Embark on a vinous odyssey with Thomas Savre, the master winemaker behind Lingua Franca, nestled in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. This episode of the Weinnotes Podcast uncovers Thomas’s fascinating journey from his formative years in the vineyards of Burgundy to the pioneering spirit of Oregon’s wine country. Dive deep into the tales of his early inspirations, from working alongside legends in Burgundy to bringing European finesse to the vibrant terroirs of Oregon.
Let’s dive into more about Thomas’s journey at Lingua Franca
Thomas shares the behind-the-scenes magic of Lingua Franca’s evolution, including the challenges and triumphs of establishing a new winery, the intricacies of crafting world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the future of Oregon as a beacon of sparkling wine. Witness the blend of tradition and innovation that defines Lingua Franca, from the meticulous construction of their tasting room to the collaborative projects that push the boundaries of winemaking.
This episode is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and partnership in creating wines that speak to the soul.
Join us as we traverse the path from grape to glass with Thomas Savre, exploring the essence of Lingua Franca, the community of Oregon winemakers, and the enduring legacy of wine as a connector of people and places. Pour yourself a glass and tune in for an inspiring tale of dreams, dedication, and the art of winemaking.
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Transcription of interview with Thomas Savre of Lingua Franca in Oregon’s Wine Country
[00:00:00] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Cheers to another episode [00:00:06] A.J. Weinzettel: of the Wine Notes podcast. I’m your guide, AJ Winesuttle, on this journey of story, showcasing the people behind the wonderful world of wine, where we dive into conversations ranging from terroir, viticulture, to favorite music, superpowers, and more. Please enjoy this episode of the Wine Notes podcast.Thank you so much for taking the time to be on the podcast today. I really appreciate it.
[00:00:28] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Thank you so much. It’s cool. It’s cool to be here. Thank you. Yeah. [00:00:31] A.J. Weinzettel: It was a pleasure to run into you at the Oregon Chardonnay celebration a couple days ago. And, uh, I was like, we were just talking before we started recording.I was planning to come to you, but you have a lot of construction going
[00:00:44] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: on. Yeah. So we, you know, we have a few, few things happening at Lingo Franca. We have, um, We’re remodeling the office, uh, you know, part of a new, uh, parent company, like the employee experience is super important. And then we’re also, um, building a little tasting area.That’s going to be opening in a few months. So excited. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Some things that we’re rebuilding our tasting room things. And then we have a little place for people to taste is going to be awesome. So probably opening. Beginning of May. Oh, yeah, that’ll be fun. So, yeah, it’s gonna be super great.
Like, um, you know, we didn’t have that basically, like, when we started Lingua Franca. Right. So, we were just doing it via, you know, in the winery and, like, case goods storage and it was working until then and I think, like, we just We need to grow up a little bit and bring people in and no, it’s going to be
[00:01:38] A.J. Weinzettel: awesome.Yeah. No, I will definitely have to put that on my list to come out and visit.
[00:01:41] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Well, we’ll put a little party together and let you know. All right. That would [00:01:45] A.J. Weinzettel: be great. Yep. Well, can I pour us a little bit of a blind wine? [00:01:48] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Is it, is it Pinot Noir, right? [00:01:52] A.J. Weinzettel: I kind of gave that away a little bit beforehand.Oh,
[00:01:56] A.J. Weinzettel: that’s funny.So yeah, it is a
[00:01:58] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Pinot Noir. So it’s semi blind. I have to admit because semi blind. Thank you. My pleasure. You’re welcome. [00:02:05] A.J. Weinzettel: Yes, um, I, you know, I saw this bottle, I was like, Ooh, that would be a great bottle. And I was in a hurry, you know, the last couple of days have been kind of busy for me. And I thought it was a Chardonnay. [00:02:20] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: I was, I was hoping it was a Chardonnay, but this is a nice Pinot. Yeah, well, [00:02:25] A.J. Weinzettel: I mean it’s It should have a connection for you at some point. Okay Um, okay. We’ll see. We’ll see what [00:02:31] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: happens. Yes, please. Okay [00:02:35] A.J. Weinzettel: I have to go back to like january of 2020 The first time I met you was at jason’s house for champagne night.It’s true
[00:02:44] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: That was january 2020. Yeah [00:02:48] A.J. Weinzettel: That was, that was a crazy night. So many, so many bottles of champagne, but like, I think everybody ended up really enjoying the bottle that [00:02:56] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: you brought. Wow. Yeah. What did they bring? Oh, it was, it was Chardonnay. That sounds about right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was a fun night.I just always super like, I was intrigued and also like amazed about the ability for Oregon, Oregonian to find like champagne, right? We’re jumping here for a long time. I, I realized that it was probably one of the best place to get grow champagne, probably in the U S um, because some importers back in the day, just like basically like bet on those against the big houses.
So it’s, um, People in Oregon are very fortunate. I don’t know a few people have basically developed some amazing place to drink champagne, right? Over the course of the year. So, you know, it’s, it’s always been super funny whenever we were inviting Larry’s friend, Larry Stern friend, like sommeliers, massive sommeliers, like they all wanted to go to Pix Bar Vivant to just drink champagne.
Cause it was a crazy list. So, um, But yeah, no, it’s, we’re, we’re fortunate here with Champagne. Yeah. Very. And now Sparkling, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. Sparkling. Yeah. Not for me yet, or not for me maybe never, but I’m impressed with the development. Yeah.
[00:04:20] A.J. Weinzettel: Well, I’m impressed too. I mean, you came out with uh, Force Carb. [00:04:25] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: When, when, uh, no, we did, it was kind of, uh, uh, Pétillant Naturel, made, made a bit of, we tried a bit of, oh yeah, Aegiswine. In um, in bottle, and then we disgorge and then just basically fill it up. It was not a pet nat, not a fully method, traditionnel, it was just in between, it was really fun. Um, we did it once because we have this project every year where we basically connect with my team, with an intern, and try to do something that’s challenging us a little bit, under the name of L’Atelier, so every year we do different grapes.Um, for example, like we’re right now, we’re basically putting together Sauvignon Blanc. Oh. And we have, um, Gamay in barrels right now for Vintage 23. Wow. This is your TBD. But usually we do one white, one red, one white, one red, one white. And what we realized is, is it was very intense. The labor of the sparkling was very intense.
