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Interview: Domenica Totty, Associate Winemaker, Beaulieu Vineyard [Food & Wine Fest]
"In 1900, Georges and Fernande Latour travel to Rutherford, California. Fernande exclaims, 'beau lieu!', or 'beautiful place!'"
And so—at least according to internet legend—Beaulieu Vineyards is born.
Domenica Totty now serves as one of the winemakers at the helm of this century-old operation. She'll be in town next week for the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, representing Beaulieu at Stars Across Texas, Big Dog Reds and Mini Swirlwind. To prime everyone's palates, Totty generously shared with us some of the secrets of her craft.
Austinist is a proud media sponsor of the 2009 Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival, which runs April 16-19 at venues throughout Austin. [Homepage|Participants|Locations|Tickets]
You grew up in wine country (Sonoma County, California), and I know that's influenced your choice of career. I'm sure you've visited vineyards around the world. How does the spirit -- not just the terroir -- of California wine country differ from the spirit of wine countries in Europe, Australia, South America?
It certainly would seem that growing up in wine country influenced my career. In the Sonoma County of my childhood, however, wine was just one part of an agricultural community. My family raised chickens, vegetables, and Christmas trees - the only berries on the property were the raspberries my father tried to mow down every year. When I fell in love with winemaking, it was more a recognition of my farming heritage, coupled with a strong scientific background and a passion for creative arts that led me to this career. When I travel abroad to wine regions, there seems always to be this feeling evocative of my hometown. A combination of artistic and agricultural influences that create the perfect environment for winegrowing.
You have a microbiology background, and you're responsible for research in winemaking at Beaulieu. What exactly is the research aspect of winemaking? How is your research reflected -- maybe even literally -- in the wine?
I always ask myself, "Is this the best way to make this particular wine?" If there are improvements to be made, then I can investigate potential changes to make. It may be something that's not been tried before on this particular wine, or something that is new to the industry.
Things to look at can be in the vineyard (how to best train & manage a vine so that each cluster is given the perfect balance of exposure and protection from the sun & elements) to the fermentation (looking at the maceration needs of each lot of wine) and the aging of a wine (oak barrel influences, lees management, and oxygen incorporation to steer mouthfeel and aroma). When a new technique is successful—yielding not only a delicious wine, but a wine that also fits my stylistic needs—then that technique is often incorporated into future winemaking practices.
One of the things I've always thought is so neat about wine is that demands the most...how can I describe it...poetically astute palate. You really have to able to name the notes that a wine is singing to you. Can you pick one or two of you favorite Beaulieu wines and describe the taste sensations of them?
I absolutely adore the Carneros Chardonnay. When I taste the fruit's drippy sweetness at harvest time, right when the apple flavors have turned golden and the nectarine changes to a ripe peach, I can imagine the honey notes as bees buzzing around the ripe fruit. These notes are never lost in the fermentation, where they are layered with creamy vanilla & brioche flavors that seem to surround the fruit, protecting it from being lost on the palate. The honey shows up again in the finish of the wine, as a luscious reminder of summertime.
What's your favorite wine and food pairing?
That's like asking which pair of shoes I like best with each outfit! It's impossible to pick a favorite, and changes with the seasons and my mood. Right now, with spring weather back in play, I've been restocking my cellar with aromatic whites and spicy Zinfandel for barbecues.
I have the impression of vintners as being mostly large-bellied, rosy-cheeked bon vivant men. Or, at the very least...mostly men. As a woman wine maker, do you face special obstacles? Do you enjoy special privileges, too?
I've often been described as rosy-cheeked and very merry—I'm rarely not laughing! In that way, I fit right into an industry that does have a higher percentage of men in winemaking positions. My team at Beaulieu Vineyard has been such a blessing; I have never had to consider my gender as an obstacle in winemaking. Of course, there are privileges to being a woman in the industry—so many restaurants have dedicated wine lists of women winemakers, and there are even special wine competitions and categories for us girls!
I read that you're in charge of the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sauvingnon Blanc and Maestro collection wines. This struck me as akin having a number of children with distinct personalities that you've got to nurture in different ways. Is that an apt analogy? How do you bring out the best, unique qualities in each?
The analogy of wines as unique personalities is certainly one that I use often. In the first year working with each of the varietals, I learned very quickly that there could be no generalization in how I viewed and approached each unique lot. My goal has always been to let the character of the fruit shine at its brightest. This often requires an individual approach to not only each varietal, but to each block of fruit I receive. Some wines (Pinot Noir & Petite Sirah come to mind) can go through a 'temperamental' phase in their first Spring. Knowing when this occurs lets me tailor my care to suit the needs of those wines.
Are you working on a homebrew right now?
I have an ESB [extra special bitter beer] on hops right now that was split into two batches for a yeast trial. Even in brewing, I can't stop trying new things!
