Memorable Moments in My Sparkling Career - #3
Winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster Checking Vines
Winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster shares her winemaking approach, favorite pairings and best and worst moments in her sparkling career
Why Penny?
She helped make “small grower sparkling wine” possible! As head winemaker for Rack and Riddle, she was the person behind the sparkle for many small wineries that now have a way to make Methode Champenoise sparkling wines. Prior to the creation of Rack and Riddle, making bubbles was only practical for large wine companies who could afford the huge capital investment in the equipment needed to make sparkling wine.
Penny has been involved in making sparkling wine since 1987 when she joined Jordan Vineyards, eventually becoming sparkling winemaker at J Vineyards. She joined Rack and Riddle in 2007, and in addition to overseeing winemaking operations for hundreds of their clients, she also personally crafts the sparkling wines for their brand as well as for Breathless Wines and most recently her own brand, Pénélope, offered through Naked Wines. I cannot imagine the number of bottles of sparkling wine Penny has touched in her career. I’m willing to bet you have one in your fridge right now.
Here is Part 3 of my conversation with Penny.
My Approach to Making Sparkling Wines
Vicky
What is your approach to making sparkling wines? What sets you apart?
Penny
First, I want to feature the grapes. As André Tchelistcheff [often called the dean of American winemakers] said, “Why would you make the wine taste different than the varietal? Why would you make a merlot that didn’t taste like a merlot?” There are all these manipulations that many people do but is that then taking away some of the soul and essence of what that grape is bringing you?
“Why would you make a merlot that didn’t taste like a merlot?”
Second, I’m a minimalist. Unless a treatment is really needed, I'm not going to do it. That’s because things are a little bit different every year. So, I don't have a protocol and say, “We're not going to deviate. Yeah, we are”! There are some basic practices in winemaking, but then from there you look at what's happening in the field or in the winery and decide what is needed. The protocols are more like if/then. For example, if it is a heavy sunburn year, then this is what I recommend. If it’s a heavy mildew year, then this is what I recommend. Ultimately, I want the wines to show themselves.
Third, I want my wines to be food friendly. And the beauty of bubbles is that they pretty much go with everything.
My Favorite Foods with Sparkling Wine
Vicky
OK, so they go with everything, but what are some of the very best pairings you’ve had with sparkling wines?
Penny
One of the very best is a rib steak with a Brut and some frites on the side. Another is sautéed scallops with lemon butter paired with Blanc de Blanc and some little potato cakes. I also love steamed mussels and clams with a Brut.
I remember one of the first all sparkling dinners I ever had was at a winery near here. It started with freshly made potato chips with Crème Fraîche and caviar. Amazing! I can’t even remember the rest of the meal, but every course was paired with sparkling wines.
Sparkling Moments in My Career
Vicky
Aside from special meals with sparkling, what have been the most special moments in your career?
Penny
The biggest was when I started at Rack and Riddle. There were just seven of us when we started. It was a start-up on a large scale. The building was huge. We put in the tanks and equipment, painted floors, ripped out things, did all the permits.
Then when we moved from Hopland to Healdsburg, we kind of started over. We had to move a million gallons of wine from one facility to another. We had a deadline to be out of the building and I think we were out ten minutes before our official time. We were a very determined team.
“I learned how to make just about every wine in the world from all these different winemakers…”
I learned how to make just about every wine in the world from all these different winemakers who I worked with at Rack and Riddle. I put together the company’s sparkling profile by applying my own winemaking philosophy based on what I learned from my mentors and my experience over the years.
Another really amazing moment was being asked by Breathless to be their winemaker. It was a huge honor to be named a part of this all-woman business and feeling like a real part of this all sisters, all family team.
Being named the very first winemaker of the year by the Business Journal was incredible. I was bawling the whole time. It was heart-warming that Rack and Riddle would help make this happen for me.
Winemaker Penny Gadd Coster Showing Riddling Cages
The Most Difficult Time in My Career
Vicky
What was the worst, most difficult, most challenging time in your career?
Penny
Being told over and over that I wasn’t going to make it. Being told I would never be a winemaker was really tough. I’m one of those people that if you tell me I can’t do it, I’m going to make it happen. It’s really been rewarding for me to do that.
Vicky
So those people actually did you a great service.
Penny
They did! Little did they know. They thought they were dissuading me from moving forward. My ultimate role at Rack and Riddle was Executive Director of Winemaking. It’s all a win-win.
All images courtesy of Rack & Riddle
Check out all my conversations with Penny Gadd-Coster
