Category Archives: California

Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County’s Hawk and Horse Vineyard: 2008-2016

Posted on May 21, 2020 by don

Hawk and Horse is a family-owned and operated, Demeter-Biodynamic certified vineyard located in the Mayacamas Mountain range of the Red Hills AVA of Lake County [see map below].  The 18 acre, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard has red volcanic soils and … Continue reading →

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Napa’s Castello di Amorosa Spreads its Wings

Posted on May 11, 2020 by don

This Napa-based family winery was opened in April 2007 by owner Dario Sattui.  It operates from an authentically built castle and winery situated in the hills just south of the city of Calistoga.  On our visit to the Castello a … Continue reading →

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Le Cadeau Vineyard: New Releases from Willamette Valley

Posted on April 28, 2020 by mike

Le Cadeau Vineyard is one of Willamette Valley’s premier family wineries.  Established in 1997 by founders Deb and Tom Mortimer, Le Cadeau  was one of the early pioneers in Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains, dedicated to producing high quality Chardonnay and Pinot … Continue reading →

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Crooked Path of Paso Robles: New Releases

Posted on April 24, 2020 by mike

Crooked Path Cellars is owned by Nancy and Craig Stoller and Vino Del Sol, importer and marketing agent of wines from Argentina, Chile and New Zealand. Craig is also CEO of Sunridge Nurseries, the only California-certified nursery block in the … Continue reading →

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Anthill Farms Winery: Outstanding Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah from Northern California

Posted on March 29, 2020 by don

Anthill Farms  is an exciting winemaking project launched in 2004 by a trio of partners: Webster Marquez, David Low and Anthony Filiberti.  The partners, who all previously worked at Williams Selyem, are deeply committed to crafting high quality, cool climate … Continue reading →

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The Wines of Donum Estate in Los Carneros

Posted on March 11, 2020 by don

Donum Estate is one of the finest producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Los Carneros.   Founded in 2001 by Anne Moeller-Racke, a pioneer in the development of Los Carneros as a wine growing region, Donum Estate is currently owned … Continue reading →

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Dutton Goldfield Cool Climate Pinot Noir from the California Coast

Posted on February 21, 2020 by don

Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield have collaborated in making some of coastal California’s finest Pinot Noirs since 1998. The source of most of their fruit is the Dutton Ranch, owned by the Dutton Family and comprised of 1150 acres of … Continue reading →

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St. Helena: Heart of the Napa Valley

Posted on January 27, 2020 by don

Located towards the north of the valley at one of its narrowest points [see map below], St. Helena is not the geographic center of the Napa Valley. But it is the historical heart of the valley, where Charles Krug and … Continue reading →

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Smith-Madrone’s Authentic Mountain Wines from Napa’s Spring Mountain

Posted on January 22, 2020 by don

Founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith, Smith-Madrone has 38 acres of high altitude (1300-2000’) steeply sloped mountain vineyards with deep, volcanic-based soils.  Stuart Smith is one of Napa’s modern wine pioneers and has been one of the leading voices for … Continue reading →

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Tongue Dancer: New 2019 Releases from Sonoma County

Posted on December 22, 2019 by mike

These two new releases from James McPhail’s Tongue Dancer are a welcome addition to the bevy of Sonoma County wines on the market. As we have written previously James is one of California’s top winemakers and Tongue Dancer is a … Continue reading →

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