Good morning, and happy Monday! I’m pleased to kick off the week with an amazing interview featuring Korbin of Korbin Kameron estate wines. Located in the beautiful Sonoma Valley of California, Korbin Kameron is a family-run operation that produces some really amazing vino. It’s a beautifully packaged, delicious, and unique wine that is perfect for any occasion—weddings, engagements, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, college graduations, housewarmings, you name it. The Present Perfect was fortunate enough to have Korbin take time out of his busy schedule to share his wisdom and tips about wine, California living, and gifting. If you are interested in purchasing some Korbin Kameron, you can visit their online store. Enjoy!
{Just another day at the office for Korbin…}
So, for the novices in the room... what makes a good wine, and which types of wines would you consider the most "safe" to gift to someone?
This is a somewhat controversial question. Some people say to drink what you like and good wine is whatever you enjoy. But if I like a McDonald’s burger that uses low-quality ingredients over a black label burger made with grass fed beef, organic lettuce, and tomatoes, then would I be correct in saying that the McDonald’s burger is better? No, it just means you prefer McDonald's—which is perfectly fine. A good wine has the same principles; it should be comprised of high quality components—great grapes with concentrated flavor coming from low-yield vineyards, great yeast, and great oak.
In my opinion, sparkling wine is the "safest" to gift somebody. It seems to be held in higher regard in the US for some reason. It almost has a celebratory status where people seem to only drink them during special occasions, even though in Europe, it is an everyday wine. I guess it seems special and everybody likes sparkling wine, so there's no going wrong with it.
{Manning the grounds at Korbin Kameron}
You split your time between Napa and San Francisco--that sounds pretty amazing. What do you love most about where you live?
Napa/Sonoma is great because of the open space and the non-claustrophobic aspects of it. It is outdoorsy and peaceful. There is a very relaxing lifestyle out here and no one is on a fast paced urban schedule. God, this response makes us sound lazy, but I swear we get work done. It has a more European vibe, and I believe that makes us even more productive. Oh, if you haven't already heard, the food is AMAZING out here.
{The beautifully-packaged wine}
What makes Korbin Kameron so special?
Hmmm… mainly two things. I think our location separates us from the pack. We are on the ridge of Mt. Veeder, so we are one of the few properties where the Napa/Sonoma county line runs through the vineyard. Also, we are 2,200 ft. on top of the mountain which gives our vines great drainage, meaning the water drains quickly so the vines have to struggle and fight to find a water source. This increases the depth and complexity of wines, whereas vineyards on the valley floor have poor drainage and the water pools up in the valley and the grapes get diluted.
From a branding perspective, I think we offer a great family story and great packaging. It's tough to appreciate wine with no identity and a brand won't succeed without a story to connect it to. It gives the wines a soul, if you will. Also our elegant and modern packaging really appeals to the millennial generation, which is the generation that currently purchases the most wines right now.
We really want to over-deliver for our price point. For a new brand, if we're not doing that, then we're not doing our jobs. I don't want somebody to pay $35 for a bottle of our wine and be satisfied with it; I want them to feel like they got more than they paid for.
{The beautiful family behind Korbin Kameron wines}
Do you think that the product of small/family wineries are fundamentally different from larger ones?
Yes. Family wineries are all about the product, and larger ones are like corporations that are all about numbers and dollars.
What are your favorite wines? (besides Korbin Kameron, of course!)
My friend from the Central Coast (the hottest area right now to grow Rhone varietals) has a great brand named Sans Liege (Without Allegiance). He makes great wines and doesn't cater towards anybody except his own palate. The industry has been headed toward a path where wines are created and doctored to appeal to certain critics’ palates so as to earn high ratings, which has led a lot of wines to taste similar. Curt from Sans Liege couldn’t care less about that, and he has some very cool packaging. Check out his wine called The Offering, which is a blend of Grenache, Mouvedre, & Syrah.
{Wine-in-progress at Korbin Kameron}
Now it's time for you to brag about your wines... tell us about the awards y'all have won!
Haha, well we've won a lot of gold medals and best-of-varietal awards early on. With our first vintage, we really wanted to get our bearings straight and see where we stacked up with everyone else. Once we saw a good pattern emerge, we stopped entering wine competitions because they ultimately don't offer much in return. Believe it or not, entering competitions can be expensive! Our Merlot gathered the highest accolades overall. It's great because it's our best seller even though some crappy movie *cough*Sideways*cough* decided to bash the varietal and now everybody thinks they shouldn't like Merlot. Fortunately for us, this stigma is finally wearing off.
[Editor’s note: click here for a full list of their accolades.]
Bringing wine as a gift is a pretty standard gesture. Do you have any tips for housewarming/hostess gifts that complement a bottle of wine?
Definitely. There are so many cool gadgets out there for wine. Laguiole makes cool, fancy wine openers if you're into that. Every home should have a decanter to help aerate certain wines, but I think glassware is the most important. Lead-free crystal, to be exact. Don't get caught up with the brands, because they are all the same as long as it's lead-free. Check out Schott Zweisel ones, their pricing is very competitive and great quality.
Wine-related or not, what's the best gift you've ever received?
My father gave me a bottle of wine from my birth year. I really think it's the coolest wine gift for a significant birthday. My father loves Vintage Ports and Madeiras, so on his 50th birthday I got him a bottle of port from his birth year. You can use wine-searcher.com to search for wine by vintage and price so you can find something that doesn't really break the bank.
And on that note, what's the best gift you've ever given?
Besides what I mentioned above, one year I got my father a sparkling wine saber. It's used to slice off the top of the bottle and it's cool to save the tops with the cork and glass intact.
{Korbin’s nightly view at the vineyard}
What is the most interesting thing you've learned from running the show over at Korbin Kameron?
The most important thing I learned was to trust my own palate. Don't ever let somebody tell you what you should like. If you like a certain wine's flavor profile, then great; to each his own. Go with what you like. I guarantee you that you can find a well-made wine at a reasonable price.
{Korbin’s sweeping panoramic view of Napa and Sonoma}
Thanks so much for your thoughts, Korbin! I have had a fair share of Korbin Kameron wines, and they definitely don’t disappoint. They make an excellent gift for any occasion, so please don’t forget to check out their online store. You will not regret it!
Images courtesy of www.korbinkameron.com and www.blog.vintuba.com
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