~ Robert Craig
Many of us have had the benefit of a Mentor to help guide us along our career path. Such a Mentor may be a person or an organization. In my case, the Vintners Club of San Francisco was an important influence in my decision to pursue a life in winemaking.
In the mid to late 1970’s, I was a frequent participant in wine tastings at the Vintners Club, where I had the opportunity to discover the many nuances of wine in a rigorous and comprehensive format. In many ways, I consider the Vintners Club as the Alma Mater for my early wine education.
Two devotees of wine, Jerry Draper and Reed Foster, founded the Vintners Club in 1971. The tastings were first held on the second floor above Jerry Draper’s import business, Draper & Esquin, then later at the World Trade Club and today at various venues around San Francisco.
From its inception, the Club’s mission has been to advance
wine education. One measurement of consistent quality for an organization is longevity. By this standard, the Vintners Cub is unique. Next year the Club will celebrate 40 continuous years of excellence in wine education. Over nearly four decades, members have been enriched by approximately 1,500 educational tastings and events.
What was it like in the mid-1970s for someone interested in learning about wine? It is hard to believe, but there were few wine reviews or wine publications – no Wine Advocate or Wine Spectator. Robert Finigan’s “Private Guide to Wines” was a resource, but primarily for European wines.
There were no wine blogs, on-line wine forums or winery websites (in fact no internet!). Restaurant wine lists were either devoted to French wines or were limited in scope.
So with such meager options, how could one learn about wine? For me, the Vintners Club was a real gift. There I had the unparalleled opportunity to sit down in front of 12 wines in a blind tasting and evaluate and discuss them with fellow enthusiasts, winemakers and winery owners.
The UC Davis 20 point scale for judging was somewhat daunting but when learned was wonderful. In fact, to this day, I believe it is vastly superior to the 100 point ranking system used by many wine publications.
The tastings were rigorous and serious, as they are today. I
can recall one evening when a participant started to chat about the wines while
we were still tasting. The table moderator told him, politely but firmly, “no discussion until all of us are finished.”
We were introduced to some extraordinary wines from around the world, but it was especially exciting to experience what was happening in Napa Valley and other growing regions of California in the 70’s.
Two of my all-time favorite wines were tasted at the Vintners Club during that time – a Villa Mt. Eden Pinot Noir – probably a 1972 or 73 – which I was sure was a great French Burgundy, during the blind tasting. A 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder Winery was the first mountain wine that I had tasted – it was a lovely, concentrated, exceptional Cabernet that really did speak of its mountain heritage.
Those wines were made in a refined, classical style,
emulating to some extent the great wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but with a California twist. Later on, when I sought out vineyards in the mountains of Napa Valley, my goal was to make wines in that style.
Today the Vintners Club wine tastings remain unsurpassed for the selection of world-class wines; the rigorous protocol of the tasting format; and use of the UC Davis 20 Point Scale.
Among its members are some of the most notable individuals in the world of wine, including winemakers from France and California. There are presently about 350 local members in the Bay Area. However, the Club’s publications have a global reach of approximately 7,000 subscribers.
For those of you who are interested in joining, there is a one-time initiation fee of $350 (tax deductible). Annual Dues are $295 for local members and wineries (tax deductible) and $160 for those who live more than 50 miles from the Civic Center of San Francisco. Each membership is for a couple (applicant and spouse/significant other) and any dependent children over 21. For wineries, any full-time employees may attend tastings at the member price.
Here is a link to more Vintners Club information on their website at www.vintnersclub.com
We have remained members over the years and our wines have been included in several tastings – something that gives me great satisfaction. I look forward to attending the next tasting on September 22, 2010, when one of our wines will be among ten 1997 vintage Cabernet Sauvignons from France and California to be tasted.Cheers,
Robert Craig