Tag: winemaker

Get to know 2012 Coast winemaker of the year: Mike Sinor

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Sinor LaValle owner a central coast mentor

Earning Wine Spectator’s praise for a 96-point Pinot Noir wasn’t enough to keep Mike Sinor fulfilled. In fact, neither was flying from Santa Maria to Napa for wine and dine lunches on a private Gulfstream jet. The trips to Burgundy and Bordeaux, France, to study winemaking and wine dinners with the Rothschilds were wonderful, but the ‘perks’ and awards always came while working for someone else.

After returning from France in 1996, Mike Sinor started his own wine label, Sinor-LaVallee, with his wife, Cheri, in 1997.

When the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and San Luis Obispo Vintners Association each named Mike Sinor California’s ‘2012 Central Coast Winemaker of the Year’ in mid July, the  Visalia, California, transplant soon traveled back to the Central Valley for a promotional event at The Market. Later that evening, Mike and I chatted at Trelio Restaurant during a wine dinner event. We agreed to meet a week later at the fabled Santa Margarita Ranch and  Ancient Peaks Winery, just south of  Templeton, Calif., in order for me to better understand the man behind the honor.

While Mike was raised in the center of agriculture in the State, his father, Bernie, an avid pilot, sold heavy construction equipment as owner and operator of Sinor and Sons Equipment company. Bernie gave young Mike plenty of opportunities to work on the job sites or at the family-owned Fresno junk yard. Mike spoke fondly of his father’s staunch commitment to his business, working hard but taking time to play hard with the family.

Bernie and Mike often went hunting together, and while it did not often include big game, father and son hunted doves in the foothills of Madera. And like many Central Valley residents, the family made numerous trips to Cayucos which is where Mike’s love of the beach began.

But working for Dad was not a part of Mike’s plan. College and the Central Coast beaches lured the high school graduate. The teenager ended up in San Luis Obispo; Mike enrolled at California Polytechnic State University [Cal Poly], ready to become the first college graduate in his family (Mike’s sister, Teri LaFleur, is now a 3rd grade teacher in Woodlake).

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I spent a morning with Mike Sinor, right, at Center of Effort in the Edna Valley where he works with a number of other winemakers and also creates his  Sinor-LaVallee brand.

“I was ready to go out on my own,” Sinor said. “My dad taught me my work ethic: to work hard and throw myself into it. So when I wanted to go to college, I had his blessing but I had to pay for it, work for it.”

Sinor’s upbringing, like many from the Central Valley, brought a love for the coast; Cal Poly was a natural choice. The Sinor family encouraged Mike to take responsibility for his education at an early age but expected him to pay for college. He entered Cal Poly hoping to become a high school shop teacher; however, upon meeting his future wife, Cheri, in a Chemistry 101 class, that dream changed: a love for each other and the wine-making journey was born near the beach in 1991.

Many Central California teenagers dream of leaving the San Joaquin Valley for a college beach experience. Mike Sinor left Visalia for San Luis Obispo and a degree from Cal Poly.

“My first job on the Central Coast was on old Corbett Canyon Road when I was 21,” Sinor said, “where I worked at many wineries, including Corbett Canyon Winery; that is where my winemaking training started. Claiborne and Churchill, Chamisal Vineyards, Saucelito Canyon, and Windemere Winery over the next three years (’91-’94). Initally, I had no idea what I was doing,” Sinor continued, “but these area wineries and winemakers became my community.”

Mike did more than just put in time at local wineries. He became a part of their families, including Bill and Nancy Greenough’s at Saucelito Canyon.

“We had previously lost a daughter when Mike showed up to work at our vineyard,” Nancy said. “While I had college kids around to be a positive influence to our youngest (Margaret and Tom), Mike Sinor lived out his time with us like their older cousin. Besides working that first harvest with us, there was not a job he wouldn’t do. Mike is an extremely positive person, has clear values, hardworking, and enthusiastic. He always did a job well.”

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Whether Mike picked the kids up from school or punch downs three times per night, Nancy said Mike found joy in whatever task he undertook. She never felt awkward about asking him to do the “crappy job” or the worst job at the winery. Mike had a Valley Boy reputation: always hard working. No job was beneath him.

