A winemaker, Nicole Walsh of Ser Winery, recently recommended a wine to me. And I thought, “If a winemaker recommends someone else’s product, it must be worth seeking out.” That wine? Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain Syrah.
In June of 1976, Tom Hedges and Anne-Marie Liégeois married in a 12th century church in Champagne, France, the area where Liégeois was born and raised. This melding of New World and Old World experiences and sensibilities would directly inform them once they entered the world of wine years later. Continue reading “Hedges C.M.S Cabernet Sauvignon”
Lachini Vineyards La Bestia Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Proprietor Ron Lachini’s family hails from the Tuscan town of Lucca. At some point, his grandfather immigrated to the United States, settling in the large Italian community of San Francisco’s North Beach. He started making wine with his father and grandfather in their garages as a child.
He and his wife Marianne both attended U.C. Davis, where they were exposed to the world of viticulture and enology. Travels to some of the world’s esteemed wine regions and wineries cemented their love and collection of fine wines. After college, Ron began a career in the financial industry in 1997, which he pursued until 2008. Nearly simultaneously, in 1998, he and Marianne purchased a 45-acre property in Newberg, Oregon, approximately 30 miles southwest of Portland, with the intention of eventually owning a winery. After clearing and natural site preparation, in June of 1999 they planted their first five acres of Pinot Noir. In the following seven years, additional blocks were planted that now entail just over 30.5 acres of Pinot Noir plus an additional one and a half acres of Chardonnay. This land is now the Lachini Estate Vineyard. Continue reading “Lachini Vineyards La Bestia Cabernet Sauvignon”
Kenwood Vineyards Jack London Wild Ferment Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Author Jack London (1876 – 1916) was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. A pioneer of unabashedly commercial fiction in both novels and magazines, he was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity and earn a large fortune from writing. His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set during the Klondike Gold Rush.
In 1905, London purchased a 1,000 acre property in Glen Ellen, California, on the western slope of Sonoma Valley which he named Beauty Ranch. He wrote, “Next to my wife, the ranch is the dearest thing in the world to me. I write for no other purpose than to add to the beauty that now belongs to me. I write a book for no other reason than to add three or four hundred acres to my magnificent estate.” Continue reading “Kenwood Jack London Wild Ferment Cabernet Sauvignon”
Kenwood Vineyards Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Author Jack London (1876 – 1916) was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. A pioneer of unabashedly commercial fiction in both novels and magazines, he was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity and earn a large fortune from writing. His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set during the Klondike Gold Rush.
In 1905, London purchased a 1,000 acre property in Glen Ellen, California, on the western slope of Sonoma Valley which he named Beauty Ranch. He wrote, “Next to my wife, the ranch is the dearest thing in the world to me. I write for no other purpose than to add to the beauty that now belongs to me. I write a book for no other reason than to add three or four hundred acres to my magnificent estate.” Continue reading “Kenwood Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon”
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When most of us think of a winery, what usually comes to mind is the romantic stereotype of a rustic but exquisite barn situated halfway up a mountain in the western U. S. overlooking a bucolic valley below; a fabulous hundred-years old chateau surrounded by ancient vines somewhere in France; or perhaps even a charming azienda agricola in Italy with a view of Roman ruins. But that’s not the only way to do it. Adega Northwest of Portland, Oregon, is very much an urban winery. There are vineyards, of course, you just won’t see them if you pay the winery a visit (by appointment only). And because they are not tied to an estate, Adega Northwest can and does draw on sources throughout the region.
Let’s be clear up front: this is a post about the Stags’ Leap winery in Napa, California, not the Stag’s Leap Winery in Napa, California. Whaaaat?
See that little apostrophe? Stag‘s Leap is the famous producer that shocked the wine world when they won the 1976 Judgement of Paris for their Cabernet Sauvignon. Stags‘ Leap is less well known, but considerably older. The similarity has caused confusion for decades, and it even led to a famous lawsuit.*
The Stags’ Leap estate was first worked when grapes were planted in 1872 by the “Grigsby family,” about whom there are no surviving details. 13 years later, the land was sold to W.W. Thompson and H.H. Harris. The next year, Harris conveyed his interest in the property to Thompson’s nephew, Horace Blanchard Chase. In 1893 Chase established a winery there. By the late 1890s it was producing wine commercially and became known for its picturesque setting.
The estate was purchased by Clarence and Frances Grange in 1913, who were prominent members of San Francisco society. The Granges wanted to have a country home in Napa so that they could entertain their socialite friends. The Granges occupied the Manor House until 1956. Although they did not make wine, the vineyards remained in production.
In 1978 Gary and Nancy Andrus founded Pine Ridge Vineyards on roughly 50 acres in Napa’s famous Stags Leap District, planting Cabernet Sauvignon on steep, terraced hillsides set among pine‑lined ridges. Tom Cottrell became the first winemaker.
