Continuing our series on wine & book pairings, we take a look at Cadaretta. I asked Brian Rudin, resident winemaker, about his choice wines and how they compliment some of his favorite reads. While the Foundry is focused on art, the folks at Cadaretta are all about the science of wine. Brian says that what sets them apart from all the other wineries in Walla Walla is their scientific approach, and a new plot of land they are developing for grapes.

To Brian, beyond the taste, what captivates him about wine is the complexity and history behind every blend and bottle. Not surprisingly, his taste in books is much the same.

What are some “can’t miss” wines you’d like to be sure our readers know about?

Cadaretta 2011 “SBS” Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon blend.  We are well-known for the quality of our whites.  Our white winemaking style is very different from our neighbors and friends inWashington, as we make super-crisp, racy, mineral and citrus-driven juice. We make this white blend with 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon.  The trick is to use absolutely no oak, and to forestall the malolactic fermentation.  The next wine people should seek out is our 2008 Cadaretta Cabernet Sauvignon.  On reds, we have a reserved style that a delayed-gratification: this is a wine that is just starting to blossom, but will age gracefully for 10-15 years in your cellar.  When a wine has the stuffing to age like that, amazing things can happen to the aromas and textures.  But it has to be built sturdy for the long-haul, and this one is.  This is an “archival wine” as we discussed, that will deliver a small piece of history to your senses when you open it 15 years from now.  It reflects the vintage very well.

Can you recommend a wine for the following book categories – heavy, medium and light reads?

HEAVY: Reach for Cabernet Sauvignon.  Like thick reading, it is not always easy at first, but tends to reward more deeply by the ending.  Some messages just take time and gravitas in order to fully understand.  The wines are gripping and challenging in their youth, but with time come to display their meaning with power and finesse. 

MEDIUM: WashingtonStateSyrah:  We’ll make a comparison to Chuck Palahniuk here for medium reading.  It can be weird and yet enjoyable the entire ride, but will undoubtedly keep you coming back for more.  The notes you detect can be funky, racy, and sometimes downright disturbing; but you will find the individualism and the honesty endlessly refreshing. 

LIGHT: Unoaked whites and roses:  a wine needn’t bowl you over with heavy themes for you to enjoy it.  Unoaked whites and roses can be perfectly pleasing and refreshing, to be enjoyed in the moment while you unwind and reflect on some of the other (non-wine, non-literature) things in life.

Has there been a book you’ve read that has stuck with you? What was it and how would you describe it in wine terms?  

A few titles come to mind.  For non-fiction: “Undaunted Courage,” by Stephen Ambrose, which details Lewis and Clark’s four year expedition to be the first overland trek to the Pacific Coast of the Territiorial US and back.  This one resonated with me on a personal level because Lewis and Clark passed throughWalla Wallaand theColumbiaValleyas part of their expedition.  They painstakingly chronicled the geography, flora, and fauna of the land with the aim of publishing the opportunities for the American people, during the infancy of the republic.  Now, 210 years later, we are still discovering the potential of this land.  I never ceased to be amazed by how much we still have yet to learn about our own young wine region.  We owe thanks to the people who pioneered this region, came out on foot and horse with no more than they could carry.  They risked their families’ lives to have a chance at a new world.  Now we are here, with a duty to do the very best we can with this gift.

For fiction, I most recently devoured “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen.  The core theme of the book is the idea that the freedom of our choices will be manifest in the lives of those we touch.  Franzen takes it a little further to link the American experience, which has felt the positive and negative impacts of being populated by misfit immigrants, opportunity seekers, profiteers, sturdy industrialists, and any other castoff from Europe or beyond who didn’t have the freedom of choice in their own native land.  These people came to America, populated the west and realized they could do whatever they wanted.  The results could be beautiful or devastating.  We are at the same juncture with wines in the New World: because in Europe, regional laws closely dictate how wines are made, down to the last details of what grapes you can use, which can be blended, when you may legally start picking, etc….  In the new world, we are only governed by the market, by what people will like and choose to buy.  We are pushing the limits of what can be done with wine, and breaking a lot of rules in the process.  Like the characters in Franzen’s work, the results of our choices can be beautiful or terrible.  They can also be flawed, honest, and captivating. 

The world of wine is as vast as the world of books. For those more familiar with books than wine, here’s a quick run down of the basics.

Red wine vs. White wine:

The differences between red wines and white wines are pretty obvious; they look different and taste different, and are often described using a completely separate vocabulary. By why are they so drastically different? They are both made from grapes, right? Well, here’s the culprit: the skins. The skins bring a lot to the mix, primarily tannins.

In short, tannins are a naturally occurring substance in grapes and other fruits that has a flavor often described as a bitter taste, causing a dry and puckery feeling in the mouth. Tannins end up in your wine when the vintner allows the skins to sit in the grape juice as it ferments. This is also how wine gets its color! So that’s the short story: red wines are often fermented with the skins for longer than pink or white, which is why they tend to have higher tannin content.

Tannin is the basis of red wine. In general, the darker the wine, the higher the tannin content or “bolder” the taste. Red wines are frequently described as “thicker”, “leathery” or “bitter” depending on the amount of tannin present.

Popular red wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Barbera, Sangiovese

White wine has tannin, but not as much as red. What sticks out more in white wines is acidity. That’s what brings words like “crisp” or “tart” to the table when you open a bottle.

Popular white wine varietals: Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Moscato (Muscat), Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer

Rose, or blush wine, is pink in color. This is because it’s time with the skins is limited compared to red wine. Between red and white wines, rose is closer to white as it is still on the low end of the tannin spectrum.

Popular rosé wine varietals: Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese

Next on the list is Dessert wine and Sparkling wine (or bubbles).

Dessert wine is just as it sounds…frequently enjoyed after a meal for dessert. Yum! It’s often sweeter and higher in alcohol content. The alcohol is usually added to help the drink retain more of the natural sugars that are usually used up during the fermentation process.

Popular dessert wines/fortified wines: Port, Madeira, Vermouth, Sherry, Marsala

Sparkling wine is wine that has carbonation. This comes from either the natural fermentation process or via carbonation injection after the fact. Either way, it’s adds a certain amount of fun to the drink! When looking for a sparkling wine, consider the terms listed on the bottle that indicate how sweet or dry it is.

From driest to sweetest, these terms are: Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry/Extra Sec/Extra Seco, Dry/Sec/Seco, Demi-Sec/Semi-seco and Doux/Sweet/Dulce

So, in readers’ speak, how can I sum this up? Red wine is Bram Stroker’s Dracula and white is Twilight. Dracula is a dark, heavy classic, digging into the depths of vampirism and what it does to a man’s life. Twilight is instantly accessible, focuses more on the young, romantic edge and is a lighter read.

Dessert wine could be considered the Shopaholic series of the wine world. Lighter, fun and, in a way, dangerous in that the sweetness often conceals the alcohol content. Just like a beach read, you’ll start out happy and unassuming and before you know it your head is swirling as you turn the page to chapter 15.

Sparking wine is the Great Gatsby of the party. Effervescent and airy, the classy bubbly. One could imagine Gatsby, with some champagne, looking down on one of his lavish parties watching his guests bubbling like the Brut in his glass.

So that’s a brief summery of wine in all its forms. Drink well, friends, and be inspired. Cheers!