It is. Yeah. Um, So, I mean, I don’t know. We learned a lot of things as a team, but yeah, right
[00:05:38] A.J. Weinzettel: Well, hopefully maybe one day lingua franca will come out with the sparkling yeah, [00:05:41] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: maybe one day Yeah, we have a lot of chardonnay. So I mean we can make pinot, but yeah, maybe one day. I don’t know if it’s something i’m i i’m i appreciate all the Yeah, I I It’s an interesting concept for me.I you you never say never right? But for him for larry stone. He was always interesting You Because we discussed about it several times and it was like what, why would we compete with the best brand in the world, which is Champagne. Right. But, but then over the last ten years, so many great people and, and, I can’t, I can’t Oregon and the Woodland Valley is building an identity towards sparking wine.
It’s quite interesting to follow as a winemaker. And then I’m just curious to see how it’s basically like, uh, received by, by people for sure. Yeah. So, you know, who knows, maybe one day, maybe one day,
[00:06:37] A.J. Weinzettel: maybe one day. Well, I’ll start the rumor mill now. So that way 15 years old come true. Totally. Growing up, I mean, you, you were around wine at such a young age.Was it just because wine was around you all the time or was there like a mentor or somebody in your family that kind of like leaned you toward that,
[00:07:01] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: that direction? Yeah. Um, I think it’s a little bit of both. I think, um, my family in general was very much like, I mean, not, you know, big party, but it was, my, my, my dad is from Burgundy and so we were going there quite often, uh, since my young age, probably like twice a month, we spent the weekend there.And then, it’s very normal and, you know, Sunday, like, Sunday lunch. Sit down and you just drink wine drink drink quite a bit of wine and so but just with meal and it’s it’s been always I’ve been like kind of um it was for something for me that was always like, okay, this is what life is, but it was a connection to one.
And then, and then after that, where’s the one coming from? And then you’re like, well, this is a friend of my granddad, blah, blah, blah. And then he happened to have a cousin of my dad, who is actually very well connected, um, in a village called Océ Dures. Océ Dures is south of Morceau. Um, and this is a very close to, um, This is where Domaine Leroy is basically based, like one of the top domain in Burgundy and then his friend who’s very high in producers and, and so this person was a key into our family to basically like very like kind of jovial and like loved one and connected to winemakers.
And then my uncle, who’s now is in the U. S., lives in New York for like probably 30 years. He’s, he’s been also instrumental in, in this because he always loved it. He had like, you know, um, he had developed, had a great sellers and it’s not just about like the taste of it and the sharing of it. It’s also like the learning about it and interest into it.
Right. Cause my, my parents love wine and they’re interested for sure. But I think having people that just. to visit the producer and take me and things like this. You know, it was very interesting. So I had a change of career because I, I studied medical. So I was in medical school for three years and then I just decided, I mean, I decided life made me take a decision of like, well, this is not going to happen for me per se, or like, this is not the direction I want to go.
So let’s, There’s always something I love and then I went to study winemaking and those people were very Important for me to take this decision because they were like, you know, just you have to this is great. Just go for it Right, and they that’s through them that I connected with my first experience in winemaking in 2007 and 2008.
So, so yeah, it’s kind of the mentor was a family and then mentors were like, you know, like this. And then after, after that through this, so many mentors. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:10:02] A.J. Weinzettel: No, I can only imagine, uh, you know, just your love of wine and your appreciation for it and just how down to earth yards it’s been amazing to watch over the years.Um, But you, and then you also like, you got a bachelor’s degree in wine science and a dual masters in analogy and winemaking. Were you just hooked on like learning
[00:10:26] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: more? Um, I think it’s both. I mean, I think it’s many things. I think you just, I was in the trajectory like, you know, to have a very long kind of career.And I mean, um, I guess education through, uh, medical school. So I was just like, I’m just going to go for it. Right. Also, to be quite honest with you in Europe, it’s a bit easier because it’s free. Okay. Well, you know, I mean, it’s definitely a big difference. So you just, uh, and then there is for me, a personal like endeavor of like It’s, it needs to be completed, right?
And so after, I felt like whenever I had my master’s degree, I felt like there’s, of course there’s always more, a PhD, but it’s very like, a PhD in wine science, pretty driven to specific things, but, right, master’s was kind of the last, the last kind of the ceiling of what you can study in both viticulture and winemaking.
So. Thank you. So yeah, I did the viticulture masters, the winemaking masters, which granted me a, what they call the National Diploma of Analogue, which is a diploma that is recognized by the French government to be kind of, it’s kind of interesting, treat wine and stuff, which we don’t really, I mean, you don’t use it, you just use a theory, but, but yeah, and I just, um, I loved it so much.
And I like studying, uh, always curious and then, um. Um, and through, and I think I also needed it because what I realized is that a lot of people that came with me was that I met halfway through, um, that did a master’s degree similar to mine, basically already had a technical degree of two years. So they had actually worked in cellars and worked in vineyards.
So the practice really like sometimes overcome the theory when they came in straight up and I came up with like a large theory background. You know what I mean? Like. Biochem and everything, it was pretty easy for me. Right, right. And for them it was like, what is this? And so, but they had, but, but I needed to compensate this lack of practice.
So via staying at school, I was able to perform many internships and that really helped kind of cover all the bases until I was ready to like get on the kind of work market kind of thing. Right, right. Yeah.
[00:12:40] A.J. Weinzettel: And so then how did you end up getting into [00:12:43] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: DRC? Ah. How did I help you into DRC? So, I, um, So I worked at Domaine Dujac first and I wanted to work in the vineyard and so I sent 20 resumes and letters.Right. Not emails. So I’m like, I’m not that old, but I was like, I know and I did it and it was kind of cool and I received some I received some answers and then, and then Domaine du Jacques met with me and they were like, yeah, we would like to have you at, uh, the domain to work in the vineyard. And I said, well, now I would like to do harvest too.
And they’re like, well, we don’t have a room for harvest, unfortunately, but we have a domain in south of France. If you want to go. And I’m like, I’m curious. Yeah, why not? Right. So I did a. Season at Doja in mo, sunny in their vineyard. And I learned how to like, do a lot of like work, I mean manual labor in, in the vineyards, help spray and all this good stuff, and build a little bit of wine, wine making with them just like in the cellar.
And then, and then after that, um, I. I drove down to south of France, not far from Bondol, kind of a bit in inland and in a domain called Domaine Trienne. Very beautiful wine. They make like mostly like, actually like, Vionier, Rosé, Cabin. I was more in the, in the, in the cellar this time. Um, what I realized, what I didn’t realize at the time is, the two main investors of this domain is the owner of Romain et Comptier, DRC.
