AA: Merry, you studied at Davis and chummed around with Steve MacRostie (see Appellation Advocate feature for the Carneros AVA) in the mid 1970’s. Back then the great California Pinot Noir was still a largely undiscovered creature. However, almost three decades later, you’re known as the “Queen of Pinot”, and Steve, if not the "King", is certainly "Chief Clansman" for the Carneros appellation. The two of you are also at the head of your respective appellation associations (RRVW and CQA). Today, when you and Steve get together, how do you compare notes, not about who’s Pinot (and region) is better, but how they are 'distinctive' from one another? ...After all, the only thing better than a world of just Pinot, is a world diverse with many unique and individual Pinots. (at least this has been the case in Burgundy’s Cote-d’Or for centuries!)

ME: Steve can best describe Carneros. However, I can make some distinctions. The Carneros region is cooler than Russian River Valley (RRV) in general. It is very close to the Bay and has a true marine influence. RRV is somewhat warmer and receives its cooling influence from the fog which surrounds the area. The fog travels up the river from the Pacific Ocean and also moves north from the Bay.
      The soils are also quite different. In Carneros there is a distinct soil series which contains a type of very black clay. In RRV the soils are more sandy, with a high proportion of the Goldridge series being found there. The high sand content gives the region excellent drainage.
      The wines from Carneros typically show bright red fruit characters like strawberry, Queen Anne cherry & red raspberry along with a lively acidity and a sleek palate. RRV Pinot, on the otherhand, shows more dark fruits like plum, Bing cherry, blackberry or black raspberry, along with cola and a bit of earthiness. The wines have a dense palate that is the hallmark of our area.


AA: You are well known for your work with clonal selection of Pinot Noir. For the Russian River Valley, do you see the use of various clones as a stylistic choice for the winemaker, with an artistic rational? Or is clonal selection a matter of best suiting the vine to its environment with a more ecological objective? Put another way, does the greatest value of clonal selection lie in creating a wealth of Pinot styles, or in finding a wider range of viable growing conditions for the variety?

ME: I feel that the use of multiple clones gives diversity & complexity, especially in a single site. Additionally, a particular clone may suit a specific site exceptionally well. Many people plant multiple clones in a single site to determine what will work best for them. As the Dijon clones are relatively new (”editions” still being released from France), this is a work in progress. Each winemaker will certainly have his/her favourites among the classic California, Oregon and Dijon clones.


AA: Pinot Noir has long been tagged as the difficult one and the heartbreak grape. Admittedly, the darn thing does present challenges to growers and winemakers that other, less finicky varieties don’t. However, it almost seems that people were looking for excuses for all the failures with the variety in California. Do you think that the great California Pinot would have become more commonplace earlier, had we had a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of clones a few decades ago?

ME: I feel that there are many factors which determined our “late start” with Pinot Noir. Clones certainly are a factor, since there was some very poor material in the ground. With the realization that clones and selections make a true difference, especially in Pinot Noir, there has been a weeding out of poor material. We cannot deny the important influence of the new Dijon clones; however, some of the great Pinots in California are made from mature vineyards of older selections.
      In my mind, the most important factor in improving Pinot Noir in America was the formation of the Pinot Noir Technical Symposium (in conjunction with the International Pinot Noir Celebration). This group was started more than twenty years ago and is still hosted by Oregon winemakers at the Steamboat Lodge in Oregon. This symposium brings together Pinot Noir winemakers from all over the world whose passion has been, and continues to be, the elevation of quality. The creation of this “brain trust” has catapulted Pinot Noir to a new position in the world market, leapfrogging this varietal ahead of Merlot and Syrah. Improvements in vineyard practices, understanding microclimates appropriate for Pinot Noir cultivation, changes in winemaking techniques and clonal selection have all been important in this process.


AA: When the RRV AVA was first petitioned back in 1983, the boundaries were based on existing vineyards. Your vineyard, Meredith Estate, was planted subsequent to AVA approval and is located in the Sonoma Coast appellation, lying just outside the RRV boundaries. Since your location experiences the same fog and cooling coastal effects as the rest of the RRV, you are working to have the RRV boundaries broadened to include your site. Does the current revision petition include other new vineyard areas?

ME: The petition filed by the Russian River Valley Winegrowers in January of 2003 seeks to include all areas which lie within fog influence, but which were previously excluded from the RRV AVA. Since the first petition was filed 20 years ago, we have come to understand that the fog line is the most important factor defining our region. The newly revised RRV AVA will include the Sebastopol Hill area south of the current boundary (where Meredith Estate is located). It will also encompass the remainder of Santa Rosa Plain which was bisected in the original AVA. We anticipate our current petition reaching the public comment stage sometime during the summer of 2004.


