Richie Allen, Vice President Viticulture and Winemaking, Rombauer Vineyards
Interview with Richie Allen 2021, 2021 Bright Outlook vs. Remembering 2020’s Glass Fire and Pandemic
In August of 2021 in Napa Valley the vineyards look picture-perfect, healthy. This time last year in 2020 was a different story.I begin my interview with Richie Allen, Vice President Viticulture and Winemaking, by asking him how grape-growing is going this year vs. last year with the 2020 Glass fire and world-wide Pandemic.
I experienced one of my most poignant and goosebump-inducing moments of my August week in Napa Valley as Richie Allen described being one of the last two people at the winery along with four CalFire trucks trying to keep the fire from the winery.
He noted, ”this was one of the most stressful times of my life.”
Burned Hill near Silverado Trail, Napa Valley, Tricia Conover, Photographer
The winery did not burn, Richie and his colleague survived, and fortunately for Rombauer, the white wine harvest had been picked before the fires and was “in-tank.” Also, fortunately, Chardonnay in particular represents 2/3 of the Rombauer business. In Napa Valley in 2020, Rombauer’s harvest fared better than most. The good news: the 2021 harvest looks highly promising.Today’s vineyards look strong and approaching readiness for a harvest that looks favorable.
Richie grew up in one of the most famous wine-growing regions-- the Yarra Valley, Melbourne, Australia. Following graduation from the University of Adelaide and winemaking experience in Australia and New Zealand, Ritchie Allen began his tenure at Rombauer in 2008 as a harvest intern and worked his way up through the ranks, becoming the winery’s head winemaker. In 2021 he was promoted to Vice President, Viticulture and Winemaking.
I asked Richie about his “Ah-Ha” moment with wine.
“At 19 I came to the US with friends to do some rock climbing. Friends took me to the Amador, CA area. One night at dinner all of a sudden I had several different red wines in front of me. They were amazing. I had thought about getting a Ph.D. in cellular microbiology, but I knew then I wanted to be a winemaker.”
Richie has been ushering in a new era of innovation that includes the early adoption of cutting-edge technology such as optical sorters and the embrace of traditional methods like barrel fermentation for red wines. I met Richie initially in 2019 at a Symposium for Professional Wine Writers event where he demonstrated the Rombauer use of aerial photos that they use to tailor viticulture needs for each vineyard growing block using NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.)
Richie credits the strong Rombauer Wine Club, hospitality programs, and virtual tastings as helping Rombauer survive and thrive through the Pandemic. There were several happy private tasting groups sampling wines at the winery this August as I left the winery late morning. Visit Rombauer.
View from Rombauer Winery and tasting room
History: Rombauer Founding, Family, and Growth
Established in 1972, Koerner and Joan Rombauer and their children moved to Napa valley, having gained an appreciation for wine and food from Koerner’s great aunt, Irma Rombauer, internationally famous author of The Joy of Cooking. Following Koerner’s 30-year career as a military and commercial pilot, the inaugural wines for Rombauer were initially bottled at Stags Leap Wine Cellars. The family built a winery with capacity beyond its own needs and organized a custom-crush business to help finance construction. From 1982 to 2008, Rombauer served as home base to many famous Napa Valley up-and-coming wineries including Dominus, Spottswoode, Duckhorn, Merryvale, Corison, Etude and others. In 2002 the Rombauer family purchased Buchli Station Vineyard in Carneros, a cool-climate site on the edge of San Pablo Bay that became the cornerstone of Rombauer’s Chardonnay and Merlot programs.
In 2003 the Rombauer family continued its investment in estate vineyards with the purchase of a 20.5-acre Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in Atlas Peak. The 1,600-foot-elevation vineyard, which overlooks a veritable “who’s who” of Napa Valley vineyards, is the source of the Atlas Peak Single Vineyard Cabernet and a key component of the Diamond Selection and Napa Valley Cabernets. Two other key properties included Bennett Lane Vineyard in Calistoga and El Dorado Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills, the premier high-elevation site for their celebrated single-vineyard Zinfandel program. KR and Sheana Rombauer now operate this family-owned winery.
Success began early in Rombauer history with the Rombauer Chardonnay. With the grapes grown in cool-climate sites, the 1993 Carneros Chardonnay ranked No. 32 on 1995 Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines List. These are spectacular wines; in particular, see the Reserve Chardonnay below. What struck me about this portfolio tasting was the strength of the Rombauer reds. There will be no 2020 Rombauer Cabernet or Merlot wines produced, but the currently released reds are quite strong. Cheers to tasting the 2021 Rombauer Reds in a few years! See Best of Tasting below.
This wine is just being released in September, 2021, so I had an early taste! Fresh peach and brioche leap from the glass. 55% French and American oak with a lively acid balance this wine perfectly.
My favorite from the tasting! This complex wine has an elegant taste plus tannins and bright aromas and flavors of black cherries, plums, rose petals, and chocolate. It would be perfect with braised beef, but I plan to drink this bottle with friends while sampling a savory appetizer.
This wine is produced from the finest of between 2 to 6 select lots from the best barrels. 16-months French oak barrel fermented, this wine consists of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. Dark cherry, tobacco, vanilla, and spice aroma will permeate your glass. The intense flavors, the structure of the ripe tannins, and acid give you a long, impressive finish.
Richie Allen, “It seems that many people in Napa tell this joke: Question: ‘What’s the Difference between God and a winemaker? Answer: God does not think he is a winemaker.’”
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I am a Rombauer Chardonnay fan, so I really enjoyed this article. I did not realize “The Joy of Cooking” author was related to the family.