Cupcake Vineyards

Adam Richardson’s first love is flying, earning his pilot’s license before his driver’s license. Before he became a winemaker, he was a lieutenant aviator in the Royal Australian Navy. He flew helicopter search and rescue missions for 8 years before making a dramatic change in careers, entering the world of the vine.

“You can spend your whole life looking for the bottom of the glass and not get there”.

I had the pleasure of meeting this true flying winemaker for dinner at one of Atlanta’s finest new restaurants, Miller Union. Adam is the head winemaker for Cupcake Vineyards, which is a part of the larger Underdog Wine Merchants organization. We enjoyed 9 different wines, along with great food during all three courses of our meal. FULL DISCLOSURE: The meal and wines were all covered by the winery, so I had to pay for nothing.

First, let’s talk about some of the highlights from our conversation.

Least favorite varieties to work with: Merlot and Pinot Noir. My wife was a bit taken aback by his lack of appreciation for Pinot Noir. We got to talking about it and he did say he loved (to drink) a good Burgundy, but that it could quite frustrating to really find those that really moved you.

Favorite variety to work with: Shiraz. He commented that his answer might seem obvious, being it is a major grape in his homeland, but he said that wasn’t the real reason. He felt Shiraz was a grape you could generally always make a good wine with, but that to make a distinctive, unique wine was a much more challenging task. It was finding that distinct voice which made it his favorite grape to work with.

Favorite wine to drink: Outside of his own wines, it was Barbaresco. His answer took me aback, as it wasn’t something I really expected. He said he was a big fan of German Rieslings as well, but when it came down to it, Barbaresco was his absolute favorite and it yielded my favorite quote of the evening, “You can spend your whole life looking for the bottom of the glass and not get there”. I thought this was a great way to describe the passion for a particular wine and it is one I feel like many Burgundy fans could identify with.

Worst thing he’s ever eaten: Adam is an enthusiastic cook whose favorite cook book is [AMAZON affiliate link] The French Laundry Cookbook. Not exactly lightweight stuff there. The answer to the question was lamprey eels that had been boiled in their own blood. He said it was as disgusting as it sounded. As for an unusual thing he’d eaten that he did enjoy, it was drunken prawns.

Approach to winemaking for Cupcake: In our conversation, I think I’d say Adam is shooting for a broad audience, but without making wines geared only for newbies. He wants to make balanced wines which exhibit typicity for their region and grape. His personal affinity for European wines and understanding of the US market make him well equipped to pull off his aim of creating value wines that wine drinkers of all experiences can enjoy.

Overall, I got the impression that Adam was quite a fan of food and wine, especially when you consider he is responsible for making wines on four continents and continues to add new wines to the portfolio. At this point in time, the Cupcake brand alone has 12 different wines, with more coming this Fall. From a business point of view, the brand is easy to remember and hints towards a more fruit driven style.

Here are quick notes on all the wines we tasted:

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) 12.5% alcohol: As before, this was a very nice balanced approach to the grape, which can often exhibit overwhelming grapefruit and herbaceous character. This wine weaves together grapefruit, pear and sweet lemon flavors that make it suitable for drinking alone or with seafood, be it raw, grilled or sautéed.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Pinot Grigio (D.O.C. Trentino, Italy) 13% alcohol: So, the wine world used to be pretty crazy for this grape, which I often found to be more akin to lemon water as the mass market producers tend to make it. This was actually pretty good and while I’d not personally run out to buy it, I’d have no issue with recommending this as a solid example of the grape.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Riesling (Mosel Valley, Germany) 10.5% alcohol: We had a nice chat about German Rieslings and how they are becoming an endangered species in the wine world, as the vineyards are hard to work and many of the younger generation have no desire to work the land. At this price point, you have a nice wine that exhibits stone fruit and citrus, but lacked the punch of slate and overall flavor that I so enjoy from this region’s wines. I think you can do better with other choices.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington) 13.2% alcohol: Creamier and drier than the German wine, I found this more to my liking. It just required the right food, which we weren’t really having and honestly, we sort of rushed through the two Rieslings and the next wine, as our entrees had arrived and we were eager to get to the whites. I’ve got a sample bottle of this in the fridge and think I may try it with some veggie spring rolls.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay (Central Coast, California) 14% alcohol: Well made, with a nice balance to the oak and fruit flavors. The oak shows some character in the buttery vanilla nose, but the palate exhibits some nice tropical fruit flavors and I felt this was well made, though I don’t know if the world needs another $10 Chardonnay. This strikes a nice balance between the classic butter bomb Cali-style and the surging popularity of un-oaked wines. California Chardonnay fans will enjoy.

