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Wine 101: An interview with Winemaker Greg Kitchens of Don Sebastiani & Sons

As I have mentioned previously on this blog, I was very surprised, as a new vegan, to learn that many wines are not vegan. I wrote a basic primer: Vegan Wine, then interviewed Winemaker Michael Cox, Schug Carneros Estate, and I maintain a small list of vegan wines that I have sampled.

Thanks to the Barnivore iPhone app I discovered that Smoking Loon

and Pepperwood Grove reds

are vegan and I have been enjoying them for some time.

I love, love, love wine, but, when it comes down to it, I don’t know that much about it. Lucky me! I was given the the opportunity to interview the winemaker at Don Sebastiani & Sons, the makers of Smoking Loon and Pepperwood Grove wines.

Winemaker, Greg Kitchens, developed a passion for pairing wine and food early in his educational career. A native of the Napa Valley, Greg earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from UC San Diego. Before coming to Don Sebastiani & Sons in 2001, Greg worked with Beaulieu Vineyards and the Sebastiani family’s original winery in Sonoma.

I asked Greg a few “Wine 101” questions.

Q. This is a vegan food blog and I write about vegan wines that I try and enjoy. Can you tell me how your winery makes decision on making a vegan wine? Is it ethics? Taste? or….?

Our decisions for making wine are based on taking great fruit and using a minimalist approach.  What I mean by that is that we try to not fine our wines unless necessary.  If the wine does need some fining agents, we try to use materials that accomplish the job with renewable sources.  For that reason, I do my best to shy away from things like Gelatin and Albumin based products.  This way, our wines can be enjoyed by the vegan community.

Q. I know that I love red wine. I enjoy some whites but I really love reds.  Any thoughts on why some are more inclined to drink reds over whites or vice versa?

It really comes down to eating what you like and drinking what you like. There is no wrong if you are happy.  My wife loves white wine in the summer and red wines in the winter.  It is practically religion to her.   I think that some people like cold beverages and gravitate to whites for that reason.  I also think that others like the bitterness in reds and those people gravitate to red wines.   Me, I like them both but tend to lean toward what I am eating in order to pair the wine as part of the dining experience.

Q. I think I can taste the difference between a good wine and a bad wine, but what am I really looking for?

You are looking for ripe flavors that are tuned in to your palate.  Everyone is wired differently and this is especially true when it comes to taste.  So a good wine is a wine that you like.  That doesn’t mean that all bad wine is truly bad, but that it doesn’t meld well with you.   Granted, there is also a lot of bad wine out there in flashy packaging.  Unfortunately, as the consumer, it is your job to find those wines and not buy them again.

Q. I’ve threatened on this blog to start posting tasting notes and reviews of vegan wines that I enjoy. I don’t have the first clue about tasting notes. Any advice on how to begin?

Here is how I write my tasting notes, first I comment on the color, then on the aroma, then the flavor on the front side (first impression) then the flavor on the back end (the flavor that lingers on your palate after consumption).   Then I follow that up with what foods I think it would pair best with.   All in all, swirl, sniff, and drink and you can’t go wrong.

Q. I’d like to understand better how to pair wine with my meals. My vegan meals include beans, legumes, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, millet and veggies, lots and lots of veggies. And I’m particularly fond of kale. Can you make some pairing suggestions?

It all depends on preparation but here are some go to pairings;
Quinoa and grains – pair with Chard, Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir
Kale – pair with Cabernet Sauvignon
Beans – pair with Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
Legumes – pair with Syrah or Merlot
Tofu goes with everything
Peaches and Apricots go with Viognier really well
I could go on and on.

Thanks, Greg, for your time and great information! I learned so much!

Originally posted on JL goes Vegan:  Food & Fitness with a side of Kale.  You can follow JL on Twitter and Facebook.

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