Monthly Archives: February 2019

Paradise Springs: Premium Wines from Coast to Coast*

Posted on February 27, 2019 by don

Paradise Springs is a family owned winery with operations in Virginia and Santa Barbara. It is owned and operated by Kirk Wilde and his mother Jane Kinchiloe along with local partners.  In Santa Barbara it shares  winemaking space in Buelton … Continue reading →

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The Chenin Blancs of Breedekloof Wine Valley

Posted on February 25, 2019 by don

While Chenin Blanc originated in the Anjou area of the Loire, today it can be said to be South Africa’s grape. South Africa produces more of the grape than any other country and has double the plantings of France. Chenin … Continue reading →

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Pence Winery’s Outrageously Good Wines from the Sta Rita Hills*

Posted on February 22, 2019 by don

The Pence Winery is set on 200 acres in the Santa Rita Hills. A tiny artisanal winery, it is part of a working ranch and farm owned and operated by Blair Pence, a California realtor with a passion for wine stemming … Continue reading →

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Margerum: New Releases from Santa Barbara*

Posted on February 20, 2019 by don

Margerum Wine Company is owned and operated by Doug Margerum, one of Santa Barbara’s leading winemaking entrepreneurs. It produces small quantities of premium wines made from estate-grown and purchased grapes from top neighboring vineyards.  We recently visited Doug at the … Continue reading →

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Graham Beck: Exclusive Focus on Premium Sparkling

Posted on February 18, 2019 by don

Industrialist Graham Beck founded his eponymous vineyard and winery in Robertson in 1983.  A few years later Pieter Ferreira joined Graham Beck, making his first sparkling wine  (called MCC or Methode Cap Classique in South Africa) in 1991. We visited … Continue reading →

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Spear Vineyards and Winery: A New Promising Farm Winery in the Sta. Rita Hills

Posted on February 14, 2019 by don

Spear is a tiny and relatively new, family-owned Santa Barbara winery that shows great promise.  Its estate vineyard nestled in the Sta Rita Hills is certified organic and sustainable.  It was first planted in 2013  on 33 acres, and its first … Continue reading →

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Kunin Wines: 2016 Releases from Santa Barbara*

Posted on February 13, 2019 by don

Seth Kunin founded his eponymous winery Kunin Wines in 1998 with the aim of producing small production Rhone varietal wines. Until his untimely passing in 2017 at the age of 50 years, he was a highly respected member of the … Continue reading →

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Richard Kershaw Lifts Elgin to New Heights

Posted on February 11, 2019 by don

Richard Kershaw, South Africa’s first MW (Master of Wine), worked at wineries around the world (including Simi in California) before becoming winemaker at Mulderbosch  and then, in 2012, starting his own eponymous winery in Elgin, South Africa’s coolest growing area. … Continue reading →

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Cabernet Sauvignon Reigns Supreme in Washington State

Posted on February 7, 2019 by don

Washington State’s Cabernet Sauvignon plantings have increased dramatically in recent years, driven by consumer demand and the price premium this grape commands.  Cabernet Sauvignon plantings have also taken off in California in appellations like Lodi and Paso Robles.  So is … Continue reading →

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Hermann J. Wiemer of the Finger Lakes: A Great American Winery

Posted on February 4, 2019 by don

Hermann J. Wiemer is one of the pioneers of viticulture and winemaking in the Finger Lakes. A native of Bernkastel, Germany, he studied at the world famous Neustadt Viticultural Research Institute, took a winemaking job in the Finger Lakes, and … Continue reading →

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