Inside Stolpman’s Cuadrilla: Great Wine, Fair Wages, Real Loyalty

Stolpman Vineyards’ 2024 “Cuadrilla Especial” is an attractive blend, and an excellent value, but it comes with a fascinating, uplifting background story.

It was the centerpiece in a tasting of the winery’s “Estate Group” offered at the Los Olivos tasting room.

Stolpman wine tasting sign outside a red-and-white building with an open sign

If, like me, you figured out what “especial” means but needed some help with “cuadrilla,” you will learn that it refers to the team, the vineyard crew that stands behind the wine.

Stolpman Vineyards is one of the few wineries dedicated to seeing that all of its vineyard workers are employed year round. Not seasonal. The winery’s objective is to provide stability to their vineyard workers and their families.

There are no tractors or harvesting machines, just people.

Stolpman Background

In 1990, Tom and Marilyn Stolpman were searching for vineyard sites. A successful LA attorney with an interest in Rhone wines, he was encouraged by Calera’s Josh Jensen to seek out limestone soils. That led to the eventual purchase of farmland in Ballard Canyon, in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara.

Vineyards were established in 1992 mainly to Rhone varieties. After selling grapes to others, they started their own winery in 1997.

Their son, Peter, now runs the day to day operation. The vineyard covers 150 acres. The Ballard Canyon estate vineyards are CCOF Certified Organic as of the 2022 vintage and Demeter Certified Biodynamic as of the 2023 vintage.

A significant number of vines are ungrafted, own-rooted, and the winery keeps expanding sections that are high density. Those average 3,000 vines per acre.

The Cuadrilla Project

Back in 1994 Stolpmans’ vineyard manager, Ruben Solorzano, gave his vineyard crew a block of land to farm on their own. By withholding any instructions for that block, he challenged the team to figure out what viticultural practices to follow to produce outstanding grapes.

It was a training exercise, but with another wrinkle…the crew eventually got to have wine made from that block. Over the first few years, they took home bottles from vines they cultivated throughout the year.

The Cuadrilla project took hold and with the 2009 vintage, “We expanded the Cuadrilla program to blend in more wine from other vineyards.”

As Brett Vallercamp, Manager of the winery’s direct to consumer sales, went on to explain:

“Today, 15-18% of our winery’s production goes into the blend.” The crew receives all of the profits from the sale of the wine that they farmed, harvested, blended, and bottled.”

He later elaborated, “The profits are returned to the crew members in the form of both a year-end bonus as well as an hourly bonus on each paycheck. The big year-end bonus allows the crew members a chance to add to their savings and overall cushion, while the weekly bonus aims to increase the quality of everyday life for La Cuadrilla.”

In our email exchanges at the end of October, he added: ”We distribute profits among crew members according to seniority at an end of harvest party for the crew and their family. This will be occurring next week! Additionally, there is now an hourly bonus attached to each paycheck as well.”

In May of this year Forbes featured this human aspect of Stolpman Vineyards, identified the 37 crew members by name and emphasized that the winery has been bucking the downturn trend and is growing.

The Forbes article which I highly recommend summarized the Cuadrilla program:

“The program now produces over 10,000 cases annually, all by hand, all tied to the livelihoods of those 37 farmers. The profit-sharing model, just over $100,000 when last reported, now distributes $250,000 annually among the crew. Last year alone, the year-end bonus increased by $600 per person.”

Grand Crew Wines

Now moving on from the business angle, I’ll return to the tasting when I first encountered that “Cuadrilla Especial.” As mentioned earlier, it was at the Los Olivos tasting room on a beautiful October afternoon.

As I was sitting there, it quickly became obvious that this was home to a very active wine club. Members were picking up their wines, but there was also an unusual friendly activity and hugging going on between members and the tasting room staff.

Turns out the person hosting the tasting and patiently explaining “cuadrilla” was also once part of the vineyard family crew. And she was very proud of it and escorted me for this bottle shot:

Row of dark wine bottles with illustrated labels displayed on rustic wooden shelves

On Loyalty and Shared Purposes

Be fore getting to the wines, I want to share this summation from Brett about the wine club and brand loyalty:

“Our most engaged members are not only buying wine, they are investing in and supporting a form of agriculture and employment that they want to see more of in the world. While neither of these is the “easy” way to do things, we feel that sticking to our principles and continuing to invest in the things that define who we are as a company will continue to differentiate us in the market. If we continue to operate within the ethos that great wine begins with healthy land and thriving people, that sense of shared purpose will continue to attract the loyalty that we rely on to continue to operate as we do.”