Inspired by the wines of Bordeaux, the Andrus’ aimed to craft powerful yet elegant red wines—thus beginning Pine Ridge’s signature style.
Over time, the estate expanded to around 160 acres across five premier AVAs: Stags Leap District, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Rutherford, and Carneros.
They diversified their portfolio beyond Cabernet, including Merlot, Petite Verdot, Chardonnay, and a distinctive Rhône‑style Chenin Blanc + Viognier blend.
In 1993 Andrus expanded into Oregon, founding Archery Summit.
Today, the winery is owned by Crimson Wine Group, which purchased it in 2000. Nine years later, Gary Andrus passed away.
Josh Widaman
Josh Widaman is currently the estate winemaker. Widaman has produced 90+ ratings on over 90% of all wines made in his career, including Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine of the Year in 2016 with Lewis Cellars.
“My path to winemaking started with a wine that left a lasting impression [a 1997 Pahlmeyer Merlot] that I use as inspiration in every wine I create,” Widaman emphasizes.
Raymond Oak Knoll District Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
The Raymond name has been associated with Napa valley since the year Prohibition ended. The Raymond family arrived in Napa Valley in 1933. Roy Raymond married into the Beringer family in 1936. He worked as winemaker for Beringer from 1933 to 1970. The following year, he and his two sons Walter and Roy Jr set out on their own with a 90-acre estate property in Rutherford. They released their first commercial wine under the Raymond Vineyards label in 1974. The estate now comprises 300 acres in Rutherford, St. Helena, and Jameson Canyon. All are are certified organic and biodynamic. The winery is also operated on 100% solar power.
In 1989, Kirin Holdings purchased the winery, with the Raymond family still managing the property and production.
In 2009, Raymond was acquired by Boisset Family Estates, a major French wine company, with operations in Burgundy, Beaujolais, the Rhone Valley, the South of France, and expertise in French sparkling wines. Boisset had already purchased properties in California’s Russian River Valley, making it one of the top twenty-five producers in the U.S.
Beau Vigne Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Beau Vigne, pronounced “bo-veenya” and meaning “beautiful vineyard” in French, is a boutique winery located in Napa Valley, California. Founded in 1999 by Napa native Ed Snider and his wife Trish, with its first vintage release in 2002, the winery has established a reputation for producing exceptional wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Snider family’s connection to Napa Valley dates back to 1913 when Ed’s grandfather, Martin Garzoli, a Swiss-Italian immigrant, settled in the region. Garzoli was involved in winemaking and ranching in the Carneros area, laying the foundation for the family’s future in viticulture.
Beau Vigne’s estate vineyard, known as Stags Ridge, is situated within the Atlas Peak AVA, accessible via Soda Canyon Road. This high-elevation site, approximately 1,400 feet above Napa Valley, is characterized by volcanic soils, contributing to the distinctive qualities of their wines.
In its early years, Beau Vigne collaborated with notable winemakers to craft its wines. Dave Phinney, the founding winemaker, aimed to create red wines that could compete with the world’s finest. [Phinney went on to fame and fortune with his Orin Swift Wine Company and the overrated The Prisoner.] This vision was furthered by winemaker Kirk Venge, who joined in 2008 and led the winery to achieve a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Kathryn Walt Hall has a most impressive resume. To touch on just a few of the high points, she is the proprietor of HALL Wines and WALT Wines [family businesses she has been involved with for over thirty years], was assistant city attorney in Berkeley, California, worked as an attorney and businesswoman in Dallas, Texas, and has served on numerous non-profit and institutional boards, with an emphasis on issues related to social care and mental health. From 1997 to July 2001, Ms. Hall served as the United States Ambassador to Austria. In the midst of this, together with her husband Craig she has raised four children.
HALL wines hail from five estate vineyards: Sacrashe (Rutherford), Bergfeld (St. Helena), Hardester (Napa Valley), Atlas Peak Estate, (Atlas Peak), and T Bar T Ranch (Alexander Valley). From these 500 acres come classic Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. In each vineyard, small-vine farming is employed to produce low-yield, high-concentration fruit.
Padis Vineyards is located in the picturesque hillsides of the Oak Knoll District in the heart of Napa Valley. It was founded by jewelers Steve and Judy Padis with a single barrel in 2007 that was bottled in large format and donated to charity auctions. A year later, their first commercial vintage was released.
Both Steve and Judy hail from the East Bay. Steve’s journey into wine began in the 1970s, guided by Judy’s family, who appreciated both fine wine and cuisine. Their growing interest in wine took them from the Central Coast to the Napa Valley, where they witnessed the nascent wine industry firsthand. It was during these visits that Steve’s passion for wine deepened, eventually leading to the purchase of property in the Oak Knoll District.
Initially, the Padis’ sold their grapes to local wineries. However, today, Padis Vineyards produces approximately 2,000 cases of wine annually.
