Abe Schoener on Temperature Control

Is Abe Schoener the most polarizing winemaker in the states? I think so. Plenty of people/drinkers (including Abe) find his un-shy wines undrinkable. But they are worth debating. And as their maker, so is he. For better or for worse, Abe is a thinker and there are few thinkers when it comes to wine these days and I'm eager to see what emerges from his chrysalis of invention. Is he experimenting? Sure. But he uses no adjuncts. He plays with natural but is so highly manipulative it is hard to call him low interventionist. Is it okay that there are fans out there who like his wines more than he does? Like Paul Grieco? Absolutely. Would I rather drink these massively alcoholic wines than, let's say, Vecina from Napa? Sure. Pass his cherry juice colored pinot grigio please, and the petite syrah has some redeaming social value. Last month, before I knew I was going to write about Abe, I knew that I had to meet him and I wasn't disappointed. I I took a series of Flips on a recent hook up in Abe's kitchen. Here he talks about his attitude on heating and cooling.