In the January 2009 issue of Seattle Magazine

Tasting Notes: Estate Planning

For Washington's hottest Syrahs and Rieslings, look for estate winery Milbrandt Vineyards on the label

Back in 1997, Butch and Jerry Milbrandt of Mattawa weren't the first wheat farmers to start growing grapes for local wineries, but they quickly became two of the best. The 50-some wineries for which they have grown fruit include some of Washington's biggest names in wine: Chateau Ste. Michelle, L'Ecole No 41, Seven Hills, Charles Smith.

Today, with 13 distinct estate vineyard sites—almost 1,600 acres—under the brothers' care, Milbrandt Vineyards can also lay claim to being the largest estate winery in Washington state. "Economy of scale," younger brother Jerry Milbrandt explains. In 2007, the brothers started bottling their own for the simple reason that Butch wanted to make "the best wines in the world." They were joined by the highly respected Gordon Hill, former winemaker of Chateau Ste. Michelle. They released 25,000 cases and expect to do 33,000 cases this year. Not bad for two self-styled "podunk farmers from Quincy" who've dabbled in everything from retail to realty while steadfastly maintaining—and expanding by tenfold—the original family farm. Now that their favored crop has soared in such a fashion, Butch and Jerry have become committed estate vintners on a grand scale. Jerry sheepishly admits, "I can't do anything small."

Even the most seasoned of wine connoisseurs aren't always aware that estate winemakers—vintners who make and bottle wine from their own vineyards—are rare birds indeed. The majority of Washington winemakers may make their own wines, but they don't actually grow their own grapes, instead buying their fruit from a variety of sources.

"When we started out, we had vast farming experience, but didn't know much about grapes," says Jerry. He and Butch had grown wheat and alfalfa since they could walk, but grapes were a different beast entirely. "Ste. Michelle asked us to take on some substantial acreage. We learned from guys with 25 years of experience." After learning to care for the Ste. Michelle vineyards, the brothers were asked by other winemakers to plant additional vines, and they did—on their own land.

Wahluke Slope, the American Viticultural Area (AVA) under which the bulk of Milbrandt's acreage falls, is one of the warmest places in Washington state—a distinction that is shared with Red Mountain, another celebrated Washington AVA. Syrah and Riesling do especially well on Wahluke Slope, which is thought to be one of the largest alluvial plains in the United States. "All the water from the ancient floods eddied down and created this large gravel bed, which is great for vines to struggle in," explains Butch. "Winds blow through this southern slope, making the skins tougher and giving the fruit intense color."

The Syrahs from Milbrandts' Clifton Hill vineyard, used in their own label, are poised to become the Next Big Thing. Family characteristics include a heady blackberry perfume, a lighter-than-most full body with softer tannins and a deeply saturated garnet hue.

The justly celebrated Milbrandt Rieslings are approachable wines that are easygoing on the palate and the wallet. The fruit comes from Evergreen Vineyard, a cooler, high-elevation site that produces wines with lush stone fruit and floral aromas, crisp acidity and an elegant mineral edge. Milbrandt bottles these great, friendly whites under its own Traditions label as well as for Charles Smith Wines' "Kung Fu Girl" and for Flying Fish restaurant's house label.

Milbrandt Vineyards 2006 Traditions Riesling ($12.99) Ripe apricot aroma, elegant mouthfeel dappled with lime, flowers and honey; an amazing value. Pairs with: Roasted turkey with sage, sausage and chestnut stuffing.

Milbrandt Vineyards 2005 Legacy Syrah ($24.99) Big fruity aroma, with plum, boysenberry and pepper on the mid-palate. Full bodied. Silver Medalist at the 2008 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition and a fantastic buy. Pairs with: Ham glazed with peach compote.

Vias Imports scores a record twenty Tre Bicchieri Awards for 2009!!!!

From Parker’s eRobertParker.com’s website, this recent article by Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW
Given most circumstances I would have been inclined to write an article entitled, David Powell’s Torbreck. But the Torbreck name that has come to represent a laudable style is not really what these wines are about. And although Dave would probably argue the toss with me regarding this point, knowing as well as I do the wines of Torbreck, what makes these wines stand amongst some of the world’s most special wines is not their supreme plots of land, or their inclusion of fruit of 100 year+ vines or their minimal intervention winemaking. These factors are all a minimum standard for Torbreck. The exemplary features of the wines stem from Dave’s relentless efforts, uncompromising winemaking vision and pig-headed stubbornness not to conform.

