Wine & Spirits - October 2016 - 10

FINED& filtered Traditionalist, Emeritus Winemaker and CEO Paul Draper is retiring after more than 40 years with Ridge Vineyards. During his tenure Ridge earned 17 Top 100 Winery accolades from W&S, more than any other California winery. The original Ridge owners hired Draper in 1969, after hearing him give a lecture on traditional winemaking techniques. Through the decades that followed, as modern winemaking additives and practices like dealcoholization, micro-oxygenation and flash détente took on a greater role in wineries around the world, he emphasized techniques that made the great wines of the 19th century: ambient yeast fermentations, careful attention to maceration and pressing, and racking to introduce oxygen when necessary. In the early years he honed the iconic cabernetbased wine from the winery's Monte Bello estate while also exploring the potential of California's old-vine zinfandel vineyards, an effort that culminated in the purchase of the sprawling Lytton Springs estate in Dry Creek Valley in 1991. Over the last decade Eric Baugher has largely taken over the Monte Bello winery, while John Olney has assumed responsibility for the mainly zinfandel-based wines made at Lytton Springs. They will remain in their current roles, working alongside David Gates, Ridge's longtime vineyard director. Draper will continue to serve as chairman of the board. -LUKE SYKORA Paul Draper A Bitter Taste South American Wines, Uncorked You may know Patricio Tapia as this magazine's critic for the wines of South America and Spain. In South America, he's best known for Descorchados, his annual guide to the wines of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Now available in English as an e-book, the 2016 Guide covers nearly 3,500 wines, from well-known, high-performing names like Concha y Toro to the latest garagistes, like Maitía in Chile or Tres 14 in Argentina, with background information on each region and winery as well as topperforming bottles. Descorchar mean 'to uncork' in Spanish; grab your corkscrew and get tasting. -TARA Q. THOMAS If you're not already convinced of an amaro's restorative properties, you may be after reading Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs. In his follow up to Bitters, author Brad Thomas Parsons details the varied styles, from the bracing Fernet category to brighter aperitivi like Aperol and Campari, as well as the many distinctive bottlings now coming out of the US. Written in Parson's trademark brisk, engaging style, the cocktail section may inspire you to experiment at home or to plan a field trip a to specialist bar like Barnacle in Seattle or Chicago's Billy Sunday, where bartenders are taking amari far beyond the afterdinner drink notion. -CAITLIN GRIFFITH Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, Recipes and Formulas, by Brad Thomas Parsons (Ten Speed Press, October 2016; $26) Descorchados Wine Guide 2016, by Patricio Tapia, $9.95 at guiadescorchados.cl Kali brings together two Los Angeles finedining veterans-chef Kevin Meehan, of the Patina Group, and Drew Langley, formerly of Providence-under one Larchmont-district roof, not far from Paramount Studios. Kali's interior is a serene evocation of wood and stone-slate floors and bare blond wood tables-no tablecloths here, just an elegant vibe without being formal. Meehan's dinner menu emphasizes garden-fresh goods, whether beets with cracked almonds and preserved lemon, or sweet peas and mint that elevate black cod. Langley's wine list, at just 60 10 WINE & SPIRITS OCTOBER 2016 selections, may look lean when compared to the voluminous program he ran at Providence, but it's full of interesting choices. California's SevenPercenters-winemakers making the best of the state's seven percent of vineyard land not planted to the usual grape varieties-are well represented here, with wines like Broc Cellars Valdiguie, Heitz Grignolino, Solmina Gelber Muskateller and Nebbiolo from Palmina. -PATRICK J. COMISKEY Kali, 5722 Melrose Ave.; 323-871-4160, kalirestaurant.com Kali photo by Rachel Jacobson LA: KALI http://www.guiadescorchados.cl http://www.kalirestaurant.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - October 2016