MEET OUR ANDERSON VALLEY ESTATE WINEMAKER, STÉPHANE VIVIER

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?

It’s spring, so that means I am finishing the last touch on the 2017 Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir Blanc. We are also getting ready for the second bottling of the sparkling wines from the Tanbark Mill Vineyard. It’s very exciting, but they have a long way to go before release. The bottles will stay en tirage for about three years. Lastly, in the spring I walk through the vineyards assessing each vine. Things are happening quickly now as the weather starts to warm up. It’s an exciting time!

WHAT DO YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT LMR?

Full circle farming is a concept and philosophy more people should be aware of. At Long Meadow Ranch, it is our way of life.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST WORK-RELATED SUCCESS AND ONE OF YOUR FUNNIEST FAILS?

Hopefully to have fun every day creating and learning.
Getting my car stuck in the vineyard mud when aperitif was waiting!

WHO’S BEEN ONE OF YOUR MOST INFLUENTIAL MENTORS?

Aubert de Villaine of the famed Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

ANY ADVICE FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO PURSUE A CAREER IN WINEMAKING?

Work hard, be patient, seize the opportunity when you see it. Also, if you work hard enough that opportunity will always come.

IF YOU COULD ENJOY A MEAL WITH ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

I would love to sit at a table with the early Burgundian monks and winemakers who started mastering Pinot Noir and Chardonnay a few centuries ago. Sharing techniques with them would be fun!

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT SINCE WORKING WITH LMR?

I see all the wines created as a whole: they are all part of the story we are creating with Tanbark Mill Vineyards in Anderson Valley. I love it all.