“I’m first and foremost a wine consumer,” Dave reminds me during a recent lunch together in Singapore. “I love food and wine,” he continues, tucking into a plate of wagyu beef and a glass of his 2005 The Steading. Dave is in the midst of his annual Asian tour. It was during the course of one such tour that I first met him six years ago in Japan. Having witnessed first-hand his passion for Asian cuisines and indeed wine experiences, it is easy to see how he got into this business and understand his impetus to constantly evolve the Torbreck name.

Dave and his new wife Liz (the winery’s export director) have made concerted efforts over the last few years to build strong distribution for their wines in Asia by regularly visiting their trade clients and tirelessly hosting consumer tastings and dinners. Dave reckons around 20% of his production now goes to Asia with his largest market being Hong Kong followed by Japan. Other export markets include China, Singapore, Macau, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines and India. After the domestic market and North America, Asia is now Torbreck’s third largest market. Dave noted, “People in Asia are much more open to spend money on good Australian wines.”

Like many producers, Dave has found markets like the UK, Australia’s largest export market, saturated to the point of frustration. He is adamant that recent government funded marketing initiatives such as “Regional Heroes” are not working. “The Australian Wine Industry has done a bad job of saying, ‘We make fine wine’.” Dave passionately points out. “Consumers think of Australia and they think Jacob’s Creek or Yellow Tail. They (the government) think people are just going to trade-up eventually.” Dave becomes increasingly hot under the collar when he recalls how in the past some of his wines have been rejected by the wine export board. “They won’t let Torbreck export because they feel we’ll bring the industry into disrepute,” he laughs darkly. “I sell what I make. I feel ashamed about what my country is trying to do.”

Even in the Barossa where wine production is only around 150 years old, Torbreck is new enfant terrible on the block, with a history that is at once brief, tumultuous and jaw-droppingly successful. The label’s first vintage was as recent as 1995. Ten years ago the winery sold a mere 400 cases. Financial difficulties nearly crippled the winery when it went into receivership in 2003 following a devastating divorce from Dave’s first wife. Custody of the winery went to a third party buyer but Dave stayed on as a managing director and the happy ending is that in 2008 Dave was in a position to buy Torbreck back in a joint deal with a US backer. Last year production hit an amazing 65,000+ cases, necessitating Torbreck’s move this year to a newly built state of the art and eco-friendly winery, designed to ensure quality on this larger scale.

If the personal and financial turmoil behind Torbreck isn’t enough for a few nail-biting episodes of Dynasty, the wines behind the dramatically titled labels certainly are. That first vintage there was only one wine under the burgeoning Torbreck (a forest in Scotland where Dave lumber-jacked for a time) brand name. That wine was to become the iconic RunRig, another name of personal significance to Dave, in reverence to a Scottish folk rock band that is in turn rather appropriately called after a communal land distribution system used by Highland clansmen. Today there are thirteen personally ascribed titles under the Torbreck umbrella. The broad range of wines isn’t in itself so amazing, there are many top wineries around the world isolating lots of special parcels of land that give unique attributes and bottling them under site-specific names. But apart from two very small production cuvees, Les Amis and The Pict, Dave doesn’t do single vineyard wines. Nearly all the wines he produces are blends of his inspired invention.

Dave concedes that while he doesn’t go in for “special cuvees”, the aim is for selected vineyards to go into the same wine each year. For example the components for RunRig consistently come from the same 8 “old and ancient” vineyards. On a somewhat larger scale, the Juveniles and Steading wines are comprised of up to 150 different components from around 34 different vineyards. Small batch winemaking and blending are the hallmarks of Dave’s, er, Torbreck’s style.

“My original idea was to do what I can do and do it well, focusing on just a few varietals, Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro.” Like a many of the world’s great chefs Dave has ultimately based Torbreck around sourcing the best raw materials. “When I first started the Barossa was a gold mine only most people didn’t realise it,” Dave went on to explain. “I set out to make wines that speak about a sense of place. I’m not the only one and I’m not the first one,” Dave is quick to point out. Though in my opinion, there are few if any in the Barossa today who do it better.

