For two hours, Sharon Kazan Harris and I laughed and chatted as if we had known each other for years. In reality, this conversation was our first. Sharon is the sole Owner and Director of Winemaking at RARECAT Wines, a company that produces single vineyard, small production wines using Old World vinification techniques, based in St. Helena, California. Sharon, who oversees all facets of wine production in Napa, Bordeaux, and Champagne, is the only American vintner producing estate wines in Bordeaux and Champagne. Her story is empowering and accomplishments many. Sharon admitted that her biggest challenge was graduating with honors from the Université de Bordeaux’s famed D.U.A.D. program, a technical oenology diploma taught in French.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to discover her story and sip two beautiful wines, those she called “social elixirs”, one sunny afternoon in Chicago.
Photo Credit: www.rarecatwines.com
RARECAT Tour – Connecting with a Purpose
Sharon’s visit to Chicago was the fourth stop of a whirlwind driving tour (yes, she drove!) of 24 cities across America. The purpose? She wants to “use wine to implement change” so that people can “find trust in each other”. Through private and corporate events, Sharon demonstrates that wine is a powerful tool to raise money, to network with others, to bridge the gender gap, and to celebrate and promote diversity. Clearly, wine is a “common thread” that “puts people at ease”, stated Sharon. Her desire is to “use wine to leave the world a better place” and build a strong community. Thanks to her superb wines and exceptional social skills, she’s doing just that. Our conversation was lively and I was excited to catch up with her when the road trip ended.
Soon after she returned to California, we talked on the phone. Sharon admitted that people were amazed that she spent so much time on the road; her efforts truly “mattered to people”. She met people who were “kind and generous” and who were truly open to giving back. With Sharon at the helm of one event, for example, $110K was raised for charity.
Photo Credit: www.rarecatwines.com
Sharon was quick to mention that she had time to play, too. She found the best French fries at Pop’s for Champagne in Chicago and her new favorite dive bar is Fred’s Lounge in Lake Charles, Louisiana. But wait! Sharon located the best barbeque at Elsie’s BBQ in Kansas City, her favorite lobster rolls in Boston, and the best eclectic pairing ( think Pringles, caviar, and oysters) at Maxwell’s in Washington, DC. This smart powerhouse knows how to make the road trip work!
RARECAT Wines
Sharon explained that a rarecat is “a woman of rare beauty” and her wines should be considered “temptresses”. Throughout her multi-city journey, she received accolades from winelovers who consider RARECAT wines those of utmost quality with elegance and balance… at a fair price. I felt the same.
Photo Credit: www.rarecatwines.com
Our first pour of the afternoon was RARECAT St. Emilion Bordeaux 2014 ($55), a wine that Sharon feels as if she’s “going home” with each sip. The world-class vineyard has been owned and farmed by the same family for over three generations. Sharon’s access to this iconic vineyard is the result of friendships dating back decades. Fresh, with classic acidity and velvet-like tannins, elements of minerality, juicy cherries, and rich red fruit were concentrated and ever so textured. This elegant blend consists of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc cultivated in limestone sub-soil in a 1.5 hectare vineyard located in the Villemaurine secteur of St. Emilion. Fermented in cement tanks, then in barrels for 18 months and bottle aged in France, I was in Bordeaux heaven…
Next, Sharon poured RARECAT Old Toll Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 ($115), a glorious wine from fruit cultivated on a steep hillside in Calistoga AVA. With just a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the blend, a palate profile of fresh blackberries, eucalyptus, and wet stone, framed with bright acidity and well-integrated yet powerful tannins, was stunning. Aged separately in French oak barrels for 20-22 months then blended and bottled for two years before release, this wine will clearly start your conversation – it certainly added to ours!
Among the RARECAT portfolio are a Rosé, French Sparkling, and Champagne. The Old Toll Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Emilion Bordeaux, and Champagne are available by club membership and allocation only, but the Rosé and French Sparkling are available on the website. Please click here for more information.
I am lucky; I am living my passion. Wine puts me in contact with amazing people and brings me endless joy and laughter. Sharon Kazan Harris
By the time Sharon and I ended our initial chat in Chicago, we realized that I was already late for another event and she would barely be on time for hers! But in those two hours, we started a fascinating and meaningful conversation, enjoyed a new-found friendship, and noted that yes, wine is truly a social elixir that can bring about change to make this world a better place. Just ask Sharon Kazan Harris to do the pouring.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
Martha Mullen