new in town
WINE TIME
Newlyweds uncork urban winery concept in Scottsdale BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ
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ewlyweds Bill and Debra McDermott are celebrating their first anniversary in a unique way – by opening a business together. “People always warn against working with the one you love, but we wouldn’t want it any other way,” Bill McDermott says. “After working together for years in the IT industry, we decided to take the plunge into the wine business together here in Scottsdale, opening Decantur, the Winery at DC Ranch.” The vision for the winery actually began three years ago, when the McDermotts moved to the area from Southern California. “Back in California, we were members of this great neighborhood urban winery,” Debra says, explaining that although the winery didn’t have a physical vineyard, it did make its wine on-site as well as offer custom blending, theme nights and tasting opportunities. “We just really missed having ‘our little place’ for wine, so eventually we decided to build our own from the ground up.” Like the concept in Southern California, Decantur does not have its own vineyard. Instead, the McDermotts source grape must, which is freshly pressed grape juices that contain the skins, seeds and stems of the fruit, from across the globe to then ferment and eventually bottle on-site. “We know we are not viticulturists, those scientific geniuses who grow and crush the grapes,” Debra says. “We are viniculturists, focused on the final processes of making the wine itself. It gives us the opportunity to bring grapes from California to Spain in-house for our members and guests – we have the best of both worlds.” Decantur itself comprises a 2,400-square-foot space, and utilizes
reclaimed barn wood throughout as decor. The winery has 24 50-gallon tanks as well as four 600-liter stainless steel tanks for winemaking. Thanks to the clever use of garage door walls, guests can actually see the tank room from the expansive tasting bar. For the past year, the McDermotts made good use of the tanks even while constructing the wine bar, crafting and bottling 35 varietals and 50 unique types of wine in advance of the grand opening that took place last month. They also partnered with veteran winemaker Collin Mitzenmacher, who most recently lead Rancho Capistrano Winery in California. He assisted in the development of the varietals and now formally serves as Decantur’s cellar master.
The Wines According to the team, two early standouts are Three Sisters and Daddy Long Legs. “Three Sisters is our most popular white so far, given its perfect marriage of oak, butter and cream flavors,” Bill says. “The origin of the name is actually pretty funny – I am one of the few men I know who prefer white wines to red. When asked why, I usually just joke it is because
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I have three sisters. Daddy Long Legs, on the other hand, is among our signature reds, and is a blend of cabernet, zinfandel and syrah. Its long legs on the glass made naming the wine pretty easy.” Decantur will also offer guests the opportunity to blend and bottle wines. “For anyone who wants to order their own batch – approximately three cases of wine – we offer them the chance to come and peel off some of the wine and help with the sprinkling of the yeast, then another chance to have a hand in the winemaking by bottling it with us,” Debra says, also noting they are offering highdefinition custom wine label options, too. In addition to daily tastings, retail sales and bottling options, Decantur features a chef-inspired menu of small bites ranging from charcuterie boards and seasonal bruschetta to flatbread pizzas and paninis. Decantur also kept in mind that not all couples or guests are strictly wine lovers, adding several craft beers to the menu as well. But for those who are, in fact, wine lovers, Bill says they also have several levels of wine club membership, ranging from basic monthly tastings and events to custom bottles and members-only activities. Decantur, 18221 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale; 480.209.1137; www.decantur.com.
| MARCH 2016
2/22/16 11:16 PM