The Wine & the Vineyard Are One
Winemakers often say their goal is to make wines that express where the grapes were grown. So why do so many wines taste the same?
Allow me to introduce Miguel Caratachea, one of Napa Valley’s most unsung but finest practitioners in the art of terroir.
Miguel describes his purpose: “Everything good in a wine comes from the grapes. I want to take this further than anyone. So the wine and the vineyard are one. This is my commandment.”
Self-taught, Miguel’s lack of a formal wine education left him open to discover things on his own and absorb lessons from winemakers throughout Napa Valley for over thirty years. He has helped dozens of wineries achieve prestigious reviews. His wines have even been recognized by the Smithsonian Institute.
“After my family, winemaking is my life,” says Miguel.
From Humble Beginnings
Miguel’s father worked as a hired hand going farm-to-farm in Mexico and California. “He made us kids taste fruit from different fields. We had to talk about them and tell him the differences,” says Miguel. “My dad is still with me in my wines.”
Working his way up from tank cleaner and leaf puller to trusted winemaking consultant, Miguel has come to know countless vineyards throughout Napa Valley. Some of these he rode through on his bicycle to school over thirty years ago. His favorite spots are now sources for his Miguel Caratachea wines.
He will do almost anything for his wines. He sleeps in a cot in the winery during crush. A supreme “tinkerer”, he works many late nights in the cellar to hone his skills and develop novel techniques. He’s been known to resort to household items like pennies and fish tank heaters to garner everything he can from the grapes in the most natural way possible.
“Napa Valley is my home,” says Miguel. “I want to offer the purest expression of naturally unique vineyards here. So anyone who tastes the wine can honor the vineyard.”
The Label Icons
Miguel comes from humble beginnings. There is no family crest or grand estate. So for his label he has chosen very personal symbols to represent each of his wines, depicted in traditional Mexican tin art style as a nod to his family heritage:
- Venerable Vines Cabernet Sauvignon: the Sacred Heart symbolizes the church in the mountain village in central Mexico where Miguel’s family came from and his relentless passion for making wine.
- Bracero Cabernet Sauvignon: The crossed arms on the label represent the “Bracero” guest worker program that brought Miguel’s father to Napa Valley in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The wine is a tribute to Miguel’s father.
- Starling Way Sauvignon Blanc: Starlings are small birds that swirl in large flocks over the vineyard as the grapes near ripening. They are a nuisance but are a natural reflection of growing wine grapes in Napa Valley.