NWF sat down with festival founder Denis Toner to discuss the 15th annual Nantucket Wine Festival, events big, small and special, and some of the memories that have been created over the years.
Nantucket Wine Festival: On May 18-22, 2011 it’s the 15th annual Nantucket Wine Festival. Can you believe it??
Denis Toner, Founder of Nantucket Wine Festival: I’m both surprised and have a sense of wonder that we’ve made it so far. I can hardly believe it, really. But what comes of it is a chance to make people happy, to promote Nantucket, and to do something good for the community. Now that is something I feel good about, and something I’m very proud that we’ve accomplished.
I say “we” because you have to understand it’s a team effort. Without dozens and dozens of people working extremely hard at this, the festival wouldn’t have evolved as it has, and it wouldn’t be so very special. For that I am grateful, for the team. Plus it’s a whole lot of fun to do things together, there’s a shared sense of satisfaction that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
Denis and Susan Toner
The early years were really something. We’d make mistakes and take wine to the wrong place, or double-book someone in two places. But we always had a sense of fun about it, and everyone just rolled with the punches. We still maintain that sensibility today, and it comes through in the feeling of the festival. People come here to enjoy themselves, and they do.
One consistency throughout the years has been the support we’ve received, from both the Nantucket community, and the wine community at large. We’ve always had tremendous encouragement from those areas, and that has meant a lot to me.
In the past, there wasn’t a lot happening on Nantucket before Memorial Day weekend, it was quite dead. Now the community comes alive in May, all the restaurants open up, there’s a lot of business happening, with people everywhere. It’s now one of the busiest weekends of the year. That’s a great result.
NWF: You have selected the 4th recipient for Luminary of the Year. Who and why?
Tim Mondavi, Continuum Estate
Denis: The Mondavi family is one of the great families of the wine world. Truly world-renowned, and deservedly so, they are the royalty of American wine. Now they are on to another generation with Carissa Mondavi working with her dad Tim, just as Tim worked with his father Robert before that. Tim Mondavi is our choice for Luminary of the Year, our 4th such recipient. We present the award to “an individual whose work has had a profound effect upon the landscape of food and wine”, and that describes Tim quite well. His new project is called “Continuum Estate”, where Tim continues the family tradition of making amazing wines.
Tim Mondavi, Mark Donato, Carissa Mondavi
Like Nantucket, it’s about continuity and history. Continuum is back to the future, in a sense. Back to being hyper-focused on quality, just like his father proselytized early on. I’m thrilled to have Tim Mondavi as this year’s honoree, and I think he’s also happy to attend.
NWF: Some wonderful events are part of the festival. Describe The Grand Tasting, one of the largest events at NWF.
Denis: The Grand Tasting has evolved for us. This year we’ve made it by invitation only, for the presenters. I want to make it about quality, and make this the Masters of Wine, the premium, the top. So we’ve limited the presenters, and in doing so, have been able to take the quality up to another level. This is the highest quality yet.
Grand Tasting, Nantucket Yacht Club
There will be 200 wineries at the Nantucket Yacht Club over the festival weekend, along with all the amazing purveyors of food. It’s a gastronomic delight, really. The amazing thing is, it’s still only 200 presenters, so you can carry on conversations with people, and learn directly from the winemakers, particularly with the amount of time you have on hand. We have the highest concentration of principals and winemakers of any event I know. There’ll be over 50 at the Grand Tasting alone, and that’s quite a ratio of principals to presenters.
NWF: At the other end of the spectrum there’s “Great Wines in Grand Houses”, offering an intimacy not found at many wine festivals.
Denis: This is a unique and amazing program, and I’m very proud of it. It’s not everywhere that homeowners will open their magnificent homes for something like this. But Nantucketers do, and with typical style and gusto. There are 2 options; the first is a wine tasting in a grand domicile, with principals from the estates pouring the wines, and approximately 15 guests tasting their amazing vintages. The other option is very intimate, and that’s the five dinners at five amazing Nantucket homes.
A grand Nantucket home
These are wonderful evenings, with no holds barred. These dinners put the “grand” in it, and people are always impressed. There are visiting chefs from all over the country to prepare the dinners, and this year we’ll have 12 winemakers from St. Emilion involved to pour their beautiful Bordeaux wines. I’ve witnessed several lifelong friendships develop from these dinners; it’s wonderful to see.
NWF: There’s a special event involving the Bordeaux region of St. Emilion this year. Tell us about it.
