Cayuse was founded in 1997 by Christophe Baron, a native of France who grew up in family of winemakers in Champagne. Baron studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne, and had ambitions to make Pinot Noir in Oregon. However, on a visit to Walla Walla he found property that he believed would be perfect for growing grapes and decided to purchase…
Reynvaan Family Vineyards is a small family owned winery started by Mike and Gale Reynvaan in May of 2004 in Walla Walla, Washington. They initially purchased a 37 acre parcel of land on Cottonwood Road at the base of the Blue Mountains. Their son Matt is the winemaker and Christophe Baron of Cayuse has served as a consultant. Reynvaan Family…
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. Cheers! Second Glass Citizen writes Zinfandel: Zin Your Face. Dans Mon Verre reviews the 2012 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs. VinePair writes The Best 50 Wines of 2016. GQ…
Bedrock Wine Co. was founded by Morgan Twain-Peterson in 2007 and focuses on small production wines from many of California’ s most treasured and historic vineyards. The lineup of wines at Bedrock is expanding rapidly, but I think the best of the best are the ancient vineyard Zinfandels, Morgan is clearly passionate about. Papera Vineyard is situated in the Russian…
Quilceda Creek Vintners was founded in 1978 by Alex and Jeanette Golitzin. Alex Golitzin is a nephew of André Tchelistcheff, the legendary winemaker who put Beaulieu Vineyard at the forefront of Napa Valley Cabernet in the 1960s and 70s. He credits summer trips to visit his uncle in St. Helena, California with developing his early interest in wine. Alex’s son,…
The end of the year is always a time to reflect on what transpired in the previous twelve months. With that in mind I took a moment to look at what posts in 2016 generated the most traffic (excluding Bottle Notes, The Week in Zinfandel and Pick My Next Bottle polls). Since many of you just recently started reading my…
The December installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Syrah from the 2010 vintage. All three producers included make exceptional wines year in and year out so vintage variation is rarely a factor when I buy their wines. The winning bottle will be opened on New Years Eve and a Bottle Note will be published the following week. The…
Paolo di Marchi has run Isole e Olena since the age of 20. Paolo avoids the Cabernet Sauvignon many of his neighbors have begun to incorporate into their Chiantis, believing it overshadows the Sangiovese. The flagship wine at Isole e Olena is Cepparello, a barrique-aged Sangiovese classified as an IGT – because at the time of its creation in the…
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. Cheers! Orange County Register writes Our Picks for California’s Top 25 Wines. The Mercury News writes Winery Adventure: Saratoga’s Wine Row. Ridge Wine Blog writes The Third Course…
Pride Mountain Vineyards was founded in 1991 by Jim and Carolyn Pride on a site once known as Summit Winery. Jim Pride died in 2004, but the Pride children, Steve Pride and Suzanne Pride Bryan, now own and run the winery. Sally Johnson is the Winemaker. The property consists of 235 acres, 183 of which are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon,…