Vineyard 36

Meet Jason - co-proprietor of Vineyard 36 - a Napa Valley winery created by three friends with a mutual passion for friendship, wine and hockey. The story begins with Jason's first visit to Napa Valley and a private, guided tour with Dave Del Dotto himself. It was this particular wine experience that changed Jason's life and led to his first winery venture, Tobacco Roads Cellars. Eventually, he would befriend Cam and Tim - two professional hockey players in the NHL - who had a shared love and appreciation for wine. In this exclusive piece, Jason shares how these three came together to chase one shared dream - Vineyard 36 - and the stories behind the wine labels, UnMask and Cross Check.

Vineyard 36 is the story of three friends living individual dreams, brought together by a mutual love and appreciation for wine.  It begins with Jason Earnest’s ownership in Tobacco Roads Cellars – a boutique winery located in Napa Valley named after the rivalry between Duke University and the University of North Carolina.  Known for big, bold California Cabernets, Jason would often travel and host Tobacco Road wine dinners in restaurants across the US. 

At one particular event in North Carolina, Jason met Cam Ward – a prominent professional hockey player for the Carolina Hurricanes – who quickly became one of Jason’s best customers.  The guys always managed to keep in touch, even after Jason sold his ownership in Tobacco Road Cellars and relocated to New York.  During hockey season, anytime the Carolina Hurricanes came to town to play the New York Rangers, they met up for dinner with fellow teammate Tim Gleason. 

Fast forward to one evening when the curiosity of owning a winery came up in conversation.  This initial, wine fueled discussion lead to several others, and a decision was made to make 3 barrels of Cabernet.  Jason, Tim and Cam shared creative input during the blending process; the wine went from barrels to bottles; labels were added and the stash was divvied for personal consumption between friends and family. 

For the highly anticipated tasting of their inaugural release, Tim, Cam and Jason met in Fort Lauderdale on Jason’s boat.  They opened a bottle, hoped for the best and…were completely blown away at the gorgeous wine! Jason vividly recalls Tim’s reaction: a big smile and a hope it wasn’t going to be THIS good.  All three agreed this was something special, so talks quickly turned into strategy and CANE Estate was born. 

Since Tim and Cam both played for the Carolina Hurricanes, CANE Estate seemed to be the perfect name for the venture, especially in the Carolina market.  But with dreams of expanding and creating a nationally recognized brand, they settled on Vineyard 36 – the summation of Cam Ward (#30) and Tim Gleason’s (#6) jersey numbers. 

From inception to present day, all three friends agree quality and passion are two of the most important factors when producing consistently balanced, beautiful wines.  Each year, their fruit is sourced from boutique, privately owned Napa Valley properties, typically 10 acres or less.  The wine labels – cleanly designed with a little edge – tell their own unique stories, especially the Cross-Check and UnMask blends.  During one of the Carolina Hurricane games, Cam Ward went to visit the injured Tim Gleason in the locker room and snapped a photo to send to his family as reassurance he was well attended to.  The captured image resurfaced when their Cross Check wine was ready to be labeled.  Both Jason and Cam thought the photo perfectly matched the intensity of the wine, but it took some convincing on Tim’s part.  The only way he agreed to his personalized image on the bottle was if another blend captured Cam in action.  You can find Vineyard36’s ode to Cam on the goalie-inspired label, UnMask: a zinfandel based wine with Syrah and a secret grape varietal.  To date, no one has been able to successfully guess the secret blend – but anyone who does will be offered a complimentary bottle!

Get your hands on their very limited portfolio of wines!  Stay up to date with Vineyard 36 by joining their mailing list or following them on the VAULT29 app, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  Barrel tastings can be set up by emailing them, as all tastings are appointment only.

Anthem Winery

Team Anthem was founded in 2009 with a mission to produce small quantities of handcrafted wines from the most distinctive and promising mountainous vineyards in Napa Valley. Anthem's winemaker is the talented Jeff Ames - 2008's Winemaker to Watch - while industry renowned John Truchard oversees duties as vineyard manager. The gorgeous bottle-wrapped label is a topographic map displaying the contour of the land around the winery, with a star pinpointing Anthem's exact location.

We are honored to have Proprietor Julie Arbuckle exclusively shares her Top 5 lessons she has learned in the wine industry. It's clear to see Anthem has every aspect of what it takes to stand out from the crowd!

The Top Five Inside Facts I have Learned in the Wine Business - By Julie Arbuckle, Proprietor of Anthem

1.  The wine business requires immense patience.  Especially when starting with raw land, it can take a decade or more of time, hard work, and investment to build a successful winery.  When we began the process of planting our vineyards in 2007, we knew it would be years until our dream of having a winery would come into fruition.  In 2009, our vineyards were still not capable of producing the ultra-premium fruit we require.  Nonetheless, with the encouragement of our vineyard manager, John Anthony Truchard, we decided to jump-start the process by hiring a winemaker and purchasing grapes from another Mt. Veeder grower.  Now that it is 2015, we are finally about to release our exquisite 2011 Mt. Veeder Estate Cabernet we planted seven years ago.  After the first Cabernet harvest on our own land in 2011, the wine spent about 20 months in the barrel and will continue to mature in the bottle before we release it this Fall.

2.  A wine’s quality is largely dependent on Mother Nature.  The Napa Valley in general and Mt. Veeder in particular has an ideal climate for growing grapes, but even here, if the Spring and Summer are not warm enough to ripen the fruit, or if frost sets in after but break, making ultra-premium wine can be a challenge.  In our hillside Mt. Veeder location on a bench overlooking North Napa, we haven’t had frost and have great sun exposure, so we have always been able to get our grapes perfectly ripe.  In 2011, however, we risked our entire crop by opting not to pick our grapes before the Fall rains came unusually early although many other wineries opted to pick before the rain.  Fortunately, the rain had no effect on the quality of our grapes and they got the additional dry weather and hang time they needed to fully ripen.

3.  Earning praise and high scores from wine critics will not alone build a new wine brand.  In our short time marketing our wine, we have earned high praise and scores, but it is not the only element that goes into establishing a successful wine brand.  New high end wineries need to find ways to get their wines on the palates of their target consumers and to earn those consumers’ loyalty and trust, which again takes time.   To earn our customers’ loyalty and trust, we do whatever it takes to ensure our wines are consistently lights out blockbusters.  In most vintages, this philosophy results in us selling any wine that does not meet our extremely high quality standards to other wineries while it is still in the barrel.

4.  One cannot underestimate the importance of a wine’s packaging, especially with all the options available today.  Our label and packaging, designed by John Schall, really speaks to our customers and has been featured on wine blogs, videos, and even the cover of a book about beautiful bottles.  My husband conceptualized our back label that identifies every factor and decision that went into making each of our wines in an approachable format.  It makes my job marketing to wine experts easy except of course when I need to update the labels for each new vintage of wine we bottle.

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5.  Not all vineyards are created equal – not even close.  When it comes to producing world-class wine, the quality of the grapes can determine about 85% of the quality of the wine.  In short, the quality of wine that can be made is largely determined by the time the grapes are harvested.  When I interviewed 100 winemakers in order to find our superstar winemaker, Jeff Ames, I was surprised to hear most winemakers agree that their job was to adjust and control the last several factors that can improve a wine’s quality.  These factors include, but are not limited to, skilled winemaking, a smooth fermentation process, and access to the best barrels.  We use 100% French Oak barrels, mostly new Taransaud and Darnajou barrels.  The bottom line is even the best winemaker cannot make an incredible wine from average grapes.   

Be sure to add your Anthem wine experiences using the VAULT29 app!

Follow Anthem on Facebook & Twitter.

Amplify

Meet Cameron and his wife. Together, they make up Amplify, where their goal is to capture not only a sense of site, but a sense of self. A sip of Santa Maria pinot noir sparked Cameron's curiousity about wine. He started as a cellar rat at Tantara where he learned the art of blending. At Dierberg, he expanded his farming knowledge and the natural approach of winemaking. In his first attempts, Cameron passed the Court of Master Sommeliers first three levels in just NINE months, and holds the title Advanced Sommelier. He is currently studying for his Master exam while he crafts exceptional small production wine. This duo has never been fans of cliques or been interested in being part of the cool kids club (but we think they are awesome!)  They are content to work in their little world, chipping away at a long-held dream. Amplify proves dreams do come true...

Wine: A Timeliss Beverage by Cameron Porter

Wine can be so much more than a beverage if it's allowed to be.  It can capture that which is timeless- the essence of a place and the traditions of a people.  And it can also evoke those things that are transient- the weather of a given year, the philosophical approach of a farmer, even the mood of the winemaker throughout the aging process.  This intersection of the fleeting and the forever is where the art of wine lies, so when we started Amplify, our goal was to capture not only a sense of site, but a sense of self.     

It's easy to espouse this philosophy, but the work of achieving it is something else altogether.  Every grape variety we work with, and every site we work with, guides our hand in very different ways.  Sometimes this means nurturing some delicate element; other times it means destroying a grape's primary nature so that it may express the core of its origins.  Take our Viognier.  Viognier, by its nature, wants to throw out all of its effusive, peachy, generous, oily goodness to seduce you. While this take on Viognier is pleasant, it doesn't have much to say about where it's from or who made it.  We believe Viognier must be punished, thrown in the gutter before it can really look at the stars.  Every time we bring it into the winery I can hear Dylan's voice on “Like a Rolling Stone” cackling “How does it feel...” to the socialite now on her own, cast out of the comfort of her high society trappings.  Once our Viognier makes it through its plight- foot crushing, no sulfur, skin contact, hot ferments- it comes out the other side better for its hardship, tasting of the soil it was raised in and the hands that crafted it.

This goes against most of the “rules” of how Viognier is supposed to be treated.  But the world of wine has a lot of rules.  Europe has its appellation system, where one is told what one can grow, how it can be grown, and how it must taste.  Viticultural professors have their textbooks on how vines should be trellised and the scientific markers for what ripe fruit is.  Sommeliers tell us the classic rules of pairing, and what foods we should be eating with particular wines.  There is greatness to be found in these rules, certainly; they are the foundation of tradition, and have helped to establish much of what made us fall in love with wine in the first place.  But we are in California.  Our creative freedom is boundless; knowing these rules allows us to break them, and break through, to find our own voice. 

Thus, our approach, while rooted in a strong overarching philosophy, is not dogmatic.  We've never been fans of cliques or been interested in being part of the cool kids club.  Rather, we're content to work in our own little world, chipping away at a long-held dream.  The art of winemaking- and it is an art- is a long, slow journey.  It's not like music or painting, where an abstract idea can be channeled into something concrete immediately, a masterpiece rendered in the moment.  The wonder, and the frustration, in wine comes from the patience it requires.  And in a lifetime, if you are extremely lucky and start early enough, you still might only get 50 or 60 chances to really ace it.  Perhaps because of this, our joy comes not from trying to achieve perfection (and here's a secret- despite 100 point scores being doled out, it ain't attainable).  Instead, we find it in the surprises our wines consistently deliver, the new stories they have to tell each year, the questions they raise more than the answers they provide.

