让人既爱又恨的葡萄酒 餐饮达人的心声

There are many wines that are much beloved -- and a few that are notoriously reviled. Silver Oak Cellars Cabernet happens to be both. It's incredibly popular, especially among patrons of American steakhouses. It's also a running joke among certain oenophiles who regard it as the choice of vinous rubes.

有很多葡萄酒深受人们喜爱——也有些酒饱受非议。Silver Oak Cellars的解百纳(Cabernet)碰巧都是。这款酒非常受欢迎，特别是在美国牛排餐厅。在有些葡萄酒爱好者看来，这款酒却一直是个笑话，他们认为嗜酒的乡巴佬才会选择。

I first experienced this peculiar dichotomy a dozen years ago at the late Veritas restaurant in New York. I'd spent the better part of a week following the Veritas wine team -- Tim Kopec, Eric Zillier and Joshua Nadel -- around for a magazine story. The crew was one of the best in New York, as was their wine list, which was deep in selections from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone, and also featured lots of expensive California Cabernets. It was Silver Oak alone that provoked Scott Bryan, the restaurant's chef at the time, to make a sort of mocking salute whenever the sommelier carried it through the kitchen and into the dining room (which was fairly often).

我最早体验到这种奇怪的矛盾现象是十几年前在如今已经关闭的纽约Veritas餐厅。那周大部分时间我都跟着Veritas的葡萄酒团队——蒂姆·科佩茨(Tim Kopec)、埃里克·齐利亚(Eric Zillier)和乔舒亚·纳德尔(Joshua Nadel)——到处跑，为的是给杂志写一篇稿子。这个团队是纽约最棒的，他们的酒单也一样，都是从波尔多(Bordeaux)、勃艮第(Burgundy)和罗纳河谷(Rhone Valley)精心挑选的酒，还有很多昂贵的加州解百纳。单单Silver Oak惹着了当时餐厅的主厨斯科特·布莱恩(Scott Bryan)，每次品酒师拿着酒穿过厨房去餐厅时，他就会做出某种嘲笑的手势。

The gesture was certainly tame compared with some of the less than flattering names I've heard applied to Silver Oak over the years. ('Silver Joke' is one of the more printable ones.) I can't think of another wine that has elicited such vitriol, even though there are plenty of other ubiquitous and rich California Cabernets that would seem to be equally fair game: Jordan, Caymus and Opus One, to name a few. Why was Silver Oak singled out?

和我多年来听过的对Silver Oak不那么讨喜的某些评价（“Silver Joke”是其中能上台面的评价之一）相比，这个手势肯定是无伤大雅。我想不出还有哪款葡萄酒遭到过如此恶毒的评价，即便还有大量随处可见的昂贵加州解百纳似乎也差不多：比如Jordan、Caymus和Opus One。为什么偏偏Silver Oak被拎出来了？

I posed the question to Mr. Zillier, who left Veritas almost 10 years ago. He is now the customer-relations manager of SevenFifty Technologies, a New York-based online wine buying resource for retailers and restaurateurs. One of the reasons that Silver Oak Cabernets (the winery produces one from Napa and one from Sonoma) are reviled, said Mr. Zillier, has to do with the upfront oak and fruit. He said it's an unchallenging, obvious wine 'for people who think they know a lot about wine.' How did he envision a Silver Oak-loving type? 'It's generally someone who is confident and conservatively dressed,' Mr. Zillier said.

我向10年前离开Veritas的齐利亚提出了这个问题。他现在是纽约SevenFifty Technologies的客户关系经理，该公司专门为零售商和餐厅提供葡萄酒网上购买资源。齐利亚说，Silver Oak的这两款解百纳（一款产自纳帕谷(Napa)，一款产自索诺玛(Sonoma)）之所以评价不好，一个原因和用的橡木和葡萄有关系。他说这是一款“对自以为很了解葡萄酒的人”来说毫无挑战性、平淡无奇的葡萄酒。那他是怎么看喜欢Silver Oak 葡萄酒的人的？齐利亚说：“一般是自信而且穿着保守的人。”

I've been in wine shops across the country that won't sell Silver Oak, the same way that a cool indie bookstore might shun Danielle Steel. One such retailer in suburban Dallas, who didn't want to be identified for fear of alienating his Silver Oak-drinking friends, explained that he stocked many more interesting wines. Gary Fisch, owner of Gary's Wine shops in New Jersey, which sells a good amount of Silver Oak Cabernet, said he thought that dislike of the wine was a bit of a bandwagon phenomenon. 'Silver Oak is the wine that's sexy to hate.'

