Amid Bruce's fantastic stories (he know EVERYONE in this area...no, really...everyone), laughter, camaraderie and the two of them razzing one another like teenage boys, we had a guest interrupt with a question that caused both Bruce's and Jim's eyes to gleam.
"I keep hearing of this thing called the Templeton Gap. Can you (directed at Bruce) explain to me exactly what that is? A lot of wineries keep talking about the Templeton Gap. Is is like an area, or what?"
Bruce leans back in his chair with an impish grin and motions his hand over to his buddy, Jim. "I'm going to let my friend answer this one, cuz I know that he knows what the Gap is!"
Jim smiles. "Yep! I've even seen it!"
Our guest seems enthralled, so I figure that it will be alright if I abandon my pouring for a couple of minutes to, likewise, listen in. You see, I have a fairly basic understanding of the Gap (a notch in the coastal mountains) but I know enough about our friend to know that this is going to be a more intricate description than I have previously been offered.
"You see," he begins, "I love to take my plane out to the coast and fly around. As you're heading out towards the ocean, you can see that this entire area hosts a little valley set in between mountains."
He pauses.
"Hey Jen, can you grab me a piece of paper?" To which I quickly deliver.
He then proceeds to draw a diagram similar to this... (Please excuse my girly, chicken scrach handwriting on junk paper...I would have attached his nicer rendition but our guest took it with them. I guess I could have done a little computer diagram, but since this is very similar to the drawing presented, we'll go with this!)
He continues, "You see along the coastline is a pocket of cold air, coming off of the ocean. Inland, in Templeton, you know that we get those nice and hot temperatures. Well, the cold pressure builds and builds and eventually needs to find a release. It just so happens that there is a fantastic geographical venturi right here, coming off of the coast. Do you know what a venturi is?" He pauses and looks at the guest.
To which they reply, "Isn't it that thing that wine goes through to aerate it?"
Jim smiles. "Well yes, but not as I'm referring to it, but that devise is named because it uses the same physics. Now, I won't get too technical on you. Just go with me. A venturi is any device that is shaped like this (please refer again to my crappy drawing). It's wide on the outsides and narrow in the middle. A venturi's purpose is to accelerate. There are venturis in carburetors, and yes, in that little wine trinket, too. You following?"
We all nod.
"Well," he continues "the mountains coming off of the ocean, make this exact shape. I can attest! I've seen it in my plane. So let me paint the entire picture. Cold air and pressure builds along the coast. That pressure is looking for a release. It finds this natural notch, this natural venturi, if you will, in the mountains or the place that is called the Templeton Gap. Cool air makes it's way through this natural acceleration device, and the wind whips through here at a fantastic rate, shooting out cool, coastal air on the other side. Now Hansen here (motions at Bruce) is located smack dab in the middle of the receiving end of this venturi. What does that mean?" he asks. "I'll let Bruce take it from here."
Bruce, before taking stage congratulates Jim for breaking it down nicely in to layman's terms. I have to agree. It makes absolute sense, right?
Bruce says, "Well, what it means is that I have perfect growing conditions for my grapes! I get nice hot days and cool nights because of that cold air whipping through the Gap and up onto my vineyard. Makes for some tasty Cab! Wouldn't you agree?"
I quickly realize that my guest's glass is empty and jump back in with the next in my line up of Bruce's fabulous Gold Medal wines.
My guest, endowed with a better understanding of this unique little wine haven, seems thoroughly satisfied both with the answer and the experience, and leaves eager to share about it with others.
As Jim and Bruce return to their witty banter, I can't help but smile. Not an ounce of pretension here. You have a question pertaining to wine, topography, AVA, growing, etc? We've got an answer. With Bruce, I'll be honest, sometimes it will contain a bit of BS just for good measure, but our guests always leave here with fantastic wine AND little nuggets of fun trivia.
And for me, I get to take it all in. You know, just another day "at the office."
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