Brilliant Business People: Exclusive Interview with Mover and Shaker Nova McCune Cadamatre on the 2010 Vintage Releases of Emma Pearl Our Coverage Sponsored by Marcony Restaurant
Nova McCune Cadamatre
Marcony is one of the premier Italian venues to dine at in Manhattan located at 184 Lexington Avenue between 31st and 32nd streets in the Murray Hill neighborhood. It is multi-level, offering two private dining areas, outdoor seating, and an intimate low-ceiling bar. Their stellar fresh seafood in particular is ideal for dining this summer and everything we have ever eaten at Marcony impresses us immensely. Equally breathtaking is the decor: painted white and blue with dark wood and chrome accents, the space suggests a small yacht cruising around the Isle of Capri, where owner Marco Pipolo hails from. Marcony has been highly recommended by Whom You Know:
and recently it has gained acclaim for its outdoor area, one of the best in Manhattan:
And, it was not lost on Peachy that it has one of the most amazing chandeliers in the city:
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If you are too busy to go to Italy this summer, you will feel like you went to Capri when you dine at Marcony on the island of Manhattan! We believe you will love it too.
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Previously,
Nova McCune Cadamatre has been featured as a Mover and Shaker:
We are absolutely thrilled to present Nova as our latest Brilliant Business Person and she is the first in the wine industry we believe to have an encore interview on Whom You Know!
Here are our reviews on the 2010 Vintage:
We knew Cornell was a premier Ivy League school with an awesome hockey team but not until we met Nova did we know it also produces excellent winemakers. For her entire biography, read her Mover and Shaker piece. We also congratulate Nova in advance on her bundle of joy still in the oven counting the days until birth then the 21st birthday!
Peachy Deegan interviewed Nova McCune Cadamatre for Whom You Know.
Peachy Deegan: How has your winemaking career progressed and has it met your expectations?
Nova McCune Cadamatre:
My career has progressed rather quickly for this industry so I’m very excited about where I am and what I’m doing now. It has definitely met and exceeded my expectations but I think it’s proof that if you’re willing to learn and work hard you can succeed!
How did you come up with the beautiful name and design of Emma Pearl?
We really wanted to create a brand that captured the feeling of classic elegance. You know, the Breakfast at Tiffany’s type of feel. Initially we just wanted to call the brand “Pearl” and have a very simple label. The concept of the classic string of pearls and pearl earrings (which are my most worn accessory!) was what we really wanted to capture but once we found out that it was too generic of a name we decided to go deeper. We literally named the brand using baby name books to come up with a name that was timeless and elegant. Once we started thinking about the name Emma we knew it was the perfect fit!
The label transitioned from a white label to the Emma blue through a series of design changes. We looked at several concepts but ultimately one of the white labels had this pretty blue border and we said “what would it look like with the whole label that color?” Thus Emma blue was born and the design of the brand flowed from that. It really has been one of those wines where everything fell into place and the team all had a clear concept of what we wanted to do with it.
How many barrels does Emma Pearl Produce with a typical harvest?
Because we have such a low oak profile we actually don’t use that many barrels. I keep at least 70% un-oaked and stored in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fruit flavors and freshness. A better measure is cases and for our first harvest in 2009 we produced 18,000 cases between the Chardonnay and the Merlot. In 2010 we grew closer to 24,000 cases.
Are they stored in caves and how far underground are the caves?
Oh, I wish we had caves! They are so amazing. The winery currently uses humidity and temperature controlled rooms above ground to store our oaked portions of the blend. It gives us better control over all the variables to ensure the wine is aged to the best of our ability.
What were your expectations for the 2010 vintage and were they met?
I think, as a winemaker, you always have good expectations for a vintage. You never want to go into a vintage saying “This year I would like to make a worse wine than I did last year!” It just doesn’t make sense. My goal is always to make a wine that captures the essence of the vintage and the 2010 Emma Pearl Chardonnay and Merlot both accomplished that. It was such a cool year with one significant heat spike in September but otherwise it was perfect for ripening fruit for flavors and quality without building a ton of sugar in the grapes. I prefer wines with lower alcohols so I’m always excited for a vintage that gives me both that and great flavors like 2010. The colors were amazingly dark as well and that really shows in the Merlot with its vibrant purple hue!
How do you believe the 2010 vintage compares to its competitors and past vintages of Emma Pearl?
The 2010 vintage was a great vintage for restrained styles like Emma Pearl. The cool season allowed for great acid and intense colors and flavors. This is most apparent in the Merlot where the color is darker than the 2009 was. The flavors are a bit more intense than 2009 as well.
Any plans to launch other varieties of wine?
We are looking at other varieties but we can’t spoil the surprise right?
What is the most challenging aspect of being a Winemaker?
You only get one shot a year to get it right! If you’re a chef and you have multiple opportunities to perfect a dish. If you mess one up you throw it away and start over. You could make the same dish year round! As a winemaker, you have only one opportunity during harvest to get everything right. If you make a mistake, you live with it for the entire year until you get another shot. It really makes you pay attention and be detail-oriented to what is happening to your wine during the fermentation.
What is your favorite kind of wine?
I love so many different types but Champagne has to be my ultimate favorite with Riesling and Pinot Noir taking a tied close second.
What do you see as your next move professionally as a Winemaker?
I’m focused on making Emma Pearl the best wine it can be and seeing where it goes. As far as what is my next move? I try to take opportunities as they come. That’s how you get the most out of life!
What region is the best for up and coming new wines?
As far as the US goes I think NY and VA have some opportunities to make great wines. Internationally Chile has really roared on the stage and Europe, particularly Spain and Italy, is starting to reinvigorate the traditional regions with new young winemakers and fresh ideas so I think they will again become a force on the international stage.
Have you been able to work in any harvests abroad since we last interviewed you?
Not yet! I’m still looking forward to that though.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you at a cocktail party?
I told a lady a few months ago at a party that I had made the wine she was drinking. She screamed “SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!” because she was so excited. I had never heard anyone use that saying outside of a TV commercial and nearly laughed my head off.
Who would you like to be for a day and why?
I’d love to be someone who helps people after a natural disaster. I always feel like we should give something back to the world and really would love to volunteer for the Red Cross at some point to help people rebuild and try to reclaim their lives after disasters. So many things have happened recently from earthquakes to tornadoes and hurricanes. If everyone could give some time we could really make a difference.
If you could have dinner with any person living or passed, who would it be and why?
I would love to have dinner with my great grandmother, Ruby. My grandmother always says I take after her and she was such an amazing woman who started a business in the middle of the great depression and turned it into a huge success that supported her family through that tough time. I’d love to talk to her about her courage and business savvy.
Other than Champagne Wishes of course, what is your favorite Whom You Know column and what do you like about it?
The Patriotism section. I think it’s fantastic that you highlight American-made products and services! It’s a great go to.
Have you drank The Peachy Deegan yet and if not, why not?
Not yet. It’s currently not on the west coast where I live and when I was in NY a couple of weeks ago I wasn’t able get a chance to try one.
What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
I love flowers and love to garden. My yard is currently a garden in progress but the bulbs I planted last year are out and it’s so exciting!
How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
Follow me on Twitter @NovaCadamatre or via my website www.novacadamatre.com