我去过全美各地不愿意卖Silver Oak的葡萄酒行，这些酒行不卖Silver Oak就跟一家很酷的独立书店不会卖丹尼尔·斯蒂尔(Danielle Steel)的书一样。达拉斯郊区就有一个零售商解释说他存了很多更有意思的葡萄酒。他不愿意透露姓名，怕疏远喜欢喝Silver Oak的朋友。新泽西州的Gary's Wine葡萄酒行有很多Silver Oak解百纳出售，老板加里·菲什(Gary Fisch)说，他觉得对这款葡萄酒的厌恶有点像是从众效应。他说：“不喜欢Silver Oak是很酷的一件事情。”

The winery's aging process is a possible factor in the Silver Oak controversy. Unlike just about every other Cabernet made in Napa Valley, Silver Oak is aged in American oak, which adds sweet notes of vanilla and, some even say, coconut. (Silver Oak makes its own barrels.) The more commonly used French oak is far more subtle, with spicy aromas.

Silver Oak的陈酿过程可能是该酒遭到争议的一个因素。与其他所有产自纳帕谷的解百纳不同的是，Silver Oak是在美国橡木桶里陈酿的，从而增加了香草的甜味，有些人甚至会说有椰子味。（Silver Oak自己生产木桶。）更常用的法国橡木桶更精致些，有辛辣香气。

And yet Silver Oak also has a large, and very passionate, following. The winery produces just under 100,000 cases of their two Cabernets annually, and their tasting room has won raves from amateur drinkers and wine professionals alike.

不过Silver Oak也有一大群非常热情的粉丝。Silver Oak的两款解百纳每年产量不到10万箱，而酒庄的品酒室赢得了包括业余和专业人士在内的葡萄酒爱好者的盛赞。

Silver Oak Cellars, founded in 1972 by Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer, was one of the few serious wineries in Napa 40 years ago. Its earliest Cabernets bore a 'North Coast' appellation, suggesting the grapes had been sourced from all over the northern part of the state. It wasn't until 1979 that the winery produced a Napa Cabernet. (A 1977 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet came out before.)

Silver Oak Cellars于1972年由雷·邓肯(Ray Duncan)和贾斯汀·梅耶(Justin Meyer)创立，在40年前的纳帕谷是少数几家正经的酒庄之一。其最早的解百纳标着“北海岸”产区的标签，表明葡萄来自加州北部各个地区。直到1979年才生产纳帕谷解百纳。（1977年出过一款Silver Oak亚历山大谷解百纳( Alexander Valley Cabernet)。）

Silver Oak Cabernet sells well all over the country, but thanks to its big, ripe flavor profile, it's particularly successful in steakhouses. It's a regular top-seller at Empire Steak House in New York and at Del Frisco's steakhouses across the country. Jessica Certo, sommelier of Del Frisco's in New York, said that she couldn't keep Silver Oak in stock. 'We sell out of every vintage,' she said.

Silver Oak解百纳在全美各地销量不错，但由于其浓郁成熟的口味，在牛排馆里尤其畅销。它在纽约帝国牛排餐厅(Empire Steak House)和全美各地的Del Frisco's牛排店经常是最畅销的葡萄酒。纽约Del Frisco's牛排店的品酒师杰西卡·塞尔托(Jessica Certo)说，店里存不了Silver Oak。她说：“每款年份酒都卖光了。”

It was as if the wine simultaneously existed in two different worlds. I wondered if the winery's owners were aware that their Cabernet was such a lightning rod. I called David Duncan, Silver Oak's CEO and president, to ask his thoughts on the chatter his wine inspired. 'I know there were a couple of somms in Texas who were saying some things,' said Mr. Duncan, sounding unfazed.

