SacBee: DarrellCorti

Interesting article on DarrellCorti in today's SacBee:
SacBee:DarrellCorti

The article does a great job of capturing the Darrell that many of us know and love. Darrell likes to call himself just a "grocer". But he is way more than that. His knowledge is encyclopeadic. First and foremost, he's an educator. He's also an old fossil...he does not have an e-mail. He does not use the internet. I wouldn't be surprised that he doesn't have a cell phone.
Not only is his knowledge about things food & wine vast, he 's knowledgeable about any subject you care to mention.
He used to be invited to the F&W magazine Aspen Food & Wine Festival (which I quit attending when they stopped inviting Darrell). He was giving a tasting/seminar on Spanish brandies. We were already 15 minutes over the time limit and late for the GrandTasting. Somebody asked him about the label on an old Spanish brandy. Darrell launched into a lecture on old Spanish paper production methods for another 15 min. The audience was spellbound...no one got up to leave until he finished his lecture.
When I used to attend Aspen, we'd rent a condo and do our own winemaker dinners. One night, we had both Darrell and PaulDraper over for dinner (I did chucroute garni...a bit underdone...."Tom....these potatoes are not cooked" Darrell loudly upbraided me about). It was fascinating to sit there, into the wee hours of the morning, and listen to Darrell and Paul, two intellectual giants of the wine world, discuss topics that ranged far and wide.
He once came to NM to hold court at a SloFood festival on...get this...aspargras. He lectured us for over an hour, whilst the food & wine was waiting to be served, on the origins of aspargras...including details on its oderiferous component you notice the next morning. Again...everyone was spellbound.
When I stop by his grocery store in Sacramento, he immediately grabs a shopping cart and then starts walking me up and down the aisles. "You have to try this, Tom", delivered with a few-minute lecture on the wine's background. When he's done, despite my protests, I have a full shopping cart of 2-3 cases of wine.
He'll usually invite me to dinner at his home, usually w/ CharlieMeyers/HarborWnry joining us. Once, after everyone had departed, we sat and visited on subject far-ranging until 3:00am that next morning. I had an 8:00am appointment that morning with MarcCapelli at Swanson in the NapaVlly. I made it with some 15 minutes to spare. It was a verrrry long day.
After one such dinner, I wrote up my notes on the wines we had and posted them to the Net..."A Dinner At Darrell's"...with the usual admonition on the subject line..."long/boring". I made a hard-copy and sent it to Darrell. His sister, Ila, saw it sitting on his desk (a desk that looks like the aftermath of the Chilean quake). She then saw the "long/boring" and was absolutely incensced...that anybody whould characterize a dinner w/ Darrell as "long/boring" and instructed Darrell to never have me for dinner again.
A very special man to many of us. Worth a trip to Sacramento just to experience Darrell.
Tom

One time he had me over to his home for dinner. Before we started eating, he had us all sit down at the table w/ a fork and small appetizer plate in front of us and a note pad. He then brought out this large serving platter and then...get this...started opening cans of....canned tuna...for gawd's sake....and laying them out on the serving plate. I gave Darrell this puzzled/quizical look. "Try them and write down your impressions" he sternly admonished me.
Of course, the (canned) tuna was something else...not your SeaKisst or ChickenOfTheSea stuff. He had just returned from Portugal and was considering importing the various AsDoMar canned tuna. Terrific stuff..and now pretty widely available.
Tom

Gretchen's Corti FaceBook Page

Wow, Tom. And Darrell's not even dead yet!

Like most people that have come in contact with DC over the years, I have a couple of stories to relate. He's the kind of guy that generates lots of stories, for sure. A passionate and committed man who lives his life with full fervor and an almost manic intensity---and a truly wonderful thirst for knowledge, about everything.

My first Corti 'initiation' was when we judged together at a wine festival in Washington. In one of the confabs that occurred when we were not judging---and I can assure you that some fabulous conversations occur in those moments--- we started talking about various grappi. (This was before the current gentrification of grappa as a super-trendy and super-expensive beverage.)

We all had information....but Darrell had bell, book and candle on grappa and its various and sundry traditions and manifestations, of course. We got thoroughly vetted on grappa that night---without actually having any grappa, unfortunately. But we had a university level thesis on it.

Later, at a session announcing the judge's decisions on which wines were awarded medals, Darrell and I stood resolutely unified when we chose a wine to champion, and were criticized because it wasn't a Chardonnay, but a particularly well made Chenin Blanc (less prestige in Chenin Blanc, you see.) Darrell was only slightly withering and acerbic in his comments to those criticisms ('slightly", that is, if you knew Darrell).

[Jenise]

Tom, such have been your admiring stories over the year about Darrell, that when I placed an order with them via the internet several years ago and Darrell called to ask a question, I felt like a giddy teenager hearing from Elvis.

I've had a couple of interactions with Darrell over the years. The first time was probably back around 1986 or so. I had wandered into his store at Fruitridge and Freeport (this was back when Corti Bros had four or five stores around Sacto). I was looking for a bottle of Spanish wine that I'd had at a restaurant. This guy came up to me in a white coat and asked if he could help me. I asked him if he carried the Marques de Vee-a-man-ya. The first thing he told me (rather sharply) was that it is pronounced "vee-la-mag-na". He then spoke at length about Spanish wines. I was a bit taken aback but also interested.

A number of years later, my mom and I were at his current store. She wanted to get a bottle of sweet wine and told Darrell she was looking for "Port or some other dessert wine". Darrell's reply (again very sharp): "Port is NOT a dessert wine!" He then gave us a mini-lecture on the proper way to serve Port and what to serve with it, if anything. This was my mom, for chrissake! I was a little put off by this and thought I might really not like this guy all that much no matter what he knows.