Denis: Well we’ve got something truly special lined up this year. It’s the “St. Emilion 1st Growths Tasting & Luncheon” at the Great Harbor Yacht Club (May 21, 11a). In St. Emilion there’s a hierarchy of wine. We have 12 of the top 15 estates attending this luncheon, with acclaimed executive chef Tom Berry of the Great Harbor Yacht Club preparing the meal. This is an historic event; I’ve never heard of that many principals from St. Emilion attending one event! It’s a big deal, and we couldn’t be happier about it. They’ll pour the 2008 vintage first, and then with the meal, the 2007 vintage will be offered. If you’re not fortunate enough to be attending, you will hear about this one I assure you. It’s that good!
NWF: At special events are special people. One such person is John Kolasa of Chateau Canon and Chateau Rauzan Segla.
Denis: John is responsible for arranging the St. Emilion lunch, so thank you John for that. He’s an impressive figure in the world of wine, just ask anyone and they’ll tell you about what he has achieved.
John Kolasa
He’s the GM of Chateau Canon and Chateau Rauzan Segla, two wonderful estates in Bordeaux. The Chanel family owns these estates, and on the Chanel board sits Nantucketer Arie Kopelman, so we have a strong connection there. John Kolasa is an alpha-male of the wine world, and justifiably so. We’re thrilled to have him at the festival this year.
NWF: A deeply missed champion of Bordeaux sadly passed away in August 2010, that’s Thierry Manoncourt of Chateau Figeac. You spent the day with him at Chateau Figeac; describe that lunch and day, and the passion that still poured out of Thierry.
Denis: Yes I am sad to even think about this. Thierry was such an impressive person. I was very fortunate in that I spent the day with him at Chateau Figeac a few years ago, where he hosted a lunch for us. Thierry was the consummate host; he also shared with us some highly personal matters. He recalled meeting Jacques Chevignard, a lion of Burgundy and esteemed member of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in service to Burgundy. He met Jacques at Buchenwald concentration camp where they were both interred during the war, and became fast and lifelong friends. Thierry spoke of the terror of those times, but also was able to find the silver lining in that he made a good friend that he would know for many years hence. Both men have since passed away, and we have lost two champions of France, and two great men.
Thierry Manoncourt
Thierry had such a passion for wine and family, and I was able experience both that day at Chateau Figeac. We dined with the whole family, even seeing family photo albums while we heard personal stories all afternoon. I witnessed his passion, the proud patriarch where he most enjoyed spending time, at the table in his home with his family around him.
Chateau Figeac
The wine world misses Thierry Manoncourt, we all do. I’m happy to say his son-in-law Comte Eric D’Aramon, the GM of Chateau Figeac, will be in attendance at our festival this year.
NWF: Locals from Nantucket are also a big part of the festival. One example is chef-owner All Kovalencik, although of course there are many.
Denis: All has been with the festival for all 15 years, and is always there serving his famous salmon. It’s divine, and the event wouldn’t be the same without it, or him. He along with his amazing wife Andrea own the acclaimed Company of the Cauldron, which is consistently recognized as one of the best restaurants in the country, let alone Nantucket. I’m so happy he continues to be such an important part of the festival, like so many other locals. The local community is a big deal for me, and the festival.
Angela Raynor, with Denis
There is tremendous culinary talent on Nantucket. The list is long, and includes the Raynors, the Silvas, Michael Lascola, Alan Cuhna; so many great restauranteurs on our little island, it’s just incredible and impossible to name them all. I think part of it has to do with the history of the island. Back when I was the sommelier at the Chanticleer in ‘Sconset, I saw generations of diners returning year after year after year. With the great food, there was always the great wine on the table, and fathers passed to sons and daughters an appreciation of both. So the tradition of great food and wine is deeply instilled in the Nantucket community, and is part of why the island has maintained such high standards over the years.
NWF: Do you enjoy the festival as much now as you did 15 years ago?
Denis and NWF friends in France
Denis: You know I do, I really do. It’s a labor of love, because it’s a lot of work. And there’s a huge team of dedicated people responsible for why the Nantucket Wine Festival both survives, and thrives. I suppose that’s one of the elements I enjoy so much – the teamwork, the camaraderie, the real joie de vivre of the people involved. There’s both an esprit de corps about it, and a passion I have rarely witnessed in other fields. Wine and food people work hard and play hard, and that has always made what I do a real pleasure. I still feel the energy of it all, and get a lift from the festival every year. And I am so happy to promote and support the island of Nantucket. This is what I love to do, and I am lucky to be able to do it.
NWF: Thank you Denis, we all look forward to the next 15 years. Congratulations on your success.
Denis: No, thank you, and please congratulate the whole team for the success of the festival, it’s a family affair, and we have a big family!
NWF: You’re a good man Denis, and congratulations to the whole team on the 15th anniversary of the Nantucket Wine Festival.
Denis at Clos Vougeot, Burgundy
