American Winery Blog

Having grown up in the wine industry, Angela Locati knows wine from many different angles. And, as a friend of the AW family, it was easy to talk her into sitting down with us. Skylite Cellars is one of our newest winery partners, and we are particularly excited to have another winery from our home town on board.  Check out her answers to our questions!

Lindi Kauer: Do you have any winery traditions, crush traditions or events that you are particularly fond of?
Angela Locati: ‘Friends and family’ is an ongoing tradition at Skylite Cellars. From crush to bottling, we recruit family and friends to help.

As far as events; ArtWalk is a big tradition. The first Friday of each month we feature a new local artist in our downtown art gallery and tasting room. We feature fun wine specials and food pairings and the event continues later into the evening. It is a lot of fun showcasing art, food, and wine altogether in one setting not to mention that we have several associates working the event and that always leads to a good time.

LK: What are some practices in the vineyard and in the winery which set you apart or which you are particularly proud of?
AL: In the winery all of our white wines are crafted in stainless steel tanks with no oak regimen. This brings a new world style to our assortment of fine white varietals and blends. The fact that we have so many white wines to offer also sets us apart from many. We are fortunate to have our own Skylite Vineyard producing fabulous high-quality Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in small lots. Using as much Estate and Walla Walla fruit is important to us.

LK: What would you be drinking right now if you weren’t drinking your OWN wines?
AL: Personally, I would be drinking IPA. I believe Cheryl would be drinking Stella.

LK: To you – is wine more art or science? What about that do you love?
AL: It must be more art these days. The science of making wine is basic. The art is the creativity behind the scientist. I love the passion that artists have but it is only fair that we now regard winemakers or scientists as artists too.

LK: Other wineries or winemakers you admire?
AL: I have to admire Holly Turner from Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla. Not only because she is a woman, but because she is talented, got her start at a young age and has worked in many wine producing regions, and still is very down to earth and approachable. Next would be my family’s winery, Locati Cellars, which produces strictly Italian varietals that pair with the foods I have grown up eating every Sunday at family dinner.

LK: If you weren’t a winemaker (in the wine industry), what would you be?
AL: Rich. No, I would probably be in forensics.

LK: What is your favorite food and wine pairing?
AL: Skylite Cellars 2005 Syrah and a rich chocolaty dessert made by Bear at The Marc.

For more information, please visit Skylite Cellars’ website or their profile on AmericanWinery.com.

Exciting news for all of us that work at AmericanWinery.com! Claire Miller of the New York Times interviewed our CEO and founder, Lloyd Benedict, for the Bits Blog.

Please read the article here…

New York Times Bits Blog: AmericanWinery.com

I recently attended WITS and had a lot of fun. I met a lot of really cool people (big ups to Jeff/Jason of ShipCompliant, Bart from O’Brien Estate, WITS organizers Smoke and Lesley, and many others…), got to connect with several of our winery partners there such as Jonathan from Francis Ford Coppola Presents, Patrick from Iridesse Wines, Laura from Zahtila Vineyards, and Kaz from Kaz Vineyards and Winery (more on him later), Bob from Chateau Leidigh and had a lot of fun and learning in the process. What more could you ask for?

This symposium has been running for four years now, and continues to grow each year with great speakers, sponsors and other beneficial offerings to wineries and vineyards. Definitely mark your calendar for it next year!

I could go on and on about the symposium and my experience there, the AmericanWinery.com found/CEO, Lloyd Benedict, has talked about it in a previous post, so I wanted to focus on a great, humorous, and table-turning encounter I had: being interviewed for Wine Biz Radio.

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Eric Laumann is the owner and winemaker for Cambiata and Ludwig wines. He has an infinite amount of zeal for this industry and the wine making process in general.

Lindi Kauer: Do you have any winery traditions, crush traditions or events that you are particularly fond of?

Eric Laumann: (Not sure how to answer this question) First and foremost I focus on the processes. Bottom line is I get up in the morning and I make wine. Harvest isn’t necessarily my favorite time, I look at all of wine making as a linear process and I simply try to make wines that fit my wine philosophy. 

LK: What are some practices in the vineyard and in the winery which set you apart or which you are particularly proud of?

