Throughout my time working in the wine industry I’ve met many winemakers, wine reps, and other people who have a passion for how wine is made. A skilled winemaker is, in my mind, akin to a rockstar because people will flock to their wines simply for their name or brand on the label and with good reason.
One of my favorite wineries to tell people about is Vending Machine Winery out of New Orleans. Owners Monica Bourgeois and her husband Neal have such a fun vision and approach to how they market themselves, plus they make the best Rhone-style California white wine, Peep Show, I’ve ever had. Here’s Monica’s perspective on making and selling wine:
Q: How long have you been making wine?
A: We started Vending Machine Winery about six years ago. Neil and I were very familiar with the wine market in Louisiana and felt there was something missing at that time. You didn’t see many unique blends or funky packaging. We are so in love with our state; we wanted to make wines that gave a nod and a wink to Louisiana.
Q: What are your favorite red grapes to blend together and why?
A: Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. That is our blend for Double Shotgun and a blend that I believe is uniquely ours. You see those varietals in Bordeaux blends but they are usually 4 percent or maybe 7 percent. They are the underdogs of the noble reds. But they are incredibly delicious when cared for correctly. We love the violet and purple color PV brings to the table and Cab Franc has long been a favorite. It’s said you either love or hate Cab Franc and we are the lovers! It has since become the wine we sell out of fastest and the one that leaves a lasting impression on the person drinking it.
Q: Where in the world do your favorite wines originate?
A: For some people, this is a very easy question. For me, it’s not so straightforward. I love the wines coming from the Rhone valley – both North and South. But honestly, my heart is in California. Obviously that’s where we make our wines so I’m biased, but I think the new wave of winemaking has produced some amazing and interesting wines made from Verdelho, Grenache Blanc, and even St. Laurent. But at my core, nothing makes me happier than a beautiful bottle of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
“Farm to table is a popular restaurant movement, but restaurants don’t think twice about importing wines from across the world. It’s always been a strange concept to me.”
Q: Did you receive any formal training?
A: No formal winemaking training. I ‘paid my dues’ as we say working in restaurants and retailers and have been a part of a small distributor of fine wines for the past nine years. I got certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) mostly to expand my knowledge of regions I was less familiar with and to engage in conversations with other wine enthusiasts. Probably my most valuable learning experiences come from sharing meals with winemakers. And maybe drinking too much wine with them!
Q: What would you say is the hardest part of winemaker/selling?
A: We live in New Orleans and the culture of wine buying is French all the way. Baton Rouge, Shreveport, those are the areas that really enjoy California wines. I sometimes struggle with the negativity associated with California wines. As if all Chardonnays are butterballs and all Cabernets are sweet. Farm to table is a popular restaurant movement, but restaurants don’t think twice about importing wines from across the world. It’s always been a strange concept to me.
Q: What’s your greatest inspiration when planning a new vintage?
A: Opportunities pop up on the fly and we are always excited to see what is falling in our laps. For example, we never planned on making Squawking Parrot, but a friend bought a vineyard that had a wild Carignan bush growing intertwined in barbed wire along a picket fence. He makes very extracted wines and Carignan is a softer, spicier grape. He’s really into what we do so he threw out the option to us to buy it. In our minds, it was a piece of Napa history, the vines were possibly 100 years old! And even though financially it didn’t make the most sense to make a limited 100 case production wine, we couldn’t pass it up. We love experimenting and we always say we have nothing to lose because even if we can’t sell a wine, we can drink it!
Q: What’s your process like? Do you buy the grapes, just the juice, or are you involved in the vineyards?
A: It’s a little all over the place. We work most closely with White Rock Vineyards in Napa. The Vandendriessche family that has owned the vineyard since the 70s has an amazing property and we have been incredibly fortunate to work directly with Christopher so that many of our wines are treated as if they are estate wines. Loula’s Revenge, Crooked Mayor, Double Shotgun, and Eccentric usually come straight from their vineyards and are made and bottled in their caves. Horror Show and Peep Show are sourced from other areas in California that are focusing on unique varietals.
Q: What advice would you give to young women considering this as a profession?
A: I would give this advice to anyone. First and foremost, never forget to enjoy what you are doing. I feel it is a privilege to be a part of something that brings people together in such a unique way. There are plenty of strong female role models out there changing the demographics of the wine world and I would encourage women looking to be a part of it to just jump in, start a tasting group, and frequent the free tastings offered at Wine Country (or your local favorite bottle shop). I truly believe your best education starts and continues with drinking wine…lots of wine!
Editor’s note: You can purchase the following Vending Machine Winery wines at Wine Country Bistro & Bottle Shops: Horror Show (Red Blend) Squawking Parrot (Red Blend) Lola’s Revenge (Chardonnay) Peep Show (White Blend).