The Dujacq family and another banker that unfortunately, from Paris, unfortunately passed away. It’s managed by the Dujacq family, but it’s basically owned by those other two guys. And so, and then I was like, wow. So the connection was made there. So I went up to taste some wine with, um, went up to taste some wine with their consultant and the consultant of DRC was like talking to me and I said, listen, like, I would love to like.
do my last internship and he said well guess what there is an interesting study that I’m trying to conduct and I’m like okay so like I’m I’m in right and um and I just basically like a year before I learned how before I just kind of was set to go there and it’s interesting because at first I didn’t know can I say that I think I think I don’t know if they’re very well appreciated in the region in Burgundy, Romaine et Comptiers.
It’s just kind of a bit of a secret place or, and, and a lot of people, I don’t know if it’s fear or, so I was kind of in this, but I’m like, this is going to be amazing for me, a great line on my resume. But not much else, you know, I never had it. Don’t, I knew one person that was there, but like, but then when I went, and then I went there after that, and it was just, it was the best human experience.
And I, understood greatness in winemaking. Um, that, I mean, you cannot take away anymore. After that, you just, it’s, there’s no such domain in the world. I think that’s just can be compared to them and still today. Yeah. And then just from the way how they manage people, the way they manage your land, the way they manage the consumers, the way they manage your wine.
I mean, it’s every step of the way. It’s such, um, It’s, it’s a domain that the wine industry need. The price is, of course, outrageous. It’s outrageous and it’s not really even necessarily coming from them, actually. It’s just because of what’s around it. Right, right. And, but I think, um, the experience that I had is, has been, I mean, it’s going to be from an entire, my life has changed my entire life.
Right. Um, to just be there, um, and, and I, I remain in really good contact with, and close to some of those people. That’s amazing. And, and, and especially one Bertrand de Villene who is now the manager and he’s coming to the office. to Oregon once a year to visit because we help him with some of his projects.
Oh, that’s nice. Yeah, that’s, that’s good. Yeah. It’s, it has been good. It has been our importer of via some activities that secondary activities that he has has been importing our wine in France. So it’s been, it’s been good. So, It’s, uh, yeah, it’s, and then I, so sometimes, you know, I’m very fortunate I can go, um, visit there, um, and, and, and so it’s a fantastic opportunity to see them and see where they are at.
Um, and yeah, it’s, it’s a, it’s, it’s a great domain and, and, you know, the wine, obviously it’s like, if someone can have access to it, I wish people, it’s, it’s so unique. Right. And, uh, of course it’s extremely expensive, but it’s For a wine lover and a wine connoisseur, sometimes if it’s just kind of a goal, I encourage people to try to get there.
Oh yeah, no, I would too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s because it’s, yeah.
[00:18:02] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. Do you have a [00:18:03] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: bottle or two? Yeah, I have a few at home. And you know, it’s like, of course it’s something that’s been also a great opportunity to be able to have some access of it. But it’s just for us, the family and stuff. Of course, of course.Um, but, yeah. And then, um, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s an incredible domain. Um, great people work there, yeah. Yeah.
[00:18:27] A.J. Weinzettel: Um, A few, I’ve heard this story from Andrew Rikers and, you know, before, uh, Constellation, you know, came in to help Lingua Franca, you know, there was multiple, you know, wineries that come into Lingua Franca to make wine.And Andrew told me one, you know, a story one time of, you know, the harvest, the, uh, the two of you are kind of looking around and you kind of look at each other and they’re like, Where are the adults? And then, then, you know, kind of dawned on the both of you is like, Oh, we are the adults. Do you, um,
[00:19:09] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: That’s a good one.Yeah. Probably had a cigarette, you know, you know, mouse to probably, probably. Yes. I mean, harvest time. Yeah. Yeah. Um, yeah, I mean, so, Um, diving a bit into it, I think there’s a lot to say. Um, you know, and that’s tied to a bit where, where I studied with, with, with Larry, with Larry Stone and David. So, and Dominique Lafon.
So basically when we started Lingo Franca, it was kind of, uh, in the, in the mind of Larry starting with a vineyard, right? And so we, Larry planted, bought and planted 66 acres at the estate. Right. Then. I met them in 20, I met Larry in 2014 at IPNC. Then I was ready to take more responsibilities into, um, basically like, um, a bigger role.
And then Larry wanted to make wine. And so I expressed my interest. We had a dinner with Larry Stone and David Honig, founder of Lingo Franca. And then we just, I straight up tell them this is what I want to do. And if you have, uh, Um, the position for me, please, just like, I, I, I would love to be considered.
So it went really quick. Then December 14 and in May, December 14, they offered me the job. May 15 was official. Right. And we started Ingo Franca from scratch. So we, we made one at Corello. We were using space. I wanted to go to Corello for many reasons. Close to, close to, um, close to the winery, close to the vineyard, close to ELMD Hills, in the, in the hills, um, not too many clients, which is great, because, and, and the reason being is very simple, is I was very, I mean, I hope I’m still a bit young, but I also like wanted to be a bit quiet in where I wanted to be in my winemaking.
I didn’t want to have 15 winemakers around me. Right. To influence. And I think that’s, those places are amazing, such as, you know, the Carlton Mujica studio and such, or Bjornsson, or other wineries. But I needed this space, personally, to be able to make the first vintage of Lingua Franca. Right. Probably by, you know, confidence level at the time, and I just needed just to be, so that was a great place.
And also one of the big decision making for me was Big Table Farm started there. Oh, okay. And Ticatera stood there. Right. Or use this space. And there was other really great wineries there that started there. And so I think for me, I was like, those wineries that I have so much respect for just started there.
There was probably a destiny somewhere. Right. Uh, so, um, and then that happened and we decided to build a winery and then so Larry and David came and just like, this is what we’re going to do. And I was involved in the process. And then we build this winery that is. pretty big. Uh, but big for the big, I mean, big and not big, like it was enough room for the entire vineyard.
Great. Um, and the long term plan, and I think that was smart, but then a big, on the short term, a bit too big. Too big, right? So, at one point I’m like, well guys, We have this beautiful winery, but we have too much room, so we need to figure that out. And I said, right. And you know, young, a bit stupid, ambitious, and I just like, let’s go.
And just, I was like, well, we open that to other people to make like a custom crush. But it was very important for me to have the right people and, and I was lucky because Andrew at the time was like, uh, on his way out to Antikythera, he needed to like do something and so we all sat down and there was, there was Andrew, there was Seth Morgan Long, Alban, I would claim.
