land and a little bit of their own souls. And as with any art, the greatest joy seems to come from discovery of new disciplines, new mediums, and new artists. As someone that enjoys wine, there is nothing more satisfying than trying a little known varietal that a little known up and coming winemaker has gambled on with techniques that he has developed over the years of apprenticing for some of the industry masters. Does anyone in the foothills know who Scott Schultz is? Does anyone know his wine label Jolie Laide? Does anyone know his past? Has anyone ever tasted his master of Trousseau Gris? I mention
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this example specifically because I watched someone recently in a restaurant (that I own) order a bottle, taste it, refuse it, and then order the good ol’ standby bottle of Chardonnay. I immediately motioned to the server so that I could examine the wine for myself, and hot-damn that wine was PERFECT. I greedily threw a cork in it and stowed it away in my bag to enjoy later. This forced me to think about how resigned we are to enjoying what is familiar, what is good, and what is safe over what may be new, exciting, brilliant and damn fine art. Up here in the AVAs of the Sierra Foothills, we are surrounded by some damn fine artists. Artists whose work, blood, sweat and
LAVISH LIVING MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016
tears deserve our support as we venture out to enjoy something new. Adventure over silent, quiet resignation of enjoying the same bottle and same varietal over and over again. And while I make it sound like I’m some globe-trotting, world wide connoisseur of fine wines, I can assure you, with utmost certainty, that I am not. I find myself in the same old ruts too. Constantly looking for Roses, Aglianico, Cabernet Frank or Nero D’Avola, I slip into the same comfort level with varietals that a lot of people do with Names. I slip into the safety of knowing that if I chose those varietals, I am often getting the biggest bang for my buck and will often find myself drinking an exceptional wine. However, once I find myself slipping down that rabbit hole, I will often just ask my waiter or sommelier to pick a bottle at or under a specific price range and surprise me with something fun. As a restaurant owner, fellow diner, and supporter of the arts, (pretty cool you can say that when it is associated with wine) I want to see people out there being adventurous, supporting the little guy, surprising themselves, and having a great deal of fun while doing it.