Tasting the Estate Wine

Stolpman Vineyards, Ballard Canyon Estate Santa Barbara County, Sauvignon Blanc $26

Viewed as a Rhône-style wine specialist, Stolpman is that and much more. Stolpman made its first Sauvignon Blanc in 2008, and now has 10 acres planted at its limestone-rich estate vineyard, The winery emphasizes its efforts to keep yields low, and the wine is stainless steel-fermented and barrel aged for four months. This 2025 release is pale in color but it wows you with an assertive, pungent bouquet of green apple, jasmine, and a hint of flint. Medium-bodied and firm, it shows plenty of lime, guava and lemon zest flavors. These flavors expand on the palate to reveal some flinty, grassy accents. The finish is crisp and long with distinct, pleasing minerality. 92

Stolpman Vineyards Ballard Canyon Estate (Santa Barbara County, California) L’Avion, 2024 $52

From 25 year old Roussanne vineyards, this “ L’Avion” was blended with 7% Chardonnay. Its yellow color for a new wine is typical of Roussanne. But this turns out to be a full-throttle Roussanne that captures the varietal’s distinctive hallmarks.

Pineapple, honey, beeswax and apricot aromas take you to a full-bodied, slightly oily palate impression. The flavors highlight peach and other stone fruits. Finishes long with a long aftertaste. 92

If this may be more Roussanne for some people, the winery offers “Uni,” a blend of Chardonnay and Roussanne. Part of the winery’s “Unfiltered & Esoteric” group, the 2025 retails for $30 a bottle.

2024 Stolpman Vineyards Cuadrilla Especial” Santa Barbara County $26

There is a regular bottling at the same price, but this is for members only. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and possibly a splash of Sangiovese, it offers up a pleasing aroma of plum and licorice in a medium bodied package. The juicy fruit flavors are joined by fresh raspberry and light spice. Seamless with light tannin provided a framework, it finishes with good length. A drink now style that delivers lots of wine for the price. 90

Stolpman Vineyards, Ballard Canyon Estate (Santa Barbara County, California) Sangiovese 2023 $39.

My first descriptor was “wow.” And at last word, this is one of the finest Sangiovese from California. The lovely aroma of raspberry, cherry and spice sets the stage. There’s also a floral note that came on with airing. Medium bodied, with incredibly rich flavors that lead to a balanced, lingering finish. Concentrated with light tannin for structure, this is a bold version that can be enjoyed over the next 5 years. 94

Stolpman, Ballard Canyon Estate 0(Santa Barbara County, California) Hilltops Syrah 2023 $52

Made from selected blocks of high density, own-rooted vines grown on limestone soils, “Hilltops” is a superb example of cool climate Syrah. The assertive aroma is all about black fruit, fresh herbs and pepper, with hints of leather and wild flowers. Medium full bodied with rich earthy and spicy flavors, it is a stunning concentrated wine with integrated tannins providing structure and longevity. 95

The Lighter Side of the Grand Crew

Under the “Love You Bunches” label, Stolpman offers a red, Rose and Orange wine. All are light and fresh and fun.

Here’s my note on the red posted at winereviewonline.com

The 2022 “Love You Bunches” Red

In 2013 Stolpman began experimenting with Sangiovese with the goal of making a lighter, fruit filled version using the carbonic maceration process widely used for Beaujolais Nouveau. In 2016 the wine was named “Love You Bunches” because the clusters or bunches demand special attention throughout the fermentation. Picked at relatively low sugar levels, the bunches are fermented by native yeast. Soon after fermentation is finished, the wine is bottled.

The end result is a red wine that is loaded with vibrant raspberry character, is relatively light on the palate, and has only a slight hint of tannin. The flavors are smooth and there’s good acidity to keep it all fresh. The winery says “Serve cold,” and so we did and, yes, even when really chilled it retained its freshness and overall appeal. 90

And So

Because “Love you bunches” is a phrase that could be used in many human contexts, it seemed like an appropriate way to end this conversation.

Walking the Razor’s Edge with Syrah

Andrew Murray Vineyards positions its “Tous Les Jours” Syrah as an “affordable luxury,” aiming to appeal to everyday wine drinkers. The 2023 vintage showcases rich flavors and smooth tannins, gaining popularity and becoming the best-selling domestic Syrah under $25. Murray continues to innovate while expanding his vineyard and offerings, embracing affordability in the wine market.

“An Affordable luxury”  is how a winemaker describes his top selling wine. If that was an attention getter, it worked for me. For starters, it counters the poorly thought out trend corporations latched onto to position a newly purchased brand as a “luxury brand.”

Amidst all the doom and gloom and a couple of shocking recent bankruptcies,focusing on affordable sure seems like a positive and creative way to market wine and maybe win over some new wine drinkers in the process.