Our ultimate hope is that these bottles inspire conversation around a table among friends, family, and lovers- about the wines themselves, certainly, what winemaker wouldn't dream of their art being treated with such respect- but more importantly about their day, their dreams, their struggle.  There should be laughter, and flirtation, and excitement, maybe even a little tension.  We're born alone, we die alone, and it's those little moments of connection in between that make it all worthwhile; for a bottle of Amplify to be the catalyst for that experience?  That is what makes all the effort meaningful.  

Be sure to add your Amplify wine experiences in the VAULT29 app!

Follow Amplify on Facebook and Instagram!

Wine Families

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. Last week (Season 1: part 3), we recapped stories shared by wineries from the Central Coast. In Season 1: part 2, we took a look back at our stories from Sonoma County and in Season 1: part 1, we revisited Napa Valley experiences.

This week is the forth and final recap of Season 1 where we look back at family owned and operated wineries in California. Get to know Trombetta: A mother/daughter duo; Esterlina: The largest African American owned/operated family winery; Stomping Girl: An Israeli husband/wife team; and Hardball Cellars: A family's love for baseball and wine.

A Mother/Daughter Duo

It's pretty unusual to find a mother/daughter duo in the wine industry. Meet Rickey Trombetta Randcliff and Erica Randcliff: the duo who turned a home winemaking venture into a commercial endeavor with the release of their 2010 Gap's Crown (Sonoma Coast AVA)  Pinot Noir. At the start of the venture, Rickey was a home winemaker with a "learn-by-doing" approach in the vineyards. As things progressed, Trombetta eventually collaborated with California's famed winemaker, Paul Hobbs. Today, you can find Rickey tending to Trombetta's marketing, sales, and office needs, while Erica focuses on the wine production side of the business. With three Gap's Crown pinot noir vintages now under their belt, they've recently checked off one of their long term goals: adding a chardonnay to Trombetta's portfolio. Get to know more about this award-winning duo and find out what wine influenced Erica to become a winemaker.  Read more.

Largest African American Owned/Operated Winery in the US

Meet the Sterling Family: growers in Sonoma and Mendocino counties who later established their own family winery operation in 2001.  As California farmers & winemakers for 3 generations, the Sterlings have pooled their collective talents and experience from farming, medicine, law and business to drive the successful family wine enterprise. Today, Esterlina Vineyards & Winery is the largest African American owned family vineyards and winery operation in the U.S. They produce award-winning wines with international demand and recognition from their facilities in Sonoma County. Esterlina wines have been featured on White House Menus with President Bush in 2005 and 2008, and specifically requested for President Obama’s Inauguration celebrations in 2009 along with numerous industry accolades. Read more about this gem of a family.

Israel Tradition, Husband/Wife Duo

Stomping Girl Wines was founded in honor of Uzi Cohen's grandmother, who began a family winemaking tradition in Israel. Back then, Uzi was recruited to help pick the grapes during harvest on the family's vineyard property, while his younger sister helped with foot stomping. Two generations later, in 2003, Uzi and his wife, Kathryn, carried on the tradition and began making wine in their home wine cellar in Berkeley, CA, and enlisting the help of friends and their three children. Today, they are dedicated to producing vineyard designate pinot noir and chardonnay using traditional, minimalist techniques influenced by time spent in Burgundy. In addition to their emphasis on vineyard designate wines coming from family-owned, sustainably-grown vineyards, they also deliver the same top-quality pinot noir in stainless steel kegs for restaurant by-the-glass programs. Read more about this dynamic duo...

A Family's Passion For Wine + Baseball

For the Westerberg family, the passion for wine, baseball and family combine for an unbeatable combo in Hardball Cellars! Mike and Cindy are transplants from Oregon and were raised by hard working families in the Willamette Valley. In the mid 1980’s, they followed their family to Napa where they planted roots and fell in love with the Northern California wine country. Their "Coaches" who influenced their passion for wine was none other than their parents and grandparents who made wine for well over 50 years in Oregon. In the "Rookie Years," Mike spotted an ad in the Napa Register for some u-pick Zinfandel fruit on Glass Mountain Road in St. Helena. He grabbed garbage cans and took his kids along for the ride to the vineyard. Hardball Cellars has an exceptional line up of Napa cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay. Get to know their "Game Plan", "The X and O's" of winemaking, the "Five Tool Player"and more! Read more..

Central Coast

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. The last two weeks we've recapped "Napa Valley Wineries" in Season 1, part 1 and "Sonoma Winery Techniques" in Season 1, part 2.. This week we take a look back at wineries from California's Central Coast. Discover Pali Wine Co. tasting rooms in Lompoc & Santa Barbara's Funk Zone;  the unique tasting experience found at ONX in W. Paso Robles Templeton Gap; how four couples turned a passion for winemaking into a business at Phantom Rivers in Arroyo Grande; and the sweeping coastal views overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Laetitia.  

When Visiting Santa Barbara

Tim Perr and Scott Knight founded Pali, named "Pali" after the coastal Los Angeles County city and their hometown, Pacific Palisades. Their main goal is to deliver small lots of quality artisinal wines to consumers while maintaining affordable price points. Their 2012 Huntington Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County) made a big splash when it was named one of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2014 list. The price point: a mere $22.50/bottle! While this wine is already sold out, there are other great wines available, like the 2012 pinot noir from Sta. Rita Hills. Pop in and taste their line up at one of three locations: The state-of-the-art tasting room in Santa Barbara's "Funk Zone" just blocks from the beac;, the Lompoc tasting room amidst the barrels; or at the winery (by appointment only). You're bound to enjoy these quality wines at an incredible value! Read more here.

Gorgeous Grounds, Sweeping Views

Take a scenic drive, about an hour north of Santa Barbara's Funk Zone and Pali Wine Co,. and you reach Laetitia Vineyards & Winery. Owned and operated by a father/daughter duo who purchased the property in the 1990's, they decided to keep the name given it had meaning to the previous owner. The grounds are gorgeous and the landscape is picturesque: gentle rolling hills with larger unobstructed vineyards. They specialize in Methode Champenoise sparkling wines, pinot noir, and chardonnay which you can find in retail outlets.  They also make 8 different pinot noirs strictly for the tasting room. With a deep commitment to sustain the land for future generations, they create quality wines by harvesting during the night and carry the distringuished certification of Sustainable-in-Practice (SIP) certification. Read more about the history of Laetitia, their second label NADIA, and the unique parrellels between the two brands.

Home Winemakers to Business Partners

Five minutes from Laetitia, in the Village of Arroyo Grande, is the quaint tasting room of Phantom Rivers. The name, Phantom Rivers, derives from the streams of misty fog that roll in during the evenings in many of their vineyard sites; hugging the paths of the ancients rivers, now valleys, that once flowed to the sea. You may recognize this brand as it has received many awards, including Best in Class, from the San Francisco Chronicle's Wine Competition. It all started when four home winemaking couples became friends. The common passion among the eight are making good wines which pair well with food. While all have a winemaking passion, John Thunen holds the winemaker title (also winemaker for Double Bond). The focus is to source fruit grown on the Central Coast of California, from as far north as Paso Robles; far south as Santa Ynez; and the north east corner of Santa Barbara County. Read more about how they turned their passion into a thriving winery!

Vineyard Tours at its Finest

Making your way north (30 miles) and into the Templeton Gap district of Western Paso Robles, you will find ONX Estate, bordering the Santa Rita Creek. Their focus is to produce wines that portray individually distinct personalities, yet possess consistent commonalities recognizable as a family of cuvees. The six blends produced are a true expression of the ONX Estate. Learn how to take those six blends and pair them with an unforgetable vineyard tour! Rather than a conventional tasting room, they developed an old tractor shed in the vineyard into a hospitality and education center where they greet their guests before touring the vineyards. You'll definitely want to read more about sinking your boots into authentic wine country soil and the all the fun experiences that come with immersing all five senses during an estate visit! 

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Wine Mic Monday: Sonoma Winery Techniques

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. Last week, we recapped Napa Valley wineries in Season 1, part 1: Napa Valley. In Season 1, part 2, we look back at our stories from Sonoma County. There are many different viticulture practices, such as "Dry Farming" practiced by Emeritus, and "Biodyncamic Farming" or the hollistic approach, as practiced by Teac Mor. Take a look at Alma Fria's "Viticulture on the Fringe" and get deeper insights into their farming and winemaking techniques. Find out why Spell believes soil quality is the single most important factor in defining the distinctive character of a wine in "The Importance of Soil Types." 

Dry Farming 

You know when you get a summer tomato from the farmers market, you’ve been eating tomatoes from the grocery store all winter and spring and when you take a bite you instantly remember what a tomato really tastes like? That moment connects one with the farmer, the land and the food. Someone planted the tomato, tended to it and picked it. It grew in a field, in soil not in a greenhouse, not hydroponically. 

One should get that same feeling when tasting a wine made from non-irrigated grapes, or dry-farmed. Dry farming is not widely practiced in California due to a lack of rainfall during the summer growing season. In almost all other grape growing regions of the world there is summer rainfall. Read more about Emeritus' farming practices and get to know their exceptional wines!

Viticultire on the Fringe

Alma Fría \al-mah free-ah\: the soul of a family; the cold of a geography. The Hatterman family migrated to Northern California and planted new roots in the remote ridgetops of Annapolis on the West Sonoma Coast.  From this beautiful and remote place, they are committed to handcrafting Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of elegance, finesse and complexity. Reflecting on their wine journey, they constantly remind themselves just how fortunate they are to work with terroirs of such potential and beauty and to do it with the help of talented and great people with whom they beat down together the remote paths and the gravel roads that make up this special region.  In Carroll Kemp, winemaker, and Greg Adams, viticulturist, they have found true journey companions. Read more, you don't want to miss getting to know the Alma Fria family and their gorgeous wines!

The Importance of Soil Types

One trait commonly touted by many wineries throughout the world is the soil quality their grape vines are rooted.   At Spell, they believe that it may be the single most important factor in defining the distinctive character of each wine. The soil taxonomy of each vineyard is as varied as the geographical diversity.  Soils rang from gravelly loam with moderate permeability and low water holding capacity to expanding clays with slow permeability and high water holding capacity.  The vines rooted in these varied soils take up varying levels of macronutrients and micronutrients which form the foundation of vine development. Read more on the impact soil, water, and the sun have in the composition of each grape and ultimately wine.  Familiarize yourself with the beautifully crafted pinot noir & chardonnay of Spell Estate!

Biodynamic Farming

Steve Moore cares for Teac Mor's vineyard, and he’s passionate about what he does. He farms biodynamically, and feels deeply connected both to the land and to the vines. “I consider the vines my children and I want them to thrive long after I’m gone,” he said. Doing so requires Steve take a holistic approach to farming. An olive orchard and large vegetable garden on the vineyard promote a healthy ecosystem by attracting beneficial insects. “I believe the vines are not only alive, but aware of their environment. I think that a healthy vineyard will result in better wine.” Read more about Steve's daily vine inspection to his harvest techniques and on to the release of Teac Mor's small production wines! 

