Robert Sinskey Vineyards

David and Goliath

The school groundskeeper is rich - but he won’t be able to spend it in his lifetime. He’s dying of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. A jury recently awarded $289 million in his suit against a well-known glyphosate herbicide manufacturer. He is our hero for successfully indicting a company that caused something we suspected for decades - that one of the most common herbicides is a carcinogen - and has set a precedent that will make agriculture and our food supply safer.

Our hunch that glyphosate was problematic was based on the observation that farm workers and people who live in agricultural areas seem to suffer a higher incidence of cancer. It could be that they are also exposed to fertilizers, pesticides and other synthetics in addition to glyphosate and the chemical cocktail might amplify the problem - but glyphosate is one of the most common chemicals applied on a “conventional” farm and was one of the most common chemicals the groundskeeper applied in his schoolyard... a place where children could come into contact with applied areas and the overspray.

“We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.”
Oscar Wilde

We don’t need herbicides. We don’t need wine for that matter. So, if wine is a luxury, why accept a luxury food item that uses harmful chemicals in its farming? There are plenty of ways to control the undergrowth in a vineyard without resorting to the use of herbicides, but those techniques require more effort and, with that effort, an increased cost - but a fine wine should be worth it as guilt-free hedonism is the ultimate luxury. Sheep can graze a vineyard in the winter. Mechanical mowers can take care of it in the summer and those cover crops provide nutrients, fix the top soil and allow the ground to percolate during the rainy season. We have also observed that areas applied with herbicides tend to have less microbial, fungal and worm activity... so if you use herbicides, you are destroying many things that contribute to a healthy farm eco-system.

How do you know if your wine was produced without potentially harmful chemicals? An organic vineyard certification is not the end-all, but it assures that the wine was farmed without the use of synthetic chemicals like and including glyphosate. We love food and we love wine and the last thing we want is to be afraid of the things we put in our body.

Merlot Magic

A well-crafted Merlot has the ability to shapeshift from savory and sleek to fruity and rich depending on what food is served with it. I’ve created dishes for over 20 years that showcase Merlot’s flexibility with food… and it continues to amaze me! I’ve thrown cherries, plums, rosemary, fennel, and olives at it and it catches them beautifully. Juicy, roast duck with maple, sage and black pepper is no exception. The balance of savory and sweet with the gentle scent of sage pulls out aromas and flavors of plum, cherry and dried herb. A delight for all of the senses. This Merlot deserves applause at the dinner table.

Until the Next Wine....
Maria

EAT: Roast Duck Breast with Maple Syrup, Sage and Black Pepper

EAT: Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Merlot, at its best, is one of the most enjoyable cuisine wines and the Carneros, one of the great Merlot growing regions in the world, creates great, food friendly Merlots. It is in the rolling hills of Carneros where you can achieve quintessential ripeness without sacrificing structure and acidity.

Comprised of seven individually fermented lots from RSV’s three Los Carneros Merlot vineyards, the final cuvée consists of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The individual lots spent 18 months in the RSV caves in 60 gallon French oak barrels, of which about 30% were new.