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Sometimes the stars align perfectly in people’s lives, and a simple event can be the catalyst for a series of wonderful outcomes. In this case, the birth of an award-winning wine called Roubaix Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.
It all began in 2002 when Pinecrest residents Carlos and Meredith Wolf took a birthday celebration trip to France to pursue their love of bicycling and travel. During a ride up Mount Ventoux, the Wolfs met a California couple named Brian and Renee Lewis, and the foursome became instant friends.
The new companions also discovered that they shared an appreciation for fine wine and they mused about purchasing a vineyard in Napa Valley someday. The metaphorical seed had been planted.
Over the next few years, Carlos, a facial plastic surgeon by trade, and Meredith, a fitness professional and triathlete, stayed in touch with Brian and Renee, enjoying a number of cycling trips together. One day in 2009, Carlos received an email from Brian describing an opportunity to purchase a one-acre vineyard and tiny yellow cottage in Napa Valley. The friends jumped at the chance and soon were the proud owners of what is now Roubaix Vineyards in Rutherford, CA.
“We decided that if we were going to make wine, we’d do it the right way,” Carlos said. “We built a new house where the cottage had been, and Meredith and I began spending time out there with Brian and Renee, learning the art of winemaking from scratch.”
To make an excellent wine, one must grow and harvest excellent grapes, of course. In 2009, with the help of a professional winemaker, the couples decided on a particular root stock, to which Cabernet Sauvignon vines were grafted. The fledgling plants were tended in a greenhouse until hardy enough to plant at Roubaix Vineyards.
The couples patiently waited for the little vines to mature and produce a grape suitable for harvest. From the day they first planted the vines, to the moment they sipped their new wine, took seven years. That first harvest yielded 4,000 pounds of grapes, from just one acre.
“Winemaking is more about being a farmer,” Brian said. “The weather and the availability of water are important factors. An interesting fact is that when the vines are stressed, such as during a drought, the sugar is concentrated in the grapes, producing a better wine.”
Roubaix Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is aged in French Oak barrels for 24 months before bottling. In its first year of competition, the 2016 vintage was entered in a blind tasting competition sponsored by Florida International University’s Chapman School of Hospitality. Roubaix Vineyards came in second out of 600 wines tasted.
The wine is described as full-bodied and plush, a true expression of the classic Rutherford style, featuring aromas and flavors of dark cherry, raspberry jam and cranberry, complemented by mocha, clove, bay leaf and cedar. The palate boasts flavors of blackberry and blueberry, with a sweet wood spice resulting from barrel aging. Only 75-100 cases of Roubaix Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon are produced annually.
It can be purchased in South Florida at the Fontainebleau Hilton Miami Beach, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Key Biscayne, Fiola and Fogato restaurants in Coral Gables, Captain’s Tavern and Anacapri restaurants in Pinecrest, and Vintage Liquors in Pinecrest, Midtown and Brickell. Bottles also are available for purchase online at www.roubaixvineyards.com.
“The four of us recently returned to France for a cycling trip to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our friendship,” Meredith said. “That chance meeting years ago on Mount Ventoux changed our lives. It’s been an amazing journey for all of us.”
For more information about Roubaix Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, visit www.roubaixvineyards.com.
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