Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/6221
50 / the tasting panel / january–february 2010 coVer Story Sarah Quider White Wine Winemaker, Ferrari-Carano, Sonoma Sarah Quider's first job out of college was working with the fisher- ies commission to remove the earbones from Pacific rockfish—a task that today, she can only refer to as "horrible." a Sonoma County native, Sarah turned to the local paper for a job she might find a little bit more palatable, before landing a position as a lab intern at Fer- rari-Carano in 1995. "i couldn't believe it," she exclaims. "i began to smell things like apples and pineapples and flowers—there were no fish there!" after putting in some time at Ferrari-Carano and other Sonoma wineries, Sarah returned to school to earn her fermentation science degree before returning to her roots at Ferrari-Carano and following her heart into a job she truly loves. " i love the whole process of winemaking," she says. "There are so many people involved in making a bottle of wine that it is unbeliev- able, and the end product is so fun! it's not like being an accountant or something, and when we all get together to have the wine and enjoy it, it is amazing." For Sarah, sharing her passion with her friends and family is also key, including her two children, who have already begun to refine their palates and have been perfecting the art of tasting. "my seven year old daughter wants to be a winemaker," says Sarah, who as a child was one of six girls in a family that promoted the strengths and abilities of women. "it was instilled in me that women can do anything," the winemaker quips. Sarah brings this can-do attitude to winemaking, and admits that there's a certain female sensibility she brings to her wines. "i've been told that the Chards we make have more of feminine touch, a bit of delicate elegance that is new to the wines. like many women, i'm super-sensitive to smells, and i think that plays a big part in my success as a winemaker." Flagship wine: The Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc is made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes, but Sarah Quider has focused on bringing out the most tropical notes in the the fr uit. "it is very fruit-driven, with pine- apple, guava and grapefruit citrus," she says. "Partial barrel fermentation softens and rounds the fruit, and it is just lovely, with easy-flo wing tropical flavors. i love it." —Rachel Burkons like many young people fresh out of college, when Jennifer Wall graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz, she moved back in with her parents, who had recently relo- cated from Sacramento to the heart of wine country: Sonoma County. having earned her degree in biology with an emphasis in medicine, when Jennifer got a job at a custom wine process- ing facility, her true passion was unleashed; she devoted herself to learning as much as she could about wine and winemaking. " i started at the very bottom, at the ground floor," she explains. "i decided to take the biggest detour of my life, and thank god i did!" nearly 20 years later, the winemaker's unexpected path has taken her to great places, namely Barefoot Cellars, where her wines have become the most-awarded portfolio in the PHOTO: CATHY TWIGG-BLUMEL Jennifer Wall Winemaker, Barefoot Cellars, Modesto, CA Jennifer Wall. PHOTO: RYAN LELY