2006-10-27
Winemaker Profiles – Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery SARAH QUIDER & AARON PIOTTER
by Danae Blythe Rubenstein
Adding an “S” to the end of a word often indicates more than one, or ownership. In this case, it signifies both, as this is a dual profile on winemakers Sarah Quider and Aaron Piotter of Ferrari-Carano wines. Sharing the title of winemaker means Sarah and Aaron share the gusto and the kinship of being an anomaly in the world of wine. Sarah’s light and delicate style pilots Ferrari-Carano’s whites and a recently released Pinot, while Aaron hits dauntless notes in his bold delivery of reds. Less than 9 miles apart, Sarah atop the picturesque grounds of Ferrari-Carano, and Aaron detached from the romanticism associated with the Ferrari brand works from the Mountain Winery Estate. While in close proximity of one another, Sarah and Aaron are still separated by a vast chasm of varietal characteristics. A divide indeed, yet one not too distant as to breed solitary visions.
Sarah and Aaron were both raised in Sonoma Valley, and went on to receive degrees from the University of California, Davis, Aaron in Fermentation Sciences, and Sarah in Viticulture and Enology. Both sorted their paths through various other wineries prior to Ferrari-Carano where their already sculpted attraction to winemaking was then sanded and defined. Sarah’s predisposition to a lighter style of wine is due to several variables she feels; her gender, her taste buds, and her delighted duty in pairing white wine with dinner. Sarah’s husband is a local crab fisherman.
Aaron worked with top names in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys as well, but it was Ferrari-Carano that snagged the philosophical scientist. Though the position of Lead Winemaker was not vacant at the time Sarah and Aaron joined Ferrari-Carano, the two were simply pleased to be part of such an intimate operation. Their admiration and respect for Don and Rhonda Carano translated simply into their own love and affection for the winery and their product. As Sarah put it – “Seeing how much they care makes you care that much too.” Aaron portrays them as perfectly wonderful people, and producing wine a composition of 88% vineyards, 10% winemaking and 2% barrels. This predominant eighty eight percent is a corner that Sarah and Aaron feel privileged to have covered. With a team in the vineyards whom have lived, grown and interpreted the estate grapes at Ferrari-Carano for some – over ten years, play an intricate role in the consistency and fortitude in Ferrari-Carano’s reputation. And after that, it’s science. Sarah and Aaron are each other’s best and worst critics. Both feel auspicious to be in the ring – though in separate cellars at most times – with someone whose defining objective is to simply make the best wine possible.
While both have families and interests outside of making wine, it still remains clear the penchant force which binds this red and this white winemaker, a standard of excellence and a truckload of class. Completely committed to their trade, Sarah’s son swirls his milk in his glass as if it were wine, and Aaron admits he’d be happy locked in a closet making it. Sarah Quider and Aaron Piotter are Wine Country locals who endured a graceful climb to the top, all the while never idle or assuming in their craft.
Ferrari-Carano Winery is located at 8761 Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg. Ferrari Carano is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (707) 433-6700 for information. Tours are available by appointment. The website is at ferrari-carano.com.
Related Information
|
