#sparkchamber 082823 — Cole Thomas
Cheers to one and all today as #sparkchamber celebrates National Red Wine Day, a holiday celebrated annually on August 28. Originated by the ancient Egyptians in at least 3000 B.C., red wine is now produced the world over, in more than 800 different varieties ranging from fruity and sweet to dry and tannic. “A five-ounce glass of wine is fat-free, cholesterol-free, and only 100 calories. But other than helping to keep you slim and trim, red wine keeps your brain sharp. Resveratrol is in the skin of red grapes, and it's the mortal enemy of beta-amyloid — a protein that’s a contributing factor to Alzheimer’s. So, a glass of wine here and there can slow down the formation of this baddie. Looks like they weren’t kidding when they said, Let’s drink to your health.”
In recognition of the day, we spotlight vintner and farmer Cole Thomas, the founder of Madson Wines, cultivating single-vineyard wines in the Santa Cruz mountains. If you’re lucky enough to be in the neighborhood this evening, the Winery will be the site of Pizza Bones Pop-Up from 5-ish to 9:00 p.m. in the cellar tasting room. Enjoy their wines by the glass with primal pizza joy served up by the talented chefs of Pizza Bones. No reservations necessary.
For more on Cole, we re-post his background and thoughts on the creative process originally released October 1, 2018.
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A taste of something different in the #sparkchamber today as we welcome vintner and farmer Cole Thomas. Cole is the founder of Madson Wines , cultivating single-vineyard wines in the Santa Cruz mountains. Environmentalist, life-lover, doer and go-getter, he started at the bottom, traveling from California to New Zealand to Australia each year to work in different wineries and learn from many winemakers. Inspired by all the winemakers that came before him and their life-long devotion to their craft, he now works dangerously close to 24/7, farming vines and making wines. This month, he will be releasing two more wines, a 50-year-old-vine Chardonnay and Central Coast Syrah. Madson wines are allocated to members and are not typically found in retail stores. Get on the email list to be among the first to try these two new offerings.
Meanwhile, from the Fussfactory language department, here’s a quick bit of wine-word wisdom, 10 Important Wine Words That Make Talking About Wine Easier — a glossary of some basic terms that will make talking about wine a little easier — from Kitchn.com.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Ideas, in my opinion, come from pushing the boundaries. They come from learning and asking and questioning. Once you know how everyone else does something and what objectives they have, you can analyze how it can be done better or just different.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
I want to tell stories. To me, opening a bottle of wine from a small producer located in a place far away, tells a story about that year and about that place. You think about all the hands that went into training the vines and harvesting the grapes and making the wine and then capturing that in a bottle for someone to drink 20-30 years in the future. Wine is a time capsule, a story to be told and it is up to the consumer to decide when they want to be a part of that.
3.] Early bird or night owl, tortoise or hare?
I work all the time. I have worked 23 hours consecutively before [5 am - 4am the next day]. I have worked 95-hour weeks for a month and a half. During the grape harvest you are the early bird and the night owl because to make world class wines everything is time sensitive.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
There is a time when all the wine is safely put in barrel when you know the harvest is over and you can finally relax. I don't know if there’s a moment that I actually feel “done.”
