The 2002 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon was the winning bottle in the June Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for two hours and served with burgers on Memorial Day. Dalla Valle Vineyards was founded in 1986 by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle, who purchased 21 acres on the east side of Silverado Trail on Oakville Hill.…
Domaine de Ferrand was founded in 1960 by Charles Bravay.The Domaine is located in Orange, which is to the north of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Philippe Bravay launched bottling their own wine when he took over the domaine from his father in 1995. Since 1997, a large part of the wine produced has been sold under the brand name of Domaine de Ferrand. …
Kosta Browne was founded in the late nineties by Dan Kosta and Michael Browne and has always focused on Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. The winery has changed hands several times. Most recently Kosta Browne was purchased by Duckhorn Wine Company. The waiting list for the Appellation wines is 18 months long and for the coveted 4…
Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Tegan is the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Turley. The line-up encompasses some of the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. The wines made at Sandlands include Syrah,…
The May Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2002 vintage. 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 on Memorial Day and paired with steaks off…
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 Ranch is situated in the Russian…
Argiano dates back to the 16th century. The nearly 120 acres of vineyards are planted to Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah. The wines, both Brunello di Montalcino and Solengo, have routinely received outstanding scores. In 1992 Argiano was acquired by the Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano. Solengo, which is Tuscan for “lone wild boar”, is the product of…
Hartford Family Winery was founded in 1994 as a result of Don and Jennifer Hartford’s appreciation for the wines, the people, and the unique vineyards near their Russian River Valley home. Located in the Sonoma County town of Forestville, the winery is about 15 miles from the cool Pacific Coast. Jeff Stewart is the Hartford Family Winemaker. Bright red in…
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…
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. Wine Enthusiast writes How We Rated Some of America’s Top Selling Grocery Store Wines. Ridge Wine Blog writes Water Usage and Monitoring. Zinfandel Chronicles reviews the 2014 Ridge…