AA: Continuing with appellation boundaries, the value of appellation-of-origin is not just in its guarantee of where a wine comes from, but also its assurance of a signature style based on that named origin. If RRV is trying to develop world recognition for the finest Pinot Noir, do you think that the original boundaries of 20 years ago are consistent with this current objective? For example, do you believe the original AVA lines were drawn out to include existing vineyards which were well suited to other varieties, and not specifically to Pinot Noir? If so, would it be reasonable to consider boundary revision to exclude such areas, for the sake of a meaningful appellation defined by consistent growing conditions based on the suitability for Pinot Noir? (Areas in question: the appellation’s northern extreme which overlaps Alexander Valley, and the soil/climatically different Chalk Hill area)

ME: Our region is especially well suited for growing Pinot Noir, but other varietals also excel here: Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc. Large plantings and success with these varietals would preclude defining our region by just one grape.
      In the appellation revision, the next and more difficult step will be to remove existing overlaps with other AVAs, and to remove some areas which are inappropriate for cultivation of any grape varietal. The higher elevation of Chalk Hill has been discussed. In fact, we have done temperature studies in that area to determine an appropriate level for a cut off. On the eastern edge of the RRV AVA, there is no fog intrusion line we can follow, hence the need for an alternate method.
      One has to remember that any removal from an existing AVA will require the cooperation of growers and landowners within that region and the Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB).


AA: In the original Mecca of Pinot, Burgundy’s Cote d’Or, producers offer a wide product portfolio, based not on a broad selection of varietal names (as is the case for most New World producers), but by offering a number of places names (appellations-of-origin) - each using the same grape, Pinot Noir. In Burgundy the grape is constant; the variable and defining aspect of the wine being 'WHERE' it comes from. As a New World Pinot specialist, you in essence are following this Old World tradition. This is reflected by the range of appellations you source from, but more so by the wide array of 'vineyard designated' wines you produce. Part of AppellationAmerica’s mission is to help identify and raise consumer awareness of the best single vineyards of America -- essentially the American Cru’s. (see Designated Vineyard nominations for the RRV)   Can you talk a bit about your criteria for choosing a vineyard designate and explain how certain sites meet these requirements?

ME: In the case of Olivet Lane, we have been fortunate to be able to purchase grapes from a great old vineyard with an established track record.

As for Klopp Ranch, I worked with Ted Klopp when he was in the process of planting the original vineyard blocks over sixteen years ago. At that time, I was able to suggest appropriate clones; as the newer blocks have been planted, I have also had input.
      In the case of this ranch, the site was also good. Located on Laguna Ridge, just west of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the soils are very sandy with great drainage.
      So for Klopp Ranch there was a good pedigree, proper terroir, and a grower eager to farm the land to produce a great wine. This third factor turned out to be pivotal. In the beginning we made wines that were good, but not great. In evaluating the vineyard, we discovered an uneven growth pattern. We renegotiated our contract to an acreage, rather than a tonnage basis and included a bonus for production of a vineyard designate. Ted has revamped a portion of his irrigation system to support weaker areas and is using lots of organics as soil supplements. In 1999 we produced 750 cases of this wine and now we are up to about 1200. When the new blocks reach maturity, we have high hopes that the entire vineyard can be included in the Klopp Ranch blend.

The fourth factoring in selecting a vineyard designate is longevity & consistency. The grape source must be secure and the wine quality must be superlative year after year. We have a five year evergreen contract with Ted.

Finally, each vineyard must speak with its own voice and present a unique personality that is identifiable year after year. Comparing the Klopp Ranch wine with Olivet, they are Pinots at the complete polar opposites: Olivet Lane has forward fruit and classic elegance while Klopp Ranch is big and succulent with bold tannins.

I am in the process of evaluating several other sites for potential production as vineyard designates. Even with the proper terroir, pedigree, and grower it can take several years to evaluate a property for inclusion in our line-up of Pinots.


AA: There is perhaps no grape that better lends itself to expressing goût d’ terroir than Pinot Noir. Can you describe what are the distinguishing terroir features of each of your vineyard designates and how this manifests itself in the wine.

ME: Olivet Lane is located in central RRV on a bench of sandy loam. It was planted to the classic California Martini clone. Age is also a factor here as the vineyard was planted in the early 70’s. The wine reflects clear black cherry fruit and an elegant yet full mouthfeel.

