Interview with Ed Lehrman of Vine Connections: Second Installment

*What an unusual mix in terms of the international producers you represent—why Argentina, New Zealand and Japan?

- Not really if you consider that Argentina and Japan (Ginjo sake), and to some extent New Zealand, share the same common elements—there are great wines and sake being produced by highly talented winemakers and tojis (master brewers), and they are not getting recognized yet. The quality is already in the bottle—so why should these sell less or get less respect than wine from more obvious regions? We always say that we are really a “national education company” since we usually explain more than we sell. Our job is to get people to taste these wines and premium sake, and the stuff inside the bottles takes care of the rest. At the heart of this idea is also the notion that in the end, it’s the people you work with who make the difference between mediocre and “wow!”. We have been lucky, fortunate, and smart (maybe a little of each) to meet and represent some of the top talent in these regions:

Susana Balbo—Crios de Susana Balbo, Susana Balbo signature wines, Nosotros (with Pedro below)

Pedro Marchevsky – BenMarco

Pepe Galante & Mariano di Paola – mapema

Luis Reginato – Luca, Tikal, La Posta

Roberto de la Mota - Mendel

Jose & Pepe Reginato – Reginato sparkling wines

Guy Davis – Davis Family Vineyards (Russian River, CA) and Gusto (NZ SB)

13 Master Brewers from all over Japan—each as talented as anyone we have met.

*As someone who deals so closely with Argentine producers, what types of obstacles, limitations and concerns have any of them expressed to you in terms of being able to export and promote their products abroad?

- Well, I want to stay out of trouble here since I travel to Argentina a lot, but let me just say that the Argentine government has historically been more of a hindrance than a help for wine exports. As an example, and hard to believe, they actually tax EXPORTS! Perhaps the bigger obstacle for Argentine wineries is that the economic and political situation is relatively unstable, and when you are in an industry that measures commitment and success over a decade or longer due to capital investment requirements, it is hard to deal with a system that usually looks out only 2-3 years at a time.

*In your eyes, what sets apart these Argentine producers you represent? What do their wines bring to the table of American wine consumers that large-yield, often conglomerate-backed wines simply cannot?

- I alluded to this a bit above when talking about who we represent and why. I think there are three main things that set our producers apart:

1) Our wineries are owned by and have Argentine winemakers who have lived in this unique climate and region for their entire lives. For us, that means that the wines that they make TASTE like Argentine wines, not like some random wine from somewhere in the world. And as talented as some of the flying/foreign winemakers are who are working in Mendoza, I have yet to taste a wine from them that thrills me the way our producers’ wines do at the dinner table. And I taste everything from down there.

2) As good as they already are, they are still always trying to learn how to improve their wines, and in today’s wine world, that’s the only way you stay on top. It shows.

3) Obsessive attention to detail seems like an abused phrase, but in winemaking it is crucial and not as common as you would think. Our winemakers are also our close friends and in Argentina that is taken pretty seriously. They make sure that every step is done with the utmost care because they would never want to look their friends in the eye and say, “uhh..I’m sorry but this wine is just ok because we weren’t really paying close attention when we made it.” Large wineries may be able to solve #1 above, but #2 and #3 are far harder to come by, and that’s probably as true in the US as it is in Argentina.

*Looking ahead—are there any regions Vine Connections is looking to expand its portfolio toward, and why?

- We made a strategic decision a few years ago that we would remain specialists in Argentine wine and Japanese sake. Some importers have gone in the opposite direction and are happy to sell one of everything from anywhere, but we’re just not built that way as people. We started as leaders in both of these categories and we feel the only way to stay out in front is to specialize. That’s why we spend almost a month per year in Mendoza and visit Japan for at least 2 weeks every year. It’s our own “attention to detail” mantra, and we try to stick to it so that we can look our customers in they eye and say every time, “This is really great Argentine wine and Ginjo sake”. Every time.

- Fortunately, we won’t be bored since there still plenty of regions and microclimates still left to discover in Argentina.

*Given the nature of the market here in the United States, what advice would you give to consumers who would like be aware of, as well as actually see, a dramatic increase in availability of premium Argentine wines such as those crafted by your producers?

- American consumers have helped their own cause a lot already by being very open to trying wines like Malbec, Bonarda, and Torrontes. I think they will help themselves even further by continuing to experiment with wines at many different prices, not just the “great values” under $15. Nick and I firmly believe that well-made Argentine wines offer incredible value and over-deliver at all price points. A $12 wine is worth more like $16, and a $30 wine is worth more like $40 when compared to other wine regions of the world. And, of course, you can support quality-focused companies like Vine Connections by paying attention to the importer name or logo (like our compass) that appear on every bottle. As with other wine regions, a good wine importer can be your best friend when you haven’t tried a particular wine yet and would like some assurance that you are going to enjoy it—especially when spending more than $15 or so.