WALTER SCHUG, WINEMASTER

Standing on a rise behind his namesake winery south of the town of Sonoma, Walter Schug sees more than the Carneros appellation that he helped to found. From this special vantage point, Walter surveys a California wine industry that has been transformed from its forgotten status in 1959 to the level of international quality leader it enjoys today. Modestly, Walter simply acknowledges an involvement in this transformation. Of course, there is much more to the story. Walter Schug’s influence and impact on California wine make him an icon in the industry.

BORN IN THE WINERY

Walter Schug was born in Germany in 1935. He was raised on the grounds of the Staatsweingut Assmannshausen, one of Germany’s top Pinot Noir estate, where his father was the winemaker. His youth was spent playing in the winery and vineyards, and working alongside his father. There was little question that Walter Schug would make wine. His education took him to the prestigious German wine institute of Geisenheim. After graduation in 1954, Walter further honed his winemaking skills at various German estates before coming to California in 1959. It would be an important journey for both Walter and the future of California wine. Walter recalls, “I expected to follow my father’s footsteps in Germany. But it was the great potential I saw in California, and the opportunity to be part of its development, that convinced me to come to California.” Walter’s big break came in 1966 when Julio Gallo asked him to be the family’s Head of Grower Relations and Quality Control for Northern California. Gallo’s control of nearly a third of the vineyards on the North Coast led Walter to become acquainted with some of the finest growers in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Seven years later it was Walter’s reputation for knowing the region’s vineyards, as well as his winemaking talents, that would lead Joseph Phelps to offer him the position of Winemaker at his new Napa Valley winery.

SETTING BENCHMARKS FOR THE INDUSTRY

Over the next ten years, Walter Schug launched into one of the most important streaks of innovation in California winemaking history. At Phelps, Walter produced America’s first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend, the critically acclaimed “Insignia.” He further developed Napa Valley’s reputation as a source of great Cabernet, producing the single-vineyard bottlings from the Eisele and Bacchus vineyards. His groundbreaking work with botrytis-affected Riesling and Gewurztraminer would help redefine the very idea of California dessert wine. Walter would go on to be the first to bottle a varietal-labeled Syrah. Under Walter’s hand, Joseph Phelps Vineyards would become one of California’s top wineries. But it wasn’t enough. “There was never a moment when Pinot Noir was anything but the real object of my desire,” recalls Walter. “Mr. Phelps knew this and let me dabble with the best Pinot grapes I could find.” Eventually though, tough market conditions for Pinot and rising Cabernet sales led to the end of the Phelps Pinot Noir after the 1979 vintage. So in 1980, determined not to give up on Pinot Noir, Walter bought the same grapes he had worked with at Phelps and produced the first wine under his own name. Walter continued at Phelps until 1983, when he left to focus full time on his new label. “Working with Mr. Phelps was a wonderful opportunity. His vision allowed me to test myself and my ideas,” says Walter. “He was the person who allowed me to follow my passion for Pinot Noir.” The first wine under the Schug label was the 1980 Heinemann Vineyard Pinot Noir from grapes grown on a Napa Valley hillside vineyard. Though this vineyard launched the brand, Walter’s search for great Pinot Noir eventually took him to the Carneros region.

CARNEROS AS WALTER’S SOURCE OF GREAT PINOT NOIR

Walter’s work with Carneros growers while at Gallo and Joseph Phelps convinced him that this region was capable of producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. His early Carneros bottlings came from Andy Beckstoffer’s “Los Amigos Vineyard,” representing the first single-vineyard designated wines from this important grower. In 1985 Walter would participate in founding the Carneros Quality Alliance. Ironically, the early Schug vintages saw Chardonnay produced in greater quantities than Pinot Noir. Walter explains, “Chardonnay subsidized my passion for Pinot.” Today, Carneros Pinot Noir leads the way at Schug Carneros Estate. And the pursuit of great Pinot has become a family affair for Walter. His wife Gertrud runs the business side of the winery. Son Axel heads up sales and marketing, while Axel’s wife Kristine is the Winery Chef. Daughter Claudia is an importer in Germany, where she sells a significant portion of the family’s wines. Walter continues to direct the family business and oversees production as Winemaster. In 2003, Walter Schug celebrated his 50th harvest!