The Renaud Society

Tom Shelton: A Classy Guy

Posted: 12:57 PM ET, July 29, 2008, by James Laube

You think you know things about people, but of course you can only know so much.

I knew the severity of Tom Shelton’s health in the past week, since so many of his friends kept me in the loop out of their love and concern for him and his family. But I didn’t know much about his passion for golf (and working as a caddy to earn spending cash in college) or his love of biking. Those tidbits only came out while preparing his obituary, which is always an awkward assignment, no matter who you’re writing about.

When Tom died this past weekend it hit many people pretty hard. In my case, we were close in age and had both worked in wine for many years. Tom and I were on the opposite sides of the business. He ran a major winery and I wrote about its wines and in this role the writer usually gets the final word. I came to know him as part of a one-two punch for Joseph Phelps Vineyards. He was the president and CEO and Craig Williams was the winemaker.

As part of Tom’s duties he became a spokesman for the Napa Valley Vintners and whatever issues it faced. One challenge he helped spearhead was the NVV's efforts to protect the Napa Valley appellation and strengthen labeling laws so that when you bought a bottle of Napa wine it came from Napa.

He also worked on committees aimed at making it easier for consumers to buy wine direct from wineries. Both of those assignments were perhaps less compelling for Tom. I’m sure he would have rather focused more exclusively on Phelps’ winemaking and to be sure he did, both in building the winery’s quality and reputation and starting the Freestone project. But he took on the other more bureaucratic assignments like a true soldier and commander because they went with the territory. I often marveled at how well, and how patient he was in explaining to writers the intricacies of laws pertaining to both.

When it came to wine matters I didn’t have much direct interaction with Tom. Most of the time I talked with Craig. Still I remember one morning a few years ago when I had two calls on my answering machine—both Tom and Craig wanted me to call them.

I wasn’t entirely sure what they wanted, but it was unusual to hear from both of them at about the same hour. Winemakers seldom call except to question a review, and of course, that was the case.

I first spoke with Tom, who said some customers had called seeking to return their 2001 Backus Cabernet, having read my review. He hadn’t seen the note, but it was in print and he asked what it said. I told him, half expecting him to raise his voice about my calling it “mulchy” and object to the 79-point rating. But he didn’t. He calmly said words to the effect of, "Well, I was afraid that wine wouldn’t go over very well with you." And that was it. Thanks for returning his call.

Next came Craig’s call and he had the same reaction. The wine had been bottled unfiltered and developed a green olive earthiness that was quite different from a typical Backus and much less compelling than the 2001 Insignia, which gushed with fruit purity.

I asked Craig if I had missed something, or if the bottles we’d received had been off, and he, like Tom, didn’t dodge the matter. No, the wine had its issues and both he and Tom thought the review was fair even if they didn’t like it and might have rated the wine slightly higher, as in 82 points.

The next vintage, both Tom and Craig were happier campers. The 2002 Insignia was chosen as Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year, a big feather in both their hats.

When I ran into Tom shortly after that announcement he was the same Tom, cool, calm and collected. But I remember the happy grin and his comment about how he and Craig had "gotten it right this time" and by the way, so had I.

I'll remember him as a classy guy.

Goldfinger Releases Book on Wine & Health, Diet & Weight Loss

Dr. Tedd Goldfinger, founding physician of the Renaud Society releases his first book August 25th, 2006; The Wine Lovers Healthy Weight Loss Plan.

A project created by Goldfinger and noted Oregon Chef, Lynn Nicholson, this book professes the health benefits of a sensible diet and moderate daily wine consumption for better health and weight control. It is to be published by McGraw Hill, New York, and is available right now

www.thewineloversdiet.com

Serge Renaud, PhD. has contributed the forward to this book

The Inauguaral wine of the Renaud Society was produced by the Bernard Manien family of Bordeaux (Beychac-Calliou) at Domaines des Grandes Cotes. A small right bank producer in the region of Bordeaux Superior, this wine is dominated by their lucious Merlot and rounded-out with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc all grown and family picked at their home vineyard.

Their modest stone house, where three generations live and work together, is characteristic for the area, and surrounded by aromatic lavendar and herbs. What an opportunity to find such a welcoming family. We are proud to have the Renaud Society banner proudly displayed at the Domaines des Grandes Cotes - Familie Manien

In the area? For information about visits to the winery send inquiry to:

membership@renaudsociety.com

Notes from the Manien Family

The vineyards, Domaine des grandes côtes belong to the family Manein,
situated in the community of Beychac et Caillau and Pompignac near Bordeaux.

Size of the vineyards : 18 hectares.

Average age of the vineyards : 50 years old.

Crop dominant : 75% Merlot.

Cabernet sauvignon : 15%.

Cabernet franc : 10%.

Volume harvest : 870 hectolitres.

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The vineyards are harvested by themselves by hand to give an excellent quality
wine, which we propose to you today.

