{"id":4630,"date":"2015-01-26T13:01:39","date_gmt":"2015-01-26T21:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hootnannieblog.com\/?p=4630"},"modified":"2015-01-26T13:01:39","modified_gmt":"2015-01-26T21:01:39","slug":"qa-amy-butler-ranchero-cellars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threeadventure.com\/hootnannie\/2015\/01\/26\/qa-amy-butler-ranchero-cellars\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A with Amy Butler of Ranchero Cellars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Without question I would list Amy Butler as one of the coolest winemakers in the Paso Robles area. We\u2019ve known her for roughly six or seven years and are happy to call her a friend. When we first met her she was the winemaker for Edward Cellars, which has since gone out of business, but bounced back with her own projects (including Ranchero Cellars<\/a>, we are wine club members) as well as consulting for several local wineries.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s a winemaker to watch, that is for sure. If you haven\u2019t yet tried her wines I strongly encourage you to do so. You won\u2019t be disappointed. Let\u2019s dive in\u2026Q&A with Amy below:<\/p>\n

Matt: How long have you been in the wine business? What region did you start in?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: I graduated from UC Davis in 1997 with a degree in Enology. I\u2019ve been doing nothing but working toward being a winemaker ever since then. My first job was actually a harvest internship at Chalone in 1996. Then, once I graduated, I went straight to Napa.<\/p>\n

Matt: Favorite variety to drink?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: Chardonnay! That may surprise you, but some of the most memorable bottles I\u2019ve had are Chardonnays.<\/p>\n

Matt: How many cases do you make on the Ranchero Cellars label?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: Around 600.<\/p>\n

Matt: What other projects do you have going?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: I\u2019m doing a lot of consulting right now. I\u2019ve been advising Red Soles for about five years now, and most of my other work is with startups. Right now I\u2019m particularly excited about Four Lanterns, with an amazing estate vineyard in the Templeton Gap growing some very special and quite mature Syrah and Viognier (two of my favorite varieties to work with).<\/p>\n

Matt: In my opinion it\u2019s dumb that you are a \u201cfemale winemaker\u201d and not just a winemaker. Do you have any thoughts on that aspect of the industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: It\u2019s possible that being a woman informs some of my stylistic decisions, but I don\u2019t know, because I\u2019ve never been a man. In general, winemaking presents the same challenges to both men and women. And I\u2019m glad to see that more and more women are getting into the field. Historically though, there have been a lot of exceptional female winemakers (Zelma Long, Helen Turley, Heidi Peterson Barrett) so I do think people should just move on and stop dwelling on gender.<\/p>\n

Matt: Being a female winemaker do you feel the industry has double standards or do you think the industry is pretty fair?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: Sometimes I feel like people don\u2019t take me seriously, but I\u2019m not sure if that\u2019s because I\u2019m a woman or because I\u2019m just a goofball. I used to worry about not being strong enough to do certain things in the winery, but it\u2019s gotten better since I learned to ask for help, about 6 months ago.<\/p>\n

Matt: What\u2019s your favorite thing about Paso Robles? Least favorite thing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: I love everything about Paso. The weather, the air, the downtown, the people, the vineyards.\u00a0 If I had to name a least favorite thing, it would be something small and crabby, like how certain streets are in disrepair, or there\u2019s too much traffic on 13th St. Little stuff.<\/p>\n

Matt: If you\u2019re not drinking wine you\u2019re drinking what?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: Coffee most likely. During harvest, quite a bit of beer. And tons of water. Hydrate!<\/p>\n

Matt: Favorite wine and food pairing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: I haven\u2019t found it yet. There are so many options, and I love to explore. The palette is endless, and so is the palate. Except when it comes to dessert. Please, I wish everyone would stop trying to pair dry wines with chocolate. Stick to port or vin santo.<\/p>\n

Matt: Where do you see the wine industry going in the next 5 to 10 years? What do you see being the next big thing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: It\u2019s important here to distinguish between Wine People (chefs, sommeliers, hipsters, winemakers, people who read and write wine blogs) and the rest of America. I could be like \u201cTrousseau is the next big thing\u201d but in the middle of the country, somebody is mixing Yellowtail with Red Bull and THAT\u2019s the next big thing. In the wine community, there\u2019s always ever-changing buzz about biodynamic wine from Croatia, or Orange Wine from Georgia, but let\u2019s remember that the majority of the country is still just drinking wine for the pleasure of food and company, and what\u2019s really crucial to the industry is that they continue to do that without having to be intimidated by the overwhelming fickleness of the wine press, telling them what the next big thing is.<\/p>\n

Matt: You\u2019re a Carignan lover, why and how did this come about?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: Well I first tasted Carignan from the Priorat in around 2006. I was blown away. Carignane (note the California \u201ce\u201d on the end) was one of the varieties we crushed in our wine production classes at Davis. At the time, it was considered a nothing grape, long since shoved aside in favor of trendier varieties, like Zinfandel. In the Central Valley (and Davis is in the Central Valley), it was prized for its ability to maintain a fair amount of acid and structure during super-hot summers. But not prized enough. The resulting wine was insipid, pale in color, thin in texture, and made by college students. But the Spanish Carignan I tasted then was a revelation. I elbowed the guy next to me and said \u201cHey – I have to make this wine!!\u201d Gushing, I told him that if I could get some old vine Carignan, I would totally start my own brand. In 2008, he called my bluff, informing me (in the middle of harvest) that we were going to visit a Carignan vineyard in Mendocino County. The trip itself generated a bunch of unforgettable stories for another time, but the end result was that I entered into a long-term contract for Carignan and Ranchero Cellars was born.<\/p>\n

Matt: Any thoughts that stick out regarding harvest 2014?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: 2014 was a very interesting vintage. The fruit quality was really high, but the weather (unseasonably warm from budbreak to harvest) was such that ripening was kind of variable and inconsistent.The grapes tended to accumulate sugar faster than they matured in flavor, so it was not a year for inexperienced winemakers, or anyone really who picks on numbers alone. I mean, you really had to trust your palate. And if you did, the rewards were fantastic! Color is dense, flavors are concentrated, and acid balance is even better than usual. I actually got to work with a few unfamiliar varieties this year, so that was fun as well. I learned that Nebbiolo is crazy challenging, while Legrein is like Cheating! Easy, fruit-forward, practically makes itself.<\/p>\n

Matt: What other local winemakers are you intrigued with in regards to the work they are doing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: I\u2019m excited about Jordan Fiorentini\u2019s side project, Magna Mater – it\u2019s exclusively Sauvignon Blanc, which few are doing in California anymore! She came from Chalk Hill and has something of an SB pedigree, and this wine is not to be missed. The Kruses at Jack Creek are working on a Sparkling wine – I hope I haven\u2019t let the cat out of the bag, but I can\u2019t wait! I\u2019m also super happy about the success that Janell Dusi is enjoying at her new tasting room and winery. I also think she makes the best Zinfandel in town.<\/p>\n

Matt: Favorite hangout spot in Paso Robles?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: Villa Creek! But sometimes I sneak over to the bar at Artisan. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Matt: Favorite wine region in the world, other than Paso?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy: Italy, because there\u2019s so much to learn!\u00a0I\u2019m really weak on the wine regions of Italy, and I\u2019m constantly googling stuff. I also have this great book, Vino Italiano, that\u2019s pretty beat up at this point. I like this because if I\u2019m not learning, I\u2019m bored.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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