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Dan Barwick joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country this week to talk about his impending return to England. He has been on CWC several times in recent years, the last time was this episode last August. He is one of the founders and the winemaker for Trecini Winery. They made their first Sauvignon Blanc in 1999.
Dan has brought a New Zealand wine, a 2022 Babich Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. It cost $4.99 at Bottle Barn. It’s not a great wine but for $4.99 it’s fine.
There’s no such thing as a terrible wine, as long as it’s reasonably priced enough. – Dan Berger.
Dan was born in Dover, England and worked at Harrod’s London in the food hall where he saw a lot of wine. He moved to Sonoma in 1991 and has been making wine for thirty years. But he is moving back to England.
They have a Chardonnay to taste, which is Russian River, 2022, barrel fermented in 500 liter neutral oak. It’s one of his favorite Chardonnays that he has ever made. Clean crisp and immensely complex. Dan Berger says it will still improve with age, or even time in decanter.
England is on the horizon, in particular the county of Kent where The Wine Garden of England is getting warmer and warmer. It is champagne country, says Dan Berger. The English have started making some great sparkling wines and they have one today. It is a non-vintage brut from Chapel Down.
Dan Barwick tells the story that the timing was right to move back to England, for a combination of reasons. Dan Berger says that it is an exciting moment for English wine and that it is a well-timed move. They are tasting the wine from Chapel Down. It is made to emulate the style of Champagne and is “gorgeous.”
16:00 What Dan Barwick Will Bring Back to England
In England, Dan Barwick will do some consulting and will be able to bring all of his experience from California. He has already begun networking. He found an old friend he hadn’t seen for forty years who says he has vineyards and asked if Dan could help him. Prospects are good.
23:00 Dan Berger: US Wine Consumer wine knowledge essentially zero.
You have to hear Dan Berger speak truth to the people about how the average American wine consumer has zero knowledge of wine and what goes with what. It starts with his deadpan hilarious observation of Chardonnay on every table in a famous Chinese restaurant, where he was having the Gewurtztraminer.