Here are the stunning new Private Reserve wines by Beringer. Today we share one of the oldest wineries in California, dating all the way back to the 1860s. the west coast, dating all the way back back to the 1860s. It has now been more than 20 years since I first tasted at this famed St. Helena outpost. Winemaker Ryan Rech came to Napa more than a decade ago, where he led winemaking for the relaunch of the Souverain wines crafted in the historic Asti winery, and later, working alongside famed Chateau St. Jean winemaker Margo Van Staaveren. In 2016, Ryan joined Beringer Vineyards as Luxur ..read more

Here is the brilliant 2021 Cabernet by Cadence. Today we share one of the standout producers of Washington State. For more than 25 years Ben Smith (http://owenbargreen.com/benjamin-smith-cadence) together with his wife Gaye McNutt have been making exceptional, cellar-worthy bottlings from some of the state’s great sites. Last year I had the chance to revisit wines more than 20 years old with Ben and Gaye and there is no doubt about the aging potential in Cadence wines. Cadence planted an estate vineyard on Red Mountain, the Cara Mia Vineyard, where most of their wines come from. I’ve enjoyed ..read more

Here is the stunning 2021 ‘Georges de Latour’ by BV. I won’t forget my first Georges de Latour. One of the great historic Napa estates, Beaulieu Vineyard began in 1900, when Georges de Latour's wife, Fernande, first laid eyes on the land that would become their original Rutherford vineyard — and she named it "beau lieu," or "beautiful place." De Latour saw the potential of the land and sold his thriving cream of tartar business, purchasing the four-acre ranch and later founding Beaulieu Vineyard.  I have really loved the ‘Georges de Latours’ from the mid-90s which at the time were some o ..read more

Here are the beautiful new wines by Kevin White. A great way to spend a Friday, I walked into the French-inspired tasting room in Woodinville. I was excited to taste the latest by Kevin White, who founded his namesake winery fourteen years ago back in 2010. Inspired by the wines of the Rhone Valley, Kevin sought to learn more and more about wine, taking classes in chemistry, microbiology and enology. Kevin started making his wines at nearby Baer before opening his tasting room in the warehouse district of Woodinville. Kevin is very bullish on the new vintage coming from 2022. This vintage cou ..read more

Here are the beautiful new 2021 releases by Corison. A beautiful, historic winery in the Napa Valley, Corison is known for producing great wines in tough vintages. I fondly remember Cathy Corison’s 2011 wines which was arguably the toughest vintage in the past 20 years. Her wines in 2020 were without a doubt some of the finest made in Napa. For those not familiar with Cathy Corison, she is one of the famed women in California winemaking. Corison is a master’s degree graduate of the Enology program at UC Davis and has previously served as Chappellet winemaker prior to starting her own winery ..read more

Here is the historic entrance to Marques de Murrieta. A fantastic tale of Rioja, Marqués de Murrieta was initially founded under the Marqués de Murrieta, who brought production techniques to Spain from Bordeaux. It was back in 1852 that the Marques produced his first wine in Logroño, moving into the Ygay Estate in the late 1870s. Located at the heart of La Rioja, the Estate is home to Ygay Castle, headquarters of the Marqués de Murrieta wineries. A sight to be seen, this historic castle is set on 300 hectares of vineyards as the Castillo Ygay accommodates the whole of Marqués de Mur ..read more

Here are the beautiful grounds at Merryvale. One of the great stops in Napa, Merryvale's historic building was the first winery built in the Napa Valley after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and has become a favorite destination for visitors to the valley. This is a beautiful wine country setting, surrounded by French oak barrels and casks. I’ve enjoyed visiting this beautiful property many times and the surrounding serene vineyards. The property is owned by the Schlatter family. Winemaker Andrew Wright has crafted a beautiful range of wines. I love. The 2021 Merryvale ‘Carneros’ Chardonnay ..read more

Here are the stunning new wines by WeatherEye Vineyard and winemaker Todd Alexander. One of Washington State’s great wine brands, WeatherEye Vineyard is the brainchild of Cameron Myhrvold, longtime advocate for the Washington Wine Industry. It was 20 years ago back in 2004 that Cam purchased this property based on an idea to grow grapes where no one had attempted before — on the top and north face of Red Mountain. Today most of the fruit is sold to 10 different wineries and a small portion is held back for WeatherEye Vineyard. The site is farmed by Ryan Johnson former vineyard manager at Ciel ..read more

Here is the stunning new Hors Categorie. It is my pleasure to present to you today one of the great wines of the word. Translated to ‘beyond categorization’ Hors Catégorie is an ultra-pure expression of terroir in a bottle. Sourced from a very hilly, 2-acre vineyard hidden in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, the Hors Catégorie Vineyard is a sight to be seen. This is is without a doubt one of the most scenic spots you will find in the Walla Walla Valley.  The vineyard has incredibly tight spacing and Syrah clusters are cropped at less than a ton an acre. The terroir is largely stony w ..read more

Here are two of the beautiful new bottlings by Cuvaison. I think most would consider Cuvaison one of the top spots in Carneros to visit. For many years now Steve Rogstad has made these wines and has a beautiful style of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that focuses on poise and texture. I have long admired these wines and fondly recall tasting some impressive early 2000s Chardonnay when I was in graduate school. It is hard to believe that this winery was first founded back in 1969. Then in 1979 they acquired 400 acres of highly prized land north of San Pablo Bay in the Los Carneros district of Napa ..read more