An elegant toast to success

An elegant toast to success

By MA. GLAIZA LEE

May 26, 2011, 9:25am

Corte Riva owner Nieves Cortez (right) with Petra & Pilar executive chef Tristan Bayani (Photo by CARLO SUERTE FELIPE)

MANILA, Philippines -- No other Filipino has come close to making good wines better than Lawrence and Nieves Cortez who started Corte Riva Vineyards in the US, the first Filipino winery ever to be established in Napa Valley.

Twenty five years since Lawrence migrated to the U.S, a certain Romel Rivera had that same exact thought of pursuing an American dream. In a twist of fate, the two met in Napa Valley in Calistoga as they worked side by side in the vineyards:  tending the vines, picking grapes, and carrying crates, among others. “Working in the vineyard is not easy. When it is time to harvest the grapes, we pick them one by one. It’s a tedious process,” shares Nieves.

While doing all the hard jobs in the wineries, they became good friends and soon became a family when Lawrence married Romel’s cousin Nieves.

Lawrence used to do cellar work at Hans Kornell and Clos Pegase – managing, nurturing, and tending grape juices while assisting in the blending, aging, and bottling of the wines.

The two labored hard until they learned the tricks of the trade. In time, Romel and Lawrence began experimenting with wine recipes.

Using their intimate knowledge of grapes and wine production, they created their own line. Eventually, Lawrence and Nieves decided to invest and sell wines. They named their wine line Corté Riva, paying homage to the winemakers Cortez and Rivera.

“Usually, the master winemaker would just tell you to mix this and that to create a wine. Because we would help out in the blending most of the time, we had memorized the recipe. When you are making wines time and time again, you are able to create great wines and at the same time improve its taste even more,” shares Nieves who learned making wines through observation.

Having worked with the best winemakers in the region such as Robert Foley, Romel and Lawrence were able to create edgy wines with exacting tastes and of high quality with meticulously chosen grapes harvested from the Napa region only.

“Napa Valley is known for its vineyards. It has volcanic soil which stresses the vines in the right amount, thus creating small, tight, and well structured berry clusters filled with concentrated flavors,” says Lawrence’s wife Nieves.

She continued: “Since we have lived and worked in the Napa Valley for so long, we are quite familiar and knowledgeable about the variations in the Napa Valley including its climate, soil make-up, and terrain. That’s why we prefer grapes from Napa region.”

After months of experimenting, Lawrence and Romel finally released their own label – offering 350 cases of 2001 Merlot in 2003.  It was a huge success as evidenced by “Top Red of the Year” award given by Hi-Time Wine Cellars.

Their next release was 600 cases of 2002 Merlot, which was rated at 91 by Wine Spectator, and followed by 400 cases of 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon.

This year’s release included 600 cases of 2003 Merlot (awarded a score of 92 from Wine Advocate) and 400 cases of 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (rated a 91 by Wine Spectator and an 89+ by Wine Advocate). They plan to release 160 cases of 2003 Petite Shiraz soon.

Recently, Corte Riva launched its wine label in the Philippines at the Petra & Pilar by bringing in several wine varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Mabuhay, among others.

Corte Riva’s 2005 Merlot exhibits a deep concentration of fruit flavors such as blackberries and black cherries with a big, thick, and juicy mid-palate, full of undeniable succulence.

On the other hand, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon has a sweet nose of dark chocolate, blackberry, and cassis with a hint of fresh Earth in opaque bluish purple color. It is so ripe, dense, and full-bodied with soft tannins.

But their best-seller is the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Mabuhay, deep ruby-colored wine with full-bodied fruity flavors with hints of black cherries, coffee, and chocolate. It has a silky texture, with voluptuous finish. Sweet aroma of licorice, cedar, and currant fills the air as one opens a bottle.

With each bottle sold, Romel, Lawrence, and Nieves know that they have finally realized their American dream through bottles of wine. While they can just sit down and sip wine, they know that their dream has just started.

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For more information, call Corte Riva vineyards at (707) 665-5698; cell no. (707) 696-2367 or visit www.corteriva.com.