At lunch Dave and I shared bottles of his 2005 Marsanne / Rousanne and 2005 The Steading. The Steading is possibly my favourite of Dave’s wines, a GSM blend sourced from 48-150 year old vines. Its style is quintessentially Torbreck - remarkably old world with plenty of earth, spice and pepper characteristics yet it also has a fruity richness that is distinctly Barossa. The seamless structure, effortless balance and great intensity of aroma and flavour – we have Torbreck’s David Powell to thank for all that.

Tasting Notes

Torbreck Marsanne / Roussanne 2005
90 points
Medium straw colour. The nose gives a great intensity of honeyed, floral, spicy notes with a core of lemon curd. There’s a refreshing backbone of medium+ acidity on the rich, full bodied palate. Silken, almost oily texture and a very long finish. Drink now. Tasted November 2008.

Michael Broadbent MW Recommends Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Michael Broadbent is one of the UK’s most respected wine critics, becoming a Master of Wine in 1960 and head of the Christies’ Wine Department in 1966. He has a regular column in Decanter magazine, where this write up appeared (Jan 09 issue).

A Stylish Sauvignon
A 2007 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the Nautilus estate in Marlborough. Justifiably described by the winemaker as a 'serious Sauvignon Blanc versus Sauvignon Nouveau'. Almost colourless; a gushing, fragrant, pronounced varietal (cat's pee) aroma with mouth watering gooseberry- like acidity; dryish, fresh, herbaceous, more alcohol than expected,13.5%, but stylish, with good length and a tart finish. Certainly above average, and excellent with Welsh Rarebit on white toast topped with a poached egg.

Argentinan malbecs: Great wine, great value
Paul Gregutt
Special to the Seattle Times
Here is a mixed case of my favorites, arranged in order of preference, with the name of the local distributor in parentheses.
Tomero 2005 Malbec; $13. The fruit is intense, with a spicy flavor of clove cigarettes. The new oak is evident but not intrusive. (Unique)
...
Tahuan 2005 Malbec; $20. This is a satiny, sophisticated wine with a complex mix of ripe berry fruits, gravelly stone, cut tobacco, baking spices and slightly earthy tannins. (Unique)
...
Andeluna 2005 Winemaker's Selection Malbec; $13. This is a fleshy, sophisticated, fruit-powered wine. Consultant Michel Rolland pushes the fruit forward and pulls the acids back and, of course, shows plenty of toasty new oak. (Unique)

WinePress Northwest, Fall 2007
Saviah Cellars
2005 Syrah
Walla Walla
Outstanding! A bounceback vintage in the WWV gave Richard Funk plenty to pick from. Taking from Les Collines and Va Piano, he produced a scintillating Syrah featuring blackberries, cherries, black pepper and tobacco aromas. Brambleberries carry on through to a spicy entry with plum sauce notes. Terrific balance rides the seam of acidity and tannin, then there's a crescendo of bacon fat on top of all that fruit.

A letter:
To all,

A quick note confirming the gems you have to sell. In the market we work, it is a reality to say that sometimes scores sell. What you may not realize is to the extent of how conscientious one family is to “farming” and producing the world’s best wines.

We all can agree that Parker and Spectator are not the end all for selling wine but You may not know that in the last 10 years:

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
1996-100points WS and RP
2000-100poins WS and RP
2003-99 points WS 95-100 RP
2005-98 points WS 95-100 RP

Chateau Rieussec
2001-100 points WS and RP
2005-95-100 points WS

Chateau L’Evangile
1998-100 point Spectator
2005-100 point Spectator

Clearly this is the crème de crème, however, I challenge you to find a family that has produced wines at such a pinnacle and delivered these scores so consistently-you will find no one. In turn, I will also challenge you to find a farmer that has established the highest trading wine from the 19th century thru today. Frankly, only two wines have achieved that marquee -Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and Chateau Latour.

I will add that the Rothschild’s have farmed Lafite since 1889. Thus giving them a perspective of farming one of the most important vineyards for over 150 years. What you may not connect is the fact that they farm, Los Vascos, Quinta do Carmo, Chateau d’Aussiesses with the same attention to land, quality and pride. Not to forget that they were instrumental in imparting this organic understanding of the land to Nicolas Catena and the venture Caro.

The fact of the matter is the Paulliac and Pomerol are very special places. Yet there are mediocre wines that emerge from these areas. Domaines Baron Rothschild produces the best wines from these most covenant places.

Regardless of the place they have ONE goal in mind-Produce the BEST WINE.

