June 11, 2003

Winemakers who cook
Grapes and mischief go into every bottle

Wells Shoemaker attended medical school at Stanford, and in 1975, after completing his pediatrics residency, began a practice in Watsonville.

In that same year, in a shaded, redwood canyon two miles from the beaches of Aptos, Shoemaker and partner Dave South opened Salamandre Wine Cellars.

Looking back to that time he says, "The pleasure in seeing a fine wine safely through to bottling will never parallel the joy of seeing healthy babies go home with loving mothers, but the hours are more humane, and wine smells better. It’s also hard to carry babies to the beach, the mountains, and the desert without lugging a lot of extra stuff."

Shoemaker is also an accomplished writer, having written collections of children’s stories and a children’s medication handbook for parents.

Most notably, in 1992 he co-wrote "The French Paradox and Beyond," with Lew Perdue and Keith Maton. The book explores the medical benefits of a French Mediterranean way of life and how Americans can improve their health and decrease their risk of heart attack through moderate wine drinking.

His wine newsletters contain original poems, sometimes serious, sometimes for fun.

From the 2002 winter newsletter:

"Cleopatra’s servants dutifully fanned her/
But she never tasted a red Salamandre/
If you’re in need of tasteful carousin’/
We’re ready to pour the wines of 2000."

Wine descriptions are entertaining:

"2000 Menage a Trois.

We blended equal parts of 2000 Primitivo, Merlot and Syrah after a year of barrel age, then left these lovers unchaperoned in a dark corner of the winery for another year.

They not only made friends; they had time to indulge each other’s most intimate fantasies of delicious expression."

Shoemaker is now the medical director of the 200-member Physicians Medical Group of Santa Cruz.

"I write huge amounts of material that leaves relatively little quarter for humor, although sometimes it just leaks out," he says.

As the years have passed, the harmony of nature, mischief, food, and wine have led to some successful experiments with back-country cooking, heavily featuring Mediterranean themes.

Another of Paul’s passions is fishing in Monterey Bay. This recipe for Chinook (King) salmon is an old favorite.

RIGATONI WITH GORGONZOLA, WALNUTS, AND MUSHROOMS

Crisp a half onion and 2-4 sliced garlic cloves in 4-oz olive oil. Add 6 oz. Chardonnay (or water if you can’t bear it)

Add 2 packets of Knorr Alfredo Sauce mix. You’ll want to make it coat a spoon but drip off with a creamy gloop gloop. Add water if you need to.

Add 6 ounces mushrooms (you can go to heaven if you use dried wild mushrooms — expensive but lightweight and ethereal flavor.)

Turn down heat and add 6 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese and stir until dispersed. Lick your fingers and grin.

Crumble in a generous handful of walnuts.

Salt and modest black pepper to taste.

Simmer for 20 minutes. This brew needs frequent stirring, so the cook should receive an extra glass of Salamandre Primitivo and lots of encouragement. Add water to maintain consistency.

When the sauce tastes perfect, stir in an ounce of bourbon and keep the pot warm.

Boil one pound of Rigatoni pasta (about 12 minutes), and don’t distract the cook.

Mix it all together and feast.

Perfect with Salamandre Primitivo or Pinot Noir.

Serves 4

Salamandre Cellars hosts private tasting in the winery. To get on the invitation list, call 685-1860 E-mail: newt@cruzio.com. Website: www.salamandrewine.com

Contact June Smith at rsvwine@pacbell.net

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