Yeah. Everybody was just there. Yeah. And Andrew was, uh, and you know, we’ve, we also like built big friends. Jeremy was, was now like, you know, he’s working at Devonport and helped sell a wine. It’s, it’s, and he’s has a ton of experience in the wine industry. So it was super cool like to kind of take the kind of a friend group together, but also very respectful of very tough winemaking in the same room.
Right. To put Andrew was. Andrew was like, um, helping us. So he was like, kind of making Odin, but also he was, he didn’t have enough work for Odin. It was too small. It was very small. So he was helping Lingua Franca to just get through. And yeah, it was like, there’s some nights where like, man, it’s just, it’s just the two of us and yeah, got to take care of business.
And it was great. We had a good time. And, you know, um, I mean, I mean, I miss it a lot, but, and, and, and, And, you know, when we sold to Constellation, I mean, obviously, like, the goal with Constellation was, well, we, we, we do not need to have clients and, and you need to turn a page because we need to use a facility for, we need to use a facility because we can, and you don’t have to sell fruit and you don’t have to do that and, and, um, you know, it was important for me.
We told all the people before it was officially, because it was important. And like, uh, For me, it was important to just, you can’t just tell them. No, I mean, you know, some people would have said, you know, just wait until we actually finalizing the deal. But I was like, if we do this, then it’s going to be extremely complex for like X amount of people.
Um, and you know, it’s, I think that’s gives them enough time to figure it out, like what to do. And now it’s, everybody seems extremely good and happy. So to me, um, It felt so good because the, even if the transition was complex, just emotionally like you just break a link You know, I’m still very friendly with everyone Which is important.
And secondly, I mean, I think that’s the feeling of where they are today. I feel like we just, you know, we may have helped them too. I just, I want to see like the, the, the, the glass half, half, you know, it’s like, I think it was also maybe time for all of them to just change direction and just kind of, you know, grow.
I mean, I’m not saying grow up, but it’s like, it’s good to see something else and having another opportunity to just reset, rethink about where they were. Um, and, uh, and everybody left and there is no issue. And all the wine we put together was just basically like, In a really great shape and you know, so I think it and it’s not just me It’s almost a team that I work with at Lingua Franca.
So yeah, and we help I mean we help we facilitate to introduce some of the brand We’re helping more on the consulting level to go with other winemakers such as you know, and I’m a singer and and and win Yeah. Yeah. No, that is cool. Yeah. It was an interesting time. I’m not going to lie. But, you know, at one point you just got to do what you have to do and, you know, it’s, it was the Franca, chapter two.
Exactly. You
[00:26:28] A.J. Weinzettel: know, and it’s the chapter two of Seth Morgan Long. Yeah, exactly. And chapter two of Aude Ant and everybody else. Look at [00:26:32] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: that. They just all, like, shine and make great wine. Yeah. Yeah. [00:26:35] A.J. Weinzettel: Exactly. Speaking of Seth Morgan Long, uh, he is confirmed to come on the podcast in a couple weeks. [00:26:43] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: I’m going to give you a few questions for you.Okay. Well, I was going to ask
[00:26:46] A.J. Weinzettel: if you got a [00:26:46] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: story. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. No, that would be great of time. I’ll give you a couple of stories. Okay. [00:26:52] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. I appreciate that. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. No, it’s always fun to bring up those stories. So, um, there’s a two brothers at King’s North Mack and Sid. Um, you know, Sid, you know, told me that he, you know, would help there at Lingua Franca at Harvest and kind of look over at Andrew and Andrew would look back at him.It’s like, Yeah, it’s beer time. You know, so I, I just
[00:27:15] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: love those stories. Yeah, we have to, it’s, it’s, um, harvest is hard and then it’s the community in Oregon is important, something we need to preserve. And it’s the next, we’re the next generation. I think for me, it’s what I’m, I, I do have a feeling this is an, this, yeah, I really feel that this is, um, part of what we have to do.I agree. It’s just, we’re this generation, and this region is amazing. Yeah.
[00:27:46] A.J. Weinzettel: Talking about Chardonnay a teeny bit, um, so I came across a few years ago, well, first I came upon Lingua Franca’s Bunker Hill Chardonnay, beautiful, exquisite Chardonnay. And then, um, I’d say maybe a couple of years later, I was at Lundin Wines and he pulled out a 2012 Blanc de Blanc from Bunker Hill, which was also phenomenal.Uh, what is so special about that vineyard?
[00:28:21] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Um, it’s kind of a vineyard that was like, not, I don’t think he was very much, I mean, he was looked after in terms of, Vineyard practices, I think he was in really great shape. But I think it’s in South Salem, it’s, there’s not a lot of winery there. There’s a vineyard that has a big footprint, it’s a gorgeous vineyard.But if you look at the actual like terroir or like soil aspect, elevation, it’s very, very close Ulam Hills. But it’s less like being like kind of. consider such as at the quality level, which it is completely. So Salem is right. So Salem is, and, and I’m, I’m going to a place where it’s like, you know, when everybody goes through the hills from years, like 40 years, 50 years, like seven Springs, everybody’s like, when the wine is starting to be made by Ponzi and at all sign back in the day, and then it’s like on the market, seven Springs become famous.
Right. In, in, in South Salem, like. Unfortunately, there is no such a thing yet about, you know, or still not today, to have like this kind of push up, but that’s fine, that’s okay, because I think it’s, it’s in the work, I think this place is, has so much potential, I mean, those, some of those vineyard there, like, lands are Absolutely amazing.
Yeah. So I think what’s make it special, I mean, it’s like, you know, we’re facing west, southwest. It’s a vineyard also on top of this has been really well taken care by, um, other folks over the years. Um, and it’s planted like in 95. So that’s not a young vineyard. That’s Oregon old. And then it’s like, and you know, we decided to, with we decided to preserve the five.
I was planting 35 years ago and kind of treat them more as a, as, as kind of an older kind of wine region. When we don’t tear it down and then replant, we just basically keep the old vine and every time every year we replace. So we really like, so basically like 80 percent of the vineyard is constantly like basically like giving on the old site.
It’s, it’s a gorgeous, it’s a gorgeous vineyard. And then we’re like just looking over like the, the meanders of the Willamette river literally. And so you can see like it’s pretty beautiful. So there is for sure an impact of there is an impact from the river because it’s there. Um, and then you’re like in very shallow red soil.
