Wine on the beach: a look at Mendocino's Pacific Star

Wines & Vines, August, 1999 by Jean Deitz Sexton

When Sally Ottoson says her wine really rocks, she isn't kidding. Perched on the rugged Mendocino County coastline, Pacific Star's barrels get a natural bump and grind action from the 20-foot high waves that send water crashing and booming into the cliffs just yards away from the winery.

Billed as the "westernmost winery in the Americas," Ottoson's 22-acre spread is a most unusual winery property, an exquisite piece of heaven framed by drop-dead gorgeous blue skies, whitecapped water and a curve of dramatic rock formations that have sent many an unlucky logging ship to its final resting place.

During the tempestuous winter months, as Ottoson's Charbono, Pinot noir and Zinfandel age in their barrels, there is a steady "kaboom," as regular a rhythm as the ebb and flow of the sea. The cave explosions - the release of air trapped in the caves after the water recedes - act as a natural clarifier, gently dislodging particulates, tannins and phenols that might otherwise give the lusty reds an unappealing harshness.

"I think the wines are particularly clean," Sally says, "because they don't take on those off flavors. Normally, first rackings are soupy but my wines are completely clear and these are not thin wines to start with; these are heavy-duty reds." Sally discarried her filter. "I don't need it. It's magically done by Mother Nature."

Sally and her assistant, Ian Maki, swear it makes a difference in the wine, and they might be right. Her Charbono, which normally would be thought of as a rough- and-ready red, is surprisingly mellow, but don't say the "S" word or you may be the next person to meet their fate off the cliffs.

"Smooth is boring," says Sally. The Charbono, from Ukiah Valley grape grower Larry Venturi's vineyards, is oddly enough, Pacific Star's most popular wine with women. "My style of red wine appeals to both men and women because it is well barrel-aged and the tannins are controlled."

Deep Roots

Pacific Star buys its fruit mainly from Mendocino County growers - Venturi, Ray Bartolmei and Bob Dempel - men whose friendships Sally has carefully cultivated. With premium varietals in high demand by the larger wineries, Sally's 2,500 casegoods operation could easily get bumped off the supply list. But life comes to Sally in fortuitous ways.

"Ten years ago, when Pacific Star was born, Larry came in to ask if he could go abalone diving on our property. Larry later invited me up to his vineyard and I fell in love with the Charbono almost immediately. At that time nobody would even mention the grape."

Venturi's 90-year old Charbono vines produce a fruit that enjoyed popularity at the turn of the last millennium. Once dubbed "black beauty," the Italian "heritage" varietal is enjoying a resurgence of popularity, having been adopted by Sally whose Mendocino ancestry even predates the vines.

"My family came here in 1867 and settled in the Comptche Valley. We were the Danish Ottoson and Oppenlander families. The other half of my family is Finnish and I grew up in Pudding Creek, a Finnish community."

Sally's roots have helped her gain credibility with Mendocino growers. "I'm from the coast and know how to ride around in a pickup. "It's not fake. They can see I'm not in this just playing. When I had financial troubles the growers hung with me."

Grapes are an improbable match for the unforgiving, windy, fog-laden climate. Sally will depend on growers for her fruit but she is bravely trying to coax a decent Pinot noir crop out of two acres planted on the winery property. "We're challenged by the salt air, the earwigs, snails. We have had three vintages from our grapes so far."

The brisk sea air is a contradiction, posing difficulties for the grapes but finessing the wine as well. "The barrels are coated with salt so we lose almost a liter of wine in each barrel per month due to evaporation. We have to keep the space in the barrel topped up to avoid spoilage," says Sally.

"What it does, though, is give us an intensity of flavor early on since the wines are concentrating far more rapidly. My wines taste really creamy but rich. I think that character comes from the process," says Sally.

Finn-Italia

It would be conventional wisdom to expect Sally Ottoson to produce reds that mimic her California roots, perhaps more refined varietals that do not jar the palate of tourists or locals. But nobody would accuse Sally of being predictable.

Her sentimental favorite bottling is actually a blend, Dad's Daily Red, crafted in honor of her 75-year-old father who returned from World War II with severe stomach problems and was advised, after surgery, to drink a glass of red wine with meals. Fred Ottoson attributes his longevity to his daily glass of red, an Italian-style blend of Charbono, Carignane and Zinfandel.

No California wine culture for Sally. Her heart belongs in the Italian countryside. "I have an affinity for the Italian people. Wine is a food beverage to them. Italians don't build their lifestyle around wine.