December 22, 2023 – You might be thinking sweet wine, like late harvest Zin or Gewurztraminer, or a dessert Riesling, ice wine, or even port, but that’s not what sommelier and Aptos Vineyard tasting room manager Brian Beeler had in mind when he teamed up with Jennifer Ashby of Ashby Confections to stage a pairing for their holiday open house.
Featuring a three vintage vertical of Chardonnay from Lester Vineyard and a new 2021 Reserve Pinot Noir from DiLarDi Vineyard (sporting the new label with the photo of the now demolished cement ship), Beeler envisioned they would be paired with Ashby’s custom confections. The two of them got to work tasting, and then Jen got busy in the kitchen coming up with what turned out to be spot on matchups that dating sites could only dream about.
Winemaker John Benedetti, himself a matchless character in so many ways, was on hand to provide a bit of perspective, and interject his trademark humor. He told the crowd that his long history of making bad financial decisions led him from a career in graphic arts (where he sat behind a very clean and tidy desk all day for 15 years) to the all-encompassing money pit and stress of winemaking, where he spends most of his day as a janitor, aka, sanitation specialist.
Benedetti got into winemaking at the behest of Brandon Brassfield, who sold him some Pinot Noir from Heart of the Mountain, and encouraged him to make wine. “I was a cellar rat there, cleaning floors and barrels. Turns out I am a sucker for manual labor!”
Benedetti explained that when he was approached by Jim Baker—who purchased the Aptos Vineyard name from Judge Marlow’s widow—to work with them, Jim’s son and his wife asked him to make “rich” wine. They meant a different style than his Sante Arcangeli label. But, he explained, the Lester Vineyard Chardonnay he uses is up to the task, because it is long ripening and develops intense flavors. It’s the Robert Young clone known for its depth and concentration, even at relatively low sugars.
The powerful 2019 Aptos Vineyard Chardonnay, which was born during the harvest right after John’s wife Melanie’s untimely passing, saw 11 months in oak, and is the headiest of the bunch, while the baked apple and butterscotch-y 2020 was on oak for 18 months to soften the acid. It also rested for a bit in stainless steel before bottling. Filled with creamy pear and juicy peach notes, the 2021 in contrast, was completely barrel-fermented for 11 months and remained there until bottling. It really captured the freshness of fruit.
Speaking of fruit, Ashby, who originally hails from Ojai, where her parents still live, told me that her most popular confections happen to be her pâte de fruits and fruit sours. She came to UC Santa Cruz in 1998 as a sociology major and after graduating, went on to the CIA in St. Helena to pursue a culinary career. There, she fell in love with making confections, and suddenly her new path in life was paved with pâte de fruits. Her favorite fruit to work with is tart Santa Rosa plums. But, being surrounded by the agricultural bounty we call home, she has lots to work with and has forged many relationships as she’s built her portfolio of deliciousness.
Ashby gets her peaches for the first candy we tasted from Frog Hollow Farms, a bond that was formed at the Wednesday farmers market in downtown Santa Cruz. Although Frog Hollow no longer appears at that market, they ship her flats of peaches in season.
The Valencia oranges for the orange Pâte de Fruit come from an orchard in Fresno. “I make fruit candy every day and we sell it as fast as I can make it,” she told us. Currently, she participates in the Westside Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College and Palo Alto farmers markets, and will open up a second storefront at 1306 Pacific Ave on the westside of Santa Cruz in the spring.
She’s also looking for an outside salesperson, if anyone out there has pavement-pounding gumption and a passion for sweets, yet won’t eat the profits (or the samples) get in touch.
We enjoyed these intriguing pairings, resulting from lots of rigorous R&D by Beeler and Ashby, and intrepid winemaking by Benedetti:
- ’21 Aptos Vineyard Chardonnay paired with Peach Pâte de Fruit – a bright and energetic orchard fruit laden wine makes merry with a fresh and juicy candy for an uplifting and mouthwatering bite
- ’20 Aptos Vineyard Chardonnay paired with Milk Chocolate covered Orange Pâte de Fruit – a rich, apple strudel and toasty oak-edged wine with a touch of Grand Marnier on the finish makes friends with creamy chocolate wrapped around elegant orange finesse
- ’19 Chardonnay paired with Liquid Toffee filled Milk Chocolate w/ Pecan – a decidedly butterscotch and toffee laced oak-driven wine meets its match, measure for measure, and does it one better with a pecan on top
- ’21 Reserve Pinot Noir paired with Hazelnut, Boysenberry and Milk Chocolate covered in Dark Chocolate – pure bushberry fruit with a youthful attitude and plenty of barrel spice tries to tame a brazen combo of milk and dark chocolate infused with the naughty shenanigans of hazelnut
Pairings like this might not be something you do every day, but it sure is fun. I highly recommend it as a holiday adventure for the palate, especially when you have had your fill of the ubiquitous peppermint bark that seems omnipresent this time of year.
Benedetti explained that the 2021 Chardonnay represents the continuing evolution of a style.
“We did the 2022 and 2023 Chardonnays the same way.” At a recent Lester Vineyards holiday tasting, Steve Johnson brought a Puligny Montrachet to show everyone how similar the 2021 Lester Chardonnay was to this famed Burgundian classic. It was a gratifying moment. At the same time, Benedetti says, “It’s ok to keep your ego out of winemaking: being wrong is how you learn.”
For the last pairing, Ashby crafted a complex multi-chocolate concoction around a core of boysenberry to complement the 2021 Judge’s Reserve Pinot Noir. The pairing, like the wine, had to make a statement. Benedetti told us he leaned into the idea of longer oak aging and more of it new, a departure from his Sante Arcangeli practice. This wine was on the lees for an extended period, which helps impart texture. Benedetti explained that the walls of the dead yeast cells have a micro amount of fat which works to soften the wine. Thanks be to yeast. And to chocolate.
The novel experience was mind and tastebud-broadening for all who participated.
“Each year is so unique and I love getting to do tastings like this, because it reminds you of the weather of each vintage,” said Benedetti. “You can taste the sunshine in the glass. You can taste the years of heat and the years of cold, and it helps you remember your life.”
Take a moment this holiday season, despite all the chaos in the world, to remember just how sweet it is.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
