People:
Delia Viader

Dr. Viader: a mother, farmer and winemaker with a philosophical touch

Today there are many more women in the wine industry but one in particular seems to me to warrant special mention- Delia Viader. She is smart, fearless and has definite opinions on most things wine.

The 70’s was perhaps the start of what could be defined as a new generation of winemakers. Early on we had Robert Mondavi with his many innovative ideas, then came the 1976 Paris Tasting that helped put Napa Valley on the world map, and then the 80’s brought a growth of high quality vineyards and wineries such as Delia’s. As a single mom, she built and continues to operate a very successful winery and vineyard on Howell Mountain.

I do not want to plow old ‘terroir’ about Delia’s background so indulge me as I look at a ‘Person’ of Wine Country; one that works every day to make it interesting and appreciated.

Everyone knows Delia was born in Argentina, received her undergraduate degree in France, came to the US as a grad student and earned a PhD. Good so far, but it gets more interesting. In the early 80’s Delia decided her calling was “making wine”. But first she needed premium grapes. Her grape solution was in the land with rocky soil, perfect climate and great drainage her father had just bought on Howell Mountain. Planting vines on a mountain with the vines oriented vertically when most other vineyards were planted following the contour of the slopes was innovative in California although common in every important wine region in Europe. “I wanted to get the vine row orientation to follow the sun maximizing sun exposure but without having the sun damage the fruit. Planting the rows east west fashion allowed the plants own canopy to protect the fruit zone by shading it at the hottest hours of the day. Closer spacing would allow more plants per acre but each plant would only need to produce very little. The poor fertility of the soil added to the roots competition would keep the vine well balanced; the volcanic soil would stress the vines but would also provide good drainage. Controlling the vegetative cycle of the vine in this manner would allow me to control the quality from vine to bottle,” said Delia. To start the project, I asked my father for financial support. Thinking of all he had had to spend on my previous education he pronounced me an "over educated farmer". I think that that fits the bill alright. And I am quite happy with the results.”

“I like this industry and very much enjoy meeting all the new winemakers in the valley; they each bring a certain artistry to wine. Like artists, I think we all take pride in what finally comes out on the canvass for people to enjoy,” explains Delia. Delia has achieved a great deal in almost 30 years making wine. She thinks the intrigue of wine is ensconced partly in history, partly romance. There is a lot of complexity and moving parts to wine growing which you can’t control 100%; after all, this is farming isn’t it?

It is like asking a fighter pilot why he fly's, or a highly successful professional golfer why he plays the game. I now have the answer: Everyone has a gift, a passion, a love, a desire that is fulfilled if one is lucky enough to find that calling and brave enough to follow it…to the end. So why did Delia buck the trends and take up winemaking? She says, “I entered the wine industry in a very circuitous way...in many ways…it just ‘happened’ but I love every minute of it. I worked in every aspect, in the vineyard, in the cellar, in the bottling line…did the accounting and marketed and delivered the goods” truly a “one woman show” although since 2005 my son Alan has earned the title of ‘wine maker'. As a mother, nothing could have made me happier than to have one of my children believe this worthy enough to be continued. Today two of my four have decided to continue the legacy. The way I’d like to put it is: I have two now plus two ‘in reserve’. What I love about wine making is the endless possibilities of creation, nurturing, life altering experiences it can offer.” Many of those life altering experiences have to do with the many life long friendships formed. She then drops a few names. Among the closest friends she’s just visited are Michel Rolland, Jean Claude Berrouet, Pierre Lurton, Angelo Gaja, etc. These are the folks that inspire her and she counsels with to keep her wines on the leading edge. “You cannot survive in this business without a sanity check all the time,” says Delia. Her long list of customers also support and reinforce her lifelong dedication.

Now the question: Is the mystic aura of wine country waning?

“I travel and have travelled a lot with my family since I was a few months old, I have seen many beautiful places, even some that could be called more beautiful than the Napa valley but there is only one place in the whole wide world I call "home" and that is up on my rocky hill in St Helena, overlooking my vines and this beautiful valley.”

