Each week, as regular readers know, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker. This week, we’re featuring Blair Poynton, the director and winemaker at Jed Wines.
Blair Poynton
Blair hails from Perth in Western Australia – located just a few hours’ drive along the coast from Margaret River. So, Blair explained to me, youngsters in Perth got exposed to wine “whether they like it or not.” Blair was no exception.
After a short stint at a wine shop in Cambridge, United Kingdom, Blair now lives in Sonoma. He travels to the Uco Valley in Argentina every year to produce wine under Jed Wines. A real cosmopolite, then. An Aussie who lives in Sonoma and makes Argentinian wine.
When you talk to Blair, it all makes sense. Blair is an interesting mix of childlike glee and relaxed composure. He would slowly select his words and then – when he hit on a tickling thought – would let out a giddy chuckle. You could tell that he’s happy to let the world guide him to its many corners and pleasures.
Check out our interview with Blair below the fold.
What is your general winemaking philosophy?
Everyone says it and I agree – be true to your fruit. Don’t try to make a wine that doesn’t want to be made. Resist the (very human) temptation to interfere when something appears not to be going right. Nine times out of ten, the wine will work itself out on its own and you will end up with a more interesting and more complete vino for it.
What’s open in your kitchen right now?
The weather in Napa was in the 90s today [Thursday] and I just returned from the Anderson Valley with a haul of aromatic whites. I think there is still some Lichen Estate “Pinots Noir et Gris” left over from last night. It’s made like a sparkling base wine, with about 10% alcohol, and it is full and delicious.
Who are your favorite winemakers in history, through personal account, or their wines?
I’d have to say Hans Vinding-Diers who is the man behind Bodega Noemia in Patagonia, Argentina. All of his wines are amazing – his focus is in the vineyard but he is also breaking new ground in the study of wild yeasts in the lab. I’d also have to mention Mike Brunson from Christopher Creek in the Russian River. Great bloke and a great teacher.
What new winemakers are you most excited about, and why?
It’s exciting to see a new cadre of Californian winemakers who are not afraid to mix things up. People like the Scribe boys, Hardy Wallace from Dirty and Rowdy, and Kyle Knapp from Pressgang Cellars are all making super interesting, balanced, and tasty wines –from unestablished varieties, with lower alcohols, and with smarter oak regimes. We saw the same dynamics happen in Australia several years ago with flying Aussie winemakers coming home to start their own projects and it has been a game-changer for the industry. It of course helps that consumers are more open and informed about different styles of wine now, too.
How do you spend your days off?
Mostly hanging out with the lovely wife and the mostly well-behaved black lab Bruce. We live in Healdsburg, Sonoma so there is a lot of wine, food, lawn games, and friends – and we are always surrounded by breathtaking scenery. When we have more time, escapes to the mountains or to Central Coast are always good options.
What’s the best wine you’ve ever tasted? The most interesting?
Both questions can be answered with one wine: Colomé Auténtico Malbec, grown at 7,000 ft in Salta, Argentina. The vines are on their original rootstock – over 140 years old – and look more like small trees. The wine is organically grown with very little sulphur, no oak, no fining, and no filtration. It is massive and intense but superbly balanced with more layers and flavors than you can point a stick at.
What’s the oldest bottle in your cellar? The most expensive?
I had a few older bottles that I recently drank so I would say the 1979 Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River, Western Australia. It was the first commercial release from this iconic producer. The most expensive would probably be a little bottle of 1994 ice wine from a famous German vineyard. I can’t remember the name exactly but it is safe and sound in my Australian cellar.
If you had to pick one red and one white to drink for the next month with every dinner, what would you choose?
It depends on who is paying! Let’s assume I am. My favorite everyday white is the Amalaya Bianco, a blend of Torrontés and Riesling; and for the red, maybe a Juniper Estate Shiraz.
What’s your biggest challenge as a winemaker?
To spend less time behind the computer and more time in the vineyard.
What’s your favorite wine region in the world – other than your own?
Margaret River, Western Australia. Hands down. The quality of the wines across all price points is just mind-blowing. The best producers like Cullen Estate and Moss Wood are making Bordeaux blends better than Bordeaux and the region has only been growing grapes since 1967!
Is beer ever better than wine?
Yes – silly question.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
That I lived in a small tent in Cambridge, UK for a year while managing a fancy wine shop.
If you weren’t making wine for a living, what would you be doing?
I’d either be living off the land on my farm in Australia or doing something in the international affairs arena – I know, two very different pursuits.
How do you define success?
To always remain relevant.
In an ideal world, what would you have achieved in ten years?
I would just like to see more good wine – more real wine – getting to more people. So however I can help in that process, I’m in. I’m passionate about proper wine education. There are so many good bargains from all over the world. If you’re interested in wine, it’s the best time in the world.
Source:
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