Women Winemakers They Love
Martini House

January 7, 2009

With categories such as "Singles Going Steady" and "Cork-Free Wines: To Screw or Not to Screw?" Rob Renteria, Wine Director at Martini House in St. Helena, California oversees a 600-bottle wine list that is international, diverse, and a fun read.

We asked Renteria to share wine list insights and provide ideas to drink and pair now.

Q: What was the inspiration for the "Women Winemakers We Love" section?

A: Though I didn't come up with the concept (I added the James Brown quote!), I believe the inspiration for the page was an homage (or an acknowledgement of a movement) in response to the amount of women winemakers that are actually making wine in a male dominated profession. The restaurant opened in 2001, and in the past decade there's been an equilibrium of the sexes not just in wine making, but also in the restaurant industry as well (i.e., Sommeliers, Chefs, Writers, etc.)

Q: What qualities or characteristics moved you to select these producers?

A: In the past 3.5 years that I've been here, I've tried to include women winemakers from other wine growing regions (both domestic and international) outside the Napa Valley. I guess qualities/characteristics that I look for are not in the winemakers themselves (I don't even want to go there!) but in the wine itself. That said, just because the winemaker is female, doesn't mean I'm automatically going to buy a wine to fill a page. Though it does help if we get along!

Q: Please recommend and pair 3 - 5 wines that our readers should consider for enjoyment now.

A: My recommendations for the fall/winter season:

Winemaker: Darice Spinelli
Wine: Nickel & Nickel 'Searby Vineyard' Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, California, 2006 ($45)
Expert's Description: Very nice balance of Bartlett pear, green apple and light toast. Great acidity. This wine is solid vintage after vintage.
Pairing: I'd want this wine with fish/poultry dishes that have lightly buttered sauces and seasonal vegetables in them. Lobster and crab sounds good to me as well.

Winemaker: Heidi Peterson Barrett
Wine: La Sirena Syrah, Napa Valley, California, 2004 ($60)
Expert's Description: A plush, really clean style of Syrah. Almost Cabernet Sauvignon-like without the tannins. Very smooth and elegant.
Pairing: Try this with lamb, venison or duck.

Winemaker: Anna Monticelli
Wine: Esca Zinfandel, Sonoma County, California, 2005 ($23)
Expert's Description: Fruit forward with a nominal amount of oak. Pepper and Blue/Black fruits. A quaffer of a wine.
Pairing: BBQ. Spaghetti and Meatballs!

Winemaker: Pam Starr
Wine: Crocker & Starr 'Stone Place' Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, California, 2005 ($90)
Expert's Description: Big, elegant, structured. Very marked acidity. Dark red fruits and a mineral streak are hallmarks of this wine.
Pairing: A nice piece of steak and some mushrooms...with a demi-glaze. That's all you need.

Wine mark-ups and prices vary, and, as such, Wine Country Minute 00:60 cannot guarantee the accuracy of the listed prices. Please check around to find the best price and availability.

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