09 Apr Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Slamdance Kooperatieve Wines 2022 Red Table Wine, Wine of California

When it comes to a wine blend, the sum is greater than its parts. But what caught my eye were the parts of this wine. This was not a classic blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, or Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was a blend of “the old workhorse grapes of premodern California.” It was the Slamdance Kooperatieve Wines 2022 Red Table Wine, Wine of California and it is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About Slamdance Kooperatieve

Slamdance Kooperatieve is owned by winemaker Daniel Callan. A native of Virginia, Daniel started his winemaking career in 2012 in the Commonwealth. After working his first harvest he began traveling abroad, seeking out winemaking apprenticeships in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Paso Robles, and Chile. Over the next decade, Daniel worked 2 or 3 harvests a year, learning from Chris Alheit, Pedro Parra, and Raj Parr. But Covid put an end to his travels and he settled in Paso Robles. This is where I first met Daniel, who at the time was working with Sherman Thacher at Thacher Wines in Paso Robles. But Daniel had also started his own project, Slamdance Kooperatieve. He was inspired by the “California Burgundy” wines of Pre-Prohibition and wanted to resurrect this forgotten style of a red table wine.

In order to bring his vision to life, Daniel set some criteria. He works with vineyards in California’s Central Coast and with vines whose genetic material has been in California since before Prohibition. These are the old workhorse grapes of premodern California, many of which were often misidentified. This includes Napa Gamay (aka Valdiguie), Cabernet Pfeffer (Mourtaou), Pinot St George (Negrette), Black Malvoisie (Cinsault), Crabb’s Black Burgundy (Mondeuse Noir), Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and others.

Daniel’s first vintage was in 2020, which was a blend of Cinsault, Negrette, and Valdiguié. In 2021, he added an additional ten varieties to the 2020 wine, including grapes like Cabernet Pfeffer, Mondeuse Noire, Trousseau, Traminer, Trousseau Noir, and Orange Muscat. And, in 2022, he added a little bit of Zinfandel. The grapes were sourced from three vineyards in the Central Coast – Siletto Family (established in 1988), Osgood Farm (established in 1977), and Shell Creek (established in 1875).

The wine is made in an “old-fashioned” manner. The grapes are hand-picked and the whole clusters are thrown into wooden vats where they are foot stomped. The juice ferments with native yeasts and there are no other additions. Punchdowns are done by hand. The only “machinery” used is a basket press. The wine is aged in neutral 500-liter puncheons. The wine is racked by gravity and lightly sulfured before bottling.

The wine is in an amber glass bottle that is a shape from the 1900s called California Hock. It is tall and narrow and looks like a cross between a Riesling bottle and a Burgundy bottle.

Tasting Notes

There is no single variety that dominates in Slamdance Kooperatieve Wines 2022, nor does the whole cluster or oak dominate. The wine is a balanced and simply delicious blend. The wine is medium-bodied with notes of dark cherry, forest berries, dried herbs and flowers, and baking spice. On the palate, the wine has bright acidity and chalky tannins. The wine is smooth yet vibrant and has a long finish.

Food Pairing

The Slamdance Kooperatieve Wines 2022 is called a “Red Table Wine”. Red table wines are great for everyday meals or special occasions. They can be served with red meats, fish, poultry, and vegetarian dishes. At just 11.4% alcohol, this wine is an easy wine to pair with food. I personally enjoyed this wine with a Mediterranean plate of chicken, grilled vegetables, and rice. The wine was a lovely accompaniment to the dish and had just enough body and texture but not too much.

Where To Purchase

The Slamdance Kooperatieve Wines 2022 Red Table Wine, Wine of California retails for $44. To find a local retailer who sells the wine, visit Wine-Searcher.