Food & Spirits

Hillary J. Stevens, Creator of The Naked Grape – New Breed of Winemaker

Cash for your car

Winemaker Hillary J. Stevens knew at an early age that she had a love for agriculture and science.  Her first job at a winery coincided with her studies at Oregon State University, where she earned her Bachelors Degree in Food Science and Technology. She discovered her passion for winemaking, and the rest is history.

Hillary J. Stevens, creator of The Naked Grape Wines

Hilary is a new breed of winemaker. As creator of The Naked Grape portfolio of wines, Hillary set out to create wines that capture the true essence of the grape’s natural characteristics. She utilizes vineyards that have developed its different varieties over decades, so she is able to use the best grapes and let their different fruity essences shine through.

As a sustainable winemaker, she has seen to it that every aspect of her operation works in accordance to highly sustainable standards.

We spoke with Hillary about how this all came about in her life and found out about the uniqueness behind her brand..

LA’s The Place:  What was your earliest exposure to the winemaking business and how did you know it was for you?

Hillary Stevens:  Growing up in Oregon gave me some wonderful exposure to the wine industry.  I worked in cellars and vineyards assisting with vine training and planting during the summers while studying at Oregon State University.  It’s experiences like these as well studying the science of wine that truly solidified my passion for winemaking.

LATP:  How would you say your approach is different from other winemakers before you?

HS
:  I have so much fun making wine.  I love tasting different grapes, getting my hands dirty in the vineyard and of course, enjoying the bottled results!  To make The Naked Grape wine, I focus on the grapes and make sure that the freshness and wonderful flavors of the grapes on the vine shines through in the glass. The result is fresh, honest wine that pairs best with the food you like to eat!

LATP:  What type of practices do you employ to run your operations in a sustainable manner?

HS:  I really believe that sustainability is the simplest, most natural way of preserving the land where we grow, and in turn, the natural flavor of the grapes.  All our wines are crafted at a sustainable winery and we’re continually working to improve operations to further minimize our impact on the environment.

LATP:  I understand you age your wines in steel barrels. Do you also use oak?

HS:  Yes, we do use some oak, but in my quest for creating wines that show the beautiful fruit found in the vineyard, I like to only use just enough to enhance the wine and not overpower it.

LATP:  How do you bring out the different flavors of the fruits in wines?

HS:  That’s the beauty of The Naked Grape – the fruit speaks for itself. I’m constantly in the vineyards, tasting the grapes for optimal ripeness and flavor. I want to make sure they are truly picked at the peak of perfection, and the fruit flavor shines through from grape to glass.

www.TheNakedGrapeWine.com

Recently, The Naked Grape was featured at a winemakers dinner at Santa Monica’s Rustic Kitchen Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen. It was a perfect pairing for The Naked Grape, as the restaurant is a local, sustainable eatery, which offers a regularly changing menu of Farmers’ Market-inspired dishes with ingredients that come from local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen who practice sustainable agriculture. The dishes at Rustic Canyon draw their influences from all over the Mediterranean.

Hillary presented her four mainstays with these wonderful dished from Executive Chef Evan Funke:

The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio, which was paired with Crispy Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Goat Chees and mint.



The Naked Grape Chardonnay
, which was paired with Beet and Brurrata celery, apples, walnuts, honey romsemary vinaigrette

The Naked Grape Pinot Noir was paired with Fried cauliflower garlic, parsley, capers, bread crumbs, -reggiano and Ricotta gnocchi Duck Ragu, Parmigiano

And finally, The Naked Grape Cabernet, paired with  Jidori chicken  with spring vegetables.

www.thenakedgrapewine.com

Rustic Canyon Winebar and Seasonal Kitchen
1119 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
P. 310.393.7050

About the author

Jane Emery