Locals find their way to success in winemaking industry

If you’re a parent, you have probably worried when a son or daughter chucked a four-year degree in science to strike out for something fun. Perhaps your beloved child wanted to tour Europe for a year, become a tennis coach or just surf a California beach before getting serious about a career.

For some, the fun choice — and the career choice — was wine.

Over the years, we have found a few people in the Annapolis area who have either abandoned a promising career to pursue winemaking or matched their skills as artists to create labels for wine producers.

Mark Davis, for instance, graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in chemical engineering. He found a good government job shortly after, but grew bored pretty quickly.

With his interest in chemistry, he started to make wine in his parents’ house in Bowie. He said it wasn’t very good but the fermentation experiment encouraged him to head to California. He did an internship at a small facility, which was satisfying enough to inspire him to apply to University of California at Davis. Two years later he was participating in harvests all over Napa Valley.

Promoted to winemaker in 2021 at O’Brien Estate Winery in Oak Knoll, Davis had the ability to make wine under his own label. He borrowed money from his parents to buy a half ton of grapes and he was off and running.

His label is Cobden Wini — a play off his parents’ middle names. If you’re going to abandon four years of engineering skills and your parents fund your dream, it’s a homage worth paying, right?

Today, the Maryland native makes about 600

cases at a custom crush facility using grapes from Russian River Valley, Oakville and Sierra Foothills. He loves pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, but he makes wines using other grape varieties for a handful of interested labels. His wife works with him.

He sells most of his products directly to consumers from his website or from a tasting room. His website is www. cobdenwini.com.

His wines are getting good reviews from major wine publications. Mark’s mother, Mary Davis, lives in Annapolis.

He isn’t the only local high school graduate to become interested in wine.

Elena Capousis, a graduate of Annapolis High School and daughter of Heidi and Nicholas Capousis, stopped in Paso Robles on a West Coast visit and came upon Vailia From, owner and winemaker at Desparada.

From offered Capousis a job during the pandemic despite her lack of wine experience. She stayed for a harvest and was then offered another position that capitalized on her art education. Pretty soon Capousis was on a team designing labels. She also helps with the harvest.

She said her father, a good friend of ours, gave her an appreciation for wine — to respect it and for the stories it can tell.

Capousis was also drawn to Desparada because of its use of terracotta amphora imported from Italy. A potter herself, Capousis was intrigued by the impact these clay vessels can have on a wine’s evolution.

She wrote to us in an email, “Winemaking is fascinating. It’s an intersection of science, craft, art and a little sprinkle of magic. I was able to draw a lot of parallels between winemaking and ceramics — both very alchemical and physical art forms that require meticulous attention to detail.”

Her label graced the

2021 Desparada Vela Sauvignon Blanc

from the Chelle Mountain Vineyard — a wine that scored an amazing 97 points from the Wine Advocate. We had to get our hands on the wine from an internet source and we’re thankful we did. It is a well-balanced and elegant sauvignon blanc with a lot of dimension and character.

Capousis said label art for each bottle comes from a group brainstorming session in which participants are encouraged to doodle what they feel when they drink the wine. Historically, they have chosen illustrations of women from old French paintings, but lately the focus has been a celebration of more figures and forms.

For more information, see www.desparada.com.

Jeff Baker, son of Mary Lou Baker of Annapolis, is also a label designer. He has created labels for Kosta Browne, one of the most respectable wine producers of California pinot noir.

Wine picks

Tenuta Frescobaldi Castiglioni Toscana IGT 2018 ($26). This was a recent crowd favorite at a party. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and the local sangiovese, it bursts with blackberry flavors with layers of licorice, cloves and black pepper.

Binomio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva DOC 2019

($52). A partnership of Inama and La Valentina, this beautifully textured wine uses an unusual clone of montepulciano to achieve a rustic quality and concentrated red grape flavors.

J.Lohr Flume Crossing Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($14). This is one of the most pleasurable and different sauvignon blancs we have tasted in a long time. Aged 30% in neutral acacia barrels, it offers a less acidic and tart personality than many of its competitors — it certainly isn’t for those who love their New Zealand sauvignon blancs. Classic grapefruit and citrus notes, but there is also a dash of spice and a load of palate richness.

Bracaia Il Tre 2021 ($25).

There is nothing complicated in this Tuscany blend of sangiovese, merlot and cabernet sauvignon — but, oh, what a pleasurable quaff to sip or share with a burger or slice of pizza. Lots of red fruit and mulberry flavors.