Behind the vine

Denise Clarke - Altipiano Vineyard & Winery - Escondido, California, USA

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

Farming is in my blood. My great-great-grandparents were farmers and my great-grandmother was a fruit wine winemaker. I think your DNA draws you to certain things, and I always loved having my hands in the dirt, but the wine business really chose us. We had a fire in 2007 in Escondido and it burned down all of our 900 avocado trees. In our area, we lost 50 or 60 homes, and it was a traumatic thing to go through.

Earlier in 2007, my husband and I had gone to southern Tuscany and we fell in love with Italy - almost as though we'd been there in another life. There was something so familiar about it all, and looking out on the hills felt like they were drawing you to their story. There was something magical and ancient about the tranquility that came to us with the rustling of the vines and olive trees. So, while we had no inkling that we were ever going to start a winery, after the fire we decided to build something out of the destruction.

I can tell you that while everything was not by design, we started out fresh and had nothing to unlearn. We felt like kids in a candy shop and all-in-all we planted 3600 vines with two focus varietals: Barbera and Sangiovese (a Brunello clone). In the beginning, we worked with a winemaker, but there came a time when we took over, and I can honestly tell you I was not ready. In 2012, I made the jump and drew from the knowledge of the people around me, some stellar educational programs that taught me a lot about nuance and the impact of oak, and my own intuition about what I knew about my wines and what associations I wanted to create.

What story does your wine tell?

This chapter of our wines is still being written. The more I learn, the less I know, but the one thing that stays true is that Mother Nature will tell the story. All the challenges you go through with weather and everything that gets thrown at a vineyard is where the original story starts.

My job is to give the interpretation as I see it in what she's given me for that year, and try to give the best expression of that to the wine. That being said, it's also important to stay true to the varietal and find the right balance.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

You can't make wine just by the numbers. The science only gives you guidance, but it's up to you to understand how the wine will evolve and be the conductor. Wine is ready when it's ready, and if you get out in front of it, it will bite you every time. A good friend told me - when in doubt, wait. I've come to appreciate that patience, and it has taught me a lot of things. Some of them aren't even definable - you're just feeling it. Wine draws you back in and shows you how you can go to the next level with it.

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

People get caught up in their day-to-day lives, and they forget that wine is a food. Wine, just like food, should make you slow down to appreciate it. It's about the people you're sharing a glass with and the conversation. That's what I love about it. It's to be savored and is a way to open up dialogue. A bottle of wine is about opening up and enjoying yourself with friends.

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

Develop some thick skin and foster really good relationships with people you can really, really trust. When I first got into the business, no one took me seriously, but today I have women and men in the industry who really have my back and I can be very vulnerable with them when talking about wine. It's crucial to surround yourself with people you can trust because you need that constructive criticism. Sometimes it's bittersweet, but you need the check and balance if you're trying to be a great winemaker. You need critical, but loving conversation.

Who is a woman that inspired you?

One woman who was really a mentor to me was Rosemarie Kalemkiarian. She and her husband started the original wine of the month club in California. She was way before her time and she was a powerhouse of a woman. She had such a profound impact on me as a woman and individual, and her husband, Paul, would talk to us about wine, encourage us to taste different things, and ask us about them. Their friendship and belief in us before we knew what we were doing was the biggest shot in the arm. I'm thankful and proud I got to know her.

Where can women find your wine?

You can order from our website, and you can visit the vineyard in Escondido. We also have vineyard stays available!