Foreword

an introduction to the 2019 winning submission

Those who knew my father remember how inspired he was by the world around him. I have memories of him telling me about the quails scurrying about in the early morning hours just outside my parent’s cabin near Yosemite National Park. He and my mom would regularly hike in the area surrounding their home, or camp and take day trips to different parts of Yosemite. I remember the phone calls in the days after, my father’s voice tenderly recalling the mist from Bridalveil Falls, the way the sun hit Half Dome. Just before he died, my father was planning a road trip to Alaska; he could not wait to take in the views.

After last year’s essay prompt, I decided that this year should capture the sense of awe and wonder that we all feel when we look out into nature’s rugged beauty. To use an image taken by beloved photographer and environmentalist, Ansel Adams, seemed the natural choice, and I am so grateful to the The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust for permission to use The Tetons and Snake River. This particular image was selected because I find the photograph personally moving, I know my father would have loved it, and because I knew that the landscape captured in that photograph could provoke a variety of emotions (and wine pairings) from candidates. My family and I are so grateful for the number of thoughtful, inspiring essays that were submitted this year.

The task of pairing a wine with a photograph, in itself, is not difficult. And, of course, there is no “correct” pairing - the decision is personal and subjective. What is difficult is explaining the why behind the pairing. Even more daunting is the task of explaining why in a way that is unique and creative.

Choosing a winner was difficult this year, but Nicholas’s essay stood out for its creative voice, unique approach to writing, and lovely rhythmic narrative. What impressed me the most about Nicholas’s answer was his ability to draw the reader into the photograph, not simply narrate from a distance. In his immersive answer, he was able to combine history, lore, and winsome descriptions all in one, while simultaneously connecting his emotions to both the image and his selected wine.

I hope you’ll enjoy Nicholas’s pairing and description as much as we did. And, I hope that you’ll enjoy reading the list of wines below the winning submission; it’s fascinating to see how a photograph can call to mind so many different, equally wonderful wines.

Mary Margaret McCamic, Master of Wine Founder of the George T. Gamblin Memorial Scholarship

Pioneering from Wyoming to Piedmont

by Nicholas Poletto

Wine Pairing: 1999 Michele Chiarlo La Court (Barbera d’Asti) Nizza DOCG

Trailblazing can test a person. Often it requires a bigger vision. A vision of what can be even if others say it can’t. Once on the trail, there will be plenty of adversity. Roots sticking out of the ground to trip on. Shadows lurking in the trees. Wind howling at night. But if you stay the path, you realize those roots are the anchor of the trees which cover you from the rain. And that the shadows lurking are just curious animals keeping you company. And that the howling wind is actually a beautiful breeze pushing at your back.

For many pioneering cattle ranchers that came through Wyoming in the late 1800s, they faced this adversity. And for many pioneering winemakers in Piedmont who believed in the Barbera grape, they faced this adversity.  

Barbera is not the first grape of Piedmont, Nebbiolo is. The setting of the snow-capped foothills of the Italian Alps have laid claim to the very best expression of Nebbiolo, and it has reigned King of the region with nothing more than a condescending smirk towards other varietals. Cowboys and Ranchers were not the first to settle the land west of the Mississippi, the Native Americans were. The Native Americans ruled this land for centuries, dating as far back as the origin of the Nebbiolo grape.  

However, well-crafted, premium Barbera from the small town of Nizza in Piedmont set out to change the traditional narrative.  While young at heart, it shows its true beauty with time as it becomes more rustic and complex. It almost becomes wiser in a strange way. It has the concentration and complexity that with time tells a story of evolution, struggle, and then reward as it proves to be as deeply complex as any other red. This premium example of Nizza Barbera is grown in a region that is dominated by much more imposing wines, such as Barbaresco and Barolo, and it must find its way, winding through these mountains of fame and fortune. It is persistent like the mighty Snake River, both on the length of palate, as well as its determination to stand up to these bigger wines and say, “While you may be tall and powerful, I am elegant and important too.” 

The cool air that fills your lungs from the snow-capped mountains is fresh and invigorating, waking up all your senses and putting your entire body on alert, much like the freshness from the acid driven backbone of Barbera. Yet balanced by this crisp feeling is a level of honest rusticity. One that tells you where you have come from, where you have been. For aged, mature Barbera, these are the aromas of earth, wet leaves, and a slightly sweet smokiness which hangs on to your taste buds, similar to the smell of a campfire on top of a mountain ridge that still clings to your clothes the next day. 

Premium Barbera from Piedmont tells a story of struggle and fortitude. While many before it were just simple, easy-drinking, everyday reds, winemakers from the small town of Nizza in the Piedmont region had the guts to say, “We will take our best vineyards and plant them not to Nebbiolo, but Barbera instead.” Much like Captain Gus and Captain Woodrow Call, who against all odds pioneered the mountains and rivers of Wyoming, Barbera in Piedmont has done the same thing. Maneuvering between the powerful mountains and hills of Piedmont, they have finally reached the top. The clouds of doubt have been burned off by the warm sunlight of victory as today Barbera from Nizza can claim its own DOCG classification. It has proven that it deserves to stand on the highest mountains, with its peers in Barbaresco and Barolo.  

About the Author: Nicholas Poletto

Nicholas was born in England to Italian parents, but spent most of his life growing up in the US. His wine career began in 2002 working for a wine distributor in New York City. After five years as a sales representative and an avid student of WSET wine courses, Nicholas moved to Martinborough, New Zealand, to assist in winemaking at Mebus Estate. In 2008, Nicholas returned to the US to work as a State Manager for Kobrand Corporation handling both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In 2011, Nicholas was promoted to Director of Education and relocated back to New York. Today, Nicholas travels around the US conducting wine education classes at all of Kobrand’s distributor partnerships. He has passed the theory portion of his Master of Wine Exam.

select wine pairings from other candidate submissions:

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2016 Rune Wines Grenache, Pillsbury Vineyard, Willcox, Arizona, USA

2013 Akarua Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand

2017 Zuccardi Poligonos del Valle de Uco San Pablo Cabernet Franc, Mendoza, Argentina

2014 Champagne Solemme ‘Nature de Solemme’ 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs, Brut Nature, Montagne de Reims, France

1977 Blandy’s Vintage Terrantez, Madeira, Portugal

2013 Weingut Wieninger Nussberg Alte Reben Wiener Gemischter Satz, Austria

2016 Sept Winery Merweh, Batroun Mountains, Lebanon

2012 Pietradolce Vigna Barbagalli, Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy

NV Champagne Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut, France