by Ralph Steadman (illustrator for Hunter S. Thompson)The mothership has landed. Here comes it's leader, Randall Grahm to tell the story about the Great American Pinot Noir.
Born in Los Angeles, a philosophy major sweeping floors in a Beverly Hills wine store, buying a property in Santa Cruz; Randall Grahm's life story is one of a good-natured Californian eccentric, who wants to
"think of fiendishly cunning stratagems for producing wines which express a sense of place and which might actually make the world a more interesting burg."His newsletters, "periodic transmissions from the mothership", are brilliant stream-of-consciousness rambles from his space. They are reports about the vintage as if he is writing at 2am in the morning waiting for the exact split second needed for the right fermentation temperature.
All aboard the mothership!
What you need to know
Name: Randall Grahm
Winery: Soledad, California
Wines to look out for: Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant, Cardinal Zin, Big House Red and White and Bloody Good Red (see my previous post about this wine featuring a tiger on the label, grrRRR)
Interesting fact: Ralph Steadman did the original label for Cardinal Zin, who is also the illustrator for Hunter S. Thompson.
Find Bonny Doon's brilliant mothership website here
Link: "Chat with Randall Grahm" from Tasting notes from the Underground, the Gang of Pour
