Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/856981
1 18 / the tasting panel / august 2017 W inemaker Nick Goldschmidt has worked in the world's southernmost vineyards in Chile, 13 hours south of Santiago on the 40th parallel, and the northernmost in Canada, north of the Okanagan Valley on the 50th parallel. "Wine is boring," says the outspoken Kiwi, a tall, lanky drink of water with a sense of humor on the edge. "We don't need another Napa Cab or a Russian River Chardonnay." Yet those two varietals, from those respective regions, are just what Goldschmidt dared to compose during his long California tenure—and with finesse and style, we might add. Goldschmidt recently sat down with The Tasting Panel for an informal tasting, but we've known the man for years, and his background and reputation working for the big guns in the wine industry. He has been making wine internationally since 1982 and in California since 1990. Born in New Zealand, trained in Australia and having lived in South America, he came to us armed with his own labels. His Goldschmidt Vineyard label is a program designed to showcase single-vineyard wines from the Alexander Valley and Napa Valley–Oakville appellations. Forefathers is his international label, spanning New Zealand and North America. "Wine is artistic and scientific," notes Goldschmidt, who holds four academic degrees, in science, horticulture, viticulture and enology. "It can't be made in a vacuum. It's important to get out there and meet customers in person to share the knowledge and talk about it, but also listen to what they have to say." 1 18 / the tasting panel / august 2017 Zealander by Meridith May / photos by George Rose NEW ZEALAND NATIVE NICK GOLDSCHMIDT MODELS HIS WINES FROM SOME OF THE WORLD'S GREAT SITES WINEMAKERS