Windsor Gardens was another unique site in northern RRV. This vineyard was warmer and had no irrigation. (I use the past tense here as the vineyard fell prey to a developer’s blade after the final vintage in 2003.) The soils are heavier here; this, combined with the deep, thirty year old roots, allowed these vines to thrive. It was also planted to the Martini clone, and although a similar age to Olivet Lane, expressed itself totally differently. The wines show a deep dark character with an earthy accent. The palate is dense and rich, but without big tannins.

Klopp Ranch seems a bit incongruous. Due to the extremely sandy soils, the vineyard must be watered heavily – it’s almost like growing grapes hydroponically. With this in mind, it’s hard to comprehend the deep dark berry character and dense yet supple tannins. The primary clone in the vineyard designate is the Joseph Swan selection with a small amount of Pommard. The newer blocks include some of the Dijon clones, but those are not included in the blend at this time.

Meredith Estate is located on the southern edge of RRV just into Sonoma Coast. This is our coolest site to date. The soils are very shallow with a base of fractured sandstone. Even at a young age, this hillside vineyard does not require much irrigation. The wines reflect the cool area by their distinctive perfume of lavender and blueberry. On the palate, the wine is sleek with firm acidity and moderate tannin.


AA: The RRV is not a place for the big corporate wineries. Instead, it is characterised by its family growers and small farm wineries. Small producers like yourself have a marketing plan designed on winery direct sales, forgoing the dependence on national wholesalers to distribute your wines to a broad audience. However, there are only so many people who can actually come to the winery gate to discover and purchase Merry Edwards wines. How do the small wineries of the RRV reach a broad consumer base and get the word out about RRV wines?

ME: We sell direct to restaurants all over the nation. Sommeliers recommend our Pinot Noir, people enjoy them and call us to order direct. Laws are continually changing in terms of direct-shipping, with new states opening up each year. In addition, over the past few years several companies have developed legal three tier systems which utilize a distributor and a retail store to deliver wine to customers in states with shipping restrictions. We have developed an attractive website at www.merryedwards.com.   Even though we get lots of traffic on the site, and wines are available for purchase, more people will fax us the order sheet which they downloaded on-line or they’ll call us directly. However, people do use the website to sign up for our mailing list and to learn more about our wines and winery.


AA: Napa Valley is synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon. Most would agree that Carneros and Willamette Valley have come closest so far in gaining similar notoriety for a single variety, notably, Pinot Noir. For years now RRV has proven itself to be amongst the best, if not the very best, for Pinot Noir, but it has been a little slower off the mark in establishing recognition. Greater recognition has tended to go to particular producer names (Farrell, Rochioli, Williams-Selyem, etc.), rather than the appellation name itself. How do you get around this, to promote the region as a whole, and not just a collection of notable individuals?

ME: Our local association, the Russian River Valley Winegrowers, (RRVW) has been working hard to promote our wines as a group, especially Pinot. For instance, this year we are presenting our wines across the country at targeted Sur La Table events. We have a different group of wineries & growers giving seminars in each state and hosting tastings for trade, press and consumers. We also band together at major events, like the Aspen Wine Classic, grouping our tables under the RRV banner and presenting seminars about our regional wines. Last year a group of us attended the Kapalua Wine Event representing RRV. We presented one seminar on Pinot Noir and another on other varietals produced in the valley.
      Another off shoot of the RRVW is a group of twenty producers who have come together to create “The Forum” which focuses on Russian River Pinot Noir. Last year we held the first event for sixty sommeliers from across the country; some attendees even came from other countries.


AA: A final question on your role as the new President of the RRVW:
...The RRV being a world-class Pinot region finds itself in a favourable position with the dramatic rise in popularity of the variety over the last few years. The extraordinary price of good Burgundy also puts regions like RRV at an advantage in the marketplace. It sounds like opportunity is knocking...
      In taking over as RRVW President, how would you asses the current recognition and reputation of the RRV? Where do you want to take it from here? What would you like the RRV to be known for by the end of your tenure in office?

ME: Each presidential term for the RRVW is only one year in duration. There is no individual agenda as we are working together on our Executive Board: current, past and future presidents. Our main campaign is to expand trade & consumer awareness and understanding of Russian River Valley and its wines. But, as Chairman of the Appellation Revision Committee, I do have one individual goal. My hope is to end my term as President confirming the approval of our new appellation boundary.