Words of Wisdom From a Wine Guru

A few columns back I reported that the annual Lum Eisenman Ramona Valley Wine Competition would be staged in November from now on, rather than in mid-summer as in previous years. One of the reasons cited to me by an event organizer was that competition judges are more available in November than in the summer, when there are more wine competitions.

Lum Eisenman, who is himself a judge in the competition, reminded me of another reason: many judges, at least those who are vintners themselves, find their schedules tight this time of year. It’s crush time.

Readers may remember , a retired research scientist and physicist who founded the San Diego Amateur Winemaking Society (SDAWS) back in 1983 and ever since has been a mentor to winemakers in the Ramona Valley and throughout San Diego county.

At age 81, he continues to make wine as an amateur, while also serving as a consultant to commercial grape growers and winemakers.

Recently, he took some time in the midst of a busy schedule to share his thoughts on where things stand for the burgeoning wine scene in Ramona. When I noted that the number of open tasting rooms in the Ramona AVA was up to 12 and growing fast, Eisenman reacted approvingly. He sees the proliferation of a critical mass of winemakers as a basic element in a wine region’s development.

“That’s what turned Napa from average farmland to a nationally recognized viticultural area,” he said.

As the number of wineries grows, the focus needs to shift from quantity to quality, Eisenman said. This means matching the grapes one grows with the soil and climate characteristics of the region. For example, he feels that chardonnay grapes don’t grow well in the valley but viognier grapes do.

Yet people walking into wineries right now are looking more for chardonnay than viognier.

“It’s a matter of balancing what grows best with what the winemakers feel they can sell," he said. "I think it will take quite a while to sort all that out.”

Eisenman emphasized that the process takes time.

“You plant a new vineyard, you don’t get any grapes until the third or fourth year,” he said, “and you don’t get really good ones for six or so years. In France, you can’t put a label on wine until [the vineyards are] a decade old. They don’t consider it mature before then.”

Thinking about the limitations of time and capital that a new, small winery might face, I asked what winemakers might do if they needed to change grape varietals.

“The availability of grafting is a lifesaver,” said Eisenman. Rather than ripping out the vines, winemakers can graft, for example, viognier vines on to chardonnay vines.

“You’d lose maybe a couple of years,” he said.

After talking about all subjective factors that can affect how a glass of wine may taste, this wine writer had to broach subjectivity in wine appreciation. I had to seek an explanation (affirmation?) of the winetasting sessions where my opinion of a certain bottle diverged from the opinions of people far more knowledgeable.

“Yes, it can vary from person to person,” Eisenman answered, then added, with a chuckle, “but that’s what makes wine fun!”