Here’s our feature in Mutineer Magazine, if you haven’t read the interview yet…. Well shame on you, get on down to Barnes and Noble or a Copperfield’s Books and get yourself a copy; however if you don’t have the time here’s the transcript:
What People Drink: Timothy Keith
What did you drink with breakfast?
Ritual Coffee in Napa if I’m going out, and Dunkin Donuts brand from home.
What’s the first wine that really blew your mind?
Well, I could say Carlo Rossi Senior year of High School but I don’t think that’s quite the spirit of the question. For my Grandfather’s 88th birthday he and I shared a ’95 Far Niente Cab, I wasn’t even 21 yet, but that moment, that wine, in that company, it was an experience… The bottle was corked… Just kidding.
Where did you get your start in winemaking?
Well, through college I was always making wine, I graduated in 2004 and started doing internships in Napa, Oregon and New Zealand but it really wasn’t until 2007 while working for Green and Red Vineyards in Napa that I really think I started making wine. That was really the first year I started to conceptualize the craft a lot more, thinking of style, technique and what I can do to guide the wine in the direction that it should go.
What are you drinking when you aren’t drinking wine?
In the cocktail world I tend to flip between Hendricks and Tonic or Knob Creek with a couple of rocks… I do enjoy Ginger Beer and Whiskey. I grew up in Oregon and live in Northern California and you’d have to be crazy not to enjoy some of the best craft beers around; Sonoma Springs Noma Weiss is a favorite.
Why did you decide to branch out and start your own label?
Sticking it to the man? Just kidding. It was always the real goal, even while I was working for other wineries in the back of my mind it was always there; just the moment to seize was lagging. 2010 was the year and I’m not looking back.
How do you see micro wineries contributing the future of wine in America?
Well, it’s a tough question to answer because defining a “micro winery” is tricky; are we talking home winemakers making there one barrel a year or custom crush facilities that can range in size but allow smaller guys like myself the ability to produce their 2000 cases a year using there equipment? I think either way the micro winery, the microbrewery, the small producer is always going to be the soul of the industry. I think you’d be hard pressed to find a young brewer starting out that says he wants to be the guy making Coors Light one day, much the same you’re not going to find a young winemaker saying she’d like to make boxed wine. Truth is the industry needs both and everything in-between to survive and thrive. The economics of this business are not friendly to small producers, the odds are stacked against you but it’s the perseverance of the small producer that keeps people passionate about what they’re drinking, and that is ultimately what pushes the entire industry forward.
What the last spectacular wine list you ordered off of?
Who’s carrying my wine these days? Lately I have been cooking at home more often then not but every time I go to ZuZu in Napa I always walk away pleased with their selection of small producers, foreign and domestic, at manageable prices. Also wines ability to transform due to your mood, environment and memories makes the wine and wine list there so good for me. I’ve got some really great memories there with friends and family…
What do you look for in a wine list?
Small producers, range of price-point and regions. I love a wine list that can have a focus i.e. single vineyard, Rhone varietals but not just from the Rhone, have a take or a concept I guess, sadly you can tell when one’s been just chosen by what a distributor has to offer and that’s the worst. I get queasy when I see the same label pop up as the only Zinfandel or only Sauvignon Blanc available.
What are your go-to food and wine pairings that you prepare at home?
Slow cooked meat dishes and red wine, for me preferably Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, or Petite Sirah… Always drink Sauvignon Blanc while cooking. Hamburgers and Napa Cabernet Sauvignon are great together; taco night is strictly reserved for beer though. We’re nearing spring, or at least it feels that way, and I’m getting all antsy in my pantsy for breaking out the barbecue again.
What do you find exciting in the world of American wine right now?
Chaos… The wine industry can be utterly chaotic and in many ways I thrive more in those conditions. Everyone has a take these days and it pushes things toward extremes and I think that’s where great things happen. I worry though that in people’s push to be esoteric they just become pretentious. I do single vineyard wines because I think if you can express what the vineyard is giving you then you’ve made a quality wine, but I’m not going by a formula, if the wine is above or below a certain alcohol or acid level then so be it. But what makes me most excited is that my generation is making it clear that the status quo and the old stand bys aren’t going to be good enough, old name recognition is losing it’s cachet and I think that benefits someone willing to adapt.
