Herman Story Tomboy Viognier BYOB at Beachwalk Cafe
Hosting in-laws Pat & Rodger at The Cove, our Destin (FL) vacation rental, we dined at Henderson Park Inn Resort Beachwalk Cafe, on the deck watching the magnificent sunset over the waters of the Gulf (of America).
I’ve written often in these pages about Beachwalk Cafe, one of our favorite dining spots on the Emerald Coast that we frequent each time we in town including these past dinner visits:
Sunset dining at Beachwalk Cafe
Both of the men ordered the Snapper topped with lump crab meat, with Corn Truffle Risotto, Madeira Mushrooms, Matchstick Truffle Fries in a Citrus Beurre Blanc sauce.
I took from our remote Destin wine cellar, BYOB, this interesting aged, big, bold Rhône Valley varietal white blend from Santa Barbara County.
Herman Story “Tomboy” Viognier 2011
What a strange name for a wine label!?! Leave it to Paso Robles producer Herman Story, known for a whimsical, odd but creative branding strategy, with a broad portfolio of uniquely named labels such as Bolt Cutter, Casual Encounter, Milk & Honey and Nuts & Bolts, to release a label such as this.
Proprietor, winemaker Russel From explains on each rear label the brand name inspiration - “Herman Story was a Rancher, Logger, Swapper, Banker, Philanthropist, a teller of tales, and my grandfather ….”
The Herman Story website describes Winemaker/Producer …. “Before he was a winemaker, a self-proclaimed black belt, and an internationally renowned runway model, Russell always had a borderline-concerning obsession with great food and wine. After graduating from Cal Poly with a few winery internships (and a bunch of noise complaints) under his belt, he started Herman Story in 2001 with seven humble barrels of Syrah stashed in his employer's cellar.’
“What started as an homage to his grandfather grew into a lineup of the most boisterous, buckle-up-and-hang-on, Rhône-inspired wines on the Central Coast. Today, after 20+ years and a bunch more noise complaints, Russell hasn't lost a shred of his passion for wine, people, and perfectly seasoned ground beef. Off the clock, you'll find him whipping up salsa verde, floating the Salinas River, or trying to break the world record for longest distance pulling a Learjet 45 by beard.”
Russel applies his grandfather’s ‘teller to tales’ to his wines, with a story behind every label, for example:
The winemaker/producer’s tasting notes for his “On the Road Grenache” tell the story explaining the label name: “Driving up and down the Central Coast throughout harvest has it’s perks, sure I now know more places to find legit burritos than I ever thought possible, but aside from that I get to spend countless hours mulling over the best way to blend my Grenache lots.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate describes Herman Story (winery and branding) - “Readers looking for super-concentrated, extroverted, exuberant, powerhouse wines from California's Central Coast need look no further than the Herman Story estate. For those who love the wild side of Rhone varietals pushed to the limit (but not over), these are highly recommended. Moreover, prices are exceptionally fair for this level of quality."
With it’s whimsical label, I’ve held this bottle in our cellar for over a decade, waiting for the right opportunity to open this label, taking the branding inspiration into account. I brought this bottle to Florida to perhaps open with Linda’s girlfriends during their visit last month, and finally, set an occasion with Linda and her sister, “farmer Ned Long’s daughters”, for tonight’s dinner.
Russell’s Herman Story whimsical anecdotal story of this ‘Tomboy’ wine:
“I appreciate a sturdy woman, a lady who the wind isn’t gonna blow over. I also enjoy a woman with many layers; someone I need to take my time on to get to know properly. Once again, Tomboy floats my boat.”
“You only know one person who can get bucked off her horse, break a few ribs, ride fifteen miles out of the hills, and show up in time to deliver a doozie of a closing argument. Brown sugar hair in a tight bun, cinnamon power suit, working the small-town jury box with candied peach logic and irrefutable grilled pineapple evidence, smooth as butter and spice. By the end, she’s got at least three in tears, and after the verdict comes out, she’s back in the saddle, because she’s not going to leave those cowboys shorthanded.”
This 2011 Tomboy is a blend of Rhône varietals - 83% Viognier and 17% Roussanne, sourced from the Larner, White Hawk, Denner & James Berry Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. 250 cases were produced.
Our experience was summed up nearly perfectly by one reviewer who wrote - “Light gold color. Best Viognier I’ve ever had. Strong nectarine, honey, and buttered toast on the scent. Taste is tangy melon, followed by floral and earthy mineral notes, with a surprisingly spicy finish. So complicated.”
Russel describe an earlier vintage release of this label this way: “The 2009 vintage is a sturdy showing, indeed; a white wine that probably makes more sense to a red wine drinker than most red wines do. And multi-faceted is an understatement. This wine is so densely layered, it’s more likely to be recognized by MENSA than I ever am. It smells like crushed honeysuckle, wool shirts, lime zest, coconut, butterscotch, wood fire and pain perdue. It tastes like all of those things plus lychee, nectarine, white tea, thyme, orange marmalade and saltwater taffy. Actually, I stopped writing down what this wine tastes and smells like after an hour because my hand got tired. But mostly because I wanted to give it my full attention.”
