Behind the vine

Amy Christine MW - Holus Bolus Winery and The Joy Fantastic Vineyard - Santa Barbara County, California, USA

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

After college, I was bartending at a nice restaurant in Birmingham, Michigan. Our lead sommelier was studying for the Court of Master Sommelier exam. He never made it through, but he would loan me books that he was reading in preparation for the exam. Being an academically inclined person, I began to study the wine regions and grape varieties of the world in my spare time. I loved that almost nothing in wine or winemaking is black and white - a great wine is the culmination of an infinite number of decisions. I took the certificate course for the CMS in 2000 and this eventually lead me to the MW (Master of Wine) program.

What story does your wine tell?

I hope it tells the story of 2 people, me and my husband, who have worked side by side to produce wines that are specific to place, but that also offer value for the place they originate from.

Our first label, Holus Bolus, has an octopus on the label. The octopus represents our 4 arms and 4 legs. It’s just the 2 of us. We have no employees, so every thing in the bottle comes from our two hands. Holus Bolus has always been made with fruit that we purchase from other growers.

In 2014, we planted a vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills and created a new label called The Joy Fantastic (which is the name of the vineyard). We have farmed that vineyard entirely by hand. We have a crew step in to help us if we get behind, but The Joy Fantastic wines are the story of the two of us having a dream and figuring out a way to make it happen!

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

1. Food and wine pairing makes me nuts. Drink what you want and eat what you want! Don’t let anyone tell you what you like is wrong. Your preferences are your preferences. End of story. We often open a very nice bottle of Champagne and drink it with tacos from a street vendor. It’s the best pairing in the world because I love both of those things!

2. Extensive discussions on soil type also makes me nuts. Consumers are misled constantly to believe that soil has a greater impact on wine than it actually does. Soil is important-ish. Climate is far less sexy, but it is the most important aspect of terroir. It has the most influence on the style and quality of the wine. That is not an opinion in my opinion! I believe that to be an objective fact.

3. Older wine does not mean better wine.

4. European wines DO NOT have fewer sulfites than American wines.

5. Champagne should be drunk all the time, not on special occasions, though of course it should be drunk then too!

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

Wine is a living breathing thing, but it’s a small part of our overall lifestyle. We don’t drink wine in a vaccuum. Therefore, wine cannot be divorced from context. You could have the most mediocre wine in the world and if you’re having a good time or on vacation in an incredible location the wine will taste better. The opposite is also true. A bottle of DRC doesn’t taste great at a funeral! I love this about wine because choosing a bottle for dinner or an event means considering the enjoyment factor, the context and the audience.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

The wine business is one of the only businesses that I know where someone can just decide they want to get involved without any prior experience. In some ways that’s wonderful because there aren’t a lot of barriers to entry. In other ways that’s not great because we end up with wine “experts” who do not actually have expertise in the world of wine. It’s important to have a foundation in education and to know the entire world of wine. WSET is the most comprehensive wine education program in the world. All women interested in switching careers to enter the wine business should complete levels 1, 2 and 3. Women often need to be better and smarter than their male counterparts to get the same job. More education equals more expertise, which leads to higher paying jobs and increased opportunity.

Where can women find your wine?

In the United States they can buy it on our website.

Below is a list of our importers who can direct on where to purchase in their country:
UK: Wanderlust Wine
France / Belgium: Gustoworld
Norway: Tramontane
Sweden: Fine Wine Service

Who is a women in wine you think everyone should know about?

Nova Cadamatre, a fellow MW and Senior Director of Winemaking in Napa for Constellation Brands based at the iconic Robert Mondavi Winery. Nova is more resilient than almost any person I know. She’s worked on large projects and small projects, in the winery and in the vineyard. When I have a winemaking question, she’s the one I turn to!