UMass Magazine Online

Fall 2005

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Prerequisite

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Prerequisite

Swirl, Sniff, Sip
Two alumni winemakers tell us what it takes to make a fine vintage.

—Linda C. Smith

FREEMAN VINEYARD AND WINERY

Freeman Vineyard and Winery is located in the Russian River Valley appellation in the northern California town of Sebastopol. Former UMass Amherst lacrosse player Ken Freeman ’86 and his wife, Akiko, specialize in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

“Our wine is like slow-cooked food,” explains Ken. “It’s very much hand-crafted. In comparison, a vineyard like Joseph Phelps (in Napa Valley) produces as many as 50,000 cases a year while we are putting out around 3,000 cases.”

Ken works full-time in the banking industry and spends his nights and weekends selling and marketing the wines. Akiko, and another UMass Amherst alum, Ed Kurtzman ’86, oversee the day-to-day details.

Working on what he calls the five-year plan, Ken will eventually give up his day job to focus solely on the vineyard. “We are hoping to grow to 6,000 cases a year within that time frame.” The winery’s market is already international. Along with selling in the United Sates and online, they sell throughout Asia (one quarter of their sales are to Japan alone) and the United Kingdom.

Number of Employees: 3
Cases produced a year: 3,000
Varieties produced: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Year started: Purchased winery in 2001, first crush/harvest 2002, first vintage released 2004
How to purchase: Select retail and high-end restaurants or online.
Highest acclaim/award: Wine Spectator awarded the 2003 Akiko Cuvee Pinot Noir 91 points and the 2003 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 90 points (out of a possible 100)
Price range: $35 - $45 per bottle
Web site: www.freemanwinery.com

Suggested pairings

Freeman, Akiko’s Cuvee Pinot Noir 2003:
This will mellow as it ages, but right now it is perfect with a hunk of sharp cheddar cheese.

Freeman, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2003:
Serve this wonderfully soft, fruity, light wine with paté, cheeses or a lightly seasoned beef dish. Very smooth and drinkable wine.

BENJAMIN SILVER WINES

Benjamin Silver Wines of Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, Calif., produces extremely small bottlings of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other reds. Benjamin Silver ’94 is a producer, not a grower; he purchases his grapes from six different local vineyards. He works closely with the growers to control what is grown and how it’s cared for, down to the watering schedule. Says Silver, “I’m very particular about the grapes I purchase—the old winemaker adage is true—good wine is made in the vineyard.”

“I don’t ever have a typical day, which is the beauty of my job,” says Silver. “I wake up, check my e-mails, contact my distributors, wine buyers, restaurants, pay my bills. I send out newsletters trying to get people to join my wine-of-the-month club.” Silver wines are distributed widely in California, plus Canada, Ohio, Texas, Nevada, Florida, and other East Coast states.

Working out of a spare room in his house, Silver says he’s almost at the point of needing help running the business. Harvest time for him lasts longer than a lot of vineyards because he produces so many varieties. September through November, it’s a “seven-days-a-week, 24-hour-a-day job.”

Number of Employees: 1
Cases produced a year: 1,600
Varieties produced: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Mourvedre, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese
First release: 1997
How to purchase: Select retail and high-end restaurants or online.
Highest acclaim/award: Smith and Wollensky restaurant group has listed Silver’s wine on the All American Wine List. L.A. County Wine Fair competition winner.
Price range: $22 - $45 per bottle
Web site: www.silverwine.com

Suggested pairings

Silver, Pinot Noir Julia’s Vineyard 2000:
This wine will stand up to a rich and heavily seasoned beef dish or any hearty cheese. Full-bodied, intense berry flavor.

Silver, Pinot Noir Lake Marie Vineyard 2000:
Confidently pair this full-bodied, spicy vintage with just about anything, from potato chips to lobster.

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