“Mike was like a Junk Yard Dog,” Bill Greenough said. “There wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix: from tractors to wine equipment. Actually, I don’t know why he initially wanted to become involved with wine but he was so curious.

He always wanted a better way to do things, even if it involved the worst of jobs. He always volunteered: ‘I’ll do that…no problem.’ He willed himself to learn the wine process. He was so attuned to sensory changes to wine, juice, the smells, fermentation, pressing, barreling. His nose was always busy. He keeps an eye on stuff; his senses became like a hound dog sniffing, sniffing it out.”

Mike and Cheri’s personal wine label is Sinor-LaValle. Mike’s Spanish family heritage is the Sinor and Cheri’s background is French; thus the LaVallee.

Sinor not only had time for the wine business and babysitting the kids, but the Greenoughs said Mike took so much pride in completing even unusual tasks.

“We had this VW wagon sitting on our property; it had been parked for 10 years,” Nancy said. “Mice had moved into the camper: a 1966 Volkswagen Westfalia. Mike took it completely apart, got rid of the mice and put back together. He always brought out the best in people. The kids loved him.”

Today, Mike no longer wears a pony-tail under his baseball cap, something that Bill jokingly chided him for while Sinor lived in a house in the vineyards. Sinor, while living out a ‘Rush Limbaugh work ethic in the morning and country music in the afternoon,’ has given back to the Greenoughs. He has helped mentor Tom Greenough as he took over as Saucelito Canyon’s winemaker.

“I discovered myself because of them,” Sinor said. “They introduced me to my livelihood and I became so close to them; I not only worked by day, but I occasionally took care of their kids in the evening. Not only do I love my career but I also love the land and the people I am indebted to for my success. I love this community; it raised me.”

After graduating with a degree in Industrial Technology, Sinor began working for the Robert Mondavi family at Byron Vineyard in Santa Maria during the harvest of 1994. He rapidly gained respect as moved up from his cellar position to Assistant winemaker to Ken ‘Byron’ Brown.

Sinor’s background and passion for the land and vineyards also increased as he made two trips to France to study French winemaking processes with a focus on the vineyards and domains of Burgundy. These trips became even more personal as he married Cheri while on a trip to  Beaune, Burgundy, in 1996. A year later, Cheri and Mike started their own label: Sinor- LaVallee Wine Company. Their name is a ‘marriage’ of their two heritages: Sinor-Spanish and LaVallee-French. Their focus? Like that of their shared love: 300-400 cases of Pinot Noir.

Sinor worked with Byron Vineyards and Winery until November of 2000; he had seen production quadruple, a new winery built, and hundreds of new acreage planted. He left Byron after four years for his first winemaker position at Domaine Alfred [Chamisal Vineyard] in the Edna Valley and never looked back, despite what he gave up.

Sinor began his winemaking journey at Byron Vineyards and Domaine Alfred, where his 2004 Domaine Alfred Pinot Noir Edna Valley Chamisal Vineyards Califa earned 96-points from Wine Spectator. He currently works at Ancient Peaks Winery in Santa Margarita.

“It was very emotional for me to leave Byron after working with incredible people and the Mondavi family,” Sinor said. “No one could believe I was willing to give up the private jet excursions from Santa Maria to Napa for lunch or trips to Burgundy to learn more about winemaking. Why would this little guy from Visalia give up drinking with the Rothschild family?”

Domaine Alfred had been a small winery renewed by owner Alfred “Terry” Speizer. He planted the dormant vineyard with the latest French clones, including six Pinot Noir and five Chardonnay clones, in the mid 1990s. Speizer made Sinor his winemaker in November 2000.

“I felt a need to change,” Sinor said. “There is never a perfect time for change. I knew personal growth comes from uncomfortableness. So I risked and Terry gave me control over 80 acres of vines and the winemaking. We made a good team.”

The two worked the vineyards to near perfection for five and a half years, expanding and tinkering with the vineyards.

Sinor’s mantra is passionate: Wine done well will transmit its environment.

