A little earth, some grapes and experimentation

I just got back from a week in Napa, touring a number of wineries (and tasting a number of wines!!!). I loved learning about the very different philosophies and approaches to creating a great wine. To me, Sam Baxter, the young winemaker and general manager of cult winery Terra Valentine expressed it best - he spoke about the raw materials he works with - rich soil, great vines, the right clones, and a fabulous microenvironment in the Alexander Valley.

From there, it’s about his knowledge, expertise, and intuition… He marries the tools and technology of winemaking with his art - he can measure pH and acidity, etc, every hour, but they don’t pick until he *feels* the grapes are ready. The aging process is also art and science - which coopers to use, what percentage old vs new oak, in what quantities to blend. It’s amazing. An age old art, made somewhat new through technology, but never abandoning its human roots (pun intended).

Each year, Sam experiments with a few variables in limited quantities, to understand where he can improve the wine. He’s worked at Terra for 9 years and he says he’s still learning about its land. It made me think about the way I approach development and innovation - am I finding the right balance of rigor and intuition? Am I continuing to adjust variables that seem perfectly well-tuned? To me, the week presented a challenge - to take everything I do to an even higher level, to find the balance between the known and unknown, and to all push on for a greater depth of understanding and knowledge. There is no final destination. It’s all a magnificent journey of exquisite beauty.