Merlot Renaissance: Celebrating Two Decades Beyond Sideways (includes tasting)
January 23, 2024
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Merlot Renaissance: Celebrating Two Decades Beyond Sideways (includes tasting)
In 2004, a small independent film received unprecedented attention due to the inclusion of a now-legendary expletive comment about Merlot. The result on Merlot’s popularity was immediate and intense, but with Sideways now twenty years into the rearview mirror, what position does Merlot hold now?
This session’s panelists contend that Merlot is poised for a rebirth. Interest in the variety is growing, grapes are increasingly difficult to source, and through all its ups and downs, Merlot has never ceased to be a component of some of the world’s best wines.
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Moderator
Jonathan Cristaldi
Organization:
Decanter, California
Jonathan Cristaldi is a wine writer and reviewer who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the Napa Valley correspondent for Decanter, an authoritative UK-based magazine distributed to over 90 countries, reaching over 2 million subscribers. His articles on wine, spirits, and beer have appeared in local and national print and digital platforms, including Decanter, Food & Wine, Departures; The SOMM Journal; Tasting Panel Magazine; Liquor (dot) com; Seven Fifty Daily; Los Angeles Magazine; LA Mag’s Liquid LA blog; Thrillist (National Edition); Tasting Table (National Edition); Time Out LA; Complex Magazine’s First We Feast blog; Vivino; and Psychology Today. When not writing about wine, Cristaldi works as a scriptwriter on film and documentary projects with award-winning commercial photographer and director Rachid Dahnoun.
Speakers
Chelsea Barrett
Organization:
Materra, California
Chelsea Barrett grew up in Calistoga and began working in vineyards and wineries from a young age. She attended UC Davis and graduated in 2010 with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. After college, Chelsea interned at Mayer am Pfarplaz in Austria, Two Hands in Barossa Valley, then returned home to Napa Valley, spending a harvest at Opus One. She then worked at Joel Gott Wines for seven years with projects all over California, as well as Oregon and Washington. During this time, she also began collaboration with her mother Heidi Barrett making wines for Amuse Bouche and Aviatrix. Chelsea joined the Materra team as Winemaker in 2019. She lives in Calistoga with her husband, three daughters, and a husky-german shepherd mix. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, cooking, skiing, scuba diving, and reading.
Will Camarda
Organization:
Andrew Will Winery, Washington
Will Camarda is the Winemaker and Sales Director at Andrew Will Winery. He has been working at the winery for 10+ years.
Kimberlee Nicholls
Organization:
Markham Vineyards, California
Over a career spanning almost 30 years, Kimberlee Nicholls has earned a reputation as one of Napa Valley’s most respected winemakers. With a gifted palate, and three decades of Napa Valley winemaking knowledge and experience, Kim crafts wines of character and complexity from Markham’s 350 acres of certified sustainable estate vineyards in Yountville, Oak Knoll and Calistoga.
From this prized fruit, Kim continues Markham’s unapologetic fascination with Merlot, its flagship varietal, and dedication to exceptional Bordeaux blends. Markham was one of the first wineries in Napa Valley to grow and specialize in Merlot, long recognized for its structure and vineyard-inspired sophistication. Each Markham Merlot, along with its acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, is a nuanced expression of the region’s character and nurtured with respect for yesterday’s successes and a passion for tomorrow’s discoveries.
She spearheaded a shift from “reserve” to estate wines, driving focus on the importance of sourcing and sustainability as major contributors to quality. In the 2000s, Kimberlee initiated a full review of the winery’s packaging and recycling efforts as part of the winery’s commitment to deliverer excellence beyond just the wine inside the bottle. Lightweight glass, USA-manufactured paper, corks and capsules closed the circle in the long-held Markham ethos of respecting the environment to produce better wines. Today, sustainability is woven into the fabric of Markham and considered at every touchpoint, from soil to fruit and cellar to glass.
Kim supports her community including the Napa Valley Vintners Napa Green Land and Napa Green Winery initiatives, and by collaborating with and mentoring her team and fellow female winemakers, especially through the last several seasons of devastating wildfires. She also finds inspiration in her love of pairing great food and wine. An accomplished cook and baker, Kim enjoys hosting small dinner parties for family and friends with the goal of creating wonderful memories that showcase the relationship between lovingly prepared food and artfully made wines.
After earning a degree in biology from Willamette University in 1989, Kim’s fascination with the science of winemaking led her to the lab at Napa Valley’s Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, where she honed her craft before joining Markham Vineyards in 1993. After four years of hands-on experience in the vineyards and in the winery, she was promoted to associate winemaker in 1997 and then to winemaker in 2001. In the two decades since, Kim’s artistry, innovative spirit and encyclopedic knowledge of winegrowing and winemaking have helped Markham Vineyards to earn countless accolades, and an enduring place as one of Napa Valley’s great wineries. In 2020, Kimberlee celebrated her 29th harvest at Markham Vineyards.
Rex Pickett
Organization:
Author of Sideways, California
Rex Pickett is the author of Sideways, the novel upon which the Oscar-winning film of the same title is faithfully based. His latest installment in the series is Sideways New Zealand, due out Jan. 30. For an autographed and inscribed edition please go to rexpickettbooks.com. Rex resides in the city of Napa and can be found at the Vintners Collective, where he tries his best to avoid Merlot.
Omri Ram
Organization:
Château Lafleur, France
After many years as head sommelier and consultant for some of the best restaurants in his native Tel-Aviv, Omri decided to cross the lines, and study viticulture and winemaking in France and Spain. Working in wineries in Spain, Israel and New-Zealand, Omri finally joined the Guinaudeau family in 2013 and started working at the two family estates: Château Lafleur and Château Grand Village.
Today Omri is a part of a very small and skillful team who manages simultaneously the viticulture, winemaking and even the distribution for both properties.