After 5 1/2 years as Domaine Alfred’s winemaker, Sinor felt like a change was imminent. He had offers for a lot of jobs but the opportunities were not a right fit.

“The message is the place, the messenger is the wine,” Sinor said.

Wine Spectator agreed with Sinor and put Domaine Alfred on the map on June 15, 2006. They rated the 2004 Domaine Alfred Pinot Noir Edna Valley Chamisal Vineyards Califa. This was the highest score their critics had ever rated any Central Coast Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay, Syrah, and Grenache also earned acclaim.

As a winemaker from a world class winery, Sinor led the Central Coast into notoriety. Sinor joined Brian Talley and a group of vintners who pioneered a new organization in 2001: The World of Pinot. He served on the board of directors for 10 years. Countless others in the industry kept him busy for interviews and consulting. Mike and Cheri’s Sinor-LeVallee wine label continued its own success in the Edna Valley and all seemed right. All seemed right to everyone except Mike and Cheri.

“Even before Wine Spectator came out and gave our pinot the high score, I was already thinking my time at Domaine Alfred was coming to an end,” Sinor said. “I knew a major grow of the brand was coming; we built a new winery and would need to hire more people to support the increased production. Both Cheri and I knew we didn’t want to stay much longer. I had lots of offers to leave but nothing seemed right. It was time to explore another level and personal growth but I didn’t want to do a job I have done before.

Family and community relationships continue to shape Mike and Cheri Sinor. In this 2003 family photo, Cheri holds a reluctant Tomas and Mike cradles Esmee.

“Some people said I left [Domaine Alfred] because of the accident. But I had been thinking about leaving since the fall of 2005, months before the high score and our time of grieving.

The Sinor family’s direction changed forever, Jan. 13, 2006. On a routine flight back to Visalia’s Municipal Airport, Mike lost his dad, Bernard “Bernie” Sinor, his stepmother, Betty Ann, and his stepsister’s two children. The plane crash claimed all their lives and reshaped Mike’s next steps.

Please check out A time for change: Mike Sinor winemaker of the year, Part II. Read as Mike overcame his great loss and accepted a new challenge at Ancient Peaks Winery in Santa Margarita, Calif. His wife, Cheri, and Mike still produce Sinor-LeVallee wines and continue to be leaders in the Edna Valley winemaking community.

Ulrich Dujardin: Outsider impacts Burgundy winemaking tradition, Part II

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This blog continues to follow Ulrich Dujardin’s change from an adult handicapped teacher in Dijon to a traditional Burgundian winemaker. Please look for the first post in the series: Outsider impacts Burgundy winemaking tradition, Part I.

Wine merchant and writer Kermit Lynch reflected on the French wine aesthetic in a 1998 Food and Wine article that underscores the importance of the region to the wine making process. He wrote that in order to understand the French wine culture, one must interpret or acknowledge the ‘goût de terroir.’ It “refers to the character or style or personality a certain vineyard site gives to its wines.”

For Ulrich Dujardin, winemaking is all about paying attention to detail and that includes all aspects of the winery. This gated entrance to the stone building warehouses the winemaking equipment, including the wine barrels stored the 12th-15th century caves below.

While this affects most bouteilles de vin de Bourgogne, I believe Ulrich Dujardin’s personality, character and style distinguish Domaine Dujardin, creating the distinctive features and flavor of his wine. Dujardin bet his future through the day-to-day operations and willed himself to become a vigneron, despite no family ties to Burgundy. He implemented his passion for reinvigorating the lives of disabled people. Ulrich took a personal interest in their lives through “hands-on” education. This zeal corresponds to his love for the land and winemaking.

Despite his nearly year-round schedule, Ulrich Dujardin, center, takes an hour or two each week to teach about his techniques to groups who visit his domain.

For the next 18 years, Dujardin poured himself into the Bouzerand winery. However, the vinification process gradually became more and more the product of Ulrich’s growing desire to own and vinify in an all-natural process rather than prized ways of the past. He insists on traditional methods, including nurturing the vines while avoiding pesticides or herbicides. He also oversees, and personally participates in, a completely hand-harvested crop. In fact, he continues to hire handicapped adults in the Domain Dujardin vineyards. He took over all aspects of the domaine, including a hands-on approach to pruning, harvesting, winemaking and marketing of all eight of the domaine’s appellations.

