Ken Nerlove knew nothing about growing grapes back in 1983 when he transformed an old Napa Valley sheep ranch into Elkhorn Peak Cellars. Today, his Pinot Noir, featured at the Carson Center Wine Tasting and Auction, is among the world's best. During the May 15 and 16 Carson Center extravaganza, Nerlove's wine will be served and sipped right along with top wines from Claudia Sansone-Hampton and Dr. Rob Hampton, owners of StoneFly Vineyards, located just a few miles from Elkhorn Peak. All three will be in Paducah for the event. (We'll feature StoneFly here in the coming weeks.)
A Peek at Elkhorn PeakSet up on a hillside, Elkhorn Peak is the oldest vineyard in South Napa Valley's Jamieson Canyon. At 350 feet of elevation, views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are distant next to the massive century-old oak trees that surround the vineyard.
Nerlove (who, by the way, is super, super cute) and his business partners, solar energy expert Greg Gahagan and successful San Francisco stock broker John Kryzanowski, purchased the foreclosed-on sheep ranch in 1983.
"We thought we'd just fix up the place, sell it and make some money," Nerlove recalls. "While we were working on the place, we moved up here with our families and decided it was so nice, we'd stay. And then Greg said, 'Let's grow grapes.' I didn't know a thing about grapes." So Nerlove talked with nearby vintners, planted about two acres, earned his vintaculture degree and voilá, Elkhorn Peak – named after the tallest mountain in Jamieson Canyon – was born. Today, the vineyard produces nine acres of Pinot Noir grapes and Nerlove has another 10 acres nearby.
Challenge in a Glass
As if creating a vineyard from scratch wasn't challenge enough, Nerlove soon learned that Pinot Noir grapes are the most difficult to grow. He must ensure that his vines are carefully balanced with the right amount of fruit – not too much; not too little. And, Pinot grapes are the least profitable. While Cabernet grapes sell for around $4,500 per ton, Pinot grapes bring in $2,250 per ton.
His answer to the obvious question of why Pinot?
"This is where you grow Pinot Noir in Napa," Nerlove says, looking out over his beautiful property. "The northern end of Napa is where you grow Cabernet because it's about 20 degrees warmer there. We're located in the southern Carneros district of Napa. The wind blowing in from the San Pablo and San Francisco bays makes our area a very cool region. This is where you grow cool grapes – the Chardonnays, Pinots and Merlots."
It's likely that it's the challenge that Nerlove loves best. An avid outdoorsman, Nerlove prefers working in the vineyard with his dog Maggie at his side over sitting at his desk crunching grape numbers. "I enjoy watching the vines do their thing all spring and summer and then harvesting them in the fall," he says. "When September comes around and we harvest, a huge weight is lifted from my shoulders. Then the fun starts when we begin making the wine."
For that, Nerlove turns to exclusive winemaker Kent Rasmussen of Kent Rasmussen Winery. Elkhorn Peak is Rasmussen's only custom client.
Cheers to Personal Taste!Clearly, the combination of location, Nerlove's attention to detail and Rasmussen's special touch are what make Elkhorn Peak Pinot Noirs stand out from others – along with the fact that Nerlove refuses to release them unless they're absolutely perfect.
"A lot of wines are released way before they're ready," Nerlove says. "We hold ours back to give them some bottle age. If everyone did that, in my opinion, everyone would be drinking better wines. But it's personal. What’s a great wine to one person might be lousy to another."
So how do folks know when they're selecting a great wine? Nerlove is no fan of wine industry ratings, even though his wines rank consistently among the best.
"People should pay attention to their palates, not the ratings," he says. "Forget what the Wine Spectator says and just drink the damn stuff. If you like it, then it's good wine. If you don't like it, then it's not good.
"There are thousands of wines available – you'll find one you like," he adds. "Don't be afraid to try the small brands you've never heard of. If you only drink the big names, you'll miss a lot of good wines."
