I Was Determined to Make Sparkling Wine - #1
Eileen Crane Pouring Bubbles
CEO and Winemaker Eileen Crane describes her determination to make sparkling wine that started with her first taste of Champagne at a family Sunday supper.
Why Eileen?
Quite simply, her leadership in sparkling wine is both broad and deep, traversing three American sparkling wineries, with connections to European houses in both France and Spain and spanning nearly forty years. From her first role in wine as a tour guide at Domaine Chandon, to her role as CEO and founding winemaker at Domaine Carneros, Eileen has been out in front.
She built two wineries, Gloria Ferrer and Domaine Carneros, from the ground up and started their sparkling programs. She was one of the first to install solar and offer a wine club. She introduced “open book management”, an approach that engages all employees – from vineyard and cellar workers to the most senior executives – in seeing the complete financial picture and making suggestions to improve the health of the business.
Here is Part 1 of my conversation with Eileen.
From Tasting in New Jersey to Studying at Davis
Vicky
I’ve heard the story about how you decided to drive from the East Coast to California to get into the wine program at Davis after spending your early years in other occupations. What I want to know is, what prompted you to hop in your car to undertake such an adventure?
“Can we have Champagne again?”
Eileen
My father introduced me to fine wine at an early age when I was growing up in New Jersey. He developed a taste for it during his five campaigns in Europe during the second world war. When I was only eight, I started helping him pick the wines for our Sunday dinners. I had a little cordial glass and got to have a taste. One night he pulled out a bottle of Champagne, and that was it! The next Sunday, I asked, “can we have Champagne again?”
Vicky
I’m jealous! Your first taste of sparkling wine was Champagne. I think mine was Cold Duck (purple, bubbly and sweet). So that first taste of Champagne explains your love of bubbles, but how did you decide you wanted to make them?
Eileen
I was always interested in wine. One of my early jobs was as a state nutritionist in Connecticut. I was very interested in cuisine and wine, so I took a 10-week course at the Culinary Institute of America as well as a wine class. I also had a friend whose son was a vintner, and he had a book where I saw a mention of a winemaking program at the University of California, Davis. I decided to call them up and find out more. That’s when I decided to drive across the country, get a degree in oenology and become a winemaker.
I Was Determined to Be a Winemaker
Vicky
Wow! Just like that.
Eileen
Almost. The first professor I met told me I couldn’t be a winemaker because I wouldn’t be able to do the work in the cellar. “You can’t handle the barrels.” He suggested I finish my PhD in nutrition. I said, “I’m not going to be doing that. I’m going to be a winemaker.” He said, “I don’t think so, but maybe you should talk with this new professor, Ann Noble.”
“I’m not going to be doing that. I’m going to be a winemaker.”
I remember her office was still full of boxes that hadn’t been unpacked. She said, “You already have a master’s degree in a science. You don’t need another one. Come in and take a few classes at Davis and see what you can do.” I took every course I could that year and then started as a part-time tour guide at Domaine Chandon to get my foot in the door.
Seizing Opportunities as They Came
Vicky
Clearly you took aim for a sparkling house right from the start! I’m reminded of a quote that goes something like, “It’s better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb than halfway up one you don’t…” (David Eggers, The Circle). What happened next?
Eileen
One day someone came up to me in all whites and said, “Our pastry chef just left, and you were at the CIA. Could you do pastry for the interim?” So, I was in the kitchen doing pastry. Then there was a young woman who was running the harvest and she came down and said “I understand you have a science background and took some classes at Davis. Would you like to come up and work in the lab? It’s only a six-week job.” So, I took the job and six years later I left to build Gloria Ferrer. [Along the way she became assistant winemaker at Domaine Chandon].
Building a Winery
Vicky
You built Gloria Ferrer from the ground up. There was nothing when they hired you. Is it typical for winemakers to manage construction?
Eileen
They hired me in 1984 and I thought they were hiring me to be the winemaker. Then I asked the son of the owner, “Who is going to build the winery?” He told me that their winemaker in Spain does all the construction and that I should be able to do it.
Vicky
You clearly had experience as a winemaker, but not in construction. I guess you figured it out!
Eileen
I did. I met a consultant and he kind of coached me through it. I was very good at double checking the quality of the different contractors we considered. I got very good references on the company we ultimately hired.
When I was hired, they were planting some vineyards and there was a water tank – that was all. I remember I had trouble getting the owners to understand that it wasn’t going to take 10 years to build the winery because they had been working on a winery in Mexico for about 10 years. It was exciting, interesting, complicated – tanks, catwalks, piping, office furniture, interior design, everything had to be done. I think they were surprised it was so quick. In 15 months, there were tablecloths on the table.
Check out all my conversations with Eileen