With the domain revived due to Dujardin’s attention to detail, Bouzerand* decided to sell Ulrich his half of the domaine in 2008.

Ulrich Dujardin, left, is the factor, the expertise, that helps marriage the taste of centuries in Monthelie. He has built a reputation on the traditional natural process, without the use of pesticides and herbicides, harvesting by hand.

The Parisian-born outsider, and now full-fledged Burgundian, redrew a new label, this time without the Bouzerand name for the first time. Ulrich now owns and operates Domain Dujardin as a sole proprietor on the slopes of Monthelie. The 12th and 15th century caves are now his to use and store the nine different appellations, including wines from four different communes: Beaune, nearby villages of Auxey-Duresses, Meursault, and of course, Monthelie.

“I am a committed to being a part of each stage of the (winemaking) process,” Ulrich said in French and translated to English by his wife, Catherine. “I trim vines, sorting in field, harvest grapes, and manage process from bunches to barrels and bottling.”

Catherine, shaking her head in agreement, also added that Ulrich was also available to other winemakers in the area to help them with their production. He also teaches winemaking techniques to groups who visit his domaine.

Domain Dujardin wines are created by a distinct personality and character that distinguish them a part of the Monthelie landscape and culture.

“Ulrich is always helping others,” Catherine said. “He still hires handicapped people to work in the vineyards and spending time with others who need help.” She paused and then added, “He works too much.” Catherine repeated the last sentence in French. Ulrich smiled, shrugged his shoulders and shook his head in agreement. He said something in French that I didn’t catch and Catherine didn’t repeat it.

Catherine did emphasize one last point before we finished dinner.

“Ulrich has a drive for people to like and appreciate what he does,” Catherine said. “He is so good; he always wants to help out others with their work, including in the fields, but he does not ask for any help himself. He has a big heart.”

As the evening drew to a close, and I finished the chocolate torte Ulrich’s daughter, Margaux, made, I asked him about further plans to grow the domain as his appellations usually sell out. His answer is simple. “Why, I already have enough?” His smile sent me adrift as he gestured to his home, the vineyards through the open window and family at the table.

Domaine Dujardin produces red and white wine, listing 10 appellations from four communes. His Village Meursault white is much sought after in Burgundy.

According to Burgundy Discovery’s Lynne Hammond, Domain Dujardin has already made a name for itself in French wine competitions and are currently sold in some Parisian wine shops.

“The Domaine’s (Dujardin) Premier Cru wines are regularly cited in the French publications: Le Guide Hachette des Vins (The Hachette Guide to Wines) and have been awarded 16 medals in the last few years, including five gold from the (Concours de Paris (General Agricultural Competition: Paris), Concours des Grands Vins de France de Mâcon (The Committee on Fairs, Competition National Fair of Wines and Macon) and the Burgundia d’Or Councours (Burgundy Wine Competition).”

–Lynne Hammond

Dujardin is also a member of the select group of Vignerons Independants (Independent Winegrowers) that typify the small, family domaines that dominate French winemakers.

“We’ve known Ulrich for 10 years,” Hammond said. “He was one of the first growers we met when David [husband] and I moved here from the UK to set up our business in the world of Burgundy wine. He is a passionate and caring man – about his family, friends, lifestyle and wines. This passion truly comes through in his wines, which are expressive and well-balanced. We always say passionate winemakers make passionate wines!”

In the same FoodandWine.com article listed above, Kermit Lynch describes that a French wine seems to “taste of centuries.”

“Goût de terroir is the result of complex interactions between many factors, such as grape variety, geology of the soil, climate and microclimate, topography, native yeasts and microbes, nearby vegetation and vinification. The genius of the French wine culture is founded on the ideal marriage of all these factors (and probably more), marriages perfected in each locale over centuries of trial, error and experience. The genius of the French wine culture is founded on the ideal marriage of all these factors (and probably more), marriages perfected in each locale over centuries of trial, error and experience.”

