Boz Scaggs, Cultivating Reds While Singing Blues

Anh-Minh Le, Special to The Chronicle

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Q: How long have you owned the property?

 A: We bought our property in 1995, built a small house, and planted a garden and vineyard. It's a perpetual work in progress. But it's also extraordinarily beautiful here.

Q: How do you use this space?

 A: Entertaining, hanging out, just enjoying the view. You can't see the vineyard from the porch, but you can see the garden. I don't garden, but Dominique does; I cook.

Q: Do you have an easy entertaining dish?

 A: It seems like almost every spring and summer evening starts with a glass of our rosé and some tapenade on toast. The recipe is Lulu Peyraud's - from "Lulu's Provencal Cookbook" - and the olive oil is from our olive trees.

Q: How did you get into the wine business?

A: We got into the wine business purely by accident, but it's been a good one. Our initial vineyard planting - a small plot of Syrah - put us on a path we've been following ever since, more seriously now than ever. We're making wine that we're quite proud of.

Q: What varietals do you produce?

A: We planted classic southern Rhone varietals: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Counoise. We make two wines from them: a 100 percent Grenache rosé and a red blend of all four varietals that we call Montage.

Q: How much time do you spend in Napa?

A: I spend what time I can here - when I'm not on the road or in the studio. My wife, Dominique, spends almost all of her time in Napa. In addition to the beauty of these hills and the seclusion they afford, I love the proximity to urban life while still being a world away from it.