The Wine Makers – Ray Kaufman, Adelante Wines

Ray has had a life full of adventures, from traveling around Asia after graduating college to signing up to help build a sailboat and the being on the crew sailing around the South Pacific. Ray’s wine-making career began on various Sonoma Valley bottling lines in the late 1970’s. From there he worked at Kenwood Vineyards in the cellar for about 5 years. Ray also picked-up some Pinot Noir knowledge, by working a couple of harvests at Bouchaine Vineyards. In 1987 he began working as co winemaker for Laurel Glen Vineyards. When Ray first started, the wine world was a different place. He watched and learned as stainless steel tanks began replacing redwood tanks and concrete fermenters. He saw refrigeration become commonplace, and work in the vineyards and the wineries become more specific. He saw this willingness to change lead California to produce unique world class wines. Similarly, Ray developed as a winemaker first by following traditional procedures, then by following the more technical approach suggested by the University of Davis. Ultimately, Ray’s wine making style utilizes traditional, natural methods supported by technical knowledge. Ray is uniquely familiar with the difference between working with multiple vineyards to make one wine and using a single vineyard. In Argentina, the single vineyard concept is still new.  Before Ray’s first visit, he knew very little about Argentina. Once he arrived, he found great joy in the people, the culture, the food, and of course–the Malbec. The wine industry reminded him of California when he first started out. At that time, there was an influx of new people and new ideas. Change for the better was in the air, grounded by an appreciation and respect for tradition. [EP174]

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