就好像这款酒同时存在于两个世界里。我在想酒庄的老板们是否意识到他们的解百纳成了这样一个众矢之的。我致电Silver Oak首席执行长兼总裁大卫·邓肯(David Duncan)，询问他对自己的葡萄酒引起的争议有何看法。他说：“我知道在得克萨斯州有几个品酒师在说三道四。” 他听起来泰然自若。

I was surprised to learn that an anti-Silver Oak sommelier could get a job, let alone rise to a position of influence, in the steakhouse-centric Lone Star state. Mr. Duncan said that Texas was one of the winery's most important markets, along with California and Florida. In any case, he said, 'We're not interested in what a few people say. I really don't see it as that big of a deal. We have tens of thousands of customers who like our wines.' Could the oak's sweetness be too much for some people? 'We produce wines that people like,' he said.

得知在以牛排馆为主的得克萨斯州，反感Silver Oak的品酒师竟然能找到工作，我感到很意外，更意外的是他们竟然还能升到有影响力的职位。邓肯说，得州是酒庄最重要的市场之一，还有加州和佛罗里达。他说，无论如何，“我们都对少数人说什么不感兴趣。我真的觉得没什么大不了。我们有成千上万喜欢我们葡萄酒的客户。”橡木的甜味对有些人来说是不是太重了？他说：“我们生产人们喜欢的葡萄酒。”

Older vintages of Silver Oak Cabernet, which tend to show less overt oak, also have a few of their own fans, and foes. The winery's production was much smaller back in the 1980s -- it made about 30,000 cases per year of both Cabernets, less than a third of today's output.

较早年份的Silver Oak解百纳往往橡木味没那么重，这些酒也有一些自己的粉丝，当然也有人不喜欢。1980年代，酒庄的生产规模比现在小得多，这两款解百纳每年的产量约3万箱，不到现今产量的三分之一。

Ariana Rolich, an American- and Spanish-wine buyer at Chambers Street Wines in New York, is an aficionado of the old Silver Oak, and has several like-minded customers who, she notes, are quite different from lovers of the new wines (which Chambers Street does not stock).

纽约Chambers Street Wines 酒行负责采购美国和西班牙葡萄酒的阿里安娜·罗利克(Ariana Rolich)是传统Silver Oak葡萄酒的拥趸，她说有很多跟她志同道合的客户，他们跟喜欢新式酒的人很不一样。Chambers Street不卖新式Silver Oak葡萄酒。

'People are surprised when they see the bottles in our store,' Ms. Rolich said when I mentioned my own shock at seeing them during a recent visit. 'Sometimes I have to gently take the bottles out of customers' hands when I realize they expect them to taste like the Silver Oaks they know.' Right now the store has a selection of Silver Oak Cabernets from the 1970s and '80s, and one 1998 wine, all of which the store purchased from individuals.

最近去Chambers Street时我看到了以前的酒。看我表示震惊，罗利克说：“人们在我们店里看到这些酒都很惊讶。有时我不得不轻轻地把酒从顾客手里拿过来，因为我意识到他们期望这些酒的味道和他们所知道的Silver Oaks一样。”目前店里有70年代和80年代的Silver Oak解百纳，还有一瓶1998年的酒，都是从个人手里收购而来。

What does Ms. Rolich recommend the new Silver Oak lover buy instead? 'Probably the White Cottage Cuvee or a Matthiasson red,' she said, naming two small, cultish California producers. Although White Cottage winery has since closed, the makers of Matthiasson would probably be surprised to hear their wine was considered to be a Silver Oak alternate. 'I might also suggest a younger Rioja, since they use American oak in Rioja, too,' Ms. Rolich added. 'Essentially you have to give them the most luscious wine that you have.'