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WMM: S1, pt 1

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. In Season 1, part 1, we look back at our stories from Napa Valley. Take a deeper look of how the barrel process begins in "From Forest to Barrels to Bottle" by Neil Koch (proprietor and winemaker who trained under Philip Melka) of Canepa Koch. Understand why the verbiage on labels is important in "Label Talk: Let's Make It Meaningful'" by Brian Lamborn of Lamborn Family Vineyards. Get the insiders scoop into Merryvale - one of the most historic wineries in the Napa Valley in "Building on a Rich Napa Valley Legacy" by proprietor Laurence Schlatter. Learn about Voneyard {511} and the wines of the Diamond Mountain (AVA).  

From Forest to Barrel to Bottle

There are many factors influencing the outcome of a wine, including barrel selection. In this Canepa Koch story, learn how the barrel process starts (in the oak forest of France), to the French government deeming the trees as "ready" to be cut and sold at an auction to cooperages, to aging the staves (the wood pieces that make up the barrel), to making the barrels, to toasting the barrels per winemakers preference, and finally aging the wine prior to bottling and release. Read more!

The 2013 "The Dude" is on pre-order with a release date of April 1st, 2015!

Label Talk: Let's Make It Meaningful

There are stringent regulations on grapegrowing and winemaking, but the terminology that goes on a bottle is overlooked. With so many wines being produced today, wine terms themselves are becoming homogenized, and as a result, obsolete. In this Lamborn piece, learn why label terminology should be regulated, just like all aspects of making wine. If you’re not familiar with Lamborn, they are a “boutique,” “family winery” with “estate grown,” “cult” Cabernets and “old vine” Zinfandels “handcrafted” with care in “small lots” by “artisan” winemaker Heidi Barrett. Read more!

Building on a Rich Napa Valley Legacy

The landmark, family-owned St. Helena winery is one of the most historic wineries in the Napa Valley, as it's the first winery built in the valley after Prohibition. The Schlatter family, are tradiotionalist with a vision, and alongside their winemaker, the acclaimed and charismatic Simon Faury, they have sharpened their focus on Bordeaux varietals. With a prime location along Highway 29, their goal is to create an intimate, engaging atmosphere for visitors. From the wine and cheese experience in the historic Redwood Tank Room. to movie nights in the Cask Room, the Merryvale tasting experience is not to be missed. Read more! 

Vineyard {511} & Diamond Mountain Wines

Located just two miles southwest of Calistoga, CA, Diamond Mountain has a long and rich winemaking history in Napa Valley. Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards, laid out near the mountaintop at 2,200 feet above sea level, is one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley, dating back to the late 1890s. The Diamond Mountain District AVA, created in 2001, is unique with only 500 acres of vines, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, although small amounts of other varietals. Wineries located in the Diamond Mountain District (DMD) AVA are small production wineries, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand cases each year. If you haven't got to know Vineyard {511}, do yourself the favor...read more!

Get your hands on the newly released, limited production 2011 Diamond Mountain Cabernet!

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Are you a winery looking to share your story? We'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch!

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Wine Mic Monday: Phantom Rivers

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. This week we are proud to feature Phantom Rivers., an Arroyo Grande (SLO) winery typically producing lots of between 50-200 cases or 2-8 barrels. Their 2012 Confluence (GSM blend) was just awarded "Best of Class" in the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle awards!

Meet Phantom Rivers & The Nipomo Wine Group by Steve Mathis

The Nipomo Wine Group was created in 2004 by four couples who share a passion for making wine and enjoying the life style of the California Central Coast.  Each one of us brings a unique skill to the company which includes: wine making, business administration, marketing, scientific theory, cooking, and wine & food pairing.

The name Phantom Rivers was selected for our winery as it pertains to the misty fog that evaporates into the air.  Streams of fog flow in and out of the valleys and wind their way up the old maritime valleys hugging the courses of ancient rivers.  This fog cools the vineyards at night and early morning which extends the hang time of the grapes on the vine.  This all adds to the distinctive flavors and complexities of Central Coast Wines.

We met and became friends as home winemakers. We share a passion for making wines that pair well with food. What better way to enjoy life than to be surrounded by friends who share a passion, and love to drink fine wine and eat delicious home cooked meals?!

While we are all winemakers, the title of Wine Maker for Phantom Rivers belongs to John Thunen, PhD.  John had an extensive career in the aerospace industry during which time he stayed “grounded” by making wine.  During the past 40 years, John has honed his skills as an exceptional winemaker in much the same way he did as a Physicist, using scientific method coupled with natural artistic ability.  For years John led a team of scientists, now he leads our team of winemakers.

John Thunen, winemaker

We do not believe a single property is capable of producing the best fruit for every varietal, as the terroir required for each varietal is different.  Therefore we focus our efforts in finding the perfect area for each varietal we are looking to produce, and purchasing grapes from those farmers.

For us, the beauty not owning a vineyard is not being tied to the varietals that excel on that piece of property. There are only so many years a winemaker has a chance to produce wine and there are so many different varietals to choose from. Since beginning the winery in 2004, we have produced some phenomenal wines that include:  Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Grenache, Mourvedre, Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Vin Gris, Muscat Blanc, and a Zinfandel Rose’ as well as a Zinfandel dessert wine.  We have also made several red blends including our new award winner, Confluence which is a GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre) blend.

We decided to focus all of our efforts on fruit grown on the Central Coast of California. We purchase fruit from select vineyards from as far North as Paso Robles to as far South as Santa Ynez and the North East corner of Santa Barbara County.

There are literally hundreds of micro climates in this range, allowing vineyards unique terroir for their varietals. It is an amazing experience to search for a vineyard that offers the characteristics we are looking for in a specific varietal. Once found, we try to develop a long term relationship with the vineyard owner/manager.

John & Linda Thunen with Michael Larner, owner of Larner Vineyards

John Thunen with Paul Hoover, owner Stillwater Vineyards

Another decision we made was to produce our wine in small lots. We typically produce lots of between 50 to 200 cases or two to eight barrels. This allows us to pay a lot of attention to each lot from harvest to bottling. Small lots of wine allow the winemaker to exert a lot of influence.

When all is good, and your fruit has had sufficient hang time, the brix, TA, and PH are in range, chances are you are going to have a great wine. Selection of yeast, fermentation, decision to use extended maceration or not,  malolactic fermentation, type of barrel, time in the barrel, racking, filtration all come in to play during the winemaking process. The smaller the lot, the bigger the influence each of these decisions has.

Mother nature does not always cooperate. If the fruit comes in with high or low brix, too much or to little TA, then the winemaker, in our case John, has decisions to make, and these decisions have a dramatic impact on the quality and taste of the finished wine. The ability to fix flaws and overcome fruit that was either not fully ripened or over ripened is what distinguishes a winemaker as much as their individual style. We feel so very lucky to have John as our winemaker. His background in research has made him invaluable to our winery.

So now, the grapes have come in, adjustments have been made, fermentation is completed, the must has been pressed and the juice is now in the barrels. Over the next 14 to 18 months, there is still a lot the winemaker has to contend with and decisions to be made.

(L-R) Phantom Rivers Owners: Steve Mathis, John Thunen, Gary Smith, John Klacking

Do we make this a single varietal with 100% of the fruit from a single vineyard? Do we add a complimentary varietal to add character, depth, backbone? Do we blend cool and warm weather Syrah to make or more complex wine? Will we do a blend or more than one blend this year? For us, these decisions are made as the wine matures and develops in the barrel.

I find this to be the most fun and fascinating time to be involved with the winemaking. We gather the troops, pull samples of wines from the barrels, and the tasting begins. We make notes for each barrel, what it tastes like when blending from barrel to barrel and above all, we have a good time.

Decisions are reached over what to blend, what to bottle and when, and exactly, how much of each wine we will produce. While we are a democracy, we have all agreed to allow John to have the final say on all winemaking decisions. Stop by our Tasting Room in Arroyo Grande or visit us online. We think you will like Phantom Rivers Wine.

(L-R) John & Linda Thunen, Gary & Diana Smith, Steve & Sue Mathis

From our family to yours, Cheers!

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Vineyard511 pt2

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. This week we pick up from last week's part 1 of the Vineyard {511} story. Click here to read part 1 which covered the Diamond Mountain AVA, ownership, what to do with an acre of grapes, and meeting the winemaker. . 

Vineyard {511} and the Wines of Diamond Mountain District (cont'd) by Ed Ojdana

What to Call It?

Before designing a logo and label for their wine, Ed and Irene needed to decide what to call it. Surveying other wine labels, they concluded that wine labels typically fall into several categories based on 1) the winery owner’s or family's name (e.g., Peter Michael), 2) geography, location or topography (e.g., Rutherford Hill), 3) critters or trees (e.g., Frog’s Leap or Silver Oak), 4) whimsical or humorous (e.g., Date Night Cabernet Sauvignon), 5) sensation oriented (e.g., Thumbprint Winery’s Four Play), or 6) foreign language derivative (e.g., L’Angevin Wines).  They chose the name Vineyard {511} to reflect that the grapes come from a single vineyard and, more specifically, from their property at 511 Kortum Canyon Road, on Diamond Mountain.

Designing the Vineyard {511} Logo and Label

Irene describes the Vineyard {511} label design as follows: “We wanted our bottle and logo to reflect not only our pride in our wine, but also to reflect the beauty of Diamond Mountain and our love of art. Our home and vineyard are surrounded by lovely mountains and colorful sculpture. So with the help of our talented designer Christian McDaniel, we presented ten designs to our friends and family for their input.  Because it does take a village, we blended their ideas with our own and came up with a subtle and graceful, diamond-inspired image reflecting both Diamond Mountain and, of course, that diamonds are a girl’s best friend! We used color for drama and silk screening (rather than a paper label) for elegance. We hope our bottle and label enhance the already-wonderful experience of our Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon. “ 

Getting to Know the Diamond Mountain Neighborhood

When purchasing their property, Ed and Irene knew that they were outsiders moving into a well- established community of wineries and generations of families.  They were concerned about how their Diamond Mountain neighbors would accept the “newbies” with Hollywood and internet-tech backgrounds.  Their fears soon vanished as they made friends, first with their most immediate neighbors, Norm and Suzie Kiken, owners of Reverie Winery, that abuts Vineyard {511}.

Norm acquired Reverie in 1993.  Today Reverie has nine varieties of grapes–Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Barbera, Tempranillo, Grenache, and Roussanne.  Although all of Reverie’s wines are great, Ed and Irene particularly favor Norm’s Barbera and Roussanne.  The limited production of these wines sells out quickly with each new vintage. 