And then last year, I had the opportunity to talk at length with him about home winemaking. It was a very constructive talk, with Darrell making a strong point that home winemakers should not even attempt to make the next Mouton or Screaming Eagle. They should focus on making wine that tastes good. And he talked about his ideas on how to go about that. I came away thinking I really do like this guy no matter how much he knows.

I've had a couple of interactions with Darrell over the years. The first time was probably back around 1986 or so. I had wandered into his store at Fruitridge and Freeport (this was back when Corti Bros had four or five stores around Sacto). I was looking for a bottle of Spanish wine that I'd had at a restaurant. This guy came up to me in a white coat and asked if he could help me. I asked him if he carried the Marques de Vee-a-man-ya. The first thing he told me (rather sharply) was that it is pronounced "vee-la-mag-na". He then spoke at length about Spanish wines. I was a bit taken aback but also interested.
A number of years later, my mom and I were at his current store. She wanted to get a bottle of sweet wine and told Darrell she was looking for "Port or some other dessert wine". Darrell's reply (again very sharp): "Port is NOT a dessert wine!" He then gave us a mini-lecture on the proper way to serve Port and what to serve with it, if anything. This was my mom, for chrissake! I was a little put off by this and thought I might really not like this guy all that much no matter what he knows.
And then last year, I had the opportunity to talk at length with him about home winemaking. It was a very constructive talk, with Darrell making a strong point that home winemakers should not even attempt to make the next Mouton or Screaming Eagle. They should focus on making wine that tastes good. And he talked about his ideas on how to go about that. I came away thinking I really do like this guy no matter how much he knows.

Yup...Mike....Darrell can be very assertive...abrasive...downright obnoxious at times. He is not one to suffer fools gladly.
I've also observed him dealing w/ wine salesmen whose wines he didn't like...not a pretty sight.
That would be our Darrell.
Tom

I've also observed him dealing w/ wine salesmen whose wines he didn't like...not a pretty sight.

Tom

I might actually pay to see that!

I might actually pay to see that!

I'm not a big fan of wine reps...regard them as one (small) step above used car salesmen.
But I actually felt kinda sorry for the guy.
Tom

I might actually pay to see that!

I'm not a big fan of wine reps...regard them as one (small) step above used car salesmen.
But I actually felt kinda sorry for the guy.
Tom

Broad brush. Heavy tar on it.

I used to be a wine rep, Tom. 'Course, I wasn't always overly fond of some of the assholes I had to deal with either.

I'm not a big fan of wine reps...regard them as one (small) step above used car salesmen.
But I actually felt kinda sorry for the guy.
Tom

Broad brush. Heavy tar on it.
I used to be a wine rep, Tom. 'Course, I wasn't always overly fond of some of the assholes I had to deal with either.

Of course, Hoke. Very broad, lots of tar.
Some of my best friends are wine reps. And some are very/very knowledgeable.
But I'm also continually being apalled by the ignorance of many of them. Sometimes, I'll ask them a
question and I'm certain they're just makin' up stuff. Sometimes I'll hear them telling things that I know to be
dead wrong. I usually just let it go by. Sometimes I feel like they're just wantin' to sell me a btl of wine, not because they
want me to have a good wine experience, but because they have a quota to make. There's all kinds out there. Which kind is
the majority I've no idea.
Tom

Point is, you could say exactly the same comments about buyers...and retailers. And restaurateurs, for that matter.

I have met buyers who were so appallingly ignorant it was breathtaking. Buyers I've had to tutor to get them to realize basic facets of their job, much less their basic wine knowledge. Buyers who had no business whatsoever being in the business, and were incredibly bad at it. And buyers who were arrogant beyond belief, and seized upon the occasion to berate and belittle and abuse the wine rep simply because they were clients and they could get away with atrocious behavior like that.

There's ignorance and pure mercantilism at all levels in this business.

Heck, I've even known more than a few so-called wine writers and critics that knew a hell of a lot less about what they were opining on than they pretended to have. And so have you. (And no, people, that wasn't a back handed jibe at Tom; he knows I respect his wine writing and his knowledge.)

Point is, you could say exactly the same comments about buyers...and retailers. And restaurateurs, for that matter.
I have met buyers who were so appallingly ignorant it was breathtaking. Buyers I've had to tutor to get them to realize basic facets of their job, much less their basic wine knowledge. Buyers who had no business whatsoever being in the business, and were incredibly bad at it. And buyers who were arrogant beyond belief, and seized upon the occasion to berate and belittle and abuse the wine rep simply because they were clients and they could get away with atrocious behavior like that.
There's ignorance and pure mercantilism at all levels in this business.
Heck, I've even known more than a few so-called wine writers and critics that knew a hell of a lot less about what they were opining on than they pretended to have. And so have you. (And no, people, that wasn't a back handed jibe at Tom; he knows I respect his wine writing and his knowledge.)

Goodness gracious, Hoke......I bet you could even say the same things about....computational physicists!!!!
You are, of course, right.
Tom

For Northern Californians, Daryl is participating in a forum/interview on March 21 in a local bookshop. I can't remember which one but rememmber it being in Midtown. Free of charge.

For Northern Californians, Daryl is participating in a forum/interview on March 21 in a local bookshop. I can't remember which one but rememmber it being in Midtown. Free of charge.

I think it's Time Tested Books. He's in conversation with Elaine Corn, a local food writer.