那么对于喜欢新式Silver Oak葡萄酒的人，罗利克推荐买什么呢？她说：“White Cottage Cuvee或者Matthiasson红葡萄酒吧。”她提到的是两家小规模的小众加州生产商。虽然White Cottage酒庄已经关了，但听到自己的酒被认为是Silver Oak 的替代品，Matthiasson的酿酒师应该会感到惊讶吧。罗利克说：“我可能还会推荐比较年轻的里奥哈(Rioja)，因为他们在里奥哈也用美国橡木。起码应该把你手里最香甜美味的葡萄酒给他们。”

Although I'm a fan of wines that are luscious, I've never been fond of an overt use of oak. I last tasted Silver Oak many, many years ago. In fact, it was the first wine I was able to identify blind -- I was given a glass at a Vermont resort and told to guess its identity. I got it on my first try. I wanted to see what I thought of it today.

尽管我喜欢香甜美味的葡萄酒，但我向来不喜欢橡木味太重。我上次尝Silver Oak是好多年前。事实上，这是第一款我能够盲品出来的酒——我在佛蒙特州(Vermont)的一个度假村时，有人让我尝了一杯，让我猜是什么酒。我一口就猜中了。我想知道现在我怎么看这款酒。

So I bought a bottle of 1982 Silver Oak Alexander Valley ($106) and the 2008 and 2009 vintages of both the Napa and Alexander Valley wines ($110 and $60, respectively). (Silver Oak releases its wines much later than most California Cabernet producers, who are on their 2010 and 2011 vintages.)

于是我买了一瓶1982年的Silver Oak Alexander Valley（106美元），还有2008年和2009年产自纳帕谷和亚历山大谷的年份酒（分别为110美元和60美元）。（Silver Oak比大多数加州解百纳生产商推出葡萄酒的时间都晚，他们现在都在推2010 和2011年的年份酒。）

For my tasting, I invited a couple I know to join me. The husband was a Silver Oak-loving fellow who had even visited the label's property long ago. I offered them dinner, too -- steak, of course.

我邀请了一对认识的夫妇和我一起品酒。丈夫喜欢喝Silver Oak，很久以前甚至参观过酒庄。我还请他们吃了晚餐——当然是牛排。

The results could be summed up by that word that frustrates all wine drinkers: inconclusive. While I'd been impressed by how well the 32-year-old 1982 Alexander Valley Cabernet was holding up, with a still-firm acidity, soft tannins and a brown-sugared apple sort of fruit, my Silver Oak-loving friend was of a different opinion. He's used to lots of young, luscious fruit, and thought it was 'too old.' The fruit was faded and the notes were more earthy.

结果可以用那个让所有葡萄酒爱好者沮丧的词来总结：没有结论。我惊讶于32年陈酿的1982年Alexander Valley Cabernet能够保持得如此之好，酸度依然稳固，单宁柔和，红糖煎苹果般的果香，但我那位喜欢Silver Oak的朋友看法不同。他习惯浓郁的未成熟葡萄的甘甜果味，觉得这个“太老了”。这款酒的果味淡了，更具泥土芳香。

We were all pleased by both of the 2008 Cabernets -- the wife's and my favorite was the more restrained Alexander Valley, while the husband liked the Napa, which was a bit richer and more full-bodied than the Alexander Valley bottling. None of us much cared for the 2009 wines, which were both much oakier, the fruit sweeter and more overt. The 2009 Napa bottling in particular was decidedly young, but also tiring to drink -- it was sweet, with over- the-top ripeness. 'And it's certainly not cheap,' the wife said of the $110 price tag.

我们对两款2008年的解百纳都很满意——我和那位妻子最喜欢比较内敛的亚历山大谷，而那位丈夫喜欢纳帕，味道比亚历山大谷浓郁，酒体更饱满。我们都不太喜欢2009年的酒，橡木味都比较浓重，果味更甜也更明显。2009年的纳帕毫无疑问很年轻，但喝起来也很无聊——很甜，成熟的过头了。那位妻子评价这款110美元的葡萄酒说：“肯定也不便宜。”

However sexy it might be to hate Silver Oak, I simply found that I couldn't. Maybe it was because I was surprised by how well the 1982 wine showed at such an advanced age, or maybe it's because I've had much worse wines. Or maybe just because it went so well with the steak.

无论对Silver Oak表示反感显得多酷，我发现我还是做不到。也许是因为我对那瓶1982年的酒过了这么多年仍然保持得这么好感到惊讶，也许是因为我尝过更糟糕的酒。又或许只是因为它和牛排是绝配。