Norm and Suzie, Owners Reverie Winery

Through Norm and Suzie, Ed and Irene were invited to the annual Diamond Mountain Holiday Party, where they were welcomed by many of the winemakers and residents of Diamond Mountain. Like Norm and Suzie, no matter how well- known their wines or reputations in the wine industry, Ed and Irene discovered a group of neighbors always willing to help a neighbor or provide practical advice regarding their wine.  Boots Brounstein, who with her late husband Al's efforts, are credited with bringing recognition to Diamond Mountain Cabernet.  Diamond Creek Cabernet, with its inaugural 1972 vintage, set the standard for Napa Valley Cabernets made exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Their vineyard designate Diamond Mountain District Cabernets are among California’s most sought after wines:  Red Rock Terrace, Volcanic Hill, Gravelly Meadow and Lake Vineyard.  Boots, along with her son Phil Ross and his wife Susan, who now run Diamond Creek Winery, are always approachable for help and advice, or for just a great evening having dinner and drinking wine.

Bill and Dawnine Dyer are probably the most famous winemaker couple on Diamond Mountain. Bill made wine at Sterling Vineyards for 20 years, from 1976 to 1996, starting as Cellarmaster and becoming Winemaker in 1985.  He was responsible for developing its single-vineyard wines, including a Cabernet from Diamond Mountain.  Dawnine spent 25 years as Winemaker at Domaine Chandon, where she introduced many original sparkling wines and wine styles.  They purchased 12 acres of land on Diamond Mountain in 1992.  With considerable effort, they cleared 2.3 acres and planted Cabernet Sauvignon (78%), Cabernet Franc (16%) and Petit Verdot (6%).  Later they built a home on the property, with the vineyard as their front yard.  Bill and Dawnine are highly engaged in the Napa Valley and Diamond Mountain communities.  Besides offering Ed and Irene advice on marketing their wine, they can always be counted on to keep updated on the many community and political issues in Diamond Mountain and Napa Valley.

Last summer Ed and Irene hosted a Diamond Mountain Neighborhood End- of- Summer Party and were delighted to entertain so many of their neighbors, famous and not so famous!

Mountain versus Valley Wines

The debate regarding mountain versus valley floor wines, is “a slippery slope.”  Both can produce excellent wines but with differences:

• Napa Valley Mountain AVAs tend to be above the fog level and are bathed in sunshine, when the valley floor is covered in chilly fog.  Evening temperatures are also warmer for mountain sites than they are for those on the valley floor.  With fewer dramatic swings (diurnal) in temperature, mountain grapes build acid and sugar slowly.  The wines tend to have a good balance of alcohol and acid as a result.  Tannins tend to be more prevalent for mountain wines.

Vineyard {511} grapes

• ·Most Napa Valley Mountain AVAs consist of volcanic soil, with Mt Veeder being the exception.  Valley soils tend to be deep and rich, sedimentary and alluvial.  Hillside or mountain vines are highly stressed, as their roots must go deeper for water and nutrients. Consequently, hillside vineyards produce smaller grapes and fewer berries than do valley floor vineyards. Hillside wines thus tend to be more concentrated with intense aromas and flavors.  Alcohol levels of mountain wines tend to be lower than that of valley wines produced from grapes that are larger and more juicy than are mountain grapes.  Tannins also tend to be more intense in mountain wines with smaller grapes increasing the amount of wine skins relative to juice during the fermentation process. 

Vineyard {511} Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon exemplifies these characteristics of mountain wines.  The low-yielding vineyard produces small, intense berries with flavors of cherry cola mixed with cocoa powder and rich tobacco and cedar notes. Its intense, dark, garnet color is accompanied by aromas of dark roast expresso, dark chocolate-covered cherries, and new oak.

Three Vintages Later

Fast forward and Ed and Irene have released three vintages of Vineyard {511} Diamond District Cabernet Sauvignon:  2009, 2010, and 2011.  They’ve also started a wine club called Encounter {511}, that celebrates each harvest with a Harvest Party at Vineyard 511 for club members.

Here’s what their winemaker says about each vintage:

2009 Vineyard {511}:  "This wine should be able to age for 20 years, but I always go back to the story of my dad and me. When we go down to the cellar, I want to pull cabs from 1990-1992. He wants to pull from 2005-2008. He wants to have the bright fruit, while I like the smoothness and richness that aging gives a wine. Luckily for us, we just open two bottles."  92 points, Wine Enthusiast

2010 Vineyard {511}:  "What I love about the 2010 is that it is a classic Napa Cabernet.  It has notes of tar, black currant, and a bright acidity. It is a rich, clean, powerful Cabernet that shows the effort we made in taming and smoothing the classic Diamond Mountain tannins.  The clean fruit makes me want to drink this wine now, but I know how much more I will like it with 10+ years of aging." 90 points, Wine Enhusiast, Gold and Double Gold Medal Winner, Orange County (CA) and Florida State Fairs, respectively

2011 Vineyard {511}:  “2011 was a late year for Napa Cabernet.  The growing season started late due to winter conditions lasting into spring.  We were lucky that warm conditions followed, and with Vineyard {511}’s nice hillside and western exposure, the vines were able to ripen, even with their slow start.  The grapes were picked on October 26th,in 2011, as compared to October 1st, in 2009.  So, while we started late, we also finished late, so that the grapes not only had time to get their sugar, but also had time to get their ‘ripeness’.  I love the 2011 for its smooth tannins and rich finish, which should drink well even upon release.” Release date: March 15, 2015

For more information, visit the Vineyard {511} website:  www.vineyard511.com.

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Vineyard511 pt 1

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. This week we are proud to feature Vineyard {511} a family owned and operated winery rich in history, high in the hills of the acclaimed Diamond Mountain AVA who believes, "Like a great restaurant that is a reflection of its chef, a great wine is a reflection of its winemaker, as well as of its vineyard‏."

Vineyard {511} and the Wines of Diamond Mountain District by Ed Ojdana

Located just two miles southwest of Calistoga, CA, Diamond Mountain has a long and rich winemaking history in Napa Valley.  Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards, laid out near the mountaintop at 2,200 feet above sea level, is one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley, dating back to the late 1890s.  The Diamond Mountain District AVA, created in 2001, is unique with only 500 acres of vines, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, although small amounts of other varietals, such as Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, are also grown. Wineries located in the Diamond Mountain District (DMD) AVA are small production wineries, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand cases each year.  Diamond Mountain Ranch, owned by Sterling Vineyards, is the largest vineyard on Diamond Mountain, with about 200 acres of grapes on 307 acres of property.

Vineyard {511} on Diamond Mountain

In 2008, Ed and Irene Ojdana purchased a 6-acre estate on Diamond Mountain, which included a small vineyard, originally planted in 2001, with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  Although Ed had some experience in the alcohol beverage industry, having worked at Olympia Brewing Company in the 1970s, neither Ed nor Irene had a background in the wine industry other than knowing they liked great wines.  Over the years, they had visited Napa Valley many times and always thought it would be a great place to live when they gave up their day jobs.  Since then, they have learned a great deal about farming vineyards and producing wine, and particularly what makes mountain wines so different from other valley wines.

What to Do With an Acre of Grapes?

The prior owners of the Ojdana’s estate had planted the vineyard in 2001.  The vineyard, planted on a steep, west- facing hillside, draws the warm afternoon sun, allowing the grapes to slowly ripen during the growing season. A vineyard management company farmed the vines, and the grapes were being sold to the Duckhorn Winery at the time Ed and Irene purchased the property.  Dan Duckhorn was a close friend of the prior owners.  In 2007, however, GI Partners, a private equity group, bought a controlling interest in Duckhorn Winery, and Dan retired from active management in the winery. Because of the relatively small annual harvests (2 to 3 tons of grapes), the new management at Duckhorn was not interested in further purchasing the grapes.

Ed & Irene Ojdana, Owners Vineyard {511}

Ed and Irene closed on the property in early 2008.  There was much to do as the house on the property was in need of remodeling and updating, which became their focus for the remainder of 2008.  Consequently, they sought another buyer for the grapes.  They quickly learned how easy it was to make connections in the valley. Through Paul and Sue Frank, friends from Los Angeles and owners of Gemstone Winery at the time, they eventually met Pam Starr, one of the superstar winemakers in the valley, whose resume includes Winemaker at Spottswoode Vineyard and Winery prior to founding her own winery, Crocker Starr.

Through Pam, Ed and Irene sold their 2008 harvest to boutique winery Garric Cellars, with Pam as their consulting Winemaker. Their 2008 harvest was disappointing, yielding only one ton of grapes from a vineyard that historically produced 2 to 3 tons.  They eventually learned that the vineyard management company had not properly irrigated the vineyard during the growing season, which resulted in the low yield.  An important lesson was learned about staying involved in the active management of their vineyard, rather than totally relying on a farming company.

As part of their agreement with Garric Cellars, Ed and Irene received 5 cases of wine made solely from their 2008 harvest. They will occasionally open a bottle for visitors to Vineyard {511} so, if you are able to get an appointment to taste their wines, be sure to ask about it.

With 2008 under their belts, it was clearly time for a change in direction for the vineyard. The storm clouds of the Great Recession that rolled through in 2009 had a devastating impact on Napa Valley and on the 2009 harvest. As wine producers cut back on their 2009 production plans, growers were hit hard.  Signs began appearing along Highway 29 advertising large quantities of grapes for sale – something unheard of in the valley.  Ed and Irene found themselves without a buyer for their 2009 harvest, as Garric Cellars also cut back on its production for 2009.

And so, the idea of producing wine under their own label took hold.  In the turbulent economic times of 2009, this was a risky decision.  However, given the time it takes to age an outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon, Ed and Irene rightly thought that the economy would be well on its way to recovery by the time their Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon was ready for release in early 2013.

Rob Lloyd, Winemaker Vineyard {511} 

Finding a Winemaker

The next challenge was to find the right winemaker.  Like a great restaurant that is a reflection of its chef, a great wine is a reflection of its winemaker, as well as of its vineyard.  Ed and Irene wanted an experienced winemaker, who believed in their vineyard and who could make a wine that reflected the Diamond Mountain District terroir.  As luck would have it, family connections played a key role in their search. Irene’s nephew, Geoff Silverman, had grown up with Paul Frank.  Paul is the son of Rich Frank and a highly-talented entertainment executive.  He and his father Rich currently are executive producers of Royal Pains, now in its seventh season on the USA Network.  Rich Frank, one of Hollywood’s most creative executives and longtime Disney executive, is also the owner of Frank Family Vineyards, near Calistoga, CA.  Geoff arranged a private tasting for Ed and Irene at Frank Family Vineyards during one of his visits to Napa Valley.  They were graciously hosted by Dennis Zablosky, the winery tasting room manager, who is often touted as one of the valley’s “legends.”

