Fun and Game at Hunter Hill
By Laura Ness

Lest any of you wonder whence came the name Hunter Hill for that particular vineyard and winery on Glen Haven Road in Soquel, cast aside all doubt. These people are hunters of the first primordial order. From Winemaker Vann Slatter and his indelible wife, Christine, to sons Sid and Matt, they all enjoy the thrill of the chase and the resulting feast. And such a feast do they prepare. Their annual Wild Game Feed conjures up thoughts of Medieval rituals and ancient celebrations of the hunt that have been with us since we gave up eating plankton and krill, and came ashore to evolve into more interesting food groups.

Hunter Hill, in fact, was named after the Slatter’s beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Hunter, who passed on to the great bird bay in the sky about five years ago. Her muzzle still graces the Hunter Hill label and business cards. But all is not lost in the dog department: there is another CBR named “Dynamite,” who works birds to the name of “Mighty,” and does the label’s tradition proud.

Hunter Hill: Deep Roots

The modern day Slatters are construction wizards, having owned Santa Cruz-based Slatter Construction since 1985. They were responsible for rebuilding much of downtown Santa Cruz after the earthquake in 1989, and today are hard at work at various commercial and residential projects, and are close to completing installation of the Double Shot Ride at the Boardwalk. Construction may be in their blood, but in their souls they are first and foremost, hunters. Sure, they are also farmers, with over 3,000 vines to tend, but you have to eat, don’t you? And what is better to go with a stiff upper-lipped estate Merlot than a brace of dove or a side of boar?

Chris’s grandparents bought this place in 1904, when there were plenty of wild boar in the mountains, and began planting apple orchards on the wonderfully hilly slopes, with a marked tilt to the south and west.

“We’ve owned this land for 100 years now,” Chris says, with a great deal of deserved pride. “And we’ve always been stewards of the land.” Her grandparents raised six children on this spot: she’s subsequently raised two sons, a husband, and at this juncture, several thousand grape vines.

The vines came courtesy of Vann’s observation that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea that Chris’s 80-something year old uncle was defying gravity on the steep orchard hills with his tractor. It was obviously fine soil to grow fruit, but maybe it could produce something more profitable than apples. So they began planting Merlot in 1990, followed by Syrah. Hope springs eternal! Recently, they’ve grafted about a thousand Merlot vines to Pinot Noir, a variety much more suited to the climes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. They eagerly await their first Estate Pinot, much as they anticipated the birth of their first grandchild.

What’s on the Menu

The idea for The Happy Hunter Wild Game Feed, held this year on April 2, 2005, evolved from Sid Slatter’s love of barbecue and cooking in general, combined with the entire family’s passion for hunting game, from the Central Valley to Alaska to Mexico. Sid is President of Slatter Construction, so he has a full-time day job. But he also has a passion for food, and is affectionately known as “Chef Sid” whenever he dons the apron and begins his magic. In true chef’s fashion, he began preparation for the game feast days in advance, making a special port reduction sauce from Hunter Hill port that worked wonders on much of the menu.

This splendid April Saturday afternoon was blessed with warm sunshine, fresh breezes, fleecy clouds, wild flowers and Iris galore, and a fully budding hillside vineyard, brimming with the promises of Merlot. The game portion of  the equation featured:

• Moosicles, from Alaska: skewered strips of Moose tenderloin – bigger than you can even imagine - and quite flavorful, if a bit chewy. But then, moose do look kind of tough, don’t they?
  
• Elk Chili, from a friend in Montana, who brought it to California in his cooler while on a duck-hunting trip (barter is alive and well). You haven’t ever had chili like this!
  
• Wild Boar Carnitas, from a ranch in Gonzales: grilled and served “Po’ Boy" style, with rolls and coleslaw.
  
• Venison Meatballs, from a buck Sid shot on Mt. Hamilton. Chris made the meatballs and then served them in Sid’s port reduction sauce with a splash of Lodi Zinfandel.
  
• Dove Breasts Wrapped in Bacon, from Mexico, taken on a hunting trip that included practically the entire family. The birds flew back in little coolers on the airplane.
  
• Duck Breast Marinated in Apple and Soy, from the Slatter’s last hunting trip to Gustine, in the California’s Central Valley, where they belong to the Gustine Gun Club.

Wine With Game

Such a feast demanded lots of liquid refreshment, and the selection was highly appropriate to the task.

The Hunter’s Blend, a fine blend of Pinot Noir from Carneros and Sonoma Coast, with a dash of Lodi Zin, is ideal for pairing with game. It was a Gold medal winner in the 2004 Santa Cruz County Wine Competition. The estate Merlot handles venison and elk quite deftly, and the Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel is a must for the boar and the moose. If you’re planning a game feed, consider these wines worthy of your table.

MMMM, you look good enough to eat, takes on a new meaning when you’ve seen perfectly fileted elk, moose, dove, and wild boar sizzling over the coals. Thankfully, I’ve never been up close to a live wild boar, and I would love to see a moose, except not in my swimming pool, and I’ve been close enough to elk to appreciate their powerful beauty. They look magnificent in the flesh, and their flesh is absolutely earthly. In fact, game tends to reflect terroir in the same way as does estate-grown wine. A visit to the Slatter family at Hunter Hill, will make you appreciate how much they appreciate the distinctive flavors of the game they hunt to stock their freezers and the wines they make to fill their cellars.

If you’re lucky enough to be a club member at Hunter Hill, you’ll receive an invitation to the Wild Game Feed slated for April 2006. Otherwise, you’ll just have to go out and bag your own.

Laura Ness is a long-time Santa Cruz Mountains resident, journalist, wine enthusiast, and educator, who enjoys writing about wines and the fascinating people who make them. You can email her at Highperf@got.net