He Finds His Veritas in Vino and in Politics

The Politico

By Aoife McCarthy
January 24, 2007 06:23 PM EST

Rich Schlackman has two labels. Politicos know him well as one of the country's premier direct mail consultants. But it is also no secret that he is a connoisseur of wine.

Schlackman, a partner in the firm MSHC Partners, is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants and also serves on the Great Capital Wine Network of San Francisco. MSHC's client list includes four Democratic presidential hopefuls and the Napa Valley Vintners Association.

A New York transplant, Schlackman, 55, has resided in northern California since 1974. Despite living in one of America's most wine-obsessed regions, his love affair with the grape did not start until the early 1990s.

"I thought wine was either Manischewitz or Boone's Farm, so I didn't understand why everyone cared," Schlackman says. That all changed when his old college roommate opened an Italian Pinello and a Williams Selyem Pinot Noir. "I just fell in love with the whole thing." Throwing himself in, Schlackman read everything about wine he could get his hands on and took wine classes to learn more about his newfound passion.

Although he appreciates older vintages, Schlackman focuses even more on diversity of choices. He encourages other aficionados-in-training to approach wine the same way -- with an open mind.

"The first thing I tell people is you like what you like. Take the snobbery out of it. Just because it is expensive, it doesn't mean it is great," he says. He cautions that tastes will mature with time and encourages people to try different kinds of wine. "Don't just stay in your comfort zone."

Pinot Noir is Schlackman's preferred grape, but the treasures in his collection run the gamut. One of his favorites is a 1990 Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino Reserve, a full-bodied Italian red valued at more than $200 a bottle. Barolo is another favorite, specifically by Luciano Sandrone or Domenico Clerico. In Spanish wines, Schlackman looks for wines from the DOC Priorat region in Catalonia, Spain. He also recommends trying a Pinot Noir from New Zealand's Dry River label. Not to forget his own local vineyards, Schlackman rates a Pinot Noir from Hanzell Vineyards in Sonoma as "some of the best in the world."

For those looking more in the $20 range than the $200, Schlackman can recommend something there too. As he occasionally tells his staff members in emailed lists of affordable wines, they don't need to spend a fortune to drink something with an impressive taste. Here are some of those recommendations:

Schlackman calls Falesco Vitiano, from Italy's Umbria region, "a perfect pizza or spaghetti wine" for less than $15. For those with a little more to spend, he says that for less than $30 either an Italian Dolcetto or a Rioja from the Bodegas Muga Reserve label will impress.

Schlackman says his hobby and his work certainly mix, and he is not the only political consultant with a passion for wine. Some of the lucky few have attended Schlackman's yearly wine dinner in Sonoma.

"There is always a fight to get into my wine dinner. Almost half the people are wine friends … who want to talk politics and the other half is political people who want to talk wine." Schlackman prides himself on being able to find good wine wherever his work takes him. Most recently, he has been enjoying 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar in St. Louis. He recommends that anyone headed to his own stomping grounds check out CAV Wine Bar on Market Street in San Francisco.

Washington, D.C., he says, "is not a food and wine town." However, he does have some favorite wine lists from his frequent visits. In addition to The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Va., which he says is on "a whole other level," Schlackman credits Café Atlantico (405 8th St. NW) for its good selection of Argentine wines. Since he is currently enamored of Spanish winemakers, Schlackman suggests checking out Taberna del Alabardero (1776 I St. NW) for some "incredibly great" Spanish wines. Zola (800 F St. NW) and Zaytinya (701 9th St. NW) also make his Washington address book.