Have a Wine on the Wild Side

Our friend Eric Asimov over at The NY Times' wine blog, The Pour posted a piece today that has piqued my interest in a certain California winery in a big way. In the post, which focuses on Scholium Project, an experimental winery in Napa Valley -

"As with many small, utilitarian wineries in California, barrels and tanks practically spill out of Tenbrink, home of Scholium Project, here in the Suisun Valley, just east of Napa Valley. Yet to call Scholium Project a winery and its proprietor, Abe Schoener, a winemaker is a little like calling Salvador Dali a painter. It’s true, but it does not begin to capture his visionary character."

If that's not high praise, I'm not quite sure what is. Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of trying any of Abe Schoener's wine's myself - but as Asimov tells it the experience is nothing short of inspired. The most refreshing part of the post was how the winemaker is willing to go out and experiment, and isn't frightened or put off by the occasional stumble.

If making fine wine is truly an art, this guy certainly has his heart in the right place. Better to take a risk, make some crap along with the really amazing stuff, than it is to play it safe and never manage anything that's truly creative. I'm going to attempt to search out a few bottles and report back with my thoughts at a later date.