A wine buying guide for the curious wine enthusiast.
A Bastion in Beaune Beaune, France, may be the wine capital of the Côte D’Or, if not all of Burgundy. It is home to important vineyards, as well as influential wine merchants, or négociants. One of the oldest of these is Domaine Chanson, founded in 1750. Chanson’s holdings comprise some of Burgundy’s most coveted vineyards …
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch Much more than just a winery, Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, California, has a long and rich history. When what is now California was a colony of Spain, the ranch was part of the lands bestowed to the Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo. The Spanish colonies in North …
On the Trail to Oregon Dayton, Oregon, in the Dundee Hills AVA and 25 miles southwest of Portland, is home to Stoller Vineyards. Oregon started to become generally known for their wines, particularly Pinot Noir, only about 30 years ago. Stoller is even newer, bringing in their first wine in 2001. In 1993, Bill Stoller …
WALT Wines, owned by Kathryn Hall and Craig Hall, is dedicated to the production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast, spanning nearly 1000 miles and including Sta. Rita Hills, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, Napa Valley, and the Willamette Valley. They strive to source top fruit from the most distinctive vineyards; practice precise, …
Beyond the Pale In the early 1980s, the Benziger family (not to be confused with Beringer, although they often are) migrated west from White Plains, N.Y., and started a winery on Sonoma Mountain. Winemaker Joe Benziger learned his craft by making large production wines for the Glen Ellen brand, but eventually decided that his future …
The eponymous Kathryn Hall Wines are known for their Cabernet Sauvignons. A second label, WALT Wines, specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnday. In 2016, Ms. Hall’s daughter, Jennifer Brown, launched a third winery for the family named BACA Wines. Latin for ‘berry,’ BACA’s focus is on California Zinfandel. According to Brown, “When we set out …
WALT Clos Pepe Pinot Noir 2014 WALT (a Kathryn Hall brand) sources grapes from Santa Barbara to Sonoma; Clos Pepe, an estate vineyard, is located in the Santa Rita Hills in the Central Coast region. This bottling is 100% Pinot Noir, and was barrel aged for 10 months. The dark red color is paired with …
That’s Like, Gnarly, Dude Hey, man, check out this gnarly wine. Gnarly Head wine, actually. Starting from San Francisco, go about 100 miles east and a bit north and you’ll reach Lodi, California, home of Gnarly Head Winery. And, where does that unusual name come from? In 2005, the founders of Gnarly Head went in …
The Poetry of Byron Fill the goblet again! for I never before Felt the glow which now gladdens my heart to its core; Let us drink!—who would not?—since, through life’s varied round, In the goblet alone no deception is found. —Lord Byron (1788-1824), English poet Designated in 1981, the Santa Maria Valley AVA is located …
No Llores Por Mi, Argentina Come with us now to Argentina, famous for the tango, Che Guevara, gauchos, and, increasingly, wine. Like 85 percent of Argentina’s quality producers, Trapiche is located in Mendoza in the north-central part of the country near the eastern foothils of the Andes. Trapiche was founded in 1883 by Tiburcio Benegas. …
Négociant [nay-goh-SYAHN] is the French word for “dealer” or “merchant,” and is used in wine circles to denote an individual or company that negotiates, sells, and ships wine as a wholesaler. Traditionally, négociants have often handled all aspects of wine production except the actual farming, including purchasing grapes, making the wine, blending, bottling, and shipping. …
I Cook with Wine; Sometimes I Even Add It to the Food If you’re a film buff as well as a wine fancier, you may remember Lompoc [correctly pronounced Lom-poke], California, as the locale of W.C. Field’s The Bank Dick (although the movie was entirely shot on the studio’s back lot). Lompoc can be translated …
River’s Edge Winery is located in the northern-most part of the Umpqua Valley. River’s Edge, founded in 1998, specializes in the production of cool weather varieties such as pinot noir and gewürztraminer. The ocean is only 36 miles away from the winery, and morning fog frequently shrouds the vineyards even in the summer, reflecting the …
Over the River and Through the Woods Although it sounds French, the Clos du Bois [klow doo bwa] winery is definitely American. Clos du Bois was founded in 1974 by Frank Woods, who planned on simply naming his new winery “Woods Vineyard.” His children, who were studying French at the time, suggested the more exotic …
The Russian River AVA sits in the center of northern California’s Sonoma County, and is characterized by a generally cool climate, with sunny days bracketed by fog early and late. This encourages the slow-ripening of fruit, particularly suitable for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, like these selections from Mossback Winery. John Giguiere, with his …