Delia admits her wines are on the high-end side of the scale. But, she is adamant about their quality and value. Her belief is that top quality comes at a premium in the wine business.

Her European background provided her with a global view of things. For the last 25 years, through extensive travel and working every placement of her wines herself, she has maintained a presence in 44 States in the US, Europe, Asia, the Arab Emirates and parts of Central and South America. Speaking 6 languages fluently adds to the international relationships. This past February she traveled to Rome, Italy to speak at an International Symposium on the grape varietal Cabernet Franc, her favorite grape.

“It was surprising to me 25 years ago, how very few American made wines were shown or expected to sell outside the US,” said Delia. “Luckily that has changed.”

Delia likes to ‘discover’ new grape varieties, try new concept blends, new winemaking techniques. “I think I like to experiment so much because basically I love to learn, I love to push the envelope a little bit. Wine is an ideal pursuit for me” commented Delia.

Now it gets interesting because we cover the impact of a great wine marketer and innovator…Robert Mondavi. “Robert Mondavi was the real pioneer. I still remember Bob's advice "believe in what you do and keep doing it, don't talk about it, if it is good, just do it"”.

“In that mindset, we experiment a lot and like to share with others; in that way I am not a pioneer, Robert Mondavi was. You could just "drop in" (at RMW) anytime and you would be invited to participate in whatever wine experiment was underway in the lab...that's why in good jest, we used to call the winery “the University of Robert Mondavi” -the spirit of camaraderie and the generosity of the exchange- that in itself, was such a wonderful experience for all of us just ‘beginners’. We will probably never have that again.”

The last subject we covered was innovations. Delia feels she has done her share of trail blazing.

She gave me 3 examples.

First, planting the vineyard with rows directed up and down the hill --east /west-- a rarity in CA but an ancient practice all over Europe. Today there are a number of great vineyards planted exactly the same way. Copying is a form of compliment after all.

Second, wine storage under ground tunneling was relatively a new idea in the 90’s. Delia now has a 16,000 square ft facility underground. With humor, she adds: “My very first tunnel went through the mountain –end to end-. At the farthest end door, I insisted on putting a little diamond shaped window to let the sunlight shine through and so we could claim to see “the light at the end of the tunnel”.

Third, in 2001 she hired consultant Philippe Armenier, to help transition the vineyard viticultural practices from organic to biodynamic.

Also in 2001 Delia began experimenting with cement fermentors. Her first egg shaped cement fermentor was brought over from Burgundy. Three more “open top” cement fermenting tanks were added for small lots. These vats are finished with a special process, that renders the interior almost porcelain like. The cement walls are very thick and cement is completely neutral. This allows for a very slow and gentle extraction through long extended maceration periods without imparting anything; the result of fermenting grapes in this manner is a direct reflection of the quality of fruit that comes from our vineyard.

We also ferment in small oak barrels; and after proceed with malo lactic fermentation. VIADER, our proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and cabernet Franc and our Petit Verdot with Cabernet blend named simply “V”, are aged exclusively in 100% new French oak barrels. But remember, her approach is not to mess with the process more than is necessary. After all, the most unique thing Viader Winery has is its fruit which showcases our terroir, and that is what makes the most sense. Again, we are talking art at this point.

Where do Delia and Viader Winery go from here? “There is still so much to learn and so much we could do to minimize our footprint, to replenish and preserve. The long-term perspective required for successful winegrowing and winemaking also entails certain flexibility. We are responsible for how well we care for our world’s resources today and for what our children will inherit tomorrow. Education, research and developing that new information are critical. We have not even touched the tip of the iceberg regarding technological advances in the vineyard, the wine making and the inter correlations with medicine and human well-being. Wine encompasses such a holistic approach; it provides a plethora of subjects to investigate and talk about for a lifetime.”