Wine Country Personality: Chris Pisani

What do you get when you mix Brooklyn attitude with Napa style? The answer is some great tasting wine. Chris Pisani, Winemaker for ZD Wines, is a rare combination of east coast street smart and California cool. Growing up in a big Italian family, Chris learned to appreciate the very things that make Napa so memorable: great food, wine and company. This real-world education made him a perfect fit at ZD Wines where family is the cornerstone of the winery's values, and great wine and food fall close behind. During his formative years, Chris studied chemistry in college while spending time with his now-wife, Ina, whose father happened to make wines out of their house in Newburgh, New York. Chris watched, learned, experimented and soon he was hooked. The seed was planted and before long, Chris and Ina were moving to California for a taste of life in the wine country.

To make ends meet when they first arrived, Chris took a job at an environmental consulting firm. Shortly afterwards he followed the path of some of Napa's most renowned winemakers and attended UC Davis to study viticulture and enology. It was here that Chris fell headfirst into the world of winemaking and started down the path that would lead him to ZD.

Robert deLeuze, CEO/Winemaster for ZD Wines, was attending a job fair at UC Davis to potentially meet his next Assistant Winemaker and Chris was eager for the opportunity. They met, talked, had an instant rapport and soon Chris was joining the ZD team. When asked what made Chris stand out amid all of the other hungry soon-to-be winemakers, Robert deLeuze stated that, "Chris is an articulate, well-educated, charming man with an infectious passion for his work. He brings a wealth of knowledge to ZD, making wines (which can often be intimidating) accessible and fun."

Beginning in 1996 as an enologist, Chris quickly took on the role of Assistant Winemaker in 1998, working closely with Robert to understand the tradition and techniques that make up the ZD style. Three years later, Chris was in for another surprise when Robert deLeuze announced that after fifteen years as Winemaker he was stepping back from his role to spend more time on the management of the winery. Chris, in turn, would take over as Winemaker.

Five short years after joining the winery, Chris was responsible for producing ZD's signature-style well balanced, fruit-driven Chardonnays; intense, flavorful Pinot Noirs; and opulent, rich Cabernet Sauvignons. "It is important to maintain the commitment to quality that makes ZD Wines so unique," claims Chris. "As a family owned and operated business it is rare to see that level of commitment and I feel such a sense of pride knowing that the wines we produce are crafted from the best possible grapes, with an attention to winemaking that comes from ZD's 40 years of history and experience. When creating a wine, we create it with the customer in mind, with our fans in mind, not the critics. By enjoying our wines, they are sharing in our history, in our heart, and in the passion that we put forth every day. It's why we do what we do."

After thirteen years, ZD Wines is still thrilled to have Chris on board, helping to produce the wines that have garnered recognition in the spirit that drives our time-honored traditions.

To learn more about Chris and ZD's winemaking process, schedule a private tour and tasting with him for a one-of-a-kind experience.

Tours: By Appointment Only. CLICK HERE to learn more.

ZD Wines
8383 Silverado Trail
Rutherford, CA 94558
www.zdwines.com

One Thing Leads to Another: Musings in New York

Off I went to New York City, chasing a 9 liter bottle of our 1993 25th Anniversary Chardonnay (now 16 years old) to pour alongside our current release 2007 Chardonnay. The latter was recognized by Wine & Spirits Magazine as one of the Top Restaurant Wines in the Country. After 20 years of creating the poll, Wine & Spirits Magazine kicked-off its first ever “Top of the List” tasting at City Winery in Manhattan on June 2nd.

I landed in NY on Monday evening in time to meet up with a few friends for a glass of wine at City Hall Restaurant. Patrick Burke, a friend and associate of mine joined me at the restaurant. He mentioned that on a recent trip to Burgundy he had come across a bottle of ZD 1972 Pinot Noir in a retail store! He was kind enough to purchase it and bring it all the way back for me, as a gift. The wine was about 2 inches below its original fill height looking more like a keepsake than something we would actually drink. I thanked him, and put it in my wine bag (everyone should have one) and forgot about it as we headed off to dinner at Del Frisco’s.

At Del Frisco’s, we were warmly received by David O’Day, Corporate Wine Director, and his Sommelier, Crystal Friedman. Serving Abacus X (1992-2008) with their delicious steaks was a treat to be remembered. Why stop now, the next day we had lunch at Modern where Belinda Chang, Wine Director, formerly of San Francisco’s Fifth Floor, and Chicago’s Charlie Trotter, now resides. Belinda obviously knows how to find exceptional cuisine to pair with her wine lists. The “Slow Poached Egg in a Jar” with Maine Lobster, hearts of palm… is fantastic!

Time for the tasting! Opening a 9 Liter bottle (1993 ZD Chardonnay) is of course exciting. The golden wine that poured from the bottle was like nectar. The rich honey character was a reminder of a great Sauterne without the sugar. I received a lot of questions about how to go about pouring this wine out of a 9 Liter. A decanter both allowed me to keep the wine at a nice temperature as well as to not feel as if I was spending a night at the gym. Pouring the 1993 alongside our 2007 Chardonnay with its citrus, tropical fruit characters of grapefruit, pineapple and coconut showcased the differences between young and old. Check out older Magnums of ZD Chardonnay, as we are pouring and selling them in our tasting room through the month of June.

After the short three hour tasting, I still had over half of the 9 liter remaining. What to do? Time to visit more friends! I don’t have a great answer for carrying a 9 Liter bottle of Chardonnay down the streets of NYC. At Blue Ribbon we shared a little of our good fortune, and of course enjoyed a seafood platter upon arrival. The seafood disappeared before our eyes, but the bottle did not. Now where to go?

How about Lure? Once again the 9 Liter was the envy of the 6-8 block walk. At the restaurant, the ever jovial Executive Chef Josh Kapon and Sommelier, Natalie Tapken welcomed us with open arms and delicious sushi to continue the evening. As we listened to 80’s rock in background, and tested each other’s band knowledge of that era, we remembered the 1972 Pinot Noir in my wine bag! Should we open it? At first there was hesitation, which was followed by reserved excitement. Once opened, the first pour was offered to John Coyle, our NY distributor’s top salesman. The first word of out of his mouth was “Wow”! The wine was truly spectacular. I am just happy to say I knew the man who made this very special wine, as “Dad”. Thanks, Patrick!

And, yes, we finished the 9 Liter…

- Brett deLeuze, President