Dain Wines: An Interview With David Dain Smith, Part Two

Here is the second part of my interview with David Dain Smith. His wines are now released and shipped. If you received your order and have tasted the wine, please post your notes in the comment section. Congrats to David Dain for living the dream. If you haven't read Part One, click HERE .

• Your wines have been for sale for a few weeks now; how are the sales?

As I write this we have been fortunate to have already sold about 85% of our wine. We will be receiving requests from our mailing list until September 30^th. Anything remaining at that time, if any, will be offered through retail channels. I look forward to increasing our produce somewhat for the 2005 vintage and having more wine for both the mailing list and retailers.

• With wine critics being so influential, do you worry about “scores”? Will you send your wine to the major reviewers?

We will be sending our wines to Wine Spectator for review. I have mixed feelings about that. I am told it simply must be done. IMHO, every time I sell a bottle of wine, the most important critics are the purchasers and their friends. I care more about what my customers think than any other critic. Given that, of course I hope our wines ‘score’ well. Some people enjoy sharing a ‘high-scoring wine’ with their friends. Nothing wrong with that really, I just want to make wine I enjoy, seems to work.

• Have you recently tasted any “under $20” wines that you can recommend?

I love the Saison des Vin from Copain, great pinot and syrah for about $18. (Copain is the winery of Wells Guthrie, wine-maker at Rossler Cellars. Wine Review ). Denis Mortet makes a Bourgogne rouge for about $28 that is really good.

• Your wine will be made with grapes purchased from vineyard owners. Are you able to speak into the growing/picking/farming of those grapes and will your wine come from a specific spot in the vineyard or will they just be from "somewhere" in the vineyard?

I am fortunate in that I can communicate virtually daily (hourly) with CrushPad and the vineyard folks. I got a report on Hein Vineyard and Amber Ridge via e-mail literally a moment ago. God bless Al Gore, I love the Internet! Most of the vineyards we work with are rather small. It is more a question of which clones are available rather than a specific block. We try to get a nice mixture of clones for complexity’s sake. In some cases, since I am the new guy, I may get only a single clone from a given vineyard. But since in those cases we may make only a single barrel lot, it doesn’t bother me to do that. Starting with 2006, we will have our own rows designated at Rancho Ontiveros!!

• You mention "clones". What do you mean?

Clones are genetically identical strains of a given varietal. For example, Pinot Noir has many popular clones that are grown in California. If you had a row of plants of pinot in a vineyard and they were all the same clone, it would be a bit like having a row of identical twins. Different clones have different characteristics and do better in different sites. Some clones ripen earlier, exhibit different flavor profiles, or have different disease resistance.

• How many different clones are there?

A lot, actually, but probably a couple dozen at the most are routinely planted in the USA as far as I know. Dijon (France) clones, such as 115, 667 and 777 are very popular. Pommard (France) clones and some developed in California are also popular. The Swan clone, Pisoni clone and Benedict clone are highly thought of.

• Do you have any suggestions about where to get more information on different grapes and clones?

U.C. Davis might have something on their website. Especially since they developed many of the clones popular in California.

• What are the differences (stereotypically if you like) between California Pinot Noir and Burgundy (France) Pinot Noir?

Same grape, different terroir. California and France have different weather patterns and different soils, of course. Burgundy has a continental climate and California a maritime climate. Burgundy typically has a cooler autumn than California and sometimes a hotter summer. In my opinion, the major differences have to do with weather and soil. California wines do tend to be more fruit-forward and are rich and lush, speaking broadly, French wines tend to show more earth and acidity. The amount of oak is more of a stylistic issue. Other stylistic issues would include the amount of whole cluster fermentation, e.g. stem inclusion and length of cellaring. Both places make great Pinot Noir, just different expressions of the grape. The important thing is the wine is made from pinot :-) !

• Is it okay to make Pinot Noir in an un-Burgundian style?

