Hello Friends of Trinity River Vineyards,
Can wine be normal? With so many styles and different traditions what would a normal wine even taste like? And what is normal anyway?
Practically speaking it is just the most prevalent or commonplace of any characteristic, be it fashion, preferences, or opinions. Simply put, normal is the most expected, most frequently encountered. By that definition, wine can be normal. It can have a normal smell, a normal taste, a normal color. But the more one drinks wine, especially when one starts exploring wines outside their backyard – say Greek wines instead of Napa wines – the more one realizes that normal is very hard to define. Wines diversity is one reason it becomes such an obsession to the connoisseur. There is an infinite reservoir of new experiences and so it is impossible to get bored. Yet, drink enough Greek wine and eventually one will begin to form an idea of a “normal” Greek wine. And so on, and so forth with all new styles, traditions, and locations around the world. Then add vintage or seasonal variation to the mix and one may encounter normal vintages versus abnormal vintages.
With this in mind, I’d like to introduce a new brand of wine called Wild & Spontaneous. They are not what you expect from Trinity River Vineyards. And that is the point. If you are in the mood for a classic Pinot Noir with fresh cherry, strawberry notes and a light uplifting weight and mouthfeel, try the Hummingbird Pinot Noir from Trinity River Vineyards. If you like kombucha and you are interested in exploring new flavors (abnormal flavors), you should try En Montre Cul Pinot Noir from Wild & Spontaneous.
The brands are best thought of as Classic versus Wild, traditional versus unconventional, expected versus unexpected, typical versus esoteric. Normal versus abnormal?
Trinity River Vineyards delivers wines with a sense of place. I strive to capture the signature of the soil and micro-climate that a particular vineyard has on a wine. As this is very subtle, the trick is to produce clean, fruit-centric wines that are typical for the varietal. This allows the differences of soils and climates to be revealed. If I use too many new oak barrels, the wine is masked by oak flavors and the signature of place is lost. If I use additives or fine and filter, then the subtlety of terroir is lost. This is why I say Trinity River wines are classic in their varietal characteristics, but unique in their sense of place. I only use a touch of sulfites just at bottling to capture and preserve a sense of place.
Wild & Spontaneous offers up wild, esoteric wines. These wines may use very old techniques that are now “new” again like Ancestral Capture Method to create sparkling wines. Or they may use newer techniques like carbonic macerations that produce silky wines with low astringency as in our Carbonic Syrah. Wild & Spontaneous wines use little or zero sulfites. There are no other additives used. These wines only use wild, native yeast that are naturally occurring on the grape skins and floating in the vineyard and winery environment. The wines spontaneously ferment when they are good and ready. This leads to a wider variety of yeast species in fermentation and often – not always – leads to less fruit, more earthy fungal flavors, and aromas. These can mask the signature of place, but they can be very complex and energetic. Wild & Spontaneous wines are about “energy” rather than “sense of place”.
I welcome you to try either or both brands, depending on your mood. If you have any questions about any of these topics or the wines of Trinity River and Wild & Spontaneous, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you want to learn a bit more please check out our YouTube video on this subject called Wines of Place versus Natural Wines.
If you are interested in exploring the wild and esoteric energy of the new brand, Wild & Spontaneous or just re-visit Trinity River favorites remember to use Purchase Code NEWRELEASE at check out for 10% off. If you are a club member or become one, you will additionally receive your normal 20% discount. Through May31st the NEWRELEASE code can be stacked on top of your wine club membership discount for a total of 30% off.
Best wishes to all. Stay safe and be well.
Cheers,
Wil Franklin
Viticulturist and Winemaker
Trinity River Vineyards
3160 Upper Bay Rd
Arcata, CA 95521
Phone: (215) 280-0535
http://trinityrivervineyards.com/
