An interview with Tom Farella of Farella-Park Vineyards
Tom Farella
We recently caught up with Tom Farella at Family Winemakers of California, and decided that it was time we sit down with him and talk to him about our favorite subject… wine! Tom, winemaker and farm manager at Farella-Park Vineyards, is a true Renaissance man, and one of our favorite people. In fact, he was one of our first winery partners, and his wines have a “diamond in the rough” quality.
Check out Farella-Park and the Road Block Syrah. . . a fast favorite among the American Winery Crew!
The Q & A with Tom is below.
Lindi Kauer: Do you have any winery traditions, crush traditions or events that you are particularly fond of?
Tom Farella: First, let me say that I am always amazed that this farm product that comes in from dusty vineyards can transform into a complete culture with gazillions of events and traditions, some for hundreds of years. Wines that can age and transform for 50 years or more and generate the highest level of human scrutiny is truly mind blowing. That said, a good, old-fashioned post-harvest party is probably the most fun. We actually don’t do one since we are so small but we make up for it with our “Farella Fest” in the spring with music, food, lots of wine and a big library tasting going back to 1985 wines. It’s an event for our wholesale, retail and grape customers and is always a big hit.
It’s a little antiquated but I love the tradition of the “Blessing of the Grapes” where we acknowledge, in a spiritual ceremony, the importance of the vine in our lives. It is also, in a sense, a soulful commitment to making the best wine possible.
The other event that I really enjoy participating in is a wholesale-only barrel tasting put on by the Napa Valley Vintners called “Premiere Napa Valley.” I really like it because it’s a level playing field with some of the more famous, heavily marketed brands and it’s a fun setting to show our stuff.
LK: What are some practices in the vineyard and in the winery which set you apart or which you are particularly proud of?
TF: We set out many years ago to drastically cut down on chemicals and tractor time with an eye towards creating a more natural balance between our vines and the surrounding habitat. Our vineyard is on a hillside so it presents special challenges to become “organic.” While not striving to be organic, per se, we have achieved a very natural setting with no-till farming, very limited irrigation and a carefully selected natural ground cover so our soil is healthy and so is our environment in general. It’s ironic to me that, in many cases, achieving “organic” status involves a very intensive use of tractors, diesel and two-stroke engines to achieve that goal. While we would be considered “sustainable,” we have been doing it so long that it feels pushy to market our vineyard as such. It certainly resonates immediately with our grape customers, visitors to the winery and, more than likely, to all the wildlife that stream through here.
LK: What would you be drinking right now if you weren’t drinking your OWN wines?
TF: If I could afford it I would probably be daisy-chaining Grand Cru Burgundies, especially Corton. Short of that, I love Italian white wines and less expensive Burgundies and Chateauneuf du Pape, Pinots from Russian River and Anderson Valley, Dry Creek Valley Zins, Oregon Chardonnays and some Pinots. I get a little weary on some of the overblown Cabs from our area so it makes me pretty picky within the category.
LK: To you – is wine more art or science? What about that do you love?
TF: Wow, great question. The answer is YES! It really is both. On one side, we have grapes which come from the vine with all the components necessary (sugar, acid, yeast and bacteria) to make perfect wine without intervention. On the other hand, a fermentation can go awry very quickly and without experience or scientific scrutiny, it can be permanently ruined. I have a UC Davis degree and I have found that I pull from the pure science side when challenges arise but use an intuitive side for most decisions. We can’t leave out the importance of mechanical skills, either. My real perception is that winemaking is really more of a craft or a trade but when everything clicks and a wine ages perfectly and you’re sitting there speechless with pleasure, I can’t help but use the “art” word.
LK: Other wineries or winemakers you admire?
TF: Tom Dehlinger and Dick Ponzi come to mind as well as some of the people that have influenced my thinking as winemaker/owners. I also have to hand it to Bruce Neyers and Lou Preston as well as Jean and Martin Prieur (Meursault) for giving me guidance and tremendous opportunities to grow and learn.
LK: What is your favorite food and wine pairing?
TF: Duck breast and a light reduction sauce (oxymoron?) with our “Alta” and some crunchy baguette for unrepentant mopping of juices.
LK: If you weren’t making wine – what would you be doing?
TF: I would try to write the great American novel in the morning, teaching children about the joys of nature in the afternoon and bagging peaks on my telemark skis on weekends. That is, if I couldn’t make it as a foreign film-maker. A winemaking career isn’t too awfully shabby, I might add! Year #29 for me. My job has so many facets that it encompasses many of my interests so it really is fulfilling.
For more information on Tom Farella and Farella-Park Vineyards, please visit their website, Tom’s blog, or their profile on AmericanWinery.com.
