Williams Selyem Winery began when Ed Selyem and Burt Williams started making wine as a hobby in 1979 in Forestville, California. Their first commercial release was in 1981, and in less than two decades they created a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Setting a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking, they put Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley at the forefront…
Author: Tom Lee
The Week in Zinfandel (4/1/19)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Sheryl Nance-Nash writes A Northern California Wine Country Underdog Is Working Its Way Back Into the Spotlight. Wine Business writes Gallo Acquires 30 Brands, Six Wineries from Constellation…
2016 Quivira Vineyards Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley – Bottle Notes
Quivira Vineyards is a leading producer of Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhône varieties, built upon intentional winegrowing and a thoughtful commitment to biodynamic standards and organic farming. Quivira was founded in 1981 by Holly and Henry Wendt, who were drawn to Dry Creek Valley’s unspoiled rural character and rich wine history. In 2006, Pete and Terri Kight purchased Quivira from the…
2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon – Bottle Notes
The 2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon was the winning bottle in the March Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Walsh have quickly made Rivers-Marie one of California’s most sought after Pinot Noir labels. The winery was founded in 2002 and the first release was the Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir. In addition to…
Zinfandel of the Month – 2014 Limerick Lane 1023
Zinfandel of the Month is a regular feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. Keep in mind that although the Zinfandel of the Month might be an older bottle, the current vintage will be one you can find at retail or via the mailing list. The April Zinfandel of the Month is the 2014 Limerick 1023. I chose the 1023 quite simply because…
The Week in Zinfandel (3/25/19)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Randy Caparoso writes The Past, Present and Future Usages of Head Trained Vines in Lodi. Stephen McConnell reviews the 2016 T-VINE Zinfandel Frediani Vineyard. Ed McCarthy writes Dry…
New Releases from Bruce Patch Wines
Bruce Patch cut his teeth in the music industry — having once met the Beatles and helped to discover the famous 80’s band, The Cars. Bruce moved to the Russian River Valley in the late 1990’s, and transitioned his sales and marketing background into a successful distribution business representing small independent wineries in Sonoma County. Bruce Patch Wines sources grapes from throughout Sonoma County, including…
2011 Force Majeure Syrah Collaboration Series Reserve – Bottle Notes
Force Majeure was founded in 2004 by Paul McBride and made its name pairing some of Washington’s highly acclaimed winemakers with fruit from one of Washington’s highly acclaimed vineyards, Ciel du Cheval. The winery recently transitioned from Collaboration wines to Estate wines. Todd Alexander, formerly of Bryant Family Vineyards, is the winemaker for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tempranillo. Force Majeure…
Pick My Next Bottle – 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The March Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published next week.…
2012 Ravenswood Zinfandel Dickerson Vineyard – Bottle Notes
Ravenswood was founded in 1976 by Joel Peterson. The winery is a pioneer in producing single vineyard Zinfandels from some of Napa and Sonoma’s most treasured vineyards, including Dickerson, Old Hill, Cooke and Belloni. I used to visit Ravenswood in the summer, when they released their single vineyard wines. Back in the day they also served delicious barbecue on the deck out…