Wine words

Vineyard train
Sometimes it takes centuries for a place to become recognized for what truly makes it special. In Sonoma County, immigrants settled in the mid-1800s, establishing our agricultural history.
They didn’t merely grow grapes, they cultivated olive, prune and other fruit trees, and row crops reminiscent of those that thrived in their native countries. In fact, most settled in Sonoma County because the soils and climate were similar to their homeland and thus easier to re-establish their culture.
As a city dweller, I immigrated here for the storied culture that grew up around agriculture. One could fill jugs of wine at wineries, and Andy’s Market in Sebastopol was a “go to” place for farm fresh food, as were Imwalle, Balletto and Devoto Gardens. Then, as now, vintners and farmers were an integral part of our society. Yet, despite Luther Burbank’s acknowledgement in 1875 that Sonoma County was, “the chosen spot of all this earth as far as nature is concerned,” locals were the only beneficiaries of this homegrown food.
In 1990, I started my marketing and communications firm to represent family vintners and farmers in maintaining farming integrity of this special place. So it was ironic, yet turned out appropriately, that my first client was Gauer Estate Vineyard. Ed Gauer had recently sold 5,500 acres of pristine land, including 250 acres of mountain vineyards above the Alexander Valley, to a subsidiary of Chevron Land Development.
The goal was to launch a wine brand bringing attention to this unique land and then divide and sell vineyard ranchettes as 50-acre parcels. The vineyards, however, spoke for themselves and within a few years the land was far more valuable as one contiguous piece uniquely suited for high elevation vineyards. Prior to the Jackson Family’s purchase of this coveted property, Gauer Estate Vineyard greatly contributed to putting Sonoma County on the map as a haven for international wine and food.
Gauer President Allan Hemphill and his wife Sharon owned two private rail cars that had recently been refurbished å la 1940s. One was a sleeping car, the other for entertainment with a kitchen galley, dining room, living room and vestibule. Connecting to Amtrak, and with Chef Matthew Gibson aboard, we introduced Gauer wines to food and wine writers, trade, and VIPs up, down and around the entire United States hosting luncheons, dinners, and open houses.
My favorite memory of these trips was in Washington D.C., when both cars were overflowing with guests. I was giving my PR speech when all of a sudden I heard a gentle knocking on the vestibule door. A more cunning PR maven might have planned this entrance, for in strutted a handsome man with blue shorts and a wide smile announcing, “Federal Express.” Chaos broke out as top national food and wine dignitaries ripped open the boxes. Nothing I could have said would have been as compelling as having these writers witness firsthand the quality of this farm fresh food. Plump, ripe raspberries, baby lamb, golden beets, onions, mesclun, diverse cheeses, walnuts and squash stole the show.
The inspiration for connecting with Sonoma Select, whose representatives sent these delicacies to train stations across America, was that we, along with Chef Matthew, early on noticed the wines did not show as well without being served with food grown in the same soils and terroir. This was eye opening for all of us at the time — a perception that became a game changer.
Matthew’s best moment was when he realized he had a secret weapon to impress big city chefs. Until then, he lived in fear of being a country mouse in the world of sophisticated dining. To this day, when I see these colleagues we reminisce about the Gauer train and the incredible first experience of tasting world-class Sonoma County wines with food that complement nuances of the wines.
Relevance for Today: Sonoma County became a well-known and respected wine and food destination as a result of the efforts of many leaders and community organizations. Our growers and vintners are notorious for their generosity in sharing information, skills and equipment with neighbors to ensure that we thrive as a community. It’s the nature of our success.
Marie Gewirtz represents wine and food clients with marketing and communications in Sonoma County and throughout the world. She can also be found maneuvering tractors on the banks of the Russian River with her two-year-old grandson. She can be reached at [email protected].