The opportunity I present to you is to relay the fact that “Lafite” touches all of the properties in the portfolio and should be conveyed as:

Los Vascos is NOT a wine from Chile BUT Lafite Cabernet in Chile
Quinta do Carmo is “Chateau Lafite-Rothschild in Portugal”
They Farm “Lafite” in the South of France at Chateau d’Aussieres I

t is these nuances that make the wines different from any other not just in “marketing but fact”. It is only your opportunity to relate these facts.

Always count on me as a resource and call anytime.
Alan

Alan Crawford
Western Region Manager
Pasternak Wine Imports

     On April 2, I had lunch at The Barking Frog with Patit Creek's winemaker, Joe Forest, with a couple of Unique's customers, and with my co-worker Carrie Gotch and Barking Frog's Wine Director Jeffrey Dorgan. The food was great, but the company was even better. Jeffrey shared a story:

     First, you have to know that Jeffrey is a hard-worker, and he doesn't kiss a**.  He lets his work do the talking...  (I immediately liked him.)  He admitted that this trait, especially in this economy, does not constitute job security.  Anyway, yesterday, while he was in the middle of inventory, his GM and another Manager called him for a meeting, he was a little irked for being interrupted in the middle of a busy day, and - had to admit - was a little concerned...  He walked outside from the Barking Frog restaurant to the GM's office in The Willows Lodge.  There was some chit-chat during the meeting but nothing life-changing.

     As Jeffrey walked back outside to return to the Restaurant, he saw this! (no, really, click on "this!")  The one THING he prized, that he spent a lot of time searching for, that he finally found, his pride and joy, was in the restaurant!!!

     I laughed and laughed.  Everyone at our table laughed!  Our server smiled at us and nodded knowingly.  Jeffrey was the recipient of a great April Fools joke!  I could only imagine his thoughts during the first half-second of seeing it:  "What the F*?!  is that?!  NO!  How?!  HUH?!!!"

     I asked Jeffrey to email Carrie the pictures so she can forward so I can post it as one the Best April Fools Joke on our website. I also found this note in one of his April 3rd emails: "Pics attached. Also great news. The Washington State Wine Commission named me Sommelier of the Year at the Restaurant Wine awards today."   I smiled and decided to share this also...  Congratulations Jeffrey!

25 years as a no-holds-barred wine seller
By Paul Gregutt
Special to the Seattle Times

The wine business casts all sorts of characters up on my personal beach, but few as colorful and outspoken as Bert Mason.

At 67, Mason is celebrating a quarter-century in the wine business, at the helm of Unique Wine Co., which he founded in 1981. He peers at me from across a table, casually set with take-out sandwiches and salads. He's brought a bottle of 1999 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay and a bottle of 2004 Robert Biale Vineyards 'Black Chicken' Zinfandel, both excellent. Sitting next to him is Scott Murphy, Unique's director of sales and marketing, as smooth as Mason is bumpy. For some reason, Mason reminds me of a somewhat trimmer Dale Chihuly, without the eye patch. Both men would look good with a parrot on their shoulders.

Mason holds nothing in, while Murphy, one of the true gentlemen in the business, holds his breath. As the stories of 25 years of pounding the pavement to sell wine come pouring out, villains are lined up and verbally slayed, while heroes, though few and far between, are honored like saints. Mason's world seems to hold no dubieties — good and evil are the operative modes.

Unique is a distributor of wine, which means it occupies the middle tier of Washington's three-tier system (the state is the first tier and the retailer the third). In basic terms, a distributor purchases wine from wineries or importers here and abroad, posts the prices with the state of Washington (a requirement) and resells the wine to retailers — restaurants, grocery stores and wine shops. The business is cutthroat — there are more than three dozen distributors actively working in Western Washington these days — but Mason succeeds because he keeps his eye squarely on the consumer, and what the consumer wants.

"We know what they like," he says confidently, "and that is right-in-your-face, forward wines. And the package sells it always. We try to get the consumer to reach for the first bottle. You do that with the look of the package."

Sounds simple enough. But what sort of package sells best — animals, trucks, flying women on bicycles?

"I don't know what that look is," Mason replies. "You can have two different wines next to each other, both with animals. One will be successful, one won't. People tire easily of what the shelf looks like. Something new and bright jumps out at them; they'll try it, but once they grab the bottle and pour it, they'd better like it."

