Reviews of wines and spirits for the curious drinker.
This JUSTIN Central Coast Chardonnay is a California white wine from JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, established in 1981 by Justin Baldwin, a former investment banker, and his wife Deborah. The couple purchased approximately 160 acres west of Paso Robles. His vision was to make world-class Bordeaux-style blends.  Befitting such ambition, The winery is invested in the French idea of terroir, that a wine must reflect its place, especially soil and climate.
The Robert Hall Regenerative Organic Sauvignon Blanc is a particularly interesting Paso Robles release because of both its winemaking and the agricultural experiment behind it. Beginning in 2021, the winery compared 43 acres converted to regenerative organic farming with five acres maintained under conventional sustainable management. The vines were selected to match grape variety, clone, and soil conditions as closely as possible. The reported results included: a 13% improvement in soil water retention; 192% more CO₂ absorbed than the control block; greater microbial activity; and improvements in wine complexity, freshness, and varietal expression.
Among the picturesque vines of the Château de Villemajou, nestled in the heart of the Corbières in 1975, a young Gérard Bertrand harvested his first grapes, unknowingly embarking on a lifelong passion for wine. Under the guidance of his father, Georges Bertrand, Gérard honed his skills and absorbed the values of performance and excellence instilled in him through his years on the rugby fields of his first vocation.
Parallel 44 Winery
The story of Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery began in 2005, when husband and wife team Steve Johnson and Maria Milano planted their first grape vines. Steve grew up in Green Bay, where his father Carl experimented early on with growing grapes. Maria grew up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where her Italian-born father continued his tradition of making wine for friends and family celebrations. Steve and Maria met while in school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and then attended law school together. While working as attorneys, they attended seminars on grape growing in Wisconsin, with an eye towards getting into the wine business. Continue reading “Parallel 44 Winery”