Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/297564
16 W i n e s & V i n e s M AY 2 0 1 4 D avis, Calif.—Reflecting upon her "40-year journey" in the wine busi- ness, Vintners Hall of Fame inductee Merry Edwards provided practical advice about lifelong learning and following one's passion—and expressed great satisfaction in the industry's advances in technology, quality improvement and sustainability—during a lecture April 8 at the University of California, Davis. Edwards spoke as part of the Walt Klenz Lectureship Series sponsored by Treasury Wine Estates and named in honor of former Beringer Blass CEO Walt Klenz. Started in 2006, the series features wine business lead- ers who share their insights with students, faculty and industry attendees. Career background Edwards completed an undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley and earned a mas- ter's degree in food science from UC Davis with an emphasis in enology. She began her winemaking career at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She was the founding wine- maker at Matanzas Creek Winery in Sonoma County, where the winery owners asked her to design a new Char- donnay vineyard, which led her to research different grapevine clones in France. With husband and business partner Ken Coopersmith, she founded Merry Edwards Winery in 1997. In 2013, Edwards was inducted into the Culinary Institute of America's Vintners Hall of Fame, and she received the presti- gious James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professionals—only the fourth woman so honored. Lessons from a 40-year career Offering advice to UC Davis viticulture and enology students, Edwards listed and dis- cussed important lessons learned from her career: • Pursue and expand knowledge through- out your career. "I make a point to learn something new about the wine business every year," she said. • Discipline and dedication to craft are essential. As an indication of her brand's strength with customers, the winery sells to 500 restaurant accounts, and it's rare when one asks for a sample bottle from a new vintage before ordering more wine. • Be true to your own goals—listen to your own voice. She explained, "Don't let others tell you what style of wine to make. You have to run your own busi- ness, and if you believe in what you produce, you'll do much better." • Follow your passion. She said: "I have to make what I like. How do I sell it if I don't like it?" Edwards made observations about major wine industry changes during the past 40 years. When she attended UC Davis, stu- dents had to choose a course of study in either enology or in viticulture; the two were not combined, as they are today. "This represents a major change in the industry's attitude—winegrowing as the foundation for good wine," Edwards observed. Another major change in the American wine industry was from a winemaking phi- losophy that emphasized "the stamp of the winemaker on the grapes," to a new focus on terroir and an appreciation of regional and appellation character. —Jon Tourney Lessons From 40 Years of Winemaking Merry Edwards delivers Walt Klenz lecture in Davis Learn more: Search keywords "Merry Edwards lecture." winesandvines.com Merry Edwards acknowledges UC Davis fac- ulty members who have influenced her career during the Walt Klenz Lectureship Series. VJB Vineyards Buys Wellington Winery owners add 21 acres and winemaking facility K enwood, Calif.—The Belmonte family, owners of VJB Vineyards and Cellars in California's upper Sonoma Valley, acquired nearby Welling- ton Vineyards. The purchase, announced March 18, adds a production winery and hospital- ity center plus 21 acres of grapevines to the Belmontes' existing 18 acres of estate vineyard. It also provides a home for VJB's production, which had been at another winery. The Wellington facility has a per- mit to produce 15,000 cases per year, though Wines Vines Analytics puts VJB's current production at 6,000 cases. Henry Belmonte tells Wines & Vines that he intends to reduce production to 5,000 cases of high-quality wines. VJB has a tasting room in Kenwood, Calif., with a deli and café, which will continue to offer its wines. While VJB specializes in Italian wine varieties, Belmonte intends to focus on Bordeaux varieties at the Wellington site. The Belmontes didn't buy Wellington's wine inventory, and Peter Wellington is leasing the tasting room in place for two years as he winds down the winery's busi- ness. "We want to offer our own wines when we take over," Belmonte said. —Paul Franson Wellington Vineyards M A Y N E W S