Nicaea, like, that is prime. So it’s like, well, you know, it’s all of this combination. It’s the people that planted it, because I think this is, you know, this is what we need to also like to think about today. It’s like, you can put the best vines, you can put the best soil, you can put the best exposure, but the people is important.
It’s always the people at one point, you know. It is. Terroir, it’s, people talk a lot about the ground, Rocks, temperature elevation, but at the end of the day, we decide to put those fines in a row, uh, and what to put in it. So it’s, it’s an interesting, it’s an interesting, uh, place. So I, for me, I’m, I’m, I really think that this area is, is developing really well.
And for that, for that matter. And, um, I’m going to give you a little bit of a, to like talk to Seth about, but we, we actually found, I mean, Brandon, our, my colleague, vineyard manager from the vineyard that is just step up Bunker Hill in terms of just like an elevation. And it’s in South Salem. It’s sitting at a thousand feet elevation.
And there is a farmer, family farm, farm that planted 60 acres of Chardonnay, just one block. And we, we get, we get, Actually, a lot of it, in the development of our program. And, uh, and I think this is, like, a very young vineyard, but very promising. Very excited about that. Okay. It’s called Blue Heron. Okay. Um, and it’s basically the same name of their farm.
They have, like, hazelnuts and blueberries. And I think it’s an interesting place. Um, having, pushing a bit the limit of a thousand feet elevation up there, having so many different clones. I’m very, very, like, I’m curious about the future of this site. And so the South Salem site. Right.
[00:32:56] A.J. Weinzettel: That would, that would be absolutely amazing.Wow. Um, not too long ago, Chosen Family, you know, came out and said, Hey, you know, we’re collaborating, you know, with Tamar at Lingua Franca. How was, how did that come about? Did they just
[00:33:11] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: like, So, so I think it started with all their, you know, the team. So I’m a good friend with Chase from L’Anglo Estate.Great guy, he’s been awesome. We’ve been hanging out a little bit. We live not far away from each other and he’s a great guy. I really love, I love the one he makes. I love the way he thinks. His business and stuff. He’s a really great guy. Um, and um, he was like, well I’m involved with those guys and we should meet.
Because we need a shot and I love what you’re doing, so we should just talk about it. And, um, it was good because it took a bit of a time to, like, kind of understand what they wanted and how they did it and, and etc. And I think that, you know, I think it’s great. I mean, it’s an amazing learning curve because, you know, it’s I wanted to and then we learned.
We, we met, you know, Jake, and then we met Channing, and then, I mean, Kevin Love, and the partner, and it was fun because, you know, I love basketball, and then Channing lives close by, became good friends, was like, it’s kind of an interesting thing, and now Ticket is part of the, it’s just fantastic, she’s a, she was me on the board of APNC, so, it’s, this team is great, and I think they are bringing, you use and a different view of wine, of wine, you know, in different audience.
And I really love that, you know, it’s, it’s like kind of like pushing a bit, the boundaries and the limit of like the access to wine to whom and just like going after it. So I think there was a lot of like, amazing, we were trying to, it’s a good way for us to like partner with those people. And I, the collaborative work, it’s something that is a bit new in the consumer thing.
And so we, we did. They didn’t do much of them, and I think that was a good fit for us. And then they needed an excellent chardonnay, so it was, it was good. And, I mean, they got some of the estate, some of the best, so. Yeah. Yep. No, it’s a great, it’s a great, um, it’s a great project. Great people. And, uh, I really, uh, I can’t wait to see how their future develops.
Because it’s, this is what the new William and Valerie community is and should be, I think. Yeah. No, I completely
[00:35:21] A.J. Weinzettel: agree. Um, you know, I was thinking the next question I was kind of thinking about was like, how did you get hooked on to Chardonnay? But then I had to go back a little bit and I’m like, of course he got hooked on to Chardonnay when you’re at Eveningland working with Isabel Munet.And, um, Peyton West, you know, also worked, uh, with Isabelle a little bit at, uh, Lavinia at the Coralton winemaker studio. And, you know, he became mesmerized with the process as well. And he’s like, Chardonnay is like a, it’s a marathon, uh, grape.
[00:36:00] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Yeah. It’s it’s yeah, it’s marathon. Yeah. It’s, I mean, yeah, I, for me to your point, I in Burgundy, I may have worked in some of the.best known Pinot Noir winery in the world, but I very, nearly touched Chardonnay. I, I just, as an intern, you like, it’s, I don’t say like, they just obviously put it on the side, but it’s just like, you know, Romaine Conti makes five barrels of Chardonnay, six when I was there, and then way more, way more, way more Pinot.
Right. So, you know, you, you understand the process, but you just don’t, you know, fully involve in it because there was no need, you know, just, so I came to, I came to Oregon and then, And I worked and I choose to work for Isabella Eveningman, Seven Springs, and I was, I wanted to work for her because I was like, Oh, you guys make both Pinot and Chardonnay.
This is very interesting to me. Um, and I tasted the wine and I was like, that’s, that’s awesome. And then I remember she was kind of saying that who wants to take care of the Chardonnay and the Chardonnay in 2012 came, or I mean, sorry, 13 because I was on 13. came before the Pinot and then I just like raised my hand.
I’m like, I’m, I meant like, I’ll, I’ll take care of the white. Right. And it’s funny because nobody wanted to. And I was like, okay, it’s just, okay, fine. I’ll, I’ll do it. And he was great because by doing this, I was able to do Chardonnay and Pinot. So, right. And so it was like working under her, just like managing the press and addition or whatnot and then topping.
And he was just, and yeah, I’ve learned my. my growth in chardonnay making just became very quickly escalating, right? Number one. Number two, um, I think that, um, yeah, Piano is right. I mean, Marathon is a good term for me. I, I more, I think it’s harder to make chardonnay than Pinot Noir.
And, and the reason being, and I, and I’m saying that not likely, I’m just trying to think that it’s take some more and more attention. And it’s more fragile. And when you do it first, And when you, when you press it, it’s just, it’s going there. It’s, it’s done. I mean, it’s not done. It’s, But it’s like you have influenced it so much already.
So picking date and pressing it’s key. And you can’t just ruin an entire lot of wine. If you have not done the right thing just from the get go and then you still can’t run that you can’t ruin it completely Oh until the last day of bottling where Pinot It’s a very different thing. It’s it’s not easy, but it’s like giving you more Ways to react to things right and I think it’s probably general with red wine That’s actually at least my point of view and so that’s why we embrace it.
