Throwback Thursday

In honor of Ribolla Fest 2016, which just happened last night, I’m re-posting the start of a series I did on Ribolla Gialla in California starting back in 2012. The end of the post offers links to the entire series. Ribolla Fest originally began as Friuli-fest by the late George Vare, though the focus from its inception was on Ribolla. George fell in love with the variety at the start of the millennium and saw bringing (read: sneaking) it into the United States and fine-tuning its growing conditions here in California not only as a passion project but also a spiritual one. He believed it was some of the most important work he’d done in wine.

Meeting George in 2012 and receiving his encouragement in my writing, my interest and views of wine, and sharing with him a passion for Friuli and Ribolla, as well as acquaintance with the vintners that took up his torch in working with the Vare Vineyard, was a primary source of inspiration for me. It helped build my personal investment in my work in wine and served as part of the groundwork for venturing forth as a wine writer. He and several others in that first year I credit for my doing what I do now. 

Due to family and travel demands I missed this year’s Ribolla Fest but here’s a look back at some of the early work I did on the event, beginning with meeting George Vare. By this first meeting I’d already traveled Friuli, fallen in love with Ribolla, and met with numerous vintners there in Italy working with the variety. Seeing its translation in California gave me a way to imagine that even with a love for Italian wine myself perhaps I could find a home in wine here in the United States. 

At the bottom of the post links to the rest of the series are included. Subsequent installments in the series include George’s story as he told it to me, in-depth look at the growing demands for the variety, and other sites that it has since been planted. Having just left my academic career but treating wine with the seriousness I had as a graduate student I named the series, tongue in cheek, Attending Ribolla Gialla University.

I also wrote about George in the context of another series found here on the rise of skin-contact whites in California. 

Attending Ribolla Gialla University: Part 1: Meeting George Vare

Thank you to Eric Asimov for recommending this post in the July 20, 2012 edition of The New York Times, Diner’s Journal “What We’re Reading.”

The following was originally published here on July 19, 2012.

Meeting George Vare

“Go make Ribolla Gialla popular.” –George Vare

the berries turn a full rich yellow at ripeness.

the first vintage with consistent berries.

the plant carries a virus that causes the leaves to yellow under stress.

barrel with a window

Ribolla Gialla left on skins for 1-year, then barrel aged for 3

a gift to take home, hand labeled and capped by George Vare

Ribolla Gialla with 48 hour skin contact

sparkling Ribolla Gialla that has not been disgorged

we’ll drink it at the Ribolla Gialla party

an earlier vintage

Friuli style white: Sauvignon Blanc, Tocai Friulano, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla

This is why I came back to Napa Valley so quickly.

Because in doing so I could talk to more people about George Vare. I’ve made my visit about so much more than just this one lucky meeting, so much more I love to do. But I came back now so I could meet more people that had worked with Vare, never presuming to ask if I could meet him too. Then, it turned out a meeting was arranged, and I got to hear his story, walk through his 2.5 acre Ribolla Gialla vineyard (the only one producing fruit in California, there are other plantings–more on that to follow), and taste his wines too. Here are photos from the visit. Write up to follow, along with photos from a grand Ribolla Gialla tasting here in Napa Valley.

***

Thank you to George Vare.

Thank you to Dan Petroski.

Attending Ribolla Gialla University, Part 2: http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2012/07/19/attending-ribolla-gialla-university-part-2-a-life-in-wine-george-vare-friuli-and-slovenia/

Attending Ribolla Gialla University, Part 3: http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2012/07/19/attending-ribolla-gialla-university-part-3-friuli-fest-2012-ribolla-gialla-tasting-and-discussion/

Attending Ribolla Gialla University, Part 4: Harvest of the George Vare Vineyard with Steve Matthiasson: http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2012/09/14/attending-ribolla-gialla-university-part-4-harvest-of-the-george-vare-vineyard-with-steve-matthiasson/

Attending Ribolla Gialla University, Part 5: Russian River Valley Ribolla Gialla, The Bowland’s Tanya Vineyard: http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2012/09/29/attending-ribolla-gialla-university-part-5-russian-river-valley-ribolla-gialla/

Attending Ribollat Gialla University, Part 6: The Vare Vineyard Tasting, Arlequin Wine Merchant: http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2013/04/23/attending-ribolla-gialla-university-part-6-the-vare-vineyard-tasting-arlequin-wine-merchant/

Attending Ribolla Gialla University, Part 7: The Matthiasson Vineyard, Napa: http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2013/05/01/attending-ribolla-gialla-university-part-7-the-matthiasson-vineyard-napa/

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