Hand of God Wines and The VUDE

An excellent pairing

A confirmed traveler and food lover from Nebraska who lived in China at one time, Jon Staenberg has been around. In the early '80s while a student at Stanford University, he visited Napa Valley and fell in love with wine and the culture. In 2005, he had the same feelings for the wine (especially Malbec), mountains and beauty of Argentina. Seven years ago, he purchased land there in the Uco Valley.

Before purchasing the land, he reunited with a classmate. Jon and Santiago Achával met at the Stanford Business School, bonded through their love of wine, and stayed in touch over the years. They co-founded Hand of God Wines. "Santiago is the most awarded winemaker in Argentina," says Jon. "He has four of the five highest-rated wines from Argentina: two 99s and three 98s from Wine Spectator, and the highest-rated Argentine wine to date by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. He's been in the Top 100 six years in a row. He was named 'The Master of Malbec'."

The name "Hand of God" comes from the legendary 1986 World Cup soccer match between Argentina and England. Argentina won when the ball was knocked by hand into the goal, an infringement the referee did not see. When the player, Diego Maradona, was asked about it, he said it went in "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." In a world full of wine, Jon was searching for ways to differentiate what he and Santiago were going to do. "Soccer is a religion in Argentina, and this 'hand of God' moment is so memorable; it became our name. As for our wine, we're taking people who've been introduced to Malbec to a premium, very small lot Malbec. We make hundreds of cases versus thousands. And we're doing some blends that aren't recognized in Argentina at this time, like our Viognier with Marsanne and Roussane (being released spring of 2014). We have an Old Vine Malbec and a Malbec/Syrah/Petit Verdot blend. Like the name, our wine is memorable and uniquely Argentinian."

Sobremesa Vineyard, their estate vineyard established in 2007, was so named because it refers to the time spent with friends and family around the dining table after a meal. It is full of deep gravel beds and smaller fractions of clay, lime, sand and rocks. It was originally planted with Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Roussane, Marsanne and Sauvignon Blanc. They also have nearly seven acres of Syrah planted next to Sobremesa. In addition, they have old vine Malbec in Stolen Horse Vineyard. These vines were planted in 1922 and are still furrow-irrigated and plowed by horse as they always have been. The vineyard is not a prolific producer due to its age, but produces very focused fruit. Their wine has been on the market less than a year, and with the good reviews is already in 25 locations in Seattle. In addition, they are in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Las Vegas, Oregon, Montana, and California.

Jon has a background in tech startups and wanted to do something with wine and food. "I want to offer experiences," he explains. In June of 2012, he created The VUDE (Velvet Underground Dining Experience) in Seattle. "It's not a restaurant and I'm not competing with restaurants. It's a private club and event space that people join by signing up online. For the curated dinners, if you're not a member, you can't come to events. We offer a place where well-known chefs and rising-star chefs can come and try out their next idea or launch a new menu/restaurant. This is their canvas. And it's for foodies who love culinary experiences-we've done about 50 events and each one is completely different. I also think it's the best deal in town. The suggested donation price is inclusive of food, beverage, gratuity, and tax, and generally consists of 5-10 courses. The kitchen is open and members can talk to the chefs and winemakers. And it's here that I feel is the best place to experience the Hand of God wine and the brand. There is a lot of good wine in the world. But at The VUDE, with great food, great conversation, and some great story-telling, we believe our wine is elevated. Then it's truly the Hand of God that we imagined."

They also do private events: bar mitzvahs, anniversaries, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, New Year's Eve parties. They've had tango dancers, bands, DJs and movies. There are 50 seats and it's all about community-no private tables. "I love the creative process and want people to get to know each other over the table." The back wall is made of wine barrels from Walla Walla, and is signed by every chef who has cooked at VUDE.

When it comes to the saying "Eat to live or live to eat," Jon definitely falls in the latter category. He's used to tech startups that, hopefully, pay off big in the end. "VUDE is just another start up, but this industry is much harder. You don't make as much money. For me, that's not the motivator. I want to introduce the community to inspired food and wine."

Jon's plans for VUDE are fluid. "I want it to play out to its logical end. As long as it feels right, VUDE will be part of Seattle, and Hand of God Wines will play a part as well." All good news for us.

Hand of God Wines
308 9^th Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
206-855-5521
www.handofgodwines.com

VUDE
www.thevude.com

Connie Adams/March 2014