Lauren Ashton Cellars was founded in 2009 by Kit Singh. A Dentist by profession, Kit’s passion for wine was fueled by trips to Napa, Sonoma and Europe’s best known wine regions. Kit’s enology background includes classes at UC Davis and Seattle Community College along with an internship at Delille Cellars. The inspiration for the name of the winery was Kit’s…
The unveiling of the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year for 2013 begins Monday, November 11th. The reveal of the Top 100 Wines of the Year is without question the most anticipated print version of the publication, and the online countdown has taken on a life of its own, with consumers clamoring to predict the top wine of the year. Wines…
Renwood Winery was established in 1993 and is one of the most respected wine producers in the Sierra Foothills, specializing in Zinfandel. In the early to mid nineties I lived in Sacramento and my passion for Zinfandel was based on trips to wineries like Renwood, Ravenswood and Rafanelli. At the time Scott Harvey was the winemaker and the Zinfandels from…
Kosta Browne began as a dream shared by Dan Kosta and Michael Browne. In the summer of 1997, while working at John Ash & Co. restaurant in Santa Rosa, California, Dan and Michael decided to pool their tips and venture into winemaking. Fifteen years later, Kosta Browne is one of the most sought after Pinot Noirs in all of California.…
Bedrock Wine Co. was founded by Morgan Twain-Peterson in 2007 and focuses on small production wines from several 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. The vines at Dolinsek Ranch in the…
Previously known as Grand Rêve, Force Majeure was founded in 2004 by Paul McBride and Ryan Johnson. Force Majeure pairs some of Washington’s highly acclaimed winemakers with fruit from one of Washington’s highly acclaimed vineyards, Ciel du Cheval. The winemakers contributing to the Collaboration Series is a Who’s Who of Washington winemakers including Ben Smith, Carolyn Lakewold, Chris Gorman, James…
Fattoria di Felsina is a historic estate in the Chianti appellation of Tuscany. In 1966 the estate was purchased by the Poggiali family, and today a second generation of the Poggiali family still run the 153-acre estate. Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading wine journal, has often awarded Felsina’s wines with 3 Bicchieri, the journal’s highest rating. Fontalloro is 100% Sangiovese and…
Leonetti Cellar was founded in 1977 by Gary and Nancy Figgins. Leonetti, along with Quilceda Creek and Woodward Canyon put premium Washington Cabernet Sauvignon on the radar of wine consumers across the United States. Leonetti also produces one of the very best domestic Merlots. Leonetti is near and dear to me as a wine consumer, and I’ve been on their…
The October installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Zinfandel from a few of my very favorite producers. Ridge, Turley and Williams Selyem are without a doubt in the very upper echelon of California Zinfandel producers. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may…
Rochioli is one of the true pioneers in Russian River Valley, with a winemaking history dating back to the the late 1950′s. Although best known for their world class Pinot Noir, Rochioli also produces remarkable Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve blogged about Rochioli previously in Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings and the Fab 5 of Mailing Lists. Rochioli recently published a…