When Dennis heard that Ed and Irene were looking for a winemaker, he promptly volunteered that he had just the person for them – Rob Lloyd.  Rob is a graduate of UC Davis, where he received a master’s degree in Enology in 1999.  He subsequently worked at LaCrema as an Assistant Winemaker and then at Rombauer Vineyards, from 2001 to 2008, first as Assistant Winemaker and then as Winemaker.  While at Rombauer, the winery received many new accolades and awards for its wines, including being named by Wine Spectator as one of the Top 100 wines in the world in 2007.  In 2009, when Ed and Irene met Rob, he was, and remains, the Winemaker for Jessup Cellars and consults for several other wineries, including Humanitas, John Anthony Vineyards, and Handwritten Wines.  He also has own label: Lloyd by Robert Lloyd.

During the “courting” process, Rob visited Ed and Irene’s vineyard a number of times in the summer of 2009, tasting and analyzing the grapes from various parts of the vineyard. After much suspense, Rob told Ed and Irene that he thought he could make a “pretty good” Cabernet Sauvignon from the grapes, one that would reflect the traditional Napa cabs before the high alcohol, jammy, fruit forward wines became the trend.  Although mountain fruit is known for its tannins and often requires years of aging in the bottle, Rob felt that he could make wine that was drinkable upon release, as well as age well over a 10 to 15 year period. The wine would need to be aged in French oak considerably longer than the typical Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is aged to accomplish this.

Rob also recommended that Ed and Irene hire a new vineyard management company, one that he knew well, worked with, and trusted.  They subsequently hired John Truchard’s Vinewerkes company to farm their vineyard.  John’s family is well known in the valley (Truchard Vineyards).  John grew up in the valley, and it was only natural that he would continue their farming and winemaking tradition with his own vineyards and label (John Anthony Vineyards)...To Be Continued...

Please tune in next Monday for part 2 of Vineyard {511} and the Wines of Diamond Mountain, as Ed discusses topics like:

• What to Call It?
• Designing the Vineyard {511} Logo and Label
• Getting to Know the Diamond Mountain Neighborhood
• Mountain Wines vs Valley WInes
• AND MORE!

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HardballCellars

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. This week we are proud to feature Hardball Cellars, where a passion for wine, baseball and family combine for an unbeatable combo! 

THE TEAM

Hardball Cellars is a family business with a passion for baseball, business and wine. Currently our team produces small lots of cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot and pinot noir. Founded in 2012 at the encouragement from family and friends, we are working hard to grow our brand communicating our passions while making delicious wines. Mike and Cindy are transplants from Oregon and were raised by hard working families in the Willamette Valley. Mike’s mother is an artistic antiquer and owned her own antique and import shop. His father was born to be a handyman and worked in industrial construction. Cindy’s parents also owned their own hobby retail and wholesale business for many years. Mike and Cindy followed their family to Napa in the mid 1980’s where they have planted roots and fallen in love with the northern California wine country.

THE COACHES THAT INFLUENCED OUR PASSION FOR WINE

We have a long family history of winemaking. Our parents and grandparents made wine for well over 50 years in Oregon as a hobby and grandmother Alberta Gearin would always have a crock pot brewing when we went to visit. Our parents tell us she made the most incredible dandelion wine. She would brew anything she could get her hands on, including fresh Oregon blackberries and even cabbage.  Our grandfather Dewey Gearin was a military man. When he finished serving his time for our country, be became an inventor who patented a number of inventions. He is best known for the old gas station rubber hoses that rang to alert the service station attendants when driven over. He had an amazing sense of humor, and a serious palate for adult beverages and was always eager to drink Grandmas fixins. 

Mike’s mother and father followed in Alberta’s footsteps, making blackberry, pear, and plum wine. They also enjoyed making homemade root beer with their children. Mike’s dad to this day still loves to play around with fermenting the fruits on his farm in Oregon. He dreams of planting a pinot noir vineyard on his farm one day.

OUR ROOKIE YEARS 

Our true passion for wine began to grow when we moved to Napa over twenty-five years ago. Spotting an ad in the Napa Register for some u-pick Zinfandel fruit on Glass Mountain Road, in Saint Helena, Mike grabbed garbage cans and took my kids along for the ride to the vineyard. The owner was a nice old guy who loved kids and sent us into the vineyard to harvest the fruit. He then destemmed our fruit back into our fermentors and off we went! Mike learned what about making wine by watching his parents, reading books, watching videos, and networking in the wine country for many years. He still remembers the smell new wine in our garage like yesterday. After many batches in our 5 gallon carboys over the years, some good, some not so good, learning by trial and error, we knew one day that we would have our own wine.

As Mike and Cindy’s kids grew up we had the opportunity to traveled around the country for dance competitions with their daughter all over California, with trips to Disney World in Florida , and baseball trips all over the country with their son. They experienced many wine tasting adventures between events and games wherever they traveled and began developing their palates by tasting wine from various regions. Baseball and wine soon became one of our favorite pairings. Summer baseball paired with Northwest wines like zinfandel in Roseburg Oregon, chardonnay by Wölffer Estate in the Hamptons (Long Island, New York), and college regular season games paired with the wines of the central coast (between Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara).

OUR GAME PLAN

After our son Jason’s baseball career came to an end due after injuring his throwing elbow, he soon graduated from Santa Clara with a degree in marketing. As a family we then decided that we wanted to take our passion for wine and baseball to the next level. Our friend Cynthia Cosco, who we met through social media circles several years ago, played a key role helping us get our start. After many conversations with Cynthia we mentioned that if she ever came across any fruit for purchase, we would buy to make a barrel of wine. One day, relatively quick, we received a call from Cynthia telling us that she found fruit. After much debate, we decided it was time to begin our journey. Later during the process of bottling our wine with Cynthia, she mentioned “now all you need is a name!” We began brainstorming by scribbling on paper and drawing logo concepts. One day while Mike was driving, Hardball Cellars popped into his head and after relaying his idea to his teammates, we knew it needed to be our brand name. It represents exactly who we are, and what we have a serious passion for! Baseball…business and wine! 

Over the years while making very small batches of wine, we have learned that it’s a specialized craft which has science behind it. However, you need to be able to let your god given senses guide you through the process. Our vision is to remain a small boutique vintner, while continuing to produce high quality wines that meet our high standards. We have released 4 vintages to date and have sold out of the first pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay vintages since we began. We feel with our winemaking experience and extensive travels tasting wines all over the United States. We are confident that with our combined palates along with coaching from our mentor Cynthia Cosco, we have the skills to make and market delicious wines.

We are now a fully bonded winery as of July 2013, and we are now producing our wines at Dogpatch Wines Works a Custom Crush facility located at 2455 3rd Street, San Francisco CA 94107. Approximately 9 blocks from AT&T Park. Our wines are available for tasting at Dogpatch Wine Works and available online at www.hardballcellars.com.

We have worked hard to locate the finest quality fruit and have developed relationships with our growers to create world class, small lot wines. Our growers are located all over northern California and have helped us produce our Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and soon to be released Cabernet Sauvignon. We continue to network and scout new varietals and vineyards as we move forward. We make wines that we like to drink...big and bold, complex in color, aroma and flavors. As Hardball Cellars, we evoke a high level of work ethic, quality and execution. 

THE X AND O’S OF OUR WINEMAKING

We are hands on through the entire process, and strongly believe in minimalist techniques. We get out into the vineyards during the year, hand picking the highest quality fruit, hand sorting the fruit as it comes in from the vineyards, carefully removing the low quality clusters that may have trickled in, any leaves, and anything else we see that might jeopardize our quality standards. We ferment our lots in our one ton micro bins, which allows us to control the temperature during fermentation. We perform daily manual punch downs, record daily brix and temperature readings through the fermentation process. Careful handling of our fruit and cap management are key fundamentals during the fermentation process in order to extract the highest quality colors, aromas, and flavors. We age our wines in oak barrels and continue to hone our process, techniques and plans. We have most recently utilized older neutral barrels, which we had reconditioned to expose new oak, knowing that this is eco friendly. We continue to learn so that we can strategize and refine our techniques to get the most out of our fruit and resources.

FIVE TOOL PLAYER

We are a 5 tool player offering our wines through our website, special event around the country, our wine club with special wine club offerings, a tasting room in San Francisco at Dogpatch Wineworks, and at private tastings where our wine club members, family and friends host us!

WHATS IN OUR DUFFLE BAG

Our current wines consist of a (soon to be released) 2012 Napa cabernet sauvignon, 2013 Alexander Valley pinot noir, 2012 Los Carneros merlot, and our 2013 chardonnay. We are hard at work training for the 2015 harvest and look forward to bringing in our Napa cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay. We cannot wait to bottle these wines and offer them to our followers through our website, the Dogpatch Wine Works tasting room, and in local wine shops and restaurants.

Our wine club is called “The Hardball Club.” There is no sign up fee or cost to join. By signing up, you commit to receiving two bottles, three times a year (February, May and October). Our skipper developed The Hardball Club as a simple affordable way to be a part of the Hardball Cellars team. Shipments can be mixed or matched at this time. We only bill at the time of shipment for the cost of your wine, tax and shipping. You receive many benefits as a member such as invitations to all private wine club events, early access to all new wines and a 20% discount with every purchase! and our quarterly Newsletter including recipes, winery news, and all things Hardball. We are preparing to send our first shipment of the year, just in time for 2015 Spring Training. In other news, we have also been invited to Spring Training to pour for San Francisco Giants season ticket holders. Follow us on our social media channels or blog on our website to see how it goes!

We will be emailing special offerings as we release our new wine, so get on our email list, and make sure to connect with us on Facebook. We want to thank all of our friends and family who have all been so supportive and encouraging as we have worked hard to bring Hardball Cellars to life. We hope you will join us and help spread the word about Hardball Cellars as we continue to grow.

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Stomping Girl

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. This week we are proud to feature Stomping Girl Wines -- a husband and wife duo crafting superb boutique pinot noir and chardonnay from top vineyard sites like Hyde, Beresini & Lauterbach Hill.

A Snapshot of Stomping Girl Wines by Kathryn & Uzi Cohen

Uzi & Kathryn Cohen, Stomping Girl Wines

Stomping Girl Wines was founded in honor of my grandmother, who began our family’s winemaking tradition in Israel, recruiting my younger sister to foot stomp and me to help pick the grapes during harvest on our family vineyard property. Two generations later, in 2003, my wife, Kathryn, and I carried on the tradition and began making wine in our Berkeley, CA, home wine cellar, enlisting the help of friends and our three children.

Today, working in partnership with grapegrowers at top vineyards such as Hyde Vineyard and Beresini Vineyard in Carneros and Lauterbach Hill in the Russian River Valley, we are dedicated to crafting superb Pinot Noir and Chardonnay using traditional, minimalist techniques influenced by time spent in Burgundy. We produce close to 1000 cases per year in Sebastopol, CA. Active in both Sebastopol as well as our urban outpost in Berkeley, we feel extremely lucky to be able to pursue our passion.

Our current release includes the 2012 Hyde Vineyard, Carneros, Chardonnay; 2012 Lauterbach Hill Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir; and 2012 Beresini Vineyard, Carneros, Pinot Noir. 