We’re like it’s hard and And if you want to be At the level we want to be, it’s, we’re going to have to just from fruit to bottling, which is a long time. Right. We’re going to have to like make sure this is tipped up perfect. Of course. So, so that, that for me, um, it’s kind of the way how we, we view it. And then I think with the experience I realized this is the most winemaking grape that exists.
We, we, we do have so much influence on Chardonnay. More so than anything.
[00:39:33] A.J. Weinzettel: And that kind of correlates to what I was saying with the marathon, because you just gotta continue watching it to make sure it doesn’t But also, [00:39:41] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: like, you can just influence it very much. Right. This is the most when making rapes.Today, I mean, that’s why in terroir, it’s important to talk about the people, because the people have the chance to try, like, la fond. Coche du Riz, Ant, Inmerso, Rouleau. Some of those producers share the same plat, the same, you know, AOC, same premier cru. Then if you taste at different places, today you don’t taste really like the plat.
You taste the producer. So they do have, like their influence have been kind of overcome the terroir, their influence is gone. greater than the place. Right, right. Because Coeur d’Azur has a style, and it’s in, and I see it coming now here, and it’s great. I’m, it’s, it’s amazing. You taste Walter Scott, it makes amazing wine.
It’s, it’s, it’s, Canada never has wine. Right. Tastes like, says wine, it’s, says wine, it’s, and you know, it’s like, yeah, Seven Springs, it’s like, but this is their story of this vineyard. And, um, they’re working so hard to like, you know, do some, and I think it’s fascinating to me because I’m like, okay, well double zero, just like something fantastic wine.
And you’re just like, okay, this is, there’s a way how they view this wine. This is in this kind of in this idea for me, like it’s a wine making grapes, but you know, it’s a bit more complex. You got to just be pretty impactful to just change a bit the style and things.
[00:41:23] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. Yep. No, that’s, that is very cool.Yeah. You were talking earlier, uh, it was 2014, when you first ran into, uh, Larry Stone at IPNC. Was that your first
[00:41:36] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: IPNC? No, um, no, I did my first IPNC in 2013. I was, um, with Evening Land and they had tickets, so I was like, I was like, this is just an amazing event. Um, and, um, the second one, We did it again, it was Eveningland, and I was like in a room with Larry, and Pascaline Lepertier, and Christophe Baron of Cayuse, and Pierrot, and Rashpar, and Ned Benedict that unfortunately passed away.And they were drinking, like, Larry Stone. And I left the place, they were in a B& B, and they were like opening, they were opening and sharing crazy bottles of wine. It was amazing. And then, um, um, Domaine d’Auvergne, 2004. No, it’s just like a Morceau Premier Cru. I mean, it was a crazy bottle. One of the best bottles I’ve had in Chardonnay.
It was fantastic. Uh, and then, and then, yeah, Larry left the place, and I left as well, kind of randomly, a little bit at the same time, and he’s like, Oh, you worked at DRC. I was like, yeah, I did, actually, yeah. But I was an intern, you know, I just wanted to make sure. It was great. And he was all super nice and nice.
I was just there two weeks ago and visiting and they talked about you in Oregon. That’s great. And then that’s kind of my first interaction with Larry. And then we connected via Raj, who was my boss at the time, was like kind enough to give me his contact because Raj worked under Larry. That’s, you know, so at Rubicon in San Francisco.
So, yeah. That’s how it makes a dot. So that was not my first IPNC, and then after that it became IPNC every year, I guess.
[00:43:19] A.J. Weinzettel: It’s a fun event, and now, like, you’re the president [00:43:22] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: of IPNC. I am. So, I’ve been, I love this event so much. I think it’s, when I was there the first year, I was like, this is amazing. You bring producers from all over the world, connoisseurs, and you just have a great time, eat amazing food.And, um, And I don’t know, I was just, it’s like, I wanted to help because I was like, so I, I reached out to Amy Russell Mann and discussed and, okay, so can, what can I do? And they were like, well, like we, Burgundy connection is great there and there. And so, and then you get into invited to the board. I was at the time was the last board of Christine Marchese and then the first, like that was um, uh, Ellen Bruton.
And then you just kind of like sit, kind of like, I feel like I’m, what am I doing here? All this great mind and people and just listen for two years. Right. And then you just, okay, now you can just, you feel more confident and then you just open your mouth and then they’re just like, well, you’re going to be the treasurer next year.
It’s like, okay, what does this mean? And it’s like, well, it comes with exec committee. It’s like, I’ll do this. I’m happy to do it. You know, it’s great. And then, and then now, you know, and then COVID happened. So we basically like extended our, our tenure with Michelle Kaufman at Stillwater to just kind of, just like kind of help the event.
And then especially this year, it’s, it’s a very pinpoint year because we’re, we changed, uh, Amy decided to leave the event last year. And so we Um, uh, they were replaced by, uh, Casey Merrill, who’s like the interim director. She’s fantastic. And then we trying to like, um, shape up the event, um, towards the consumer want today.
So, you know, it’s, there is definitely like, um, events in the space of wine is evolving, right. And APNC is the oldest wine event, I think in North America. Oh wow. And yeah, it’s the 34th event year this year. So it’s a very interesting pivot year this year where, um, you know, we, we’re, we’re thinking ahead of like how this, this, this event can evolve, uh, moving forward to like bring local, international and keeping the soul of it.
So it’s going to be some change. Um, I mean, as, as we progress, of course, but this year, like it’s, it’s such a good event. It’s good. Exciting winery coming up. This is going to be about Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yeah. This year. Yeah. Cause I, one day I was like, well, as president, you’re part of the program.
You chair of the program committee. So I was like, wait a minute. We, every place in the world that make great Pinot Noir, they make great Chardonnay. I mean, there is almost no exception. Almost no exception. Right. Including Champagne. But so, look, Burgundy, New Zealand. California, Oregon, Japan, Argentina. It just, right.
It just goes on everywhere. Right. And so that was kind of for us, like we, Oregon being, Chardonnay growing, people like growing and need to be more recognized, such as like a very important, you know, we, the region has been promoting Oregon, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir. But, Chardonnay is coming.
It’s definitely coming. So, you know, and we need to, like, kind of make an effort to, to do that. And so, uh, and it’s coming in, in a very interesting pace because I think, you know, the wines are, I mean, it’s extremely good. And, you know, we’re talking about, you know, Burgundy versus Oregon a lot. And we did with Pinot, but it’s the same with Chardonnay.
