A Passion for the Process: The Art of Winemaking
Drinking a glass of wine while disconnecting from the outside noise and drawing inward is a special ritual, one that is so simple, it can be easy to forget the intensive labor required to fill that glass.
From dirt to grape to barrel and, ultimately, to glass, wine and the process of producing it are a beautiful intersection of science, the natural world and human ability. “Art is a vehicle for joy and can be transformative,” says Rachel Martin, owner and vintner of Oceano Wines. “Art, or wine, can bring you to the present moment, which is a gift. Wine brings people some type of relief to where they can go on a journey and be reminded of something comforting or just be present in the moment.”
Rachel, who has been making wine for 15 years, co-owns the winery with her husband, Kurt Deutsch, a Grammy award-winning music, theater and film producer.
Situated in Price Canyon just outside Oceano, the vines that produce the winery’s acclaimed chardonnay and pinot noir are located in Spanish Springs, the closest vineyard to the Pacific Ocean in California. “The vineyard has great characteristics; limestone, marine shale, set in a natural bowl protected by the Pismo Preserve,” explains Rachel.
These characteristics, which include a unique microclimate, convinced Rachel to buy in when she first visited Spanish Springs in 2016. On the spot, Rachel said she wanted to purchase six tons of chardonnay. Immediately afterwards, she called to ask Kurt if he wanted to start a wine company with her. “I could immediately imagine the wine. I could tell how it tasted. I could tell those things through experience. I had this vision,” Rachel says.
Thankfully for Rachel, Kurt shared this vision. They brought on winemaker Marbue Marke, a native of Sierra Leone, to help achieve their dream. Like Rachel and Kurt, Marbue believes the key to making wine is passion and dedication to the process. “The wine is what I do; it is also what I am passionate about,” says Marbue. “I believe it all depends on what you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it, it doesn’t matter.”
When speaking with Marbue over the phone, his joy can be felt through the miles and miles of phone lines. “I am an artist, not a commercialist. I am passionate about the wine, not the dollar,” Marbue says.
Marbue, a winemaker located in Napa Valley with over 22 years of experience, was introduced to Rachel through her mentor and wine consultant. After tasting more than 30 bottles and touring Spanish Springs one weekend, Marbue and Rachel knew they were each other’s perfect winemaking complement. “It was like, we knew. Just like when I met my husband, there was chemistry. They are your people,” Rachel says.
But for Marbue, who came to California from West Africa, winemaking wasn’t always his career path; by age 15, he had begun studying for a career in medicine. With his education as an enologist, or sensory science expert, Marbue correlates the two fields. “The pre-med process, I believe, prepares you for the rigors of winemaking,” he explains.
“Winemaking is a process and you are managing viticulture, which is botany based; you are managing taste, which is all microbiology and chemical reactions; and physics because we have to move the wine. So much is covered in primary science and you are reminded that you need work on a broad tangent to be a cellar master or winemaking master.”
And to truly master an art like winemaking, Marbue says, a bit of the logical right brain is required, too. “You have to know about viruses, pest control, packaging, transportation … it’s a wide breadth of knowledge, but you need to know how everything impacts what is going on.”
A large part of the process is analysis and taking an honest look, or sip, to make sure all is going as planned, and not left to fate. “I am a precision winemaker. I am precise in what I do and I am always criticizing. Are we on point? Are we going to miss the target? Are we going where we need to go?” Marbue says.
So why is winemaking so intricate? Every step along the way can impact how the wine tastes, and creating wine that tastes like a dream — or in this case, Rachel’s dream — is a science and dedication. Speaking to Marbue’s strengths as a winemaking partner, Rachel shares, “It’s all about commitment to quality. I am committed and so is he”.
