A love letter to the Napa Valley from one of its foremost wine producers. And a recollection—no, more a life story—of how he found his Promised Land.
Winemakers: Jan Shrem
The connection between the land and the people who produce wine—the winemakers, the viticulturists, and everyone else involved in the process—is one of the most remarkable and enduring aspects of the wine world. It is as strong here on Eastern Long Island as it is in the hills of Rioja or the valleys along the Rhone or the Danube.
I was reminded of this universal characteristic in a message from Jan Shrem, a courtly and urbane man who is one of California’s foremost wine producers. Mr. Shrem founded and is the proprietor of Clos Pegase, a breathtakingly beautiful winery in Napa with an important art collection ( www.clospegase.com ). I met him in Southampton several years ago, and we stay in touch in various ways. I along with some other friends received a message not long ago that describes, succinctly and poetically, the Napa Valley as his promised land.
“Over twenty years ago, I sold a publishing business I built for 25 years in Japan and France, so that I could make wine; I could have bought a small chateau in Bordeaux; or settled in golden Tuscany; I could have gone to New Zealand’s pristine frontier. I had a dozen other alternatives. But I chose California’s Napa Valley to plant vineyards even though I could have bought the land in Mendocino for one tenth the price I paid. I did not go wrong for it was indeed wine’s Promised Land.”
Mr. Shrem goes on to quote Robert Parker, who in December 2000, wrote “…it is no exaggeration to say that California wine has come of age and can now rival or surpass the world’s finest wines…At the top level California wines are among the most exciting in the world, with many producers possibly rewriting the definition of greatness for Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.”
“Nature and science,” Mr. Shrem goes one “have endowed California’s vintners with an enviable set of circumstances. To begin with, unlike France or other Northern countries, California is guaranteed the sun every summer without fail, with rain being almost non existent at this time, and rare during harvest. And the Napa Valley has a variety of elements that, combined with the advance of science and global exchange of ideas and procedures, give it a marvelous edge for producing top quality wines. There are so many reasons for this…I call it an enchanted valley, carpeted in grape vines, diverse yet intimate in scale being five to one miles in width and thirty in length bounded on both sides by mountains of dramatic beauty.”
The geographical reasons are clear. “With the influence of mountain ranges and the Pacific Ocean, in addition to San Francisco Bay’s very deep body of cold water, the valley enjoys a temperate climate perfectly suited to the growing of fine wine grapes. A long growing season marked by sunny, warm days and cool evenings give grape clusters a longer ‘hang time’ for ripening slowly and evenly. With thirty different soil profiles of volcanic, maritime and alluvial origin many distinct microclimates emerge.”
Mr. Shrem speaks of the centuries of European experience and freely acknowledges the debt he and other New World winemakers owe. “We have borrowed grape varieties and winemaking skills from them and we have added new rootstocks, clones and techniques. Experience has shown us the wisdom of matching rootstocks, clones, spacing and trellis to locations whose microclimates and soils are best suited to particular grape varieties.”
“While retaining the European varietal origins, Napa Valley wines exhibit all of the exuberance of the New World, clearly expressing the ‘terroirs’ of the region and the artistry of the winemaker. It is a memorial to all the events in the cycle of making wine with the participation of the grape growers, enologists, craftsmen, and cellar rats. The story of their wine is told hanging from the twisted vine stock, locked up in dim cellars, resplendent in the transparency of the glass, painted about, sung about, admired and then tasted with all the enthusiasm the Napa Valley inspires.”
While the geography of Eastern Long Island is different, the convergence of elements Mr. Shrem talks about is similar. Think about it next time you drive by a local vineyard or pick up a glass of Long Island wine.
