© by Linwood Slayton
Edmeades is an outstanding winery. Located in Philo, CA. it is operated by Van Williamson, Winemaker. Edmeades is one of the many labels thriving under the Kendall-Jackson umbrella.
I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Van Williamson this month when he hosted a wine luncheon at Atlanta's South City Kitchen Restaurant. He is a likeable man with no pretense or wine snobbery about him. The attendees, Atlanta wine and restaurant industry reprsentatives and a handful of wine writers were treated to a delightful afternoon with Mr. Williamson.
We were greeted with a glass of the Edmeades 1999 Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer. This wine was simply outstanding with a spicy bouquet, golden yellow in hue and a diversity that captured my fancy. We learned that this wine, like all Edmeades wines, are made with 100% native yeast which permits a higher alcohol content without any noticeable increase in alcohol to the taste. Regrettably, we were tasting the last of this vintage and it is not likely that another new vintage of Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer will be available until 2004 or so.
Williamson shared his winemaking philosophy indicating that he likes to use the fruitiness of typically California wines and works to let the fruitiness enhance other aspects of his wines. He says that he prefers vinous wines (older vines) and in each wine he makes, he seeks to capture something different that is unique to California and the area.
Our next taste was Edmeades 2000 Anderson Valley Chardonnay. This wine was also pleasant to the taste, sight and nose. We learned that it is unflitered and spent little time in the stainless steel barrels. It was light to the taste and matched well with the salad and rock shrimp appetizers served by South City Kitchen restauarant.
We also tasted Edmeades' 1998 Zinfandel and Pinot Noir as well as a late harvest dessert wine, all of which were well received and appropriately matched with the lunch fare.
In all, this was a special afternoon and we thank Kendall-Jackson and Lance Anderson for the invitation and opportunity to experience Edmeades and meet and dialogue with Van Williamson.
This writer has enjoyed a good working relationship with The Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Ltd. My first contact with the company was nearly a year ago when I inquired about the seemingly high incidence of African Americans that prefer Kendall-Jackson wines over others in the marketplace. I began a dialogue with KJ VP, Jim Caudill, who indicated that there had been no direct marketing of Kendall-Jackson wines to the black community. I discussed this continuing observation with Lance Anderson, the Atlanta KJ Rep., and he confirmed that the company's market share was substantial in Atlanta but there was no direct marketing or advertisement aimed at the African American market of which he was aware.
I can tell you that the company does an excellent job in promoting the efforts of people like myself who seek to enhance the level of knowledge about wine in general within the black community. I have hosted several wine dinners and wine tastings during the last year. Kendall-Jackson has always been there when I have asked them to sponsor an event. I say that is good marketing.
I have also discovered that KJ is a diverse company with many tentacles. I hosted a tasting in June here in Atlanta that featured Australian wines. The featured wines were from Yangarra Park, Kendall-Jackson's own Australian winery. Yangarra Park is a southeastern Australian winery and the wines are marketed here in Atlanta at local supermarkets and range in the $10 bracket.
I hosted about 75 people in June and we tasted the Yangarra Park wines: Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir. The attendees' reactions to the wines were most favorable. The Chardonnay was a favorite especially in light of the fact that the evening was warm and many sought a cool drink. However, among the reds offered, the clear favorites were the Syrah and the Cabernet Sauvignon. Surprisingly, the Merlot was not requested as much as the Syrah and the Cabernet.
I also hosted a smaller tasting in my home in June for about 25 people and Kendall-Jackson graciously provided a selection of their La Crema wines for this evening. These wines are several cuts above the Yangarra Park wines in terms of price and quality. We tasted two different Chardonnays - one from the Russian River Valley and the other from Sonoma. Both of these Chardonnays, while different in character and form, were outstanding. The Pinot Noir was also superb. In short, the La Crema label is exceptional in terms of value. The price range is around $20 or so depending upon vintage and varietal and yet, the quality shines through significantly. The wines all matched well with the food served and my guests were quite pleased with the tasting experience as a whole.
I heartily recommend that you take the opportunity to explore the range and depth of the wines that fall under the Kendall-Jackson umbrella: Kendall-Jackson (the Great Estate and Grand Reserve labels are top notch), Camelot, Pepi (excellent Pinot Grigio), Tapiz, Calina, Villa Arcena, Yangarra Park, La Crema and Edmeades.
You won't be sorry.
woodJuly 12, 2002
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