It is impossible to imagine any more extraordinary feat in the wine industry than the one we will discuss today. Our guest is among the most humble, soft-spoken, unassuming, and unpretentious winemakers you will ever meet. But don't let his low-profile demeanor fool you. He has accomplished something that no mortal winemaker would ever dare to dream. Early in his career, his pursuit of perfection led to an accomplishment nearly every winemaker dreams of happening once in a lifetime. However, in the years to come, he would defy all odds not once or twice but a mind-numbing 22 more times, shattering records and raising the bar so high that reaching his career mark would be akin to climbing Mount Everest three or four times in a single day. OK, well maybe we are being a touch hyperbolic where metaphors are concerned. Nonetheless, what our guest has accomplished is the kind of thing that would make any documentarian salivate uncontrollably. In this very rare interview with winemaker Mark Carter, founder of Carter Cellars, you will hear a story of unrivaled greatness so profound that it will leave you speechless, which is why the only way to do this story justice was to ask Mark to share his story in his own words. Receiving a perfect 100-point score for one of your wines is the single highest honor that any winemaker can receive, and it is particularly extraordinary when the wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon from the legendary Napa Valley in California, where there is no fiercer competition. When Mark Carter received his first perfect 100 points score, it wasn't from just any wine critic. It was bestowed upon Mark by the most respected and revered wine critic in the world, none other than Robert Parker, the man responsible for creating the very same scoring system that skyrocketed Mark to superstardom. But that first honor would wind up being just a warm-up for a string of 22 more 100-point scores. David says that every time he reconnects with Mark, it's just pure madness; that's because the pace at which Mark continues to earn perfect scores is unrelenting. David says, "He just makes it look so easy! And the hundred-point wins are just part of the story. Mark's Herculean accomplishments in winemaking eventually became the driving force behind his decision to take on the whiskey industry, which is absolutely on fire right now, with some producers now selling extraordinary products for literally thousands of dollars a bottle. In just a few short years, Mark has become one of America's elite whiskey producers. It seems like there's just nothing Mark can't do." Maybe the most exciting thing about Mark Carter's story is that he is proving to the world that, in terms of quality, there is a lot more upside than most of us realize. Ultimately, Mark proves that no matter how good we think wines and whiskey are today, we can count on them being significantly better in the coming days. And though you might say this is all good, who can afford hundred-point wines? Well, that question may be best answered by visiting Mark's website, where you'll discover that Mark sells wines considered perfect for just a fraction of what you would expect to pay for hundred-point wines. For this and so many other reasons, you absolutely must listen to this edition of Grape Encounters radio. You will never think of wine or whiskey the same way again. This is perhaps the most significant episode of Grape Encounters we have ever presented. Be sure to share it with your friends! This episode of Grape Encounters Radio is brought to you by Total Wine & More. Find what you love and love what you find at TotalWine.com!
