Reviews of wines and spirits for the curious drinker.
Benziger Winery 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 lay …
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 …
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 search of a vineyard …
Byron Wines Designated in 1981, the Santa Maria Valley AVA is located in the northernmost part of Santa Barbara County, just east of Santa Maria city. The east–west orientation of the wide, open valley means cool winds and fog flow in freely from the Pacific Ocean, settling most noticeably in lower-lying areas. This cool maritime …
Trapiche Broquel 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 foothills of the Andes. Trapiche was founded in 1883 by Tiburcio Benegas. The winery was …
Cuvaison Winery Established in 1969, Cuvaison (French for maceration, the period of time grape juice spends in contact with the skins and seeds) is an estate vineyard and winery that produces primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, both grown exclusively in the Carneros AVA on the northern end of both Sonoma and Napa. When the winery …
Migration Wines Duckhorn Portfolio is the umbrella corporation of an expanding wine mini-empire. First came the flagship Duckhorn Vineyards, established in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn to pioneer and feature premium Napa Merlot. (Duckhorn has a “second growth” label named Decoy, as well.) Next came Paraduxx in 1994, specializing in Zinfandel-based blends. This was …
Tangley Oaks 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, …
Sanford Winery 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 as “Land of Many Lakes,” and is also known today …
Robertson Winery With the lifting of apartheid-era sanctions in the mid-1990s, and especially so in the last decade or so, wines from South Africa have become more evident in the nation’s wine shops. But, the South Africans are certainly not wine-making neophytes. The first vines were planted in the western Cape by early Dutch settlers …
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 …
Salmon Souffle There are few things as elegant, or as easy to make, as a souffle. My stepdaughter and her partner dropped by for Christmas, and he mentioned that, even though he is 45, he had never had a savory souffle, much less made one. I assured him it was really simple, so I whipped …
Migration Wines Duckhorn Portfolio is the umbrella corporation of an expanding wine mini-empire. First came the flagship Duckhorn Vineyards, established in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn to pioneer and feature premium Napa Merlot. (Duckhorn has a “second growth” label named Decoy, as well.) Next came Paraduxx in 1994, specializing in Zinfandel-based blends. This was …
Clos du Bois Wine 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 “Clos du Bois” instead, which loosely …
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 …