Right. So I’m very excited about this year and then the future of the event for sure. But obviously, like, get your tickets. We did some day pass. Yeah, I think it’s gonna be interesting. Yeah, that is. So that’s
[00:47:20] A.J. Weinzettel: new this year is the day [00:47:21] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: pass thing. Yeah. I mean, you know, I think a lot of people that travel, um, from different states come in The full, the full, the, the full weekend is amazing and, um, and it’s, it’s important for like the event to like, you know, being alive and, and, and it’s all organization is based on the full weekend, but we also think that there is, you know, new generation and, um, locals are just like, okay, let’s just come one day.You know, and, and, and bring this opportunity to people. I think it’s going to be great because they can participate to the event they want. Right. And be telecard. So, um, we, we, we’re going to promote this, um, eventually. I think it’s, it’s like people like I was at the Oregon Children’s Celebration talking about it.
Right. To people and they were like very intrigued and interested. Mm hmm. Oh yeah, you know, like, so invest, three days is long. But one day is good, I guess. We’ll see. We’ll see how it goes. Well, you got
[00:48:20] A.J. Weinzettel: to get them hooked a little bit, but I mean, I’d love the [00:48:23] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: whole weekend. Yeah. You’ve met some, right? You, you’ve done some.Yeah.
[00:48:27] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. I’ve done some. And I remember last year, you know, we were at Lingua Franca and I was just sitting out there, you know, out in the crowd and you’re like, Oh, Hey. Yeah, [00:48:37] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: exactly. [00:48:38] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah. Yeah. No, it is. It is [00:48:40] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: good. And it’s the best, it’s a great event, you know, and it’s like relying, you know. A lot on, it’s self funded, the team there is great.So I don’t know. I think it’s for me. It’s like I, um, It’s um, I love it so much. I want it to like keep going, but you know, it’s what it is. We need to evolve. Yeah, that’s my last year. So, you know, I mean the best thing I can do is just make sure like we’re all the team and is happy and all the wineries are coming and happy and yeah.
I’m looking
[00:49:07] A.J. Weinzettel: forward to it this year. It’ll be a blast. I’m more than I’ll say yes on camera. Good. Yes. We’ll see. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Um, going back to that champagne night. Yeah. You left a little bit early because your wife was pregnant and had to get home to take care of her. And so how is, how has fatherhood [00:49:28] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: coming along?Yeah. Since then to, to, so Amy was, uh, we had, uh, our first one just two months after this night. And so, uh, just at the beginning of COVID Emma, She’s about, she’s turning four next week, obviously. It’s been four years. That’s crazy. It is crazy. And then Chloe came after that. She’s two, so two little girls.
Wow. In a household and it’s, it’s um, it’s the best thing, it’s the hardest thing. It is. It’s the most beautiful thing. It is. Uh, and uh, and yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s It’s so fun, and Amy, my wife, is just, I mean, the best mom on the planet, obviously. It’s just great, so they’re lucky, I’m lucky, and then, yeah. We’ll, you know.
Go after it. You can tell me more about it.
[00:50:17] A.J. Weinzettel: Oh my gosh. I, I will help out any way that I can. Oh, I think I’m extremely lucky with my 15 year old. I mean, we talk, I mean, we talk, which is amazing. [00:50:30] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Oh, she’s coding right now too. I heard. [00:50:33] A.J. Weinzettel: She has done a little bit of coding. Yep, [00:50:35] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: I, [00:50:36] A.J. Weinzettel: uh, Hopefully I can talk her into it more.We’ll see, we’ll see.
[00:50:40] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: You can talk to her about wine too now. [00:50:42] A.J. Weinzettel: I do, I do. Good, good, good. She, she sees all of it [00:50:45] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: and Well, if she would be in France, she would sip into it. Exactly. Yeah. [00:50:51] A.J. Weinzettel: No, I have to, when I put some wine into a recipe, you know, to cook on the stove, she’s like, She’s like, Well, I can’t eat that.And I’m like, the alcohol is going to burn off. You’ll be okay. Yeah.
[00:51:03] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Oh, okay. Yeah. [00:51:05] A.J. Weinzettel: And then the other night we made a, um, a sauce to go on top of some salmon. Required some, some sake. Yeah. So, I mean, we did the sake and tried it at first and I’m like, Ooh, yeah, the alcohol needs to be burned off. Yeah. That’s, that’s, that’s funny.Yeah. But you know, she, I do have her smell some wines and get her, you know, At least, like, a little bit comfortable with it. I, uh
[00:51:32] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Education to alcohol, I think it’s, it’s I don’t know if I mean, I’m not saying France is doing better than other countries, but I do feel like this was a good thing that I Was, um Me, my family, and other of my friends Were educated to Just The The beauty of the product in small, you know, very small quantities.Right. And just being very, you know, at 14 years old, like, you can have this. And it’s like, why? And you explain why. And then after that, 16. And then 18, we can drink. I mean, technically in France, Legally, at 16, you can have a beer. But it’s like, it doesn’t need to be, you know, it needs to be just cultural.
Just a little bit. Just a very tiny bit. Right. Yeah. Because when
[00:52:20] A.J. Weinzettel: you keep things away, [00:52:21] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: it’s so much more attractive. Sometimes, maybe later on, you know, anyway. Yeah. Yeah. [00:52:27] A.J. Weinzettel: No, I definitely want her to dive [00:52:29] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: into it. There’s a political debate after that. Yes. Yes. [00:52:32] A.J. Weinzettel: Well, I have a few rapid fire questions. Go ahead.All right. Who is your favorite artist to listen to during Harvest?
[00:52:43] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: I like Daft Punk. [00:52:45] A.J. Weinzettel: Yeah, I’m right there with you on that one. I [00:52:47] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: just, it’s just kind of, you know, Daft Punk, Jimmy Recruit, I like Jimmy Recruit a lot. Daft Punk is, nobody knows they’re French. They should know. Yeah, [00:53:00] A.J. Weinzettel: they [00:53:00] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: should. I had a discussion last week with a colleague of mine at work. They didn’t know.Daft Punk was French. I’m like, what do you mean? You don’t know. Of course they’re French. It’s just, it’s like, no, I just think it’s good. It’s like motivating. Harvest, like, you know, you need to have the boom, boom. And there’s some good songs that just a bit like more. Yeah.
[00:53:19] A.J. Weinzettel: Yep. Yep. No, I listen to Daft Punk when I’m coding.So I’m right there with you. Uh, your favorite indulgent food?
