Dispatch · Saturday, February 5, 2022
Andy Lytle and the Business of Building a Legacy
The first Wine of the Week, a 2019 Aubaine Joie Pinot, and a podcast with Andy Lytle of Lytle-Barnett, Aubaine and Domaine Meriweather.
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If you haven’t watched Derek DelGaudio’s In and of Itself on Hulu, it is a must-watch! The past couple of weeks, I went down a rabbit hole learning more about Derek and found he published a memoir on how he was a card shark for six months. Needless to say, I devoured the book this week. It was good! Here’s a link if you are intrigued.What has me more intrigued is another book called A.Bandit: A Secret Has Two Faces published in 2017 where Derek is a co-author. It only costs $323.
Back in November, I was interviewed for the Oregon Wine Archive, and last week the interview dropped on YouTube. It was an honor to be included as part of the history of Oregon Wine.
I have wanted to add a Wine of the Week to the newsletter for a while now. This week I am finally pulling the trigger to make it happen. The wine happens to correlate with the interview I did with Andy Lytle, which is this week's newsletter topic. The wine is the 2019 Aubaine Joie Pinot Noir.
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What catches my attention about this wine is the internal struggle between bright and dark fruits. I first observed this in the glass with medium to almost dark reds with twinges of bright reds wanting to leap out of the glass. On the nose, you smell those bright red tones wafting in the air with the glass sitting in front of you. Sticking your nose into the drinking vessel dark earth tones trying to peep through is intoxicating! On entry, those bright red fruits immediately grab your attention, but a wave of earthiness turns the tide on the back palate. Mid-palate is a settling of the two with high acidity and a medium body of deliciousness. If all of that isn’t enough, the finish lingers for a solid 30+ seconds.
I always enjoy comparing tasting notes to Owen Bargreen when available. So here’s Owen’s tasting note for a side-to-side comparison.
As I mentioned earlier, this week’s newsletter is about my interview with Andy Lytle. I struggle with introducing a man who has so many projects going while being one of the most gracious and humble individuals I know. His projects include Lytle Barnett (Oregon Sparkling), Aubaine (Single Vineyard Pinot and Chard), At the Joy (high-end hospitality), Windfall Vineyard (new vineyard coming online), and Domaine Meriweather (up and coming project).
On the day of the interview, I met Andy downtown. I was the teeniest bit nervous. Arriving early, I went to walk into his building and noticed I had forgotten my mask. By the time I went to the car and back to the building, I was about 5 minutes late. Sitting down my equipment, I had my sticker-infested black Hydro Flask with water in it. Clumsy me, I didn’t close it all the way, and water poured out onto Andy’s table. For me, the interview wasn’t starting all that great, but Andy was super friendly about it, got a towel, and the water was gone in a matter of seconds.
The interview itself went fantastic! The video quality was pretty decent. The sound quality was pretty darn near perfection, and the discussion of choosing a 2nd career, how Lytle Barnett came to fruition, Dave Grohl, the superpower of Joy, Sparklers on SOMM TV so much more was an absolute delight.
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There is the likelihood you don’t want to watch the entire hour-long interview, but if you do, here is the link. There are some advantages to watching the whole interview. I bring a blind bottle of wine that is opened at the beginning and revealed at the end. Don’t you want to know what it is? Also, the audio this week is way freakin better. If you don’t want to watch on YouTube, here are the audio links for Spotify and Apple.
One small ask, if you watch any of the videos I would appreciate a like and it would be amazing if you subscribed to my channel!
There are moments when we make important decisions that affect our lives and our legacy. Listen to hear about one weekend that change the course of Andy Lytle’s life forever.
The Eola-Amity Hills AVA is unique, with the afternoon winds of the Van Duzer corridor. Listen to Andy describe the meaning and purpose behind the Aubaine label.
Anahata Vineyard Block Names 3:28
The thought of the block names at the Anahata vineyard is fascinating. Joy is way more than the superpower of Andy Lytle.
Andy's desire to spread joy becomes the backbone of how Lytle Barnett was featured for Sparklers, but it doesn't stop there. Multiple episodes of Sparklers were filmed At the Joy.
Andy and I dive a little into why we like Dave Grohl and what correlation Andy and Dave have regarding legacy.
Lytle Barnett, Aubaine, At the Joy and the Windfall vineyard isn't a complete handful. Domaine Meriweather rounds it's all out with another project on the horizon!
Over the last 20 years, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has transitioned from grapes barely ripening to an AVA producing spectacular fruit. Andy provides his thoughts on this and the possibility of what effects climate change will bring in the future.
Gratefulness and Humble 2:15
Everyone I talk with in the Oregon Wine Community is humble and grateful, but there is something different about Andy. His genuine desire to pay it forward while honoring the past blows me away!
Isabelle Meunier - winemaker for Aubaine 1:32
There are times in our lives when we aren't quite ready for reality. One day Isabelle Meunier approached Andy on making Pinot and Chard for Aubaine. Andy wasn't quite prepared but knew he couldn't say no.
How Lytle Barnett came to be 5:02
Who would have thought that the topic of horses would have been the start of an Oregon Sparkling program?
Andy is an incredibly sharp individual, and when he could talk NFTs, my respect for him increased by a magnitude of 42.
The spirit of giving uplifting one another in the Oregon Wine Community is the backbone of the Oregon Wine region. So how did the nature of the community help Lytle-Barnett become a killer Oregon Sparkling program?
Fate has a way of working his or her magic on our lives. At first, Andy was thinking of property in Walla Walla until one day fate stepped in to take notice at a property in the Eola-Amity Hills.
It is only fun to hear the same question asked to multiple people to grasp the differences of answers. Some answers are rapid-fire, while some are not. Nonetheless, all of the answers are insightful!
The whole interview - one hour
If you want to taste the Bubbles from Lytle Barnett or the single-vineyard Pinot and Chards from Aubaine, the easiest way is to visit Carlton Winemakers Studio. When you make a reservation, ask for Nick and let him know, “A.J. sent me.” Also, on Sunday, February 20th, during Bubbles Fest, Lytle Barnett will be there pouring. I would provide the link for tickets, but it is sold out. I hope you got your tickets already!
With Gratitude,
A.J.
PS - If you have enjoyed the newsletter and would like to help support what I am doing I setup a tip jar. Or you can share the newsletter with a friend.
A.J. Weinzettel
Wine journalist & podcaster covering Oregon wine country