04. 09. 2013

Drinking Metaphysically

Disclaimer: I’m about to get real geeky up in this.

What do you get when a former classics professor moves to California wine country, buys a vineyard full of 60 year old Sauvignon Blanc (that no one else would touch) and starts up an experimental wine project? A little bit of genius and a whole lot of who knows. But that’s kind of the point. Abe Schoener’s operation is titled The Scholium Project. Scholium is taken from the Greek word scholion meaning school- it’s an education in the process. I like it.

Wine is a business and most vineyards are not churning out experimental wines for the hell of it. Not that Schoener is either. He has a vested interest in his vines, but it seems to be fueled more by a mental curiosity than profit. How novel. This is wine for wine’s sake. Again- love it. Schoener has a few tiny vineyards scattered around Northern California’s wine country and he’s churning out some crazy ass wine. He makes a Sauvignon Blanc called The Prince In His Caves that looks like a sherry, a Pinot Grigio (San Floriano del Collio) that looks like a Pinot Noir and a deep mustard colored Chardonnay from 30 year-old vines called The Sylphs that looks like lore in a glass. I’m interested, as are most foodies and oenophiles who are unconventionally inclined. For the same reason that Parker’s point system is less interesting to those of us genuinely curious about wine, the trend seems to be moving toward an investigation into the craft and possibilities of winemaking. I think that we are just as excited about seeing boundaries pushed in the vineyard and winery as we are with seeing chefs pushing their creativity in the kitchen. We want to surprise our palettes, not bore them.

I’ve been hearing about the Project from Somm friends in the know (his wines are featured on the list of the best and brightest in the land including Per Se and the Momofuku kingdom) and Schoener has quickly made his way to the top of the tiny list of unconventional California winemakers including Arnot-Roberts, Forlorn Hope and Donkey & Goat. And- this is my favorite part- he goes on tour to a few major cities each year with his Metaphysical Lecture Series. I tried like hell to get a seat in the DC class but alas, I was too late for the sold out tastings. Schoener is actually here in DC today lecturing on oil painting precision and transparency with relevance to winemaking. A mandatory visit to the National Gallery is required before attending the lecture. And the pièce de résistance- I got so geeked out over this- the wines will be paired not with food but with metaphysical questions. I mean come on, I can’t believe I am missing this.

To paraphase Bill Murray from Tootsie (quite possibly the most perfect comedy ever made):

From those that have partaken of the Project’s juice, I’ve heard mixed reviews. While some bottles seem to be spellbinding, others come up a bit short or maybe it’s just that they’re still on their way to greatness. I feel this way about most artists whose work I enjoy. A potential genius at work’s failure is so much more interesting than something that is just good. When I go see a P.T. Anderson movie, I’m always happy and moved even if it’s not quite the masterpiece I’d hoped for. Case in point, Magnolia- huge ideas with huge potential. It doesn’t quite come together as it should, but man was it interesting. That’s the way I hope to feel about The Scholium Project’s wines. We’ll see. I just ordered my first mixed case. If you are so inclined, I would advise checking out the site and buying yourself a vestibular pack of 8 wines asap as most of his wines have sold out. If you are looking for an excuse to start a tasting group, this is it. Whip out The Prince In His Caves and you will undoubtedly be the toast of your tasting.