We’re continuing the countdown to ¡Salud! by getting to know our Vintners Circle wineries a bit more each day leading up to this year’s event on November 11 and 12.

Today’s featured winery owners/operators – Bill Sweat and Donna Morris of Winderlea Vineyard & Winery

1)  How did you select your ¡Salud! Cuvée and what makes it stand out from the other wines in your barrels?

The most exciting part of our blending trials is when we pick the elements that make up our ¡Salud! Cuvée.  At just a few cases, it really is the most unique wine in our cellar.  Our goal is to craft a wine that typifies our vineyard and winemaking style – but even more so.  We are tasting all our wines as they develop to begin to get a mental picture of how the different barrels might go together.  Sometimes there is one barrel that we know is our ¡Salud! Cuvée.  Other times, there may be several barrels that we blend to create it.  Each year is different.

2)  What foods and flavors would you pair your ¡Salud! Cuvée with?

Well, Pinot noir is the all purpose wine, isn’t it?  It pairs with everything from fish to beef, but I am partial to lamb, especially with this cuvée.  I’m imagining rack of lamb with rosemary and root vegetables simply roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.

3)  What is your favorite food and wine pairing in general – not necessarily Pinot Noir?

Very little beats a perfectly roasted chicken and a bottle of Pinot noir.

4)  What is your mood leading up to and during harvest; do you go Zen or get a bit frantic?

We are pretty Zen during harvest.  It’s all about preparation.  Once you get the pieces in place, you’re ready.  We try not to worry too much about the things we can’t control.  Or, perhaps it’s just our inner Alfred E Newman, “What, me worry?”

5)  Why is it important to you to support ¡Salud!?

The men and women who work in our vineyards combine both physically demanding work with a very high skill level.  We couldn’t make wine at this level without them.  Unfortunately, the nature of their work is that they are never with one employer long enough to qualify for healthcare.  It’s important to us to make sure these workers and their families have access to health care while they are with us.

6)  Without divulging too many secrets, are there any tricks that makes your winemaking process different from other winemakers?

No tricks, just a strong passion for what we do and a vision of the kind of wine we want to create.

7)  When not making wine, what fills your spare time?

You’re kidding – right?  What spare time? Ok, we do some running in the pretend hope that we’ll run a marathon one day.  We love Opera and theater and try to take in as much as possible.  We have two great dogs (Monty and Celie) who get us to take them to the beach every once in a while to give them a break from their hospitality duties in the tasting room.

Don’t miss your chance to sample Winderlea’s incredible ¡Salud! Cuvée at this year’s event!  Click here for ticket information.  Unable to attend the event?  You can still submit a sealed bid for these unique cuvées and other great auction packages!

Comments are closed.