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Novice winemaker to Napa Valley legend has been the inspirational journey of vintner Kathryn Hall, who is now acknowledged as one of the world’s leading wine experts.
Her recent bestselling book, “The Perfect Score,” takes its title from the maximum marks given by critics to the Exzellenz red wine from her Hall Winery in Napa.
What makes that achievement more impressive is that she was a newcomer to the industry, having previously worked in politics and diplomacy – making two unsuccessful runs for governor of Texas before bouncing back to become the U.S. ambassador to Austria and now the Napa Queen.
Kathryn Hall spoke to ENTITY about what she’s learned along her path from politics to Pinot.
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ENTITY: What are some key lessons you’ve learned about recovering from a setback?
KH: That there will always be tomorrow and that you can gain strength through recovery. There is no substitute for the confidence that comes from experience and surviving failure. We each have to gain real confidence ourselves. No one can give it to us.
ENTITY: What advice do you have for women who would like to follow in your footsteps?
KH: Take risks. And when you fail, know you are going to be stronger next time because of the confidence you gain through recovery. The world of wine is about much more than just wine. It is about nature, creativity, grace, hospitality. You can make money in this world, but probably less than in other industries … but, if it makes your heart sing, go for it.
ENTITY: What do you think of ‘wine snobs’ and the way they describe your wines and wines of other winemakers?
KH: I am not a fan of snobs, period… and that certainly includes wine snobs. The most important thing for me is that someone thinks our wines are really delicious. If they appreciate the subtleties of the layers of flavor or blended aromas, that’s just icing on the cake.
ENTITY: When you have the perfect score for something you have created, how do you avoid thinking everything else you achieve cannot live up to that excellence?
KH: Every year brings new challenges. The rain will come at a different time. The sun may be early, or too hot for too long. We do not have control over many of the most important variables. So our job is to do the best we can do given the variables we have to work with. We can’t control the outcome, but we can control much of the process and that is what must be as perfect as we can make it. I am actually more proud of our effort in difficult years than “perfect” ones, and the effort during harder years is not necessarily reflected in the scores of a wine.
ENTITY: What is the more competitive business – politics or wine?
KH: Both politics and the wine business are highly collaborative. Nothing impactful is done in either venue without working with others. Winemaking is a team effort every step of the way – from vineyard to cellar to the wine blending table. Likewise, no meaningful public policy change occurs without a group effort. There is a competitive aspect of course. Elections have winners and losers. Napa Valley competes against great wine regions around the world for a place on a wine list. But overall, I think it is critical to look at both the wine business and politics from the perspective of we can and will do this together.
ENTITY: How important are personal relationships and hospitality in both fields?
KH: Personal relationships lie at the heart of developing effective public policy and at the heart of selling top quality wine. In politics for example, we all negotiate best with people we know. Similarly, folks who purchase a top quality wine want to know something about what and who lies behind the brand. To build relationships with our customers we put considerable thought into our hospitality programs. We want to know our customers and for them to know us. Educating and hosting them at the winery, wine dinners, tastings held around the country, or through online tastings is critical.
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ENTITY: In going from novice to expert, what are some of the lessons you have learned about wine?
KH: Wine is for me a lifelong effort and gives me much joy. The most important lesson I have learned over the years is that there is always something new to learn and enjoy about wine. It may be a better way to take care of a vine or new more precise method for fermentation or that my palate evolves. I can, for example, discern more flavors in a wine today that I could several years ago. I have also realized that enjoying a glass of wine encourages me to stop and reflect on what I am doing, reminding me to enjoy the moment – and that may be the best gift of all to me from wine.
ENTITY: What kind of grape are you using and how did you select it?
KH: We grow many grape varietals. Our WALT brand principally grows Pinot Noir grapes, and HALL mostly grows Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape varietals and the specific clones of those varietals (each grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon has many different clones that each have slightly different characteristics) used at each vineyard depend on the particular terroir of the site. We take pride in producing Cabernet Sauvignon from the finest regions of Napa Valley, and Pinot Noir from the best vineyards up and down the West Coast of California and Oregon. We like Pinots from cooler areas that are close to the ocean, and prefer the fruit driven Cabernet grapes that can be grown more inland, in Napa Valley.
ENTITY: What are the subtleties that set your wine apart?
KH: Our wines are very nuanced with flavors dependent on the particular vineyard where the grapes are sourced. It is amazing, for example, that two Cabernet Sauvignon wines made from different vines grown only 100 yards apart can be so different in flavor and aromas. These subtleties only come from very precise wine making, but that is what we love to do.
ENTITY: How has the value of your magisterial property in Napa increased given all the tech companies looking for space in the region?
KH: The value of our property has most definitely increased over the years. That is certainly influenced by the tech boom, but the influence is more indirect. The most important influence on rising property values has been the increased demand for the highest tier of Napa Valley wines. This growing demand raises the price of wine which increases the cost of grapes and ultimately the value of land where grapes are grown.
ENTITY: What part has your husband Craig played in your success?
KH: How can I count the ways? Craig is my partner, confidant and advisor. Craig has the most brilliant business mind I have ever encountered. And he has intuition that still surprises me with its accuracy. We are a team.
ENTITY: Why did you decide to write the book and what can people learn from it?
KH: I love the world of wine that I live and work in and I love talking about it almost as much as living it. Writing the book was simply another way to tell this story. The book is a quick, hopefully fun, lighthearted read. It is about starting a business in a changing and often difficult business environment, about the changes I have seen in our industry over the years, about some of the most fascinating people in the industry such as Robert and Margrit Mondavi. There are also some technical parts for readers who want to dive deeper and learn about how wines are made and grapes are grown.
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