I believe Ulrich Dujardin is the factor, the expertise, that helps marriage the taste of centuries in Monthelie. He has built a reputation with a personal stake in the community and a sincere love of all human beings. Dujardin is willing to give more than he could ever get in return and exudes a sold-out attitude and desire to create masterpieces from his own backyard that are sure to outlive him.

Ulrich Dujardin, left, and Domain Dujardin produce five appellations of white and five of red wines, including two Premier Crus.

Come and meet Ulrich, with Lynne and David Hammond’s Bringing Burgundy to You wine weekend event alongside France’s largest Wine Fair – Salon des Vins des Vignerons Independants. This fair takes place in the old Flemish city of Lille, around 60 minutes north-east of Paris, between Nov. 16-19. Each year, 600 growers taking part, all of whom are Vignerons Independants. Meet Ulrich, taste his wines and enjoy a private gourmet dinner hosted by Ulrich, David and Lynne.

Ulrich Dujardin lives in the village of Monthelie with his wife, Catherine, and three children: Paul, Margaux and Luc.

For more information on Domaine Dujardin, visit the web site, check out Monthélie Vignerons or email Ulrich at domaine.dujardin@orange.fr. While it is difficult to get Domain Dujardin wines from the winery, often they can be purchased at local wine shops in the villages of Santenay, Meursault and Beaune.

For more information on Burgundy wine classifications, read my previous post.

Please return to www.talesoftheCork.com or email talesofthecork@gmail.com for updates on future availability of Domaine Dujardin wines.

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*Bouzerand: After Xavier Bouzerand retired from the domain in 2008, he opened a wood carving studio in Beaune where he can still be seen creating works of art with wood.

Outsider impacts Burgundy winemaking tradition, Part I

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Burgundy winemaking is tradition and viewed as a right. Skills and vineyards are passed down from generation to generation, but occasionally a dreamer or upstart gains a foothold and sets root into Bourgogne’s Côte d’Or.

The Beaune Hospice, founded in 1443, was a place of refuge for orphaned children until 1970. Today the Hospices de Beaune are a testimony to its long history, continue to operate 60 hectares of vineyards and host a wine auction the third Sunday of November.

Born in Paris in 1963 to parents who were strangers to Burgundy, Ulrich Dujardin’s father moved the family to Nancy, France (east of Strasbourg, France) soon after for a job opportunities in the petrol industry. Later the family uprooted and settled in Dijon where Ulrich finished his schooling from 1971-1981. However, as he continued his schooling, working towards an education degree, Ulrich met disabled people in Beaune. The impression impacted him forever.

Ulrich’s father introduced his children to wine at an early age; a common practice for Europeans. His parents enjoyed wine and shared tastes with young Ulrich who gained valuable appreciation for its importance. Wine not only shaped dinner choices but cultural and community events they attended. And wine tasting with his father impressed and provided the impetus for Ulrich to occasionally cutting grapes from vines in the vineyards, influencing and honing early skills. But he could never allow himself to dream of becoming a winemaker. Burgundy winemaking was not in his family’s lineage.

I sat down with Ulrich and his wife Catherine one day in mid June to find out how a man born outside of Burgundy could thrive in a such a small town like Monthelie. In the next couple of posts, Ulrich’s story, despite my poor French skills, are what follows. And while Ulrich’s English is limited, Catherine’s struggle to translate French to English is also a part of the story.

“I grew up knowing about wines and vineyards from my father,” Dujardin said in broken English through his wife Catherine. “He gave me some tastes and I cut some grapes from the vine. This I never forgot.”

But as an outsider, Ulrich never felt or became a part of the winemaking community even after he met Xavier Bouzerand in 1986 of Monthelie, Burgundy, in the Côte de Beaune.

Ulrich Dujardin began to work for Xavier Bouzerand in the vineyards of Monthelie in 1986. The small village and surrounding slopes are 5 KM 3.5 miles from Beaune.

After graduating from school, Ulrich increasingly became interested in working with handicapped people after he took a tour of the Hospices de Beaune: a hospital for the sick and disadvantaged from 1443-1970. Ulrich was moved by the passion of the nurses while visiting the museum and decided to become a handicapped teacher.