[00:53:29] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Chocolate. Okay. Yeah, just how you can. Just Yeah. Yeah. I just love it. It’s not, it’s not a bad thing. No, I mean, it depends. I just love chocolate. [00:53:43] A.J. Weinzettel: Oh, if you could choose a superpower, [00:53:44] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: what would it be? Oh, to be, um, to be different places at the same time. Yeah, that would be great. Yep. [00:53:58] A.J. Weinzettel: So [00:53:59] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: much. I don’t know if you get so much done, but I would like it [00:54:02] A.J. Weinzettel: sometimes.Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, your harvest notes, are they digital or handwritten?
[00:54:08] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Um, [00:54:10] A.J. Weinzettel: or they could be in your head and you just memorize them. It’s [00:54:13] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: a, it’s a three kind of deal for me. I, um, There is some time I, I cleaned up my Apple notes, like, and I have like, I reorganized them and it was kind of awesome just to, so definitely digitalized.Right. A lot of things like in there, but I’m starting to realize it’s like, I need to put things down and I always find mental, Notebook somewhere. Of course. It’s, it’s really like the three of them, actually. Yeah. Right. Yeah. But I think I’m getting into a place where I’m, I’m preferring one of the other.
It’s like you can, thanks, thanks to Apple, like you don’t lose you, you don’t lose those notes. Exactly. Yeah,
[00:55:01] A.J. Weinzettel: that’s always a good thing. Yep. Yep. Uh, last book you read, it could be on Audible, it could also be like a podcast or something of that nature. [00:55:09] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Um, I, I, I, I listen to a lot of, like, um, I, I listen to a bunch of Simon Sinek book about, you know, development and stuff.Right. I don’t have the title My, in my Mind, but it was really good. Uh, I, I, I listen to maybe a few of them. I, I, I drive an hour each way, so a lot of podcasts. Yeah. I can imagine A lot of like, uh, uh, a few books. Yeah. But I’m, I’m very much towards like, um, kind of like. Developmental, personal book, like kind of leadership, business, just like my, my, today like I have a team of like at Lingo Franca of like technically like 20 people at most from vineyards to, uh, and you know, it’s most, most rewarding and difficulting job, like the leadership.
Of course. So I’m trying to learn a lot about this via kind of other people experiences. It’s been, it’s been great. Yeah,
[00:56:06] A.J. Weinzettel: no, those are always fun. That is cool. Well, should I reveal what the blind wine is? What [00:56:11] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: is that? What is it? It’s likeUm, nice acidity. It’s, it’s a bit, I don’t know, I feel like it’s There’s a, I mean, you know, if you just, you know, connection. To me, um, very nice acid. To me, there is some H to it. There’s some H to it, but I just, I don’t know if we’re Post 2015 or pre 2015, like the acid. The acid is a bit like we’re between acidity and, and ripeness.
That is just a vintage, maybe late, a little bit. Okay. Six to 16, it’s like 13. Okay. But it’s a bit younger than 13. If it’s a, if it’s a 13. If it’s a 13, it’s. Carry it on a little way. If it’s a 16, it would not surprise me. Okay. What is it? Well, None, none of this.
[00:57:08] A.J. Weinzettel: So it’s a 2010 Evening [00:57:10] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Land. Wow. From Burgundy.Yeah. Cheers. That’s great. Yeah. Cheers to that. Cheers. Thanks for putting this. Of course. Thank you. Chambord Musiné. 2010. Probably made by Ian Birch. Probably. Oh, okay. Maybe because maybe it was already there because Ian helped to make Eveningland Burgundy back in the day. I’m not sure if he was, if he was already there, if he was, um, this is going to be a good person to have here too.
That would be a
[00:57:43] A.J. Weinzettel: good one. Yep. Yep. Yep. All right. Cool. What, do you have any questions for Mary or anything before we? Close out. [00:57:51] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: Um, I have one question for you. Um, how did you get into it? Get into wine? Yes. Beside your last name that I learned means that in German. Right. Well, I had a feeling that W E I N in German, you know, but I’m just curious.You’re a passionate person. We see you have even a great support of the, of the region. Yeah. It’s wineries and it’s been. It’s amazing to see all this group, the group of people we are, and so I’m just curious.
[00:58:24] A.J. Weinzettel: So, you know, it started off, uh, when I moved to Oregon in 2001, uh, wine is just a thing. I mean, you go to people’s houses, there’s wine, so you just, you know, start getting introduced a little bit here and there, and, you know, as with anything with wine, the rabbit hole just gets deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper.You’re welcome. Okay. So that’s
[00:58:49] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: when you get, get hooked to it, you [00:58:51] A.J. Weinzettel: get, you get, you get hooked into it. Yeah. And then, uh, four and a half years ago, I started the newsletter. Yep. And I just, you know, all the people, like you said, you know, it is the, the people that are intricate into the world of wine. And you know, when I just put those two together, I was just like, I wanna be able to tell all these stories as much as I can.That’s awesome. Yeah. Well, thank you. Yeah, no, thank you. I appreciate
[00:59:17] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: your time. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Sorry we’re not at home. At my home. We’re in your home. [00:59:23] A.J. Weinzettel: Thank you. Yeah, no, this worked out great. I’m glad that we were able to make this happen. Thank you. Yeah. Thank [00:59:28] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: you. Cheers to that. Cheers. Yeah. This is fun.This is good.
[00:59:36] A.J. Weinzettel: Thank you for [00:59:37] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: joining me on this flavorful voyage through the world of wine on The Wine Notes podcast. I’ve been your host [00:59:42] A.J. Weinzettel: and guide, A. J. Weinzettel, and it’s been an absolute [00:59:45] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: pleasure sharing these captivating [00:59:47] A.J. Weinzettel: stories with you. But alas, might the last sip of a fine vintage are tied together, must it?But don’t fret, my wine loving friend. podcast will always remain open. Waiting
[01:00:01] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: for you to return and explore new conversations, stories, [01:00:05] A.J. Weinzettel: and musings [01:00:05] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: from the captivating [01:00:06] A.J. Weinzettel: people behind the magical world of wine. Before you go, hit that subscribe button on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, and don’t forget to leave a sparkly five star review to help spread [01:00:18] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: the word. [01:00:19] A.J. Weinzettel: Until our glasses clink again, remember to savor life’s moments and let the spirit of wine And as always, may your wine glass be full, your heart be light, [01:00:30] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: and may [01:00:30] A.J. Weinzettel: your [01:00:30] Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca: journey [01:00:31] A.J. Weinzettel: be delightful.
