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An Interview with Neal Rosenthal of Rosenthal Wine Merchant,New York, New York

Neal Rosenthal is one of the most independent, and with respect to current wine culture trends, contrarian tasters and importers in the country. His philosophies about wine are the product of nearly 30 years of pursuit of his passion. Whether one agrees with his views or not, Mr. Rosenthal is a fascinating and charming oenophile that has invested a great deal of time and thought in his business. And ultimately, no matter what one thinks of his portfolio of wines, they “speak” with a clear, cogent, and authoritative voice. Neal can be seen and heard discussing his views on wine in the forthcoming and controversial documentary “Mondovino”.

1. Talk briefly about your philosophy of wine.

It's quite simple, really. Wine should express its origins. Wine is an
agricultural product at its core so when one is drinking wine one should
be tasting the specific elements that exist only in that particular
place and time. Wine should be produced in the most natural way
possible and manipulation and intervention during the process of
producing wine should be avoided. Finally, wine is more often than not
consumed at the table as an accompaniment to food; therefore, producers
of wine should search for balance so that the wine at the table can play
its part in the ensemble.

2. Trace your very first experiences with wine up to the moment that
you realized that "this is what I want to do with my life". Was
there a single, watershed event within this timeline that
crystallized this realization for you?

There was not a crystallizing moment; rather, there were a series of
experiences that cumulatively produced the impact that changed my
professional life. My first serious exposure to wine came during my
college days when I spent 10 weeks driving around Europe (this was in
1966); then there were bottles of greatness that bowled me over, e.g.
1971 Barolo "Cannubi" Riserva from Carretta, a 1972 Pommard from a
producer whose name I no longer recall. Also, wandering through wine
stores and being drawn into a dream-like world of geography through the
multitude of labels struck me as a great intellectual exercise.

3. For those who know a bit about you and your portfolio of wines,
you are known as a Burgundy/Piedmont aficionado. For some reason,
most people who become captivated by these kinds of wines tend not
to be as excited by a region like Bordeaux for example. How does
such a Burgundy and Piedmont maven make sense of Bordeaux? Do you
think that your passion for these wines profoundly color your
understanding and selection of the Bordeaux wines that you include
in your portfolio?

Bordeaux is no different than other regions. It is all about the
"terroir". The particularities of appellation need to be discovered.
Alas, it is a very difficult task now to find wines in Bordeaux that
accurately reflect their place of origin. When growing up in the
business, it was a challenge and a joy to search for the nuances amongst
the great Medoc appellations or the differences between Pomerol and St.
Emilion. Clearly, when one is taken by Burgundy and the wines of
Piedmont, one then must focus on wines in other areas that present
themselves with class and grace.

4. Within Bordeaux, do you have a favorite appellation? Which is the
most overrated? The most underrated?

I have always had a soft spot for St. Julien which I find, at its best,
to present a lovely counterpoint between finesse and power. Pomerols
frequently are quite sexy but whether these wines all display the nuance
and subtlety that would justify the current pricing is questionable.
Looking at the marketplace right now it would be hard to say that
anything is "underrated" since so many wines bear a hefty price even
from minor appellations.

5. For me, Bordeaux has too often been "Bore"-deaux. Who and what
makes a Bordeaux wine an exciting wine for you?

Bordeaux is exciting when it is properly constructed; when the best of
the Medoc wines rely on Cabernet Sauvignon the wines can be
awe-inspiring. Witness, for example, the wines from the decades of the
'40s, '50s, '60s, '70s when Cabernet was king. These wines were highly
structured and required proper aging to display the silky tannins, earth
notes, and dried berry fruit; in other words those elements that make
these wines ultimately interesting. Unfortunately, now Merlot has
invaded the Medoc and wines tend to be too fat and flabby for my taste
(that is a generalization, of course).

6. In whatever way you choose, discuss Bordeaux wines versus North
American "Meritage" blends.

The "Meritage" concept is another of the domestic wine world's misplaced
attempts to copy a European standard bearer. The combination of grapes
that works in Bordeaux (Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot) does
not necessarily work, nor should it, in California or Long Island, for
example. There may be some examples of successful blending of these
grape varieties in the New World but there is not a consistency that
would cry out for its continued use.

7. In your estimation, is there a wine region that has just, or is
about to "come into its own"? In other words, within your
philosophy of wine, is there a "next big thing"?

I am against "fads" so I am not sure there is ever a "next big thing".
Since I concentrate on wines from France and Italy and indulge myself by
insisting on working with classical, traditional wines whatever I do
come across has more often than not always existed and we are just
coming to the party.

8. What advice would you give a novice wine drinker to help him or
her to deepen his/her appreciation of wine?

Find a wonderful, passionate, generous retail merchant who is willing to
share his/her knowledge. Then most important of all, be a curious
consumer.

9. Had you not chosen wine as your vocation, what else might you be
doing?

Teaching, writing, and, now, farming.

10. When it's not the wine business, what is it? What other endeavors
do you enjoy?

I am an avid runner (and have been for the past 45 years) and now am
actively engaged in organic farming and beekeeping.

I would like to thank Neal for all of the time and attention he has given us over the last couple of weeks. If you would like to have a closer look at what Neal and his associates are engaged in in greater detail, visit his excellent website: www.madrose.com .