Mike Trujillo & Sequoia Grove Winery
By Bob Bickell

"With all of our wines, what I am aiming at is balance and varietal character. I have never gotten carried away with that big, high-alcohol wine trend that seems to influence much of our industry these days. I just want richness and balance, from start to finish. I believe in varietal expression, I want you to taste the grape." ....Michael Trujillo

I knew going in that Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa is something very special, and I knew the outstanding reputation of Napa Valley's Sequoia Grove. My "job" this particular evening was to have dinner (at Bern's Steakhouse) with the President and Head Winemaker at Sequoia Grove, Mike Trujillo. The challenge was to sample the great wines of Sequoia Grove and the great steaks of the much revered Bern's Steakhouse, and if it gets any better than this, please let me know.

Bern's has one of the best wine lists in the world - some 6,800 selections, and some half a million bottles. What's amazing is that they offer many old and rare bottles at extremely reasonable prices. At a time when most American restaurants think nothing of a 300% markup, the prices on Bern's famous list are of the 1950s variety. The steaks, dry-aged for up to eight weeks, are trimmed and cut once you order, and broiled over lump hardwood charcoal and they are indeed something special.

So many of us dream about opening our own restaurant - it sounds like the perfect life, and it's so easy to do. It's actually so easy that most people quickly discover that their best dream has turned into their worst nightmare. A secondary dream has to be living in Napa Valley, and of course, becoming a player in the wonderful world of wine. The wine thing is a bit more complicated, but actually, every bit as dangerous as opening a restaurant. There are some 400 wineries in the Valley along with some 625 wine-grape growers. To say the very least, the competition is intense and the so-called "players" know what they're doing.

The Sequoia Grove Winery sits on 22 acres right in the heart of the valley floor in an important region referred to as the Rutherford Bench. Here the alluvial soil, rich in minerals, combined with the fog from the bay, mingling with the warm inland temperatures create the ideal location in terms of producing their award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon.

Mike got into this business by accident (or so he says). Accidents do happen, and it is true that he was studying engineering at Colorado College, but he just happened to have a family friend by the name of Jim Allen, and Mr. Allen just happened to own an entity called Sequoia Grove that was basically a small grape grower in Rutherford, growing mostly cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay grapes. And while Michael was still engufled in engineering, Jim hired him in 1982 to help plant the vineyard and build the winery. The "engineer" applied his knowledge of chemistry and mechanics to the wine industry, and basically never left the farm. He even acquired a winemaking certificate from the University of California, Davis.

Allen retired in 2001 and sold the brand to Kobrand Corporation, a marketing company which had been a partner since the mid-1980s and remains an owner today. Mike proved himself with his new-found passion, and was soon to become Sequoia Grove’s president and director of winemaking. He wasted little time in making a dramatic decision to immediately improve the quality of his already successful cabernet sauvignon. In addition to improving the quality of the grapes, he reformatted his signature cabernet sauvignon wine that through 2006 included two versions (Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and a Reserve version) into one. The two were combined in 2007 which (according to Michael) "became a richer, more complex wine with more layers, and a lot more going on." The ingredients were more costly, but Mike made the decision not to raise his prices. His signature wine became even more successful, and the results speak volumes for his somewhat risky decisions.

We spent several memorable hours in the very memorable Bern's Steakhouse. We all talk so much about passionate owners and chefs of our restaurants, and I'm here to tell you that folks in the wine business are no different in this regard (and perhaps even more so). Wine making is an art, and it's very serious business. Just sitting with a professional such as Michael Trujillo is a reminder of the intensity and again, passion, which is what it's all about. And, I will admit, there is an element of enjoyment tasting great wine and dining at a superb restaurant. It's all part of the job.

Vineyard: Sequoia Grove
Wine Category: Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, & 3% Petit Verdot
Region: Napa Valley, California
Price: $35
www.sequoiagrove.com

Bob Bickell is the Publisher of Restaurant Report.