Producing small lots of Pinot Noir requires hand punching the cap that forms on top 2-3 times a day. The grape skins rise to the top with the help of the C02 that is created during fermentation by the yeast consuming sugar. Punching the 'cap' that forms incorporates the skins back into wine below and helps in extraction of flavors and tannins.

In addition to our emphasis on vineyard designate wines coming from family-owned, sustainably-grown vineyards, we are also proud to deliver this same top-quality Pinot Noir in stainless steel kegs for restaurant by-the-glass programs.  Our gravity-filled, reusable steel kegs substantially reduce our carbon footprint: there is no empty packaging to recycle or send to the landfill and CO2 emissions from transporting the wine are greatly reduced. Look for Stomping Girl Pinot Noir on tap in select Bay Area restaurants as wine on tap becomes more and more popular!

Our limited production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is available to Wine Club members, on our website www.stompinggirlwines.com and at select wine shops and restaurants in the Bay Area, Southern California and New York. 

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The Hit List: ZAP Festival

Daniel Santos, Contributor

Zinfandel Wines have been produced in California since the early 1800s.  A rich and flavorful wine, Zinfandel has a great history in California.  The origins of the grape have long been argued with some believing that the grapes originated in Italy, Croatia, and other simply championing Zin as an American vine and wine.  In the 60’s and 70’s a professor from UC Davis discovered a link to an Italian varietal named Primitivo, the grapes seemed to be genetic cousins.  That discovery let to questions about a possible Croatian connection but the truth remained elusive for many years.  In 1991 Croatian-born Mike Grgich, of Grgich Hills Winery, helped to create ZAP along with other winemakers with the purpose of helping to promote Zinfandel wine and also to raise money for research for this beloved grape[1].  In 2001 researchers discovered nine ancient vines off the Dalmatian coast in Croatia known a as Crljenak Kaštelanski a grape that is indigenous to this region[2]. 

ZAP was held this year at the Presidio in San Francisco and the Golden Gate Club and the Film Centre.  There were over 86 wineries participating in the event many of them pouring 2-3 wines each.  It is a Zinfandel lover’s dream!  The majority of the producers were from California, but some of the wineries that attended came from as far as Arizona and Texas and one producer even made the journey all the way from Italy!  Zinfandel is a grape with quite a bit of range.  While much of the market has been flooded with a lot of very ripe, extracted, jammy wines, you will find Zinfandel in all its manifestations here at ZAP.  Colder cooler climate zins will sometimes exhibit some more peppery notes and herbaceous and floral characters, while the warmer climate zins will have their trademark blackberry character.  When you arrive at the ZAP experience you will be handed a program, wineglass, and a baguette!  You will need all three.  

The event is held in two different building and its set up with multiple tables with each winery pouring through a selection of wines that they have brought especially for this event.  This year we were pleasantly surprised at the quality of Zinfandels that are being produced from all the different regions. Like always, there are generous cheese tables where you can stop to gather your thoughts, write some notes, and cleanse your palate with some fine cheeses!   

Christian Tetje, Owner & Winemaker at Cypher Wines

But ZAP is also about the people, we had the opportunity to meet winemakers from different regions that were producing great wines with their own signature style.  We met Christian Tetje, owner and winemaker of Cypher Wines.  Christian set up an impromptu tasting in the middle of the tasting hall and led a motley crew of us who were looking for cheese through a vertical of one of his wines, Anomaly.  The wines were amazing, a blend of Zin and Rhone Varietals.  It was one of the nest tastings we had all day, and to top off the experience he pour a wine aptly named Zinbitch, I know, it’s fun to say!  Just as quickly as he set up, he packed up and moved on elsewhere in the event.  Talking to Christian it was easy to see that he is passionate about what he does and we plan to visit him in Paso very soon!

Nils Venge, Winemaker Saddleback Cellars & Daniel Santos

We also ran into Nils Venge from Saddleback Cellars. Nils has been producing wine in the Napa Valley since the 70’s and had worked and consulted for some of the most respected names in Napa.  He earned the title as the King of Cabs when he scored 100 points for his Groth 1985 Cabernet from Robert Parker, his wine was the first American wine to ever score a perfect 100 from Parker.  We tasted through his great wines at ZAP and were couldn’t resist but take a picture with Nils.  

ZAP is a great event to participate in, we suggest you plan for it next year when ZAP will be celebrating 25 years!  Bring some friends or meet them there, we know you’ll have a great time.  If you can’t wait till next year send us an email [contact] and we can point you to some other local events that are upcoming, or you can read our blog to see which producers we are showcasing.  My next event will be the Russian River Barrel Tasting festival, it’s a tough job but someone has to cover what’s happening in wine.  Cheers!

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Esterlina

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. This week, and in honor of Black History Month, we are proud to feature Esterlina Vineyards & Winery.  Esterlina is the largest African American owned family Vineyards and Winery operation in the U.S who celebrated it’s 10 Year Anniversary in 2011. 

Quietly Making Wines Too Good to Ignore by Stephen Sterling

Esterlina Vineyards & Winery, the largest African American owned family Vineyards and Winery operation in the U.S, produces award-winning wines with international demand and recognition. Esterlina wines have been featured on White House Menu’s with President Bush in 2005 and 2008 and requested for President Obama’s Inauguration celebrations in 2009 along with numerous industry accolades.

Esterlina Winery operates its tasting room in the Dry Creek Region of Sonoma in collaboration with their Everett Ridge label, in the California wine country. The Sterling Family, have been growers in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties for some time before establishing their own family winery operation in 2001.  California farmers & winemakers for 3 generations, the Sterlings have pooled their collective talents and experience from farming, medicine, law and business to drive the successful family wine enterprise.   The Sterling’s have vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley, Cole Ranch AVA of Mendocino. The family currently bottles and produces all their wines at their Everett Ridge Winery location in Sonoma’s Healdsburg Wine Country.  

“Our family believes wine growing is all about the land. Based on that belief, we sought out sites in the finest appellations and planted superior clones. Through experimentation, patience and a little luck, we feel we have created exceptional wines. We are confident that after you sample our wines you will agree”

— Sterling Family

Esterlina Vineyards & Winery began as an extension of our family’s passion and history for farming and passing of wine making and enjoyment of food and wine.

Some of our earliest shared family stories are of the farming history of various members of our family and their love of the land and the treat of wine making as legacy passed from generation to generation. 

The details, after medical school my brother Eric began his emergency room practice in Sonoma County, during one of my father’s frequent visits to the area, he suggested getting back into farming via the local crop, grapes.  While we had grown raising cattle, and some row crops in the central valley and in Mendocino County, our higher learning pursuits took us to other industries.  Eric, a practicing physician, Craig an MBA focusing on small business and an attorney, Stephen an MBA focusing on marketing management and working in the blossoming wireless industry, while Chris maintained the love of farming like our father.  Our mother Doris is involved with the hospitality side of our business.  Both our mother and father are found in the tasting room on many special events and during the first few years of our tasting room operations.

The name Esterlina came from the family property in the Dominican Republic.  They called our home “casa de Esterlina” or house of the Sterlings.  There is a well known winery in Napa called Sterling which is owned by one of the large wine companies.  As our father would say, “they have more attorneys than we do”, “we don’t want to fight them for the use of our name”. 

After the purchase of first commercial vineyard in Alexander Valley where we grew Cabernet Sauvignon we chose another Sonoma vineyard in the Russian River Valley.  Our premier vineyard location is our Cole Ranch AVA.  The Cole Ranch founded by John Cole whom we purchased the vineyard from in the 90’s is one of the most unique vineyards in America.  The Cole Ranch has the distinction of being the US monopole or smallest single vineyard AVA in the country.  It is also one of the test questions on the Sommelier and Master Sommelier exam given by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Our winery tasting room is in the picturesque Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma in the town of Healdsburg, a popular wine destination currently.  Visitors can often enjoy meeting a family member particularly on weekends and hear the stories of wine making and ask questions about our various vintages and the unique hand crafted and single vineyard selections.  Our tasting room is situated so that even in rough weather you can enjoy the view overlooking the Dry Creek Valley through bay type windows behind our tasting area. 

Our wine club members enjoy the hand prepared family recipes and along with treats made from fruits and vegetables grown on property and the same style grass fed beef that we grew up raising.

In February 2015 our family has decided to invite guests to a first ever Black History Month Celebration at our estate property in Healdsburg.  Of the nearly 8000 wineries in the US and 3500 plus in CA less than 80 are owned by African American or Latino families.  Of those less than a dozen have a tasting room open to the public.  Esterlina has been proud sponsors for Macy’s Black History Month the last several years and featured on CNN, Essence. Proceeds from ticket sales and wine sales go to The United Negro College Fund, The Museum of African Diaspora and The Redwood Empire Food Bank. To hear our story live as told by our family watch our video:.

UPDATE: In early 2016, Flanagan Wines purchased the Everette Ridge property in Dry Creek (Healdsburg, CA). More on this here.

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Laetitia

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. This week we are proud to feature Laetitia Vineyard & Winery. The passion behind the brand is displayed by their premium estate wines showcasing the distinctive qualities of the Arroyo Grande Valley. Located in Southern San Luis Obispo County (SLO), their beautiful costal property overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

My Family Vineyard by Nadia Zilkha

VAULT29: How did the winery get started?

Nadia: Laetitia Vineyard & Winery was originally planted in 1982 by Champagne Deutz from France, recognizing it was the perfect location to create Methode Champenoise sparkling wines in California. Contrary to so many French houses that settled in Napa or Sonoma, Maison Deutz settled on the Central Coast close to San Luis Obispo to plant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc for our sparkling wine program. We still use Pinot Blanc in small quantities as we really like its unique textural quality that softens and imparts creaminess to our bubbles.

VAULT29: What's the origin of the winery name?

Nadia: In the mid 1990s the winery changed hands and was named Laetitia after that owner's daughter. When we bought the winery in 1998, we liked the name very much and decided to keep it. In 2005, we were looking to name our wines from the Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard; we named it NADIA after me, the current owner's daughter. We appreciated the synergy between the two names, and I very much liked the fact that both our brands names end in IA, it's very pretty and poetic, and feels quite fitting. At times it's been confusing to hear people discussing NADIA the wine and not me the person but I've become more comfortable with it as time has passed. I'm also quite proud that I've been able to leverage the tagline on the NADIA cork, "You never know wher life will take you," into our present campaign that shows me, Nadia the person, promoting NADIA wine all over the country and world.

VAULT29: Tell us a bit about the people behind the brand.

Nadia: Without sounding biased, the team at Laetitia is absolutely brilliant. My father, Selim Zilkha, who at 87 is as vital, smart, sensitive, curious and innovative as a businessman as he ever was, is someone who really cares for the wellbeing of his emplyees as well as the growth of our brands. He even went on Facebook in 2004, but by 2008 he'd had enough! I think we can all understand his feelings about that! Eric Hickey, our talented winemaker, grew up at Laetitia alongside his father Dave Hickey, who makes our sparkling wines, and couldn't have a better understanding of how to perfect the product due to a lifetime around the vines, grapes and wines. Lino Bozzano our visionary vineyard manager has implemented many great practices to improve our vines. These include night harvesting, Sustainable-in-Practice (SIP) certification to ensure we care about the land for the future generations, using goats for weed abatement and new types of trellising to maximize sun protection at our Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard.