No. :-) Yes.
This question starts more fights among winemakers and wine geeks than any other I can think of. You should make the best wine your vineyard can make. If your vineyard is in California you should make the best California wine you can make. Many people believe wine should reflect where it is grown, not so much the person who made it. Others say wine is a beverage of pleasure and if it is good, so what. A great chef does not care where the vegetables are grown, only that they are good and the end result is the key. As with many things, both views have merit. In California, grapes frequently ripen physiologically (good flavors, put simply) at higher sugar levels than in Burgundy. As a result, one frequently finds ‘bigger’ wines with higher alcohol levels and more forward fruit in wines from California. This does not always have to be the case. Lower yields and good vineyard management can result in riper fruit at lower sugar levels. Still, why feel bad about the great climate in California?

• Pinot Noir is known for being difficult. Is that from a grape-growing perspective, winemaking perspective or both?

Pinot is difficult to grow because you really need the right vineyard site. Syrah is somewhat more adaptable and can show well in a variety of climates, even Missouri. Pinot is thin skinned, literally and figuratively speaking. The grape does not take abuse well and you have to be gentle in the vineyard and the winery.

• Do you plan on making a white wine in the near future?

I have plans to experiment with Chardonnay and perhaps Viognier. It is hard to resist such wonderful varietals. Right now I intend to focus on making the absolute best Pinot Noir and Syrah we can possibly make. If we can expand to a few other varietals we feel we can do well, then we will certainly do so!

• Does wine always improve with age?

Not at all, some wines are meant to be consumed within 10 minutes of arrival in your kitchen. Seriously, all wine gets older if you lay it down, but not all wine gets better. Some very good wines are meant for consumption on release. If you like young wines there is nothing wrong with drinking your wines young. Personally, even for early drinking wines, I prefer to let the wine rest for about a year. Some wines should be left alone for decades. Speaking broadly, Bordeaux, Grand cru and Premier cru burgundy should be left in the cellar for ten years. I probably drink my French reds too old and my whites too young. My California wines are probably all consumed too young; I just love that great fruit!

Also, I believe most folks drink their reds too warm and their whites too cold.
(Scrutiny note: Amen to the above statement. I'll have a blog entry in the near future regarding this subject.)

• Is there a wine you dream of having one day?

Dain Wines, “Dandy”, 2004 Brosseau vineyard, in 2014!

• I know you are computer literate, but do you have an iPod…or another mp3 player?

I have a Sony Clie which is useful for photo, video and music. My kids have iPod(s). Clearly I am finally an adult; I can tell because I hate rap and love the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. The Brandenburg Concerto by Bach is proof of the existence of God.

• You have a link to Project Hope (pjhope.org) on your website. How did you get involved with them? How often do you participate with them?

Project Hope is an inter-denominational effort to help the impoverished people of Nicaragua. Nicaragua is probably the poorest country in Central America. Our local church has a long history of working with the people of Nicaragua. It all began several years ago after a major hurricane hit the region (sound familiar?). Project Hope brings medical missions and building missions to remote villages in Nicaragua. Cathy goes at least twice a year. I don’t get to go as often.

• Describe for us a perfect day for David Dain.

Every day is perfect. All things work together to good. Sometimes it takes a long view to see. Bad things do happen, but nothing ever goes wrong. Wow, I need to lie down; the C02 levels in the fermentation room must be really high.
Actually, my vision of a perfect day would be one that ends with me grilling salmon while Cathy prepares some veggies and rice. We sit down to the table with the kids and some guests, and drink a 1995 Williams Selyem RRV Pinot Noir!!

• Who is the most influential person in you life?

“The child is a father to the man”
I don’t know who said that but it is very true indeed. The most influential person(s) in my life are definitely my children. Certainly the event that changed my life the most was becoming a parent. Hopefully, I am the most positive influence in their lives. All of them are very interested in wine production by the way! ~

Thanks to David Dain for taking the time to share a bit about himself. Soon I will have some reviews of his wines and more pictures. I recently tasted all of his wines at massive Pinot tasting.

~Jason