When he and his wife started Unique in 1981, he worked 18-hour days driving up and down the I-5 corridor selling wine, delivering wine and doing wine "sets" (displays) in grocery stores. "I couldn't afford to get sick or take a day off for the first three years," he says, sipping on his Black Chicken. "I couldn't afford to heat the warehouse; my wife had to sit there in long underwear with finger holes cut in the gloves while she did the books."

So much for the good old days. There were other challenges, even worse. As Mason tells it, the wine-distribution business was a closed club, whose insiders tightly controlled who bought what from whom, and where and how wines were displayed. "Competition was worse back then," he says. "We would get into fisticuffs at a retail re-set. I would say, 'Touch that bottle of wine of mine and I'll break your [expletive] head!' This is happening right in the store! Stay away from my stuff."

Murphy flinches, but Mason presses on.

"The competition was so bad that when I was delivering up in Blaine, I had distributors up there — delivery guys! — [mad] at me for bringing wine in. It was a closed club. There was even a guy down in Olympia mad because I was [working] in his backyard."

"You were cherry-picking," says Murphy.

"Yes, I was cherry-picking," Mason admits. "Coming down with a station wagon full of stuff. He figured I wasn't paying my dues."

These days, no one would argue that dues have been paid. Brands get built up carefully over time and then bolt to a bigger distributor. These are what Mason calls "high-velocity brands" — cheap wines that sell thousands of cases. This is where the money is made, and he says the three biggest distributors in town want to control them. Unique is number five or six, not bad, but not easy, especially with a staff of 48 to support.

"So now what I do, since I'm a dinosaur," Mason explains, "I go out and shake hands and kiss babies. I'm a support organization for the Unique organization. I do whatever has to be done to help my people."

You could do a lot worse than to let Bert Mason pick your wines. The Unique is global and eclectic but particularly rich in wines from Italy, Spain and California. There's a good selection from Washington, and Murphy is particularly excited about his expanding offerings from Greece.

It's a good time to be a consumer, says Mason. "The consumer is spoiled rotten because of the distributors," he says. "They fight for the fighting varietal tier, which is the velocity tier, so the consumer can buy phenomenal wines at a very good price. We've educated them, that they can buy a $7 to $10 bottle that is delicious stuff."

"The sheer number of wholesalers means the market has more wines than ever before," Murphy adds, ever the soothing voice of reason. "It's always going to be a people business. The Internet has given people more knowledge to learn about wines, to try new things." Another sip of the Black Chicken, and it's time to wrap things up. Hoping for a warm and fuzzy parting shot, I ask Mason what advice he might offer his younger self, about to embark on a wine career.

The pirate eye gleams; I can almost see the parrot shifting from foot to foot on Mason's left shoulder.

"I would say don't do it," he says. "And the reason is, the competitive nature of the business would put a normal person into the booby hatch in no time. The [red tape] from the state, the money you have to have for direct importing, the toughness to get corporate buyers to bring in your wine; I think you'd have to be nuts to get into the wine business. That would be an absolutely honest answer."

An afternoon of Mount Eden in the Juans
by Ted Seifert

Sitting on beautiful Orcas Island on a raining spring day while looking out at Eastsound - we put aside labels such as buyer/rep. This is one of those tastings that puts that aside and we sat as friends and old colleagues to just relish in our common passion for Mount Eden Vineyards.  With Jeffrey Patterson (winemaker for the  past 23 years) lead us through the past from this historic Santa Cruz Mountain estate. Sitting together family style in the dinning room at Inn at Ship Bay we let the power tasting begin. Luckily we had all afternoon to sit, taste, laugh and eat lunch.   

We began with the downright delicious 2003 "Wolff Vineyard" Chardonnay-very much signature Mount Eden-just a delight.  

We then sat down to 3 flights of 9 different vintages of Estate Chardonnay.    

1st flight: 2002, 2001, 1998
2002 and 2001-showing typical tightness but giving you perfect seamless balance. Yes, it is very good young. 1998-open and expressive with creamier texture and full of fruit, yet with signature acid on the back. Tuff vintage, but showed well.  

2nd flight 1997, 1996, 1995
An interesting line-up giving up two of the best vintages so far.  Just looking at the color between all three was exciting-one deeper in color form the previous. At first the 1996 was the shining star and huge hit by far. Then as the moments went by the 1997 showed how subtle it could be, but enticing with graceful fruit-very feminine. 1995 was interesting but showing the difficult vintage with it having trouble going through ML. Deep gold with pleasant oxidized notes-sometimes not a bad thing-it was still bright with richness on the mid palate. Many of us felt the 1996 was showing the best so far, but the 97 was standing well on it's own ground.  