Four years later, Bouzerand met Dujardin while Ulrich led a class field trip while working at a Center Aide Travail just outside Dijon. As a teacher who worked with adult handicapped people, Dujardin often took groups to work at temporary jobs. Disabled adults worked in places like woodshops and construction sites, assembly plants and repair shops. They also would help with catering and housekeeping opportunities and labor in the vineyards.

When Bouzerand and Dujardin initially spoke to one another, their communication centered on a handicapped member of Bouzerand’s family. Dujardin’s efforts with adult handicapped people at the non-profit agency impressed Bouzerand and the two men seemed to click; they both shared their expertise, keenly interested in what each other shared. A match was born.

Without a family tradition or land inheritance, Ulrich Dujardin decided to cut back to three days part-time teaching adult handicapped people in 1986. The other four days a week he accepted a position at Domain Bouzerand in Monthelie.

Soon afterwards, and upon Bouzerand’s invitation, Ulrich began making trips to work at the Bouzerand vineyards in Monthelie, about 42 km (26 miles) from Dijon, the region’s capital. At first the visits were on weekends and on holidays from his job at the Center Aid Travail. But within a year, Dujardin committed 50 percent of his time to the winery in Monthelie. He spent Monday through Wednesday working with handicapped adults and Thursday through Sunday working along side Bouzerand.

The aspiring winemaker worked seven days a week between the two business until Bouzerand accepted him as a 50-50 partner, changing the label from a single last name to Bouzerand-Dujardin in 1990.

It became increasingly clear to Bouzerand that his own handicapped son was not able to accept the responsibility of taking over the family winery; as a result, Dujardin’s dream began to emerge. He then focused his full-time energy on the winery. Even if he could not own the land, Dujardin was ready to take charge of a reborn Domain Bouzerand-Dujardin and its eight hectares. He retired from his teaching position in Dijon and its guaranteed salary.

He now became a full-time Vigneron.

Please return in the next couple of days for Ulrich Dujardin: Outsider impacts Burgundy winemaking tradition, Part II.

Burgundy winemaker designs new path

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A trip to France is not complete without a food and wine experience. I don’t just mean a lunch or dinner at a village or Parisian cafe, bistro or brasserie, enjoying local cuisine and wine. While that is a large part of the equation, I wanted to meet and learn more about the winemakers and their passion to create the bottles of juice the world has on their tables.

So in June I traveled to Burgundy, France, for a week and spent three days wine tasting, talking with vignerons and wine merchants. I decided to hire Burgundy Discovery’s Robert and Joy Pygott to reacquaint me with the area. My visit five years ago gave me a wonderful overview to the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, but I wanted the perspective of someone who lived in the region to reeducate me with the Burgundian appellations and regions.

After studying adult handicap education, Parisian-born Ulrich Dujardin became a respected Burgundy winemaker through personal courage, fortitude and vision. His new wine label broke new ground into the often closed community.

During my 2007 visit to Burgundy, my wife and I met Ulrich Dujardin at Domain Bouzerand-Dujardin. This winemaker exuded excitement and passion for his craft and I was moved by his story. He was not a local landowner nor did his family’s history include winemaking. But Ulrich’s enthusiasm and vision for the craft sparked a cord within me. I wanted to meet Ulrich again and learn more about the outsider who became a winemaker in the tiny village of Monthelie, 5 km or 3.5 miles from Beaune.

This year’s visit included an hour presentation of Domain Dujardin’s winemaking process from beginning to end, including Ulrich’s personal attention to an all hand-harvest and natural wine process. But as he spoke about his passion for winemaking, I heard something I did not catch when I spent an hour with him in 2007. Ulrich’s passionate presentation invigorated me because he obviously cared about the process. But I almost missed his side comments on how he hires disabled or handicapped people to help him in the vineyards. And when I checked on his family heritage, it did not include winemaking.

How did an outsider become a winemaker in a region which favors tradition and heritage over the new and upstart?

My first Burgundian TalesoftheCork will post tomorrow. I want to introduce Domain Dujardin and its owner: Ulrich Dujardin. Please return to read “Outsider impacts Burgundy winemaking tradition, Part I.”

Salut!