VAULT29: Why did you choose the region and/or varietals?

Nadia: As I mentioned earlier, the French recognized the potential for planting Burgundian varietals on our rocky volcanic limestone soils that benefit from being in the cool Region III climate. (At Laetitia, we’re only three miles away from the ocean and the maritime fog layer sits on our land keeping it cool all morning long during the summer). Our other vineyard at Santa Barbara Highlands is at 3,200 feet in elevation, inland and is very mountainous, making it better suited to Bordeaux varietals with its hot days and cold nights. The hearty Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes there are able to withstand and thrive in the Region III climate and the short and intense growing season. We’ve really matched soil to varietal to create wines that ring true, showcasing our commitment to the region we love that’s been so good to our brand.

VAULT29: What can wine lovers expect to experience when visiting?

Nadia: When I think about Laetitia I'm proud of our family owned and family estate run vineyard. We have melded our international roots and sensibilities to very American soils. The landscape is beautiful: gentle rolling hills with larger unobstructed vineyards. Our tasting room is friendly right off the 101 Freeway on the way to San Luis Obispo, a three-hour drive from Los Angeles, making it very convenient to visit. We have many interesting wines to taste there beyond our 8 core broad market wines. We make 8 different Pinot Noirs for the Tasting Room. My favorite is the Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, sold exclusively there. We have 8 different wine clubs to choose from including a sparkling club. So we offer a great deal of variety partly because of our size but also because we really enjoy showcasing the many clones and wine making possibilities our estate has to offer.

VAULT29: What does owning and working in a family business mean to you?

Nadia:  In our family it's a tradition that sons automatically work with their fathers; I feel so blessed that for the past 15 years my father has enabled and encouraged me to work directly with him. More recently, I've become the family face for our brands. 2015 marks our 17th year in the wine business and it's been a remarkable journey. We make delicious wines that are true to the terrior and pair beautifully with all kinds of food. This is particularly important to us. After all what's better than wine with food or food with wine?

VAULT29: Plan to attend any wine events locally or nationally? If so, where and when?

Nadia:  One event that I'm especially excited for us to be attending is a Laetitia/NADIA dinner at the James Beard House in New York City on Saturday April 25th. Eric, Lino and I will all be there talking about our wine. Chef Chris Manning from Thomas Hill Organics in Paso Roble will be cooking. He's already familiar with our wines having cooked at the Laetitia Estate House last November. It was a faboulous pairing all round and I have no doubt this will be as phenomenal as the last one!

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Teac Mor

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog to write about aspects unique to them and their wines. Hot on the heels of a Best of Class designation for their 2011 Pinot Noir and a Gold for their 2012 Chardonnay in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2015, we welcome Teac Mor Vineyards to take over our mic. Teac Mor Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery in the Russian River Valley appellation of Sonoma County. They produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from their estate grown grapes. 

"Teac Mor" by Christine Moore

In 1998, we planted 30 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. By 2001, we were selling those grapes.  We chose as the name of the vineyard Teac Mor, which means “big house” in Gaelic. The name pays homage to our father’s childhood home in Ireland, which was the only two-story structure in his small village of Leitra, Galway.

My brother Steve cares for our vineyard now, and he’s passionate about what he does. He farms biodynamically, and feels deeply connected both to the land and to our vines. “I consider the vines my children and I want them to thrive long after I’m gone,” he said. 

Doing that requires that Steve take a holistic approach to farming. “What I do this year will impact future harvests, and I’m always thinking several years ahead.”

An olive orchard and large vegetable garden on the vineyard promote a healthy ecosystem by attracting beneficial insects. “I believe the vines are not only alive, but aware of their environment. I think that a healthy vineyard will result in better wine.”

Steve inspects his vines daily and adjusts his farming techniques based on what the vines call for. “There are five types of soil on this site alone,” he said. “To be successful, I need to see the distinctive needs of each plant.”

While harvest varies from year to year, we consistently sell the majority of our grapes to other producers - Duckhorn, Hale Mary, Bluxome Street, to name a few. In 2009, we began bottling our own wines. We produce roughly 1,000 cases each year, or approximately 600 cases of Pinot Noir and 400 cases of Chardonnay. When it comes to wine making, we adhere to a minimalist philosophy, seeking to preserve the essence of the fruit.

For our Pinot Noir, we use our Clone 777 and Pomard grapes. We allow the wines to take their time through fermentation, keeping fermentation temperatures relatively cool.

After fermentation our Pinot Noir wines are laid to rest in the highest quality French oak barrels. The Pinot Noir wines are not repeatedly racked or aerated. Instead, we allow them to lay peacefully in their barrels with their lees. This gentle approach produces Pinot Noir wines that are beautifully complex with subtle oak, exotic spice and a long lasting finish.

Our Chardonnay wines are made with both Clones 96 and 4. We blend the two clones, working to avoid masking the fruit’s natural beauty with heavy oak or secondary fermentations.

We use a stainless-steel fermentation process, age the wine with their lees and bottle them relatively quickly to preserve freshness, acidity and balance. The result is a bright and clean Chardonnay with refreshing acidity and defining minerality. 

People often ask us about the meaning of our label. We call our golden angel, Teaca (pronounced Teesha). She is our symbol of elegance and beauty. We believe you’ll find elegance and beauty inside our bottles too.

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Teac Mor Vineyards 4489 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa | www.TeacMor.com                                    Vineyard Contact, Steve: (707) 849-5510 | Media Contact, Christine: (415) 205-8095 | teac@teacmor.com 

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Lamborn

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog to write about aspects unique to them and their wines. This week, we are proud to feature Lamborn Family Vineyards - Three Generations of Elegant Howell Mountain Wines, Artfully Expressed by acclaimed Winemaker, Heidi Barrett.

"Label Talk: Let's Make It Meaningful" by Brian Lamborn

Like so many of the wines being produced today, wine terms themselves are becoming homogenized and, as a result, obsolete. The term “boutique” is a great example.

What exactly is a boutique winery? Larry Walker addressed the issue in his article on small wineries (“Starting And Staying Small,” January 2006) to help the industry better understand this often-used phrase. But I fear that perhaps the designation has gone the way of other favorites, thrust into meaningless oblivion by overuse and abuse.

Terms like “private reserve” and “old vine”—these fancy phrases are often nothing more than marketing gimmicks used by many labels in an effort to set them apart from others. By making this terminology the standard rather than the exception, the words have become rote in use. As an industry, I feel we need to either assign proper definitions and adhere to them, or rely on marketers to come up with catchy new phrases.

While we are faced with stringent regulations on grapegrowing and winemaking, why is it that some of the terminology that goes on the bottle is overlooked? When it comes to the wine, we must, within a very specific percentage point, accurately label the alcohol content. We must tell consumers that the product they are purchasing contains sulfites—I wonder how many consumers actually know what sulfites are—and the bottled wine must be at least 75% varietal to label it as such. These are very precise regulations that ultimately protect consumers; they know what they are buying, as it is clearly defined. Meanwhile, other wine-label terms are completely undefined.

“Old vine” not only has no legal definition, there isn’t even general agreement on its meaning. Some people say vine age should be 35 years to qualify, while others argue a minimum of at least 50 years. As it stands now, the term can simply mean: “My vines are older than yours.” And what percentage of the grapes must be from old vines in order to earn this classification? There are some phenomenal wines coming from vines that are more than 50 years old— they are labeled “old vine,” and should be allowed that luxury. But what about wines made from 20-year-old vines?

“Private reserve” (or any number of variations) is a term we find on wine labels that also has no legal definition, and therefore cannot guarantee any special meaning. While there are wineries that do use this term to describe wines produced from exceptional grapes or elite vineyards, the fact that anyone can put it on his label makes it meaningless.

What’s my point? Let’s define these terms! By giving them actual meaning, not only will we enjoy truth in marketing, but truth in the bottle.

Just do an Internet search for “boutique winery,” and you’ll see what I mean. I’m not certain how every winery within the last 10 years has become a “family” and/or “boutique” winery—regardless of case production and quality—but if the trend doesn’t end soon, wine producers will become like so many wines these days: the same. Personally, I would find it more rewarding to actually earn the classification of “boutique,” than to self-proclaim it.

Producers essentially use wine labels as mini-advertisements. They creatively utilize style and terminology on the labels to make their wines more appealing. Descriptive terms such as “private reserve” and “old vine” can be great marketing tools; defining them would undoubtedly strengthen their impact for the wineries that earn the right to use them.

At our family winery, we use the phrase “proprietor grown” on our labels. We do all the work ourselves, we grow high quality grapes and we’re very proud of it. It isn’t a term that should be abused or taken lightly. It’s one of the few terms that can actually mean something today.

If you’re not familiar with us, we are a “boutique,” “family winery” with “estate grown,” “cult” Cabernets and “oldvine” Zinfandels “handcrafted” with care in “small lots” by “artisan” winemaker Heidi Barrett.

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Merryvale

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog to write about aspects unique to them and their wines. This week, we have the distinct honor of featuring legendary Merryvale Vineyards and it's female proprietor, Laurence Schlatter, who discusses the winery's rich history; the people behind the scenes; and the hospitality and tasting experiences you will only find at the winery! Find Merryvale wine experiences in the VAULT29 app!

"Building on a Rich Napa Valley Legacy" by Laurence Schlatter, Proprietor

Merryvale Vineyards, the landmark, family-owned St. Helena winery, is one of the most historic and significant wineries located in the Napa Valley.  As the first winery built in the valley after Prohibition, Merryvale sits in a prime location along Highway 29, within walking distance from vibrant downtown St. Helena. Its Cask Room and vineyards bear the imprint of industry icons who have worked there.

Merryvale’s proprietors, the Schlatter family, are traditionalists with vision, committed to preserving the winery’s rich past without compromising their innovative plans for the future. Alongside their winemaker, the acclaimed and charismatic Simon Faury, they have sharpened their focus on Bordeaux varietals, the wines for which Napa is most renowned. 

Laurence and René Schlatter - Proprietors

PEOPLE

René and Laurence Schlatter Although René and Laurence grew up in the same Swiss town along the shores of Lake Geneva, they never met until a chance encounter in 1995 in the Merryvale tasting room. The daughter of a sixth-generation winemaker and winery owner, Laurence had traveled to St. Helena to visit her brother, a Napa harvest intern, when she crossed paths with René for the first time. An introduction and a glass of wine led to a long distance relationship, which was soon formalized with a wedding ceremony in their Swiss hometown.

United in marriage, the Schlatters are joined in their belief in a hands-on approach to the family business. They are a constant presence on the property, in the vineyards, the cellar and the tasting room. As they lay the groundwork for the future, they are committed to building on Merryvale’s rich past. Their goal is to create an intimate, engaging atmosphere for visitors while producing exceptional Bordeaux-style wines that reflect the unique and rich history of the Napa Valley.

