the cult of gorman

After a frenzy of holiday shopping on Friday afternoon, I began the slow trek from Bellevue Square to Woodinville in order to spend my night on the other side of the table (pouring wine for others...as opposed to drinking it).

My friend Chris Gorman, owner and winemaker at Gorman Winery, decided to have an impromptu VIP party on Friday night for customers picking up their pre-orders. Having volunteered for his previous events, Mr. Gorman asked if I would be free to pour for a few hours that evening. Naturally, I obliged since the only thing more entertaining than going wine tasting is being the one who pours those tastes.

I arrived to the winery at quarter after 5 to discover that there were already a few guests relishing. Chris, who opens his winery doors about as frequently as Willy Wonka opens his chocolate factory, is a very amenable and considerate bloke who would never deprive anyone of his wine and force them to stand in the blustery cold to wait until 6 sharp. I relieved him of his wine pouring post so that he could prepare for the evening and proceeded to make small talk with the early birds. My favorite thing about volunteering is the mood. There is a definite sense of cheer lingering in the air. Really, how can you be anything but merry when ambling about and partaking of delicious wine for hours on end?

It was at that moment that I was struck by a previously elusive holiday spirit. I stood behind an over-sized table with my arms wrapped around myself and soaked in the surrounding environs: through the winery window I could see the dark and crisp night sky and pavement delicately iced with frost. Within the winery, Winger Christmas music alternated with John Lennon and Frank Sinatra varieties issued forth from speakers. Poinsettia centerpieces lined a side table and a cozy mirth hung in the emptiness of the front room as I patiently waited alone for the evening to begin.

Individuals and groups began trickling in in full force the moment the clock struck six. Before I met him a year and a half ago, one of my friends in the industry was giving me the breakdown on many of the Woodinville winemakers and mentioned that Chris Gorman had achieved an almost cult-like status. His infrequent openings coupled with the fact that he is almost always out of his wine only solidify this fact. Due to the aforementioned, when he does finally open his doors, he can turn a party out.

Droves of people descended upon me with their glasses outstretched and I cheerily poured them their first tasting—Gorman’s 2008 Big Sissy. This Chardonnay is clean, smooth and balanced, made of grapes from Connor Lee Vineyard and is aged in 100% new oak. The room rapidly went from vacant to thronging and I instructed the guests that my friend Kim and I were pouring three other wines. Mr. Gorman was tucked away within the bowels of his winery (in the back corner of his barrel room) pouring his 2007 Bully and reserve 2007 Albatross, both of which will be released in March, 2010.

Chris is nothing if not a perfectionist. He presents himself as low-key and laid back, but holds himself to the highest possible standards of winemaking—his ultimate goal being to create a 100 point wine. And he’s getting there: he has already received respectably high marks on all of his recent wine releases. Wine Spectator gave The Evil Twin (Syrah-Cab blend) 95 points and the Pixie (Syrah) 92 points. Wine Enthusiast awarded Zachary’s Ladder (a Bordeaux-style table wine) 91 points. Needless to say, his winemaking skills are not going unnoticed. I do believe in hype, but feel strongly that Gorman’s wines speak for themselves: they are all robust, complex, heady and delicious.

Don and Sandy (the parents) were holed up throughout the evening in the winery’s small side kitchen. These two darling folks can be found slaving away at nearly every party their son hosts. Every so often, Sandy shuffled back and forth between the glass washer and the front room and Don tended to the oven—replenishing canapés and cheese. They worked quietly and constantly until the last revelers left before they finally allowed themselves to relax and partake in a glass of wine.

As the evening progressed, guests became increasingly livelier. One entertaining and handsome gentleman brought a bottle of his brother-in-law’s acclaimed Kosta Browne Pinot Noir to share with Mr. Gorman and a select few other revelers. He even ferried me a taste of the Albatross since I was too busy to make it to the back room myself. Other guests included Stanley Tucci’s doppelganger, a warm couple from up North with whom I spoke about various stand-up comedians, and a lively and amiable man I quickly began referring to as Uncle Tom.

8 o’clock came and went and still there were a handful of merrymakers enjoying the extravaganza. Despite my aching legs, I didn’t mind their lingering. I love that sense of camaraderie amongst fellow wine tasters: People who came alone were immersed in conversation with other couples and it seemed as though everyone already knew everyone else. Shortly before 9, the last of the crowd had dissipated and I was finally able to decompress. My friend Renee stopped by after finishing up at Darby down the way. She, Don, Sandy, Kim and I gathered around the table to enjoy some wine, appetizers and stories with Mr. Gorman. He even shared with us what he considered to be his worst wine: a 2003 Pixie which, while no where near as amazing as his current wines, was considerably better than the Carlo Rossi I may or may not have consumed in my early and pecuniary college years. Not wanting to prevent him from resting before Woodinville's rowdy St. Nick's weekend, I made my rounds and gave everyone hugs before finally making my way into the foggy, quiet night.