Steve and Judy Padis
Steve Padis began his jewelry career during his senior year at UC Berkeley in the early 1974 as a street vendor, stringing together Puka shells and various beads into bracelets and other wearable items – selling these along Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley for a few dollars per item. Very hipster of him! By the time he graduated, in 1975, he had begun to deal in precious metals and diamonds. The business that evolved from those humble beginnings is a remarkable success story. Over the following fifty years, their jewelry business, Padis Gems, has grown to three stores in San Francisco and a store in downtown Napa that also doubles as the Padis tasting room. Continue reading “Padis Cabernet Sauvignon”
Inglenook was founded in 1879 by Finnish sea captain Gustave Niebaum. By 1887, he had amassed a total of 1100 contiguous acres, marking the inception of the Inglenook legacy. After his death and during the scourge of Prohibition the winery was shuttered. After repeal, Niebaum’s widow, Suzanne, reopened Inglenook and brought in viticulturist and enologist John Daniel Jr., Niebaum’s great-nephew, to upgrade the winemaking system.
Daniel was an uncompromising perfectionist. Under his stewardship from the 1930s to the early 1960s, Inglenook produced some of the most celebrated Cabernets in California. Daniel’s partnership with winemaker George Deuer resulted in wines that were rich, complex, and impeccably balanced, marking a period of extraordinary achievement for Inglenook. Despite the challenges of the era, Daniel was committed to producing only the best. He was one of the few vintners of his time willing to reject wines that did not meet his exacting standards, a rare and costly approach in an industry where every bottle counted.
The addition of the Napanook Vineyard in 1946 helped elevate the winery’s offerings even further, as Daniel blended grapes from this esteemed site into his best wines. Continue reading “Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon”
Eric and Amy Gale are the owners and sole full-time employees of Anchored Roots, Door County, Wisconsin’s newest winery, founded in 2020.
The couple make an ideal front-of-house/back-of-house duo. Amy grew up in Milwaukee, with hospitality at the forefront of her career path. Her initial focus was event planning, from non-profit fundraisers and catering, to corporate events and weddings. This was followed by experience in tasting room management at Airfield Estates in Prosser, Washington.
Eric was born and raised in Luxemburg, Wisconsin. Perhaps predictably, while he was growing up he worked summers at a neighbor’s 60-head dairy farm. However, his academic bent led him to a Bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. He then pursued a Masters in Viticulture at Washington State University. After graduation, he landed a job at Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington state’s oldest winery. His primary responsibility was overseeing the Cold Creek vineyard, Ste. Michelle’s first, originally planted in 1972.
It all began on a modest orchard in upstate New York. Paul Hobbs, one of eleven children, was raised on a family-run farm where the rhythm of planting, harvesting, and selling crops at farmers markets before school was the norm. These early experiences not only instilled in him the discipline required for farming, but also introduced him to the concept of terroir—a philosophy that would later become the cornerstone of his winemaking career.
The family farm in New York.
Hobb’s first encounter with terroir happened in the most unexpected of ways—through apples. As he tasted the same apple variety grown in different orchards, he noticed a diversity of flavors and textures. This profound realization left an indelible mark on him, inspiring a vineyard-specific approach to winemaking that would shape his future endeavors.
“The true character of a site is only revealed through the work and determination of tending each vineyard with meticulous care and vinifying with minimalist winemaking techniques that fully express the terroir,” said Hobbs.
Paul Hobbs
Though Paul’s father always encouraged him to pursue winemaking, another family influence tugged at his heartstrings—his great-grandfather, Edward James, a doctor. Following in his great-grandfather’s footsteps, Paul enrolled at Notre Dame University with the intent of pursuing a career in medicine. However, after graduating with a degree in chemistry, his father’s persuasion led him to UC Davis, where he earned a Master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. This pivotal decision would eventually change the trajectory of Paul’s life.
Paul Hobbs is at upper right in the Mondavi lab. Helen Turley, another legendary winemaker, is in front behind the glass tube.
Disclaimer: I’ve been a member of the Clos Pegase wine club for years, so this post is hardly impartial.
Clos Pegase was founded by Jan Shrem in 1983 on a 50-acre vineyard near Calistoga in Napa Valley. He was born in Colombia in 1930 to Jewish-Lebanese parents, and spent his childhood in Jerusalem and his early adolescence back in Colombia. After he arrived in the United States at age 16, he attended the University of Utah and UCLA. While in college, he sold encyclopedias.
A romance with a Japanese woman named Mitsuko led him to Japan, where they were married in 1960. They stayed 13 years, and during that time Shrem established a book distribution company that sold English-language encyclopedias, and books on engineering and art. His company also published translations of books into Japanese. By the time Shrem sold this operation, it had 50 offices and 2,000 salespeople.
both attended 
