Winemaker Merry Edwards has more than a few fans here in the NorthBay biz office—and we’re not alone. After all, what’s not to love about a truly classic Pinot Noir?
Edwards has been making wine for nearly 34 years, beginning as a college student fermenting fruit wines in the early 1970s. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physiology and a master’s in food science (with an empahsis in enology), Edwards set forth, bent on making a name for herself in the (then male-dominated) wine industry. Boy, did she succeed.
Today, Edwards is known as both a scholar and an artist. Her pioneering work with Dr. Harold Olmo of UC Davis in the 1980s helped establish the importance of clonal differences within varietals, and her Merry Edwards Wines earn raves from, well, everyone who’s ever tasted them.
Have you ever had a premonition that actually came true?
I met my husband, Ken Coopersmith, on a rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Even though he lived in Idaho and we were only together for one week during the trip, I had a dream on my trip home to California. In the dream, I was wearing a cream-colored wedding dress, and Ken and I were getting married. In fact, we were married less than one year later; I wore a cream-colored, silk wedding dress made by my sister, Marcia. We just celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary.
What possession or item in your office has special significance for you and why?
I have a painting on my wall done by my son, Ben, when he was studying Monet in art class in junior high. It’s beautiful.
What stresses you out?
I’m a perfectionist, so the hardest thing for me is trying not to stress out the people who surround and support me. I try to look at their jobs and understand that their learning process sometimes requires small errors.
What time do you usually wake up in the morning? Do you need an alarm?
It depends on the time of year. In summertime, I wake up naturally with the light at about 5:30 a.m. At other times of the year, I set my alarm at 6 a.m., so I can make it to my Bikram yoga class by 7 a.m.
What would you like to be doing five years from now?
I hope to be spending a bit more time snorkeling in warm foreign climes.
What’s one fashion trend you hope never comes back?
Bell-bottoms.
What’s something you consider too daring to try?
As a Taurus, I like to keep myself grounded. Horseback riding is a sport I’ve enjoyed, but bungee jumping or skydiving would be too far out of my comfort zone. Whitewater rafting is about as daring as I get.
What’s the most unusual food you’ve ever eaten? How was it?
Tempura baby rattlesnake, coiled to strike. It tasted like tough chicken and felt very weird to eat. I kept imaging it was actually striking.
What’s your favorite question to ask?
When people ask me, “Of all the wines in your portfolio, which is your favorite?,” my question back to them is, “Do you have children?” If they answer yes, it becomes obvious to them that they’ve answered their own question. My wines are like my children.
What’s your favorite question to answer?
“What’s the best wine you’ve ever made?” My answer is, “I hope I haven’t made it yet!”
What’s your earliest memory?
My earliest memory is of an accident involving my younger sister, Marcia, when I was less than 4 years old. She was in a stroller at the top of steep steps on our front porch. My mom got distracted trying to hold onto the carriage handle while locking the front door. She let go of the handle, and the carriage rolled down the front steps. My sister glided out on only the stroller’s mattress pad and arrived unharmed in the middle of the street.
Who was your favorite teacher in school, and for what subject?
I’ve had many fine teachers, but the one I may admire most was my advising professor, Dr. Maynard Amerine at UC Davis. He was an icon of the wine industry, and I felt privileged to be his last graduate student prior to his retirement. He talked me into completing a double thesis research project for my master’s degree—and then gleefully explained to me that one would have been sufficient after I had successfully completed both. It was difficult for a young woman to enter the industry as a winemaker back in the 1970s, but he was my tireless supporter.
