on any night, a good cocktail hits the spot, the French 75 perhaps being my fave.”
We first discovered Keenan Winery this past November, on a tip from our friends at Benessere Vineyards. It’s located on Spring Mountain in Napa Valley, and getting there requires a drive up a narrow, winding road. Fortunately, the semi-harrowing drive is really worth it and we immediately became fans!
Keenan shared a photo of a drink he invented in honor of the British pilots of the Battle of Britain. “It’s called the Spitfire: gin, compari, red vermouth and gran classico. One drop orange bitters and a mandarin orange slice garnish.”
Photo courtesy of Michael Keenan.
Theresa Heredia, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery
“During the two months of Shelter in Place, I’ve changed up between 2 favorites: Aperol Spritz, perfect on a sunny evening and Maple Cinnamon Whiskey Sour on colder nights.
“But the weather has warmed up a lot so recently, my drink of choice has been a poolside Hurricane, inspired by a tasty version from Sweet T’s in Windsor.”
Sally and I visited Gary Farrell in April 2019, and had an amazing experience. The winery is located in Healdsburg, which is part of the Sonoma Valley wine region. It specializes in Pinot Noir made from grapes grown in the Russian River Valley. We had fun tasting the different flavors of wine made from the same grape varietal, but coming from different vineyards and clones.
Heredia shared her Hurricane recipe:
“We make them with Flor de Cana rum, Gosling’s Black Seal rum, Angostura bitters, a small bit of passion fruit juice or purée and fresh squeezed citrus (orange, lemon, lime). We make them on the less sweet side so they have some nice rum and bitters complexity. A great poolside beverage!”
Photo courtesy of Theresa Heredia.
Nils Venge, Saddleback Cellars
Venge’s go-to drink is Hopper Creek Summer Beer.
We first learned about Saddleback Cellars while tasting wine at neighboring PlumpJack, where Venge is a consulting winemaker. We’ve been PlumpJack fans since our first visit to Napa Valley in 2003, so it’s not surprising we really enjoy Saddleback wine! The wine is fantastic, and the tasting experience is very casual—we always opt to sit on one of the picnic benches they have next to the vineyard.
Venge is also a consultant to Keenan Winery, so we clearly like his style!
Outdoor tasting at Saddleback Cellars is casual and fun.
Katey Larwood, Goldeneye Winery
“A negroni is the best drink for any occasion—especially taking a Saturday afternoon walk around the neighborhood!”
Goldeneye is part of the Duckhorn portfolio of wineries. It’s located in Philo, which is in the heart of Northern California’s Anderson Valley. The winery is best known for its outstanding Pinot Noir, and we were very impressed when we visited in 2015. Goldeneye has been our benchmark for Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ever since.
Photo courtesy of Goldeneye Winery.
What else do you drink?
Are you like Sally Ottoson, and drink wine or water only? Or perhaps you enjoy a beer or a cocktail on occasion?
Wine is our first love, but we enjoy many other beverages. The top of our list is probably whiskey, particularly Irish and Scotch. There’s even a photo of a retired distiller we met at Strathisla that hangs over our liquor cabinet.
Tommy and a bottle of Strathisla made from Scotch whisky he likely distilled 12 years prior.
