2008-05-22
Winemaker Profile: Cline Cellars
CHARLIE TSEGELETOS
by Diana Greenwood
You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. At Cline Cellars, Director of Winemaking, Charlie Tsegeletos (Sig-a-let-us), starts each workday walking his dog on the lush property of this 350-acre estate in the famed Carneros region. Micky, a burly Labrador and Rotwieler mix has a wide grin meant for everyone. So does Charlie. Like his owner, Micky is easygoing and always ready for a bit of fun.
The pair meanders through the grounds on winding paths where wildflowers bloom and natural springs feed six ponds, a sweet, medicinal scent on the breeze from 100-year-old eucalyptus groves. Micky barks at the carp in the pond behind the tasting room, an 1850s farmhouse, and bothers the Sicilian miniature donkeys in their pen. Native grasses and Shasta daisies flourish near the site of the first camp of the Sonoma mission, the only mission to be dedicated when California was still under Mexican rule.
Charlie is good-natured, patient, as Micky sniffs at cage after cage of rare and wild birds, and then makes his way to the 1920s Pullman dining car, restored to former glory and used for private tastings or winemaker dinners. Next on the walk, is Cline’s California Missions Museum where 1939 World’s Fair scale models of each mission are exquisitely preserved and displayed for public viewing; a big hit with local fourth graders studying California’s rich history. Every day, Charlie stops to let Micky off the leash for a run through the olive orchards and vineyards before returning to his office, the tack room in a former horse arena, and the heart of the working winery.
Charlie Tsegeletos fits right in at Cline, known as one of the most welcoming wineries over on the Sonoma side. Here, life is casual, deals are still sealed on a handshake, and the philosophy, “try a few of our wines and see what you think,” says a lot about the confidence behind each bottle.
“We are not your normal winery,” said Charlie. “There’s so much to see when you visit. This is a place of discovery and history, nature and farming. We’re dedicated to solar and organic farming and we have unique terroir opportunities. The eucalyptus trees, for example, have a huge impact on a couple of our wines. We have one Oakley vineyard that’s lined on both sides by Eucalyptus and out of that vineyard we get Small Berry Mourvèdre and Big Break Zinfandel. Both have a distinct, eucalyptus mint that really adds something and is the signature for the wines.”
A winemaker for 27 years with a degree from UCD and extensive experience with Rhône varietals, what first drew Charlie to winemaking was a chance to use “that Ag Science degree” but also the mechanical aspect of the craft. He enjoys experimenting with tank fermentation temperatures and is fastidious when blending, tasting daily, soliciting opinions from staff and sometimes even engaging customers in the process. Still, Charlie tends to make wines he likes.
One he thinks you’ll like, too, is the 2006 Ancient Vines Mourvèdre, a wine he calls “fun with cherries and plums.” Once widely planted in California, today only a small amount of Mourvèdre exists and Cline owns many of the historic, ancient vines that remain. An unusual wine made from Oakley grapes, it is intensely flavorful and approachable, with enough structure and mouth-puckering tannin for excellent aging. At $18 per bottle, it’s a bargain worth trying. There are several bottles in Charlie’s cellar at home.
Home is a former chicken ranch in the hills of Sonoma where Charlie lives with his wife, fine artist Nancy Granger, two kids, a lizard, a cat named Peanut, and of course, Micky. The huge redwood barn now holds Nancy’s art studio and Charlie’s motorcycle shop instead of chickens but the country feel of the place suits their style. When he’s not making wine, Charlie likes to kick back, pour a glass, and talk about wine, his loyal dog at his side.
Located at 24737 Arnold Drive (Hwy. 121), in Sonoma, Cline Cellars is open for tasting daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For upcoming events, visit www.clinecellars.com. You may have noticed the clever sayings on the marquis-style sign near the entrance to the winery. If you have a witty idea, quote, or phrase for Cline’s sign, call the winery at (707) 940-4030 and they just may use it. Micky would say, “Bark if you love the Winemaker.”
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