Simon Faury, Winemaker

WINEMAKING

Merryvale Vineyards’ Cabernet-centric portfolio includes wines that are complex and rich, balanced and expressive of Napa Valley’s fruit but also reflective of classic styles. Winemaker Simon Faury’s meticulous attention to detail calls for handpicking grapes in small batches and using custom-made Rieger tanks tailored specifically for the character of the grapes in each vineyard block.

Grapes for the Profile (Proprietary red) wine and the St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon are sourced from Schlatter Family Estate Vineyard, on a hillside nearly 900 feet in elevation, just east of St. Helena. The vineyard’s 25 acres of volcanic rock soil provide ideal growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon and small-block plantings of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Permanent cover crops, reduced herbicide use, and integrated pest management are all at work in the vineyard, which became Napa Green Land certified in 2008. Fruit for non-estate wines is sourced from independent grower sites throughout Napa Valley that reflect the region’s diverse soils and microclimates. 

EXPERIENCE MERRYVALE:

Merryvale Tasting Experience: Featuring single vineyard, limited-production wines, this tasting experience highlights the very best of Merryvale Vineyards and will be changed seasonally based on wine release dates and availability. It is offered at the tasting bar but is also available by prior appointment (48 hours in advance) to large groups in the Cask Room Club lounge area. 

Wine and Cheese Experience: This seated, semi-private food and wine experience is offered daily at 11:30 a.m., and pairs artisan cheese with Merryvale Vineyard wines. Developed by the winery’s onstaff CIA-trained chef, Jason Velderrain, this tasting focuses on family-owned, locally sourced products that embody the values of the Merryvale Vineyards family. Offered by prior appointment only in the historic Redwood tank room. Eight person maximum.

Profile Library Tasting: Handcrafted from the Schlatter Family Estate Vineyard and a few select vineyard sites, Profile is the centerpiece of Merryvale winemaking. Combining the current release Profile with three past vintages, this privately hosted, seated tasting is the ultimate expression of Merryvale’s unique history. Offered by prior appointment only in the historic Redwood tank room. Eight-person maximum. Last available seating is 3 p.m.

                        Merryvale Movie Nights The Perfect Pairing of Food, Wine and Film                               Napa Valley Night Life – What to do when the wineries close for the evening?  

It’s a rare treat to visit a winery at night, and now you can reserve seating at Merryvale Vineyard’s Movie Nights in the winery’s historic Cask Room. Two stories of century-old, 2,000-gallon casks line the stone walls creating an unforgettable ambience, and there’s much more than popcorn and soda on the menu. The scene is set with plush, comfortable seating and Merryvale wines poured by-the-glass, or for purchase in bottle, paired with locally sourced bites specifically selected to complement films. 

For more information please call 707.963.7777 or visit www.merryvale.com.

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ONX Estate

"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog to write about aspects unique to them and their wines. This week, we are proud to feature ONX Estate discussing their unique private vineyard tours! Find ONX wine experiences using the VAULT29 app!

"Private Vineyard Tours" by Ann Day-WIlls & Brian Brown

Since our inaugural vintage in 2008, the ONX team has been focused on producing wines that portray individually distinct personalities, which also in turn possess consistent commonalities recognizable as a family of cuvees. Our six estate blends are an expression of ONX Estate, located in the Templeton Gap district of Western Paso Robles bordering the Santa Rita Creek.  Each blend highlights a particular grape, alongside a cohort of blending varieties to produce a wine of character and completeness.   Our goal is to craft individual wines that communicate both the personality of the vineyard and the vintage from which they are born, albeit each from an independent angle and through a different colored lens.

The ONX journey began when proprietors Steve and Brenda Olson began searching the Paso Robles area in 2004 for a specifically cooler Westside Paso Robles vineyard location. They purchased the initial 43-acre site in 2005 and since have added additional acreage giving ONX Estate 122 acres of contiguous land along the Templeton bench. Located just 9.75 miles from the coast, the Olsons recognized immediately how the warm days of summer quickly gave way to late afternoon cool-downs in this unique location.

Winemaker, Brian Brown

The seed for ONX Estate was planted in the mid 2000’s when Brian Brown was introduced to Steve Olson by a family friend. Brian spent a weekend with Steve and Brenda during which time they mapped out a vision for developing the property into an ultra premium vineyard. They decided not to play it safe limiting themselves to just traditional or more popular varieties, and instead planted numerous blocks with a mixture of Rhone, Spanish, Bordeaux, and Italian varieties. The Estate was ultimately planted with over 20 micro-blocks that contain 13 varieties and many with multiple clones, providing Brian Brown, Winemaker and Director of Operations, a diverse assortment of fruit to develop the best flavor profiles for the uniquely expressive blends of ONX Wines.  

Old Tractor Shed 

The vineyards of ONX Estate are truly the heart of ONX Wines, and Steve was determined to create a hospitality experience that centered around the land.  Although we have a large estate, more fruit is sold to premier wineries in Paso Robles, than is used for our own wines.  Being such a small producer, approximately 2500 cases, we do not have a public tasting room. Instead, we developed an old tractor shed in the vineyard into a hospitality and education center where we greet our guests before heading out on a tour of the vineyards.  We are proud to now offer small batch-exclusive tours designed to transcend the ordinary and bend the wine world’s collective consciousness.  In addition to the tractor shed, we also developed several distinct “embedded oases” carved from the land—each a destination unto itself.

Oaks Oasis

“Touring the vineyards at ONX is all about discovery,” said ONX Winemaker Brian Brown. “We want to share all of the individual environmental ingredients that blend together in the glass; this creates a platform for revealing what makes each of our cuvées unique.”

Meadow Oasis

Visitors are invited to sink their boots into authentic wine country soil and immerse all five senses while visiting the estate. Well-worn wood and the glint of antique silver make for a warm welcome at the ONX Tractor Shed. A reverence for the land is evident along every step of the way, from the ONX Creekside Oasis—with its moss-laden oaks overlooking the Santa Rita Creek—to the Meadow Oasis, offering a cheerful picnic spot enlivened by rustic-chic accoutrements and fresh-cut flowers. For those seeking a 360-degree view of the ONX Estate vineyard, the Oaks Oasis awaits. Hazy sunlight filtering through rows of Sauvignon Blanc and Tempranillo vines make for an experience matched only by ONX wines.

Winemaker, Brian Brown

 “It is an exciting time to be making wine in Paso Robles,” Brown said. “This is the fastest growing wine region in the state, and the zeitgeist is practically tangible.  The positive pioneering spirit of the area and the collaborative nature of the vintners set the stage for experimentation in the cellar and a deeper understanding of the possibilities of the terrior.”

We invite you to experience ONX Estate on your next trip to Paso Robles.  Be ready to get your boots dusty as you explore the heart of Paso’ s Templeton Gap.

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Be sure to add your ONX wines experiences in the VAULT29 app!

Follow ONX Estate on Facebook and Twitter.

The Hit List: Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) part 2

Wine drinkers always want to know: Where can I find a good glass (or bottle) of wine? Well, we have you covered! This week in "The Hit List," Contributor Ro (@TravelingFlute) stops by to talk about her favorite places for wine in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) in the second part of a two part series. (Click here to read Part 1)

Ro: Contributor

D’Vine Wine Cellar

Tucked inside the basement of The O Hotel, you are immediately transported to a small town in the South of France.  I kid you not!  I was immediately drawn to the large French oak like vault door before I even entered the cellar. 

Once you are seated at a table lined with light linen napkins, beautiful long stem Bordeaux glasses and classic flatware, you are transcended by the most beautiful French blues-mixed with Sam Cooke playing in the background.  This is my kind of wine bar!  You have quite the options to choose from because D’Vine literally caters to every wine lover who is looking for just the right place with just about everything you could want from a wine bar.  Three reasons this is a must visit when DTLA and they are quite simple: Ask & Tell.

1. Ask Joe to recommend a flight of 3 wines for you to enjoy with the complimentary chef’s d’morsels special.  During my 1st visit I had the baked crostini of goat cheese (tomato, basil and drizzle of goat cheese) accompanied with a one bite sliver of prosciutto wrapped around a baked date…TOO DIE FOR!
2. Tell Joe what notes you are looking for in a wine. If you like a Bordeaux, Syrah, Pinot or Rose, Joe will offer you a sample and pair that with a beautiful charcuterie board.  My favorite was the Gamut blend from St. Helena. Heaven in a glass!
3. Check the VAULT29 app to see the wine experiences I've enjoyed, as well as others, while visiting D'Vine.

I’ve been to this wine bar by myself and literally can enjoy a few glasses of wine, read my book and enjoy the ambiance of people chatting among each other, enjoying the music, or just getting into lively conversation at the bar.  Nicest transport from Connecticut that will grow on you within 5 seconds of meeting him. He’s passionate about his work and just wants to ensure you enjoy the experience. Stop in a say hi to Joe and his crew.  They will definitely make you feel like family. 

Follow D'Vine Wine Cellar on Facebook - 821 S. Flower Street (basement level in The O Hotel).

L.A. Chapter at the ACE Hotel

If you look up and see a sign that says JESUS SAVES then you’ve made it to the right place.  Once you enter you have 3 options.  You can:

• Grab a bottle of wine on the ground floor of the hotel bar, tuck yourself into a corner booth and take in the sights of Broadway Avenue
• Grab a sit at the bar with a glass of Gamay and small plate of almonds and olives infused with citrus and olive oil 
• Head up to the rooftop bar and take in the DTLA’s skyline with a bottle of Bourgogne Blanc.  This bar is a little on the pricier side but the ambiance, European meets California fresh menu and Downtown L.A.’s skyline backdrop make it all worthwhile.

You can find my L.A. Chapter wine experiences in the VAULT29 app! Follow L.A. Chapter on Twitter and Instagram - 930 S. Broadway in the ACE Hotel.

Bar and Kitchen

Tucked inside The O Hotel, this boutique hotel is host to Bar and Kitchen that serves seasonal American cuisine and small produced California wines from the Central Coast, as well as wines from the Rioja region of Spain. Choose from reasonably priced wine list of Balleto Estates Pinot Gris, Clos la Chance Sauvignon Blanc to my favorite the Cabernet/Merlot/Bordeaux blend from Haut la Pereye.  Pair your selection with one or two savory bites from the 4-7pm happy hour menu.  I miss the Korean Inspired Hot Wings, but the Pork Belly Tacos and Warm Spicy Feta are A-OK in my book.

Post your Bar and Kitchen wine experiences in the VAULT29 app. Follow Bar and Kitchen on Facebook and Twitter - 819 S. Flower Street (ground level in The O Hotel).

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Follow Ro on Twitter @TravelingFlute, or visit her website. You can also keep up with her on the VAULT29 app! Be sure to capture your DTLA wine experiences using the app too!