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February 22, 2008
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2008-02-22
Winemaker Profile: Napa Cellars and Folie à Deux
JOE SHIRLEY
by Nina Laramore
Joe Shirley, winemaker for Napa Cellars and Folie à Deux, says that the most important thing the wine tasting public should know about tasting wine, is that the way to discover what you like is to taste a lot of wine instead of reading about wine rankings in magazines. He believes drinking wine should be an enjoyable experience and not a study.
Shirley is passionate about wine. He is passionate about the entire winemaking process and he is passionate about drinking wine – his creations and others. But the most rewarding aspect of his job as a winemaker is being happy with the blend. “I like blending a lot. Blending can be the most maddening and most exciting part of the process. But at the end of the day when you have created a blend, through talent and luck, that is better than the sum of its parts, a blend that is as close to perfectly balanced as possible, it’s exciting,” he says.
For Shirley, the goal is to create the best combination of complexity and intensity while staying true to the characteristics that make a particular Napa Valley vintage what it is. When he sets out to make a new blend he first pulls the previous three vintages of the blend and tastes them oldest to newest as a point of reference of where the blend has been. He then builds in his mind a map of where he would like the blend to be next. He wants the new blend to be better than anything that has come before but still true to the heritage of the wine. Right now, he is working on a Folie à Deux 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon that he finds interesting because it is stylishly demonstrative and irreverent. He says it is unusual and exciting.
The path that brought him to his current position at Napa Cellars and Folie à Deux was not as straightforward as he is. He first considered medicine and has a BA in Exercise Physiology from Occidental College in Los Angeles. It was his experience growing up in Napa that turned his thoughts to wine.
“I was a huge fan of beer but growing up in Napa I knew that winemaking could supply me with a career. Studying for my Masters of Science in Enology at UC Davis I was probably the only son of Napa in my class that was not also the son of a well-known winemaking family,” Shirley says.
His first job out of college was at Sonoma Cutrer. He joined Trinchero Winery in 1999 as Enologist and was promoted to winemaker for the Trinchero wines in 2002. In 2007, he became head winemaker for Napa Cellars and Folie à Deux Wineries.
Working with the two different wineries gives Shirley a chance to work with two very different styles of wines. The Folie à Deux wines, named for the French term meaning “shared fantasies,” are more innovative wines. The label produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The Napa Cellars wines are made in the classic Napa Valley style of ripe, rich, balanced and collectible wines. They specialize in Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Shirley now lives in Napa with his own family, wife Monette, his son, age 19, and daughter, age 6. They are planning to add a new member to the family soon and are currently exploring what breed of dog will best fit the family dynamic.
To experience a selection of Shirley’s current releases visit the winery tasting room located directly off of Highway 29 next to Mustards restaurant at 7481 St. Helena Highway in Oakville. The beautiful grounds surrounding the winery are the perfect place to enjoy a Wine Country picnic. The tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tours are available by appointment but there is no appointment necessary for tasting. A $5 tasting fee includes a souvenir logo glass. For additional information, call the winery toll-free at 1-800-535-6400 or (707) 944-2565 or to order online, visit www.napacellars.com and www.folieadeux.com.
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