During the weekend of Sept. 15, some of Hawaii’s most recognizable mixologists and wine professionals convened in San Francisco to help raise money to benefit those affected by the Lahaina wildfires. Over the course of four events, the group, along with so many other generous individuals and businesses, donated their time and expertise to help raise close to $75,000. This number represents a small sum when comparing the totality of destruction and the amount of money necessary to begin to rebuild, but what I and the other beverage professionals will take away from the trip is unquantifiable.
The group never spoke about it, but there was a palpable understanding that we were on a mission. It was a business trip of sorts. Bring in as much money as we can from outside of Hawaii and spread awareness of the needs of our people.
Along the way, we drank, dined and worked together. We also smiled, and laughed and cried — both tears of grief and joy. Though none of us lost sight of the purpose of the trip, we allowed each other moments to distance ourselves from our responsibilities back home, to be grateful for the meaningful time we spent with each other, and dare I say, genuine happiness, however fleeting.
Jason Vendrell, the beverage director for Handcraft Restaurants (Monkeypod and Moku Kitchen) and Merriman’s, said it best during an impromptu speech during an intimate tasting event: “laughter isn’t a betrayal.”
This holiday season, a time where many of us gather with loved ones and count our blessings, it is my hope you will embrace any moments of joy you may feel, even amid all the current chaos and tragedy. See it not as a betrayal to those less fortunate, but as a necessary respite that will allow us to go forth and continue to help them.
These featured wines are by no means an exhaustive list of the people who are doing their part to aid Maui’s healing process, but I looked forward to sharing these turkey-friendly wines in hopes that they make it to your Thanksgiving table.
Melville, “Terraces,” Estate Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, California
The wines of Chad Melville will command a separate column to share his story with more detail as he crafts many delicious chardonnay and pinot noir in small lots from his estate fruit in the heart of Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara. On my recent visit to the winery this year, I already had this scarcely produced wine (less than 600 cases) earmarked for my Thanksgiving feast. Planted in 1997 by the Melville family themselves, Terraces, as the name suggests, is a unique vineyard site of terraced vineyards facing a range of different aspects with varied soils and a multitude of different pinot noir clones, each adding something different to the final product. It smells of freshly cooked cranberry sauce, spice, and rose water and will tie everything at your holiday table together.
Cost: $70/bottle.
Alex Foillard, Côte de Brouilly, Beaujolais, France
Like Chad Melville, Alex Foillard is the second generation of the winery (previously Jean Foillard) and if his first releases are any indication of the quality going forward, wine drinkers everywhere are all very lucky. The Gamay grape and Beaujolais is traditionally tied to Thanksgiving with its reputation as a chillable, easy-drinking (read, non-offensive) red wine. The Foillard’s have a different take. This is one of the most serious wines in the region. Jean Foillard (along with three other disciples of natural wine, aptly named “The Gang of Four”) helped to bring this otherwise simple grape and region to prominence by sparking a movement of artisanal farming and winemaking practices more than 30 years ago. Because Gamay is the offspring of pinot noir, you’ll often find the same associated red fruit flavors and high-toned floral aromatics, which is why this also shines during turkey day.
Cost: $40/bottle.
Chris Ramelb is an award-winning master sommelier, and director of education and restaurant sales manager of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Hawaii. Watch him on the “Wine & …” podcast, and follow him on Instagram (@masterisksomm).
