Over a year ago, while I was still the lead sommelier at Restaurant Gary Danko, I got a call from a gentleman asking me if he could stop by and taste his wines with me. He said he was in the neighborhood and could be there within minutes. The gall! Didn't he know that we were the busiest restaurant in town? Didn't he know that it took weeks to get a tasting appointment with me, and that suppliers were lining up to sell us wine? Furthermore, I had never even heard of these wines.
It was about 3:00 pm, my assistant sommelier had the day off, and I was swamped. I should have said no thank you to him, and put him off for some undetermined date down the road. That, after all, is what I nearly always did. I simply didn't have the time for impromtu tastings. But something in me that day said yes to the man on the other end of the phone. Surely I was procrastinating all of the paperwork that I had to do. But I remain very happy that I told him to come in...

A man showed up a few minutes later carrying a wine bag. He introduced himself as Joel Burnstein and said he was the owner/winemaker for Marilyn Remark wines. He explained that he made Rhone varietal wines from different vineyards in Monterey county. As we tasted the 3 wines that he brought, I ignored my phone that kept ringing. He showed me his marsanne, his syrah, and his grenache. At the time I wasn't looking for any new wines, the cellar was overfull, and I certainly didn't need anymore Central Coast Rhone varieties. But I was blown away by the wines, and I bought all three on the spot. All three were enchanting, varietally-correct, and delicious wines. All showed sumptious fruit with the telltale earthiness that is inherent in Rhone varieties. All three were beautifully balanced and had a long finish. I was smitten from the first sip.
As Joel was getting ready to leave I asked him where the name Marilyn Remark came from and he told me that Marilyn Remark is his wife. He said that it sounded better than Joel Burnstein. Agreed.
Recently, I had the pleasure of tasting Joel's wines for a second time at the Monterey Wine Festival.
He was showing the 2003 Roussanne and the 2002 Grenache. Both wines were stunning. These are wines of exceptional quality made in tiny quantities. They are worth seeking out.
Perhaps the other reason I like the Marilyn Remark wines so much is that Joel Burnstein is one of the most unassuming people I have ever met. He is an ex trader for the Pacific Stock Exchange, but he doesn't really have a fancy wine resume. He studied enology at Fresno and worked at Jekel. When I asked him, "Why Rhone varieties?" He said that he and his wife went to France in 2001 and tasted a Chateauneuf-du-Pape that blew his mind. Excuse me, in 2001? I mean most wine epiphanies happen for people years & years before, not just a few years. Joel Burnstein is incredibly refreshing.
There is no attitude and no pretense with him. He is honest and sincere. And he is humble, a trait that is rare in the wine business. Even the address on Burnstein's business card is modest- Salinas- not exactly the Beverly Hills of winery locales. What I really like about Burnstein is his focus and commitment to what he loves- Rhone varieties. That and the fact that I gotta love a guy who names his winery after his wife.