Winemaking surfer works with nature

What do surfing and winemaking have in common? Impulsive Mother Nature of course.

"Control is an illusion," said Oded Shakked, winemaker of Healdsburg's Longboard Vineyards, whose 2007 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc is our Wine of the Week winner.

Shakked, who's as passionate about surfing as he is about winemaking, said "surfing is part sport, part meditation and all working within rather than against nature. Winemaking? Pretty similar approach." Both surfers and winemakers, he said, are best at their craft when they respect the environment.

Shakked was born in Israel and grew up a hundred yards from the beach, just north of Tel Aviv. He surfed the Mediterranean before making countless trips along Europe's Atlantic Coast.

Shakked fell in love with wine in Portugal and found his way to California to study at UC Davis and pursue his two passions simultaneously.

Shakked said he feels at home in Sonoma County, where he's taken by the diversity of soils, the climate, and yes, the surf. He also appreciates the region's down-to-earth approach to wine.

"Relax," he said. "It's only friggin' wine. . . . Enjoy it with food you like and trust nothing but your own palate."