Winemaker Feature: Abe Schoener of Scholium Project

So I recently fell in love with Abe Schoener, winemaker and proprietor of Scholium Project...

I first discovered him while reading Jon Bonné's book, The New California Wine. His feature inspired me to research him some more and well one thing led to another and now he might just be one of the coolest winemakers on my list. His philosophy on winemaking is something I really connect with which is experimenting, creativity, and making wines that are interesting. The guy makes an orange colored Sauv Blanc and a cherry red Pinot Grigio! How awesome is that. He has never aimed to make wine for high scores or reviews but out of pure creative enjoyment and has gained a cult like following because of that.

Abe's background is very academic but his winemaking is nothing like that. He is a former Greek Philosophy professor and Assistant Dean at St. John’s College. He left his teaching career in pursuit of his love for wine and founded Scholium Project in 2000. Scholium Project is based in Napa, CA and produces about 2,000 cases annually. Abe was a one man show until very recently hiring two employees. He is extremely hands on and takes pride in teaching his interns as much as possible.

I was eager to try some of his wine so I made a trip to Domaine LA, a boutique wine shop in Los Angeles. I purchased the 2013 Naucratis Verdehlo (retails for $28). This wine was low in alcohol and showed nice minerality and fruit. I enjoyed this wine but what was even more pleasurable was knowing the story of the producer who made it. I am a huge fan of Abe's winemaking philosophy. He's like a mad scientist and true artist wrapped in one. I admire him greatly and aspire to have that same creative, fearless spirit as I pursue my own winemaking projects.

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Here's what others are saying about Abe's wines...

"Like their maker, the wines are not shy. They’re more emotional than technical, more intellectual than hedonistic." -Wall Street Journal

"Schoener is selling the experience of extreme authenticity, of something pure and irreplicable. The arrangement is almost absurdly harmonious: the classics professor who has gone to the land (not just any land, but land that’s forgotten and seemingly irredeemable) and found virtue there, for himself and ultimately for his customers, who by buying his wines are buying into Schoener’s vision and thereby becoming something more than just elitist wine collectors." -The New York Times

To purchase his wines check out his site: http://www.scholiumwines.com/



International #ChardonnayDay!

Surprise! Today is International Chardonnay Day which means you need to go get yourself some Chard right now and celebrate! Because of this versatile grape we can get many different wine styles and profiles ranging from rich, buttery wines to crisp, fresh fruit or mineral driven wines and my personal favorite...Champagne! Chardonnay is one of the three main grapes that are used for sparkling production and the only white grape used (the other two are red varietals). If you haven't found a Chard you like I encourage you to keep trying because there are sooooo many ways this grape can be done right.

 

Varietal Profile of Chardonnay

FRUIT FLAVORS: Lemon, Apple, Pear, Pineapple, Guava

NON FRUIT (herb, spice, flower, mineral, earth, other): Apple Blossom, Lemon Zest, Citrus Peel, Beeswax, Honeysuckle, Wet flint rocks, Saline Solution, Vanilla Bean, Almond, Jasmine

OAK FLAVORS (flavors added with oak aging): Vanilla, Baked Tart, Butter, Pie Crust, Caramelized Sugar, Creme Brulee, Dill, Coconut, Praline

 

Interesting Chardonnay events coming up:

The Chardonnay Symposium- Pismo Beach, CA  May 28-30

The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration- Niagra, Ontario July 17-19                   

 

I DO NOT OWN THIS***** Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay by Big Sean.


Tierra de Malbec

I recently returned from my trip to South America. As some of you know, I left at the end of February for Argentina to work the harvest. I worked in the Lujan de Cuyo region, southeast of Mendoza at Viña Cobos. This winery produces around 150,000 cases annually and focuses on Malbec and Chardonnay. Viña Cobos is a partnership between Paul Hobbs of California and the Marchioris, an Argentine couple. Viña Cobos has five different brands: Cobos, Bramare Vineyard Designation, Bramare Appellation, Cocodrilo and Felino but is most famed for their Cobos line.

Harvest came fast and early for us at Viña Cobos. Due to the frequent rains, we were forced to take everything off the vine all at once in order to avoid losing the crop to botrytis and mildew. We finished receiving grapes an entire month earlier than expected. Because of this early finish I had some time to explore and travel. I spent some time tasting in Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley in Argentina and then crossed the Andes over to Chile and did some tasting in the Casablanca Valley.

My favorite wineries I tasted at in Lujan (Argentina) were: Tierras Altas and Finca Decero

...in Uco Valley (Argentina): Clos de los Siete and Andeluna

...in Casablanca (Chile): Kingston

Overall a majority of my favorite wines came from Clos de los Siete. The winery that had the best hospitality was Tierras Altas and the best lunch I had was at Andeluna.

Some of the other wineries I tasted at were Cruzat, Finca de Decero, Septima, Belasco, Salentein, Achaval Ferrer, and Casas del Bosque.