S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 37 A native of Guatemala, Espinoza has a diverse background that includes seven years at Tra Vigne Restaurant and three years as Sous Chef for The Grill at Meadowood. Inspired by the art of wood-fired cooking, the winery just received its custom, hand-crafted wood burning oven in Peju’s signature red color, imported from Tuscany. With Chef Alex on board, the winery has now expanded its offerings to include interactive culinary experiences in addition to wine and food pairing meals. Peju held an art and wine reception with an abundant supply of Espinoza’s culinary pairings on July 27 to debut the newest installation that displays the works of James Kroner, Stacey Carter and Miguel Cruz. These talented artists will be featured for the next three months: James Kroner’s scenes reflect an incredible awareness of light and atmosphere, with an ethereal vitality that glows as if they are actually alive and moving. From across the room his scenes take on a striking sense of reality in some areas, and in other areas diverge into an orchestral arrangement of tone and color, dissolving away from form altogether, yet maintaining a wonderful harmony as a whole. Stacey Carter’s artwork demonstrates that familiar imagery can freeze time, allowing individual histories to be recalled and shared once more. She creates layered multimedia compositions based on a photograph that is transformed using a unique combination of skilled printmaking techniques and spontaneous expressionistic painting. Always the perpetual student, Miguel Cruz became fascinated with the encaustic process and expanded his use of wax, experimenting endlessly with this new medium. His newest works are completely made using cold wax and oils, and the resulting images are bold, urban art creations that are drawing praise and attention. For the past 30 years, the Peju family has been delighting guests and leading the way in customer experiences and environmental initiatives. These new additions not only make this iconic winery a must-see for new visitors to the valley, but will thrill returning fans as well. 10 Questions with John Anthony Truchard by Ian White 1. When and how did you start John Anthony? My wife Michele and I were twenty-four years old when we decided we wanted to create our own wine. We also knew it took time and money, and while we had a lot of time, we had no, and I mean no, money. So I started a little vineyard management business in 1996 to generate some income, then started leasing and planting vineyards in 1999, and had our first crush for John Anthony in 2003. 2. How did you decide to keep the tasting lounge open late, and were you the first in Napa to really do that? Michele and I wanted a hip, clean, elegant place to hang out at night with friends, and we were hopeful others would too. There were bars open late, but nothing really similar to John Anthony. 3. You have another brand, JaM, right?...what does JaM stand for? JaM is short for John and Michele. The name was coined by our good friend and winemaker, Rob Lloyd, who is also involved with us in JaM. Our first product was a fruitdriven rich Cabernet, hence the name with two meanings. JaM was followed by Butter, a California Chardonnay true to its name, which has found a following among Chardonnay lovers. 4. Tell us about the John Anthony brand. John Anthony is a dirt-to-bottle wine. I chose the sites, planted the vines and was involved in every step of the winemaking. The wine is a product of place and process, with a sense of place and style unique to itself. 5. How is JaM different? JaM and Butter are cocktail wines. They are great wines and we’re very serious about how we make them, but less serious about how we market them... This allows us to introduce great products to folks who are just starting to enjoy wines, or those who don’t yet have Napa Valley budgets. 6. Do you have any new windes coming down the pipeline from your brand? FARM Napa Valley is the latest project Michele and I are working on. The goal here is to create great Napa Valley wines at a moderate price. That’s a challenge for sure, given the economics of Napa, but we’re confident we can deliver some great wines at reasonable prices. 7. So this is truly a family business, but very separate from the “Truchard” family business. How did that come to pass? It’s very natural given the history. Since I started the little farming business when I was still in college, it was never an either/ or question of working for the family or for myself, but just a natural evolution of taking what my father had taught us and putting it to work. 8. You are also a vineyard manager. What’s the name of that business, and did that come before or after the wines? Yes, it’s called FARM Napa Valley and was the namesake of our latest brand… in question 6, I believe. 9. We understand that you worked with Mat Kearney and Whole Foods on a project which was featured in a previous issue. How was that experience? Mat is a great guy, and working with him was everything I hoped it would be when we contemplated making a wine together. The clarity of what he wanted tied in with my knowledge and access to vineyards. That, along with Rob’s winemaking, made for an enjoyable process, and more important, a delicious wine. A nod to you Ian White for putting the deal together. 10. Anything new and exciting coming down the pipeline? Yes – but that will have to be in another issue! The INK | p. 5
NVLife_SeptOct_2014
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