2007 Cupcake Vineyards Merlot (Central Coast, California) 13.9% alcohol: Juicy, but lacking any real character and was just sort of there. My least favorite wine of the night.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) 13.5% alcohol: Starts off with a great smoky leather aroma that lays over the black fruits, which make their presence known once you get this lovely drop in your mouth. I liked the sort of restraint this wine shows, as I’ve been finding so many Malbecs of late to be over ripened fruit bombs that are one trick ponies. This went really well with my NY strip, which was cooked to a perfect rare. (Thank you Miller Union!). This was my favorite wine of the night and something I’d buy.

Overall, the Cupcake brand is off to a fairly good start. They have an easy to remember name, no critters or low-brow marketing, an appealing price point and cover most of the major grapes. I had my favorites, as any wine drinker will, but it wasn’t like I found any of the wines undrinkable. Those I didn’t care for (Merlot and German Riesling) weren’t bad, I’ve just had better for the money.

A big thanks to Adam for taking the time to meet with me and my wife, we really enjoyed it.

Cheers!

While I missed out on the mass online tasting of Sauvignon blancs on Twitter last week, I did manage to open a couple of sample bottles I’d received. FULL DISCLOSURE: Both Sauvignon blanc wines talked about in this post were given to me as samples. We were invited to some friends for a dinner of garlic and butter grilled shrimp, so I thought this the perfect excuse to drink some Sauv blanc. The spring weather isn’t hurting either, as this is a time for crisp whites, along with the usual bubblies, all while we wait for fresh supplies of French rosés to arrive.

2008 NO Sauvignon Blanc / 2009 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

First up was the 2009 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, approximate retail of $13.99. (I’ve seen it for less in our market.) This wine is sourced from Marlborough, New Zealand, the prime growing region of this grape in that country. 20 years ago, nobody had ever heard of New Zealand wine and then, Wine Spectator plants Cloudy Bay on the front cover and well, the rest is history. When I think of Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, I think grapefruit and more specifically, white grapefruit. One of the most popular labels is so overwrought with this flavor, my wife actually puts an ice cube in her glass to cut it back just a notch.

The Cupcake version is quite nice, with plenty of grapefruit, but more like a mix of white and pink so as not to be overly tart. You also find very nice lemon notes intermixed, which are a nice compliment and provide a sweet note of balance to this very crisp wine. Acids are tart, but not bitter or sharp. I didn’t get a lot of complexity in the wine, but it finished strong and while it was a very straight shooting wine, it shot straight and on target. For the price point, it delivers and I doubt anyone would be disappointed in their purchase. I’d say this is a repeat purchase and would work well for your next shellfish centered meal or even as a base for a white sangria to help tame the summer time heat. Nice job.

The second wine was the 2008 NO Sauvignon Blanc from Lake County, CA. This just north of Napa region has been getting some buzz over the last 3 to 4 years as an area capable of great things, but at more affordable prices. The back label of this wine really pushes the NO concept, as in NO interference from the winemaker. No oak, no malo, no cork, just pure and unadulterated fruit. Honestly, I didn’t get a lot out of this one. One person commented it smelled sweeter, which I could see in that the fruits were more tropical and less citrus than in the first wine.

I got some apples, pear and just a hint of pink grapefruit, an obvious indicator that the wine came from a warmer climate. For me, California is usually the last place I look for Sauvignon blanc. I tend to gravitate towards Sancerre, but since they have become rather pricey, I usually stick with New Zealand for the value. We just don’t drink a lot of the stuff, tending towards other wines for the warm weather. I’d have to pass on this one, though one of our friends said she did like it. If you like a softer and more tropical styled wine and you opt for this, make sure to let it warm up for 20 minutes out of the fridge. It will show better, something I noticed as mine warmed up.

Cheers to you and have a happy Tuesday!

When I hear New Zealand, I think of three things. Lord of the Rings, lamb and Sauvignon blanc. The order depends upon the context of the reference. When looking for something a bit on the tangier side, wines from the Marlborough region in New Zealand are always in consideration. The signature for these wines are their heady perfume of white grapefruit, which previews their eye popping flavors. You’ll also find other classic notes that are best thought of as green, since they are typically green in color themselves. Things like grass, herbs, lime and even jalapeño pepper can often be “found” lurking in your glass of Sauvignon blanc.

Price: $10.99

Bought at: Whole Foods

Aromas: Nice grapefruit and assorted green tones.

Flavors: White grapefruit, with some lime, guava and a pinch of jalapeño. It was tangy and bright, but not as exuberant as others I’ve had. This was served with garlic shrimp scampi served over cannellini pasta.

Final word: This was a good wine, with enough acidity to pierce through the garlic butter sauce, while adding nice green tones to the dish. Next time we’ll have to deglaze the shrimp with a touch of the wine. This is a decent value and while not my favorite from the region, this won’t disappoint and is fairly easy to find.