EL: You shouldn’t be proud, it’s one of the seven deadly sins and it’s self indulgent. The star is the vineyard, the star is the grapes. I chose “Gradus Ad Parnassum,” (translated as “Steps to Parnassus,” the mountain of the muses) as the motto for Cambiata because I believe that wine making is like climbing a mountain in a metaphorical sense; no matter how many vintages you produce there is still something to be learned. If you don’t climb the mountain you don’t get blessed, and if you do not apply proper rigor, you will die of thirst.

LK: Where would you say you are at in this journey?

EL: I’ll climb as long as I can.

LK: Don’t you think that with some of your vintages you’ve done a really good job? Can’t you be proud of those?

EL: Well, see. . . I’d call it satisfaction, not pride.

LK: What about other wineries or wine makers you admire?

EL: Randall Graham of Bonny Doon is someone I admire because he is constantly reinventing himself. He goes beyond and creates a culture around his wine, delivering the appearance of “magic” in the bottle.

LK: To you – is wine more art or science? What about that do you love?

EL: I get upset when wine makers claim to be artists. The star is the vineyard. When you take wine and put your personality on top of it, to add meaning or add essences, in doing so you mask the terroir. You are supposed to be the Talent Agent, the educator for the wine. For instance, Randall does a great job of presenting the wines in a way that makes people see them a little differently and he adds this extra dimension without compromising the wine’s terroir.

LK: What is your favorite food and wine pairing?

EL: Well, we are located in Monterey County where there is a lot of great, fresh fish and you can just go down to the docks and pick it up hours old. There is also great produce here, like local peppers and fresh cilantro, that I really enjoy cooking with. All of which goes nicely with either the Cambiata Albarino or the Ludwig Riesling.

I met Steve Kroener of Silver Horse Winery and Way-Out Wine Co. (the Nada Wines) at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in January of 2008. His knowledge and passion combined with his witty good nature made him the perfect candidate for our inaugural winery profile….

Steve is the wine maker for both Silver Horse Winery, where he partners with his father, and Nada Wines. When we sat down to talk he was in Philadelphia trying to break into a new market.

Lindi Kaeur: I would like for our readers to learn a little bit more about you than what they may already know by reading your website. So, Steve. . . what would you be doing if you weren’t a winemaker?

SK: I love food, and I really enjoy cooking. I guess I would be a Chef or own a restaurant. Or I would be chasing tail, but I don’t know if you want to write that.

LK: Since you are such a foodie, what’s your favorite wine and food pairing?

SK: Oh good! I do this thin crust pizza in my pizza oven with carmelized onions, porcini mushrooms, and blue cheese, and I pair it with our Silver Horse Petite Verdot. Delicious!

LK: What would you be drinking right now if you weren’t drinking your own wines?

SK: I AM drinking a Yuengling Traditional Lager right now. Yuengling is America’s oldest brewery with over 175 years brewing experience and 5 generations of brewmasters! (Steve reading from the back of the bottle.)

LK: Is wine more art or science to you?

SK: Well it’s a little of both actually. It’s an art when you look at blending and the styles in which you can make your wine. But then the science comes out because you are dealing with a biodegradable product and you have to do something with it. There is some chemistry involved. . . . and you have to think about the vineyards and how you treat them will in turn determine how the wine comes out.

LK: Do you have any winery traditions, crush traditions or events that you are particularly fond of?

SK: We do! It’s called Vacchanalia, and it’s a traditional grape stomping party that we have done since our first year. We have a lot of fun and it’s really popular with local folks because every year we change the theme. This year is Disco Vegas! You should be there!

LK: What are some practices in the vineyard and in the winery which set you apart or which you are particularly proud of?

SK: I think that something that really sets us apart at the winery is our atmosphere. We don’t just want you to come in, drink, and get out. We want you to stay and relax, enjoy the views, enjoy the wine. To us wine is all about a lifestyle that involves friends, family, and food. We built it that way to provide a memorable experience.

LK: Are there other wineries or winemakers you admire?

SK: I gather inspiration from many people with different approaches or different styles. I look to all of them to help me better myself as a winemaker. But if there were just one person that I think really pointed me in the right direction in my wine making, I would say Scott Holly of Torrin.

LK: Are there any bad habits you would like to break?

SK: Bad habits I’d like to break? I don’t have any of those. . . I like my bad habits!

For more information about Silver Horse or Nada Wines, please visit their website or profile on AmericanWinery.com