3rd flight 1994, 1993, 1992
The 1994 and 1993 were very impressive with great mature flavors that still held up with acid. I know you would be very satisfied if it weren't going up against the star of the entire show-the 1992 was absolutely STELLAR! Youthful in color, front, mid and back palate-PERFECT BALANCE. layers of creamy fruit, lifted up with dramatic acidity. OH MOMMA! It still has time if you happen to have.  

Stepping into the reds...  

I have always loved Jeff's chardonnay and cabernets, but this tasting expressed a question to me why I never looked at his Pinot Noir more closely. As the previous Chardonnay's confirmed my love, the Pinot Noirs gave me a new love for Mount Eden.  

We tasted 3 wines-1999, 2000, and 2002.
1999-deep and dark with earthy woody flavors. showing a bit of bitters-forest floor. Once again, on it's own would be a winner, matched with the 2000 and 2002-fell into 3rd.  

Between the 2002 and 2000, again, we went back and forth-I think the 2002 was more electric with that enticing red fruit core, licorice, black spice, cranberry-layer after layer with beautiful balance. The 2000 was subtle, dark dried fruit, little of dust but I kept going back to it and loving it.  

And finally the 2002 Cabernet-to me, old Napa style cabernet-black fruits, with a little tack room-leather, cassis-not a fruit bomb-killer structure. Nothing like old style Napa Cab!  

This tasting reconfirmed to all of us that Mount Eden Winery is a major gem in the rough and way under priced.  

We departed with one thought-"We beg of you, don't tell everybody...please."  We all left with a huge grin.  

For me and my family on Easter vacation on Orcas, it was  just a break in the action,  that night we had a winemaker dinner that evening with Jeffery and Geddes Martin, chef and owner of The Inn at Ship Bay. If you haven't been to Orcas lately, or the San Juans at that matter. They are filled with amazing Chef's. I beg you to explore. You will be highly rewarded. The off season is a great time to explore without the out of state'rs mingling about.  

Slow food/life is a thing we need.  

The dinner started with assorted Hors D'Oeuvres paired with the 2003 "Wolff Vineyard" Chardonnay-This was a huge entry crowd pleaser.  

First Course, chestnut crepe, cippolini onion and foie gras crespell with rhubarb reduction and wild sorrel paired with the 2002 Estate Chardonnay. Give me fois gras any day. The crowd roar was getting loader.  

Second Course, Troll caught king salmon, fava beans, wilted spinach and Morel mushroom broth paired with the 2002 and 2000 "Estate" Pinot Noir-that Morel mushroom broth just melted our minds with the Pinot-damn this good! A little bit loader now!  

Third course, herb roasted venison, asparagus, black kale and black currants paired with the 2002 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon-it all worked-the venison so tender, amazing fresh asparagus, enhanced with the black kale and currents. Is that lady really doing what I think she is doing?  

Dessert, assorted sorbets, lemon crème in shortbread crusts paired with 2004 Vietti Moscato-I thought I was done, but the sorbets were light and flavorful and the Vietti, well let's just say "no time like the present for Vietti Moscato".  

As Jeffery and I departed with big purple smiles, we said until next time...we're both going nowhere.  

My hats off to Geddes (G-Man) and his crew. Always first class.   

And finally, there are truly very few special wineries in America, I'm one of the lucky ones to have found a few like Mount Eden.

		Bert Mason, our fearless leader, who founded Unique Wine Company in 1981, participated in a Firefighter Survival, July 6-13, 2001 (yes, he and members of his Station "survived" for one week on Ohana Island. Bert is proud to be a Volunteer Firefighter! NAME: Bert Mason         AGE: timeless POSITION: Firefighter    CAREER: Sales HOBBIES: Auto Racing, Model Cars, Photography, and Automag WHY HE IS INVOLVED: I have never done anything like it, and need to see how difficult it might be. I have never failed at anything I've attempted!
Phil Boisseau's tenure in the wine business began way before 1974, the year he became a founder of the original P&S Wine Company. (He still tells stories of his first job as a truck driver, delivering wine to certain accounts...)   In 1990, Phil partnered with Bert Mason after P&S became a division of G.Raden & Sons (which then merged with Sid Eland, was acquired by Columbia Distributors who then partnered with Young's Market which then relaunched a P&S Division). Phil is married with four children.

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