The wine process is started by the juice from the crushed grapes and is
put into inox containers which are kept at the correct temperature by
an electronic thermostat.

The family Manein are very attached to the traditional vinification but use
this modern method to improve the fragrance, tanin, and the colour of their wine.

There is a cold maceration pre fermentation during six days, followed
by a traditional fermentation for thirty five days.

After this process there is a selection of the best harvest to create a
Bordeaux Supérieur which is then put into barrels for an aging period of
around twelve months.

Breeding : 50% new barrels; 50% one year old barrels.

Aging in barrels between 12 and 18 months depending on the vintage

This Bordeaux Superior 2003 cultivated by the Manein Family especially
for you will seduire you.

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Palate : on the palate the wine presents itself, with a supple and suave attack
punctuated bya ripe fruit flavour with a fine woody hint.

Nose : the nose offers a wonderful intense aroma of ripe fruit.

Eye : a wine of deep ruby colour with a good concentration

Wines are available at $29.00 per bottle.

Active Renaud Society members may take $4.00 off per bottle

Quantities are limited!

A limited supply of branded wood wine boxes also available at $15 each

Please e-mail your orders to membership@renaudsociety.org and please include preferred billing information.

Wine will be shipped from San Francisco Wine Trading Company,

San Francisco, California

Shipping charged separately

By Elisabeth Holmgren

AIM Digest

More than 200 physicians from around the world attended the 3rd International Wine & Heart Health Summit held at the Silverado Country Club & Resort in Napa, California. The Summit was cosponsored by Desert Heart Foundation and the Wine Spectator.
The four-day symposium brought together an impressive faculty of physicians, scientists and epidemiologists to discuss the health effects of the daily consumption of wine, beer or spirits on improved cardiovascular health.

Tedd M. Goldfinger, DO, FACC, Chairman of the International Wine & Heart Health Summit emphasized in his opening remarks that the delegates attending from around the globe act as important ambassadors for the promotion

of a healthy lifestyle. He reiterated that in light of the emerging science, “It is prudent for physicians to discuss the harmful effects of alcohol with their patients, while at the same time, not discourage a potentially healthy practice of wine in moderation with meals.” In fact, the presentations from many world renowned experts revealed that research often reports more pronounced cardiovascular benefits among wine drinkers. At the same time, however, many investigators increasingly explained that this may be due to wine drinkers’ overall healthier lifestyles. This article presents some of the key statements made by some of the presenters who concentrated on the subject of wine, alcohol and cardiovascular health.

R. Curtis Ellison, MD from Boston University School of Medicine outlined how wine has been considered the ‘healthiest of beverages’ since ancient times until the 20th century. Through prohibition in the USA, essentially no research was done on alcohol and health for many decades. In fact, in 1974, the Framingham Heart Study was blocked by the National Institute of Health from publishing findings showing striking reductions in coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths from moderate drinking. This was triggered by concerns that such information might foster abuse. As the research on moderate wine, beer and spirits consumption and potential coronary heart disease benefits emerged, the scientific, media and policy communities acknowledged the reported lifestyle benefits to the public. Ellison explained, “The mechanisms of such protection have been extensively studied: they include beneficial effects of alcohol and/ or wine polyphenolic substances on blood lipids, lipid oxidation, coagulation, fibrinolysis, arterial endothelial function, ventricular function, inflammation, and glucose metabolism.” He outlined the recent research developments demonstrating potential benefits for subjects who already have developed CHD by showing fewer recurrent infarcts and repeat percutaneous cardiac interventions, as well as overall lower death rates for moderate drinkers. In addition, Ellison presented an overview on studies that found protection from alcohol on the risk of cognitive decline, on all components of the metabolic syndrome and the possible protection against weight gain. In the closing statement, he emphasized that “For the first time in decades, wine and other alcoholic beverages, in moderation, are now being considered an important part of a ‘healthy lifestyle.” Lending even more scientific support to this trend, Ellison outlined the recent research that has also shown the importance of the pattern of drinking, with the most favorable effects being seen from the daily consumption with meals.

Serge Renaud, PhD from Segalen University in Bordeaux presented an overview of the findings from the Lyon Heart Study. The important findings demonstrate how nutrition and lifestyle habits can lead to better health and increased life expectancy. In fact, according to Renaud the evidence is stronger then ever that a healthy diet that includes wine and specifically red wine is the main protector against coronary heart disease. Specifically, findings from the Lyon Diet Heart Study illustrate the potential: importance of a dietary pattern that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, and fish, as well as alpha-linolenic acid as found in vegetable oils such as flaxseed and canola oil. Traditionally, the diet also includes moderate amounts of alcohol. Renaud reiterated that “it would be short sighted to not recognize the enormous public health benefit that this diet could confer

with adoption by the population-at-large if the findings are confirmed.” He and other experts have long encouraged US public health organizations such as the American Heart Association to take these important findings into account when providing messages to the public.