This wine that’s an “Affordable Luxury” turns out to be one that can be enjoyed “Tous les Jours” (Every Day)!” And that is unusual, downright exciting.

The wine is Andrew Murray Vineyards “Tous Les Jours,” a 100% Syrah. It is available at every major West Coast supermarket, along with Total Wine & More and specialty wine shops. Probably even in Walmart and Walgreens.

So I grabbed a bottle just to see if if it lived up to the description, and here’s my note:

Three wine bottles displayed on a wooden surface. The left bottle is labeled '2023 Syrah Tous les Jours Santa Ynez Valley' by Andrew Murray Vineyards. The center bottle is labeled '2023 Syrah Central Coast' by Qupé. The right bottle is labeled '2023 Roasted Slope Santa Barbara County' by Andrew Murray Vineyards.

Andrew Murray Vineyards Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara County, California) Tous Les Jours Syrah 2023 $25.

This is the winery’s affordable 100% Syrah from several sustainably farmed vineyards. It was open top, fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 16 months. It is unmistakably Syrah with its deep, dark color and attractive aroma of blackberry and notes of lavender, pepper and licorice.The palate is rich, round and full of ripe fruit flavors and dried herbs with light oak notes. The tannins are so well-integrated that the finish is long and invites a second glass. 93

It’s the real deal, and a heck of a deal. I’ve recently seen it priced around $15 a bottle in several places. Making wines, Syrah or others, affordable is a goal family owned wineries might consider.

While almost every supermarket has wines like Josh, Joel Gott, Meiomi, Barefoot and Yellow Tail piled high in pyramid shaped floor stacks, Andrew Murray Vineyard is on the shelves going up against the big marketing guys.

And doing quite well, as evidenced by this off the cuff comment from Andrew:

“We are proud that it has become the best-selling domestic Syrah in the US under $25. Clearly, we don’t face a lot of stiff competition…haha. We added Qupé to our family in 2024 and now can grow and craft even more Syrah…about 20,000+ cases per year.”

A Wine for the People

Syrah as an everyday wine is not the first candidate to come to my mind. But Andrew provides some personal thoughts to help us understand his choice:

“Andrew Murray Vineyards has been a love letter to Syrah since we began in the 1990s – I have tirelessly worked to get more people (beyond writers, somms, geeks) excited about and drinking more Syrah. We started our Tous les Jours label in 1998 as a Syrah for the people – not too ripe, not too funky, not marked by Brettanomyces – polished and balanced red wine – dark fruits with enough pepper and violets to never forget it is actually still 100% Syrah.”

He describes his winemaking style this way: “My style has the politeness of the French, and the brashness of the Australians. I walk the razor’s edge.”

Polite and brash to describe a style is like describing a wine as an affordable luxury, isn’t it?

Andrew Murray, the Person

I first met him early in his career when he was pouring wines alongside his parents at a Central Coast event. It struck me as odd that the family would name a new winery after its one and only, then 20-ish son. But when you heard him talk passionately about his wines, you knew that was a smart decision.

Here’s a little background he offered: “I started Andrew Murray Vineyards with passion and adoration for all things Rhône.”

A few other veteran Rhone Rangers likely have said something along the same lines, but Andrew Murray was 21 years old when he made his first Syrah in 1993. At that time, he was still a student at U.C. Davis but he had made wines earlier in Australia’s Barossa Valley during an internship there.

After that initial 50 case lot of 1993 Syrah lot from the family’s recently replanted vineyard, he forged ahead and was soon closely followed. Robert Parker described him  as “ a rising star in the firmament,” and in 1999 The San Francisco Chronicle named him the “Winemaker To Watch.” In 2004, he was labeled  “#1 Santa Barbara Wine Maverick” by Food & Wine Magazine.

For a detailed bio, the winery website is the place to start. Here, I’ll just mention a few of the highlights, peak moments, and an epiphany or two he experienced in pursuit of his Rhone passion.

His parents, Fran and Jim Murray, highly successful restaurateurs in Los Angeles, went on a culinary and wine tour around 1987 to Burgundy. At a restaurant named Esperance in Vizaley, the sommelier served Condrieu. To Andrew, then 15 years old, it was love at first sight or smell for Viognier.

In 1988, two years after selling their restaurants, his parents bought a 200 acre site in a remote part of the Santa Ynez Valley that eventually included 34 acres of vineyards that were the highest and steepest in the region.

They had a plan, and Andrew mentions that “The original idea was to be a Viognier specialist” as he believed “it was the next Chardonnay.”

But the Viognier cuttings from a winery in Sonoma were misidentified and turned out to be mostly Syrah. As Andrew confirms: “The first vineyard that we planted – the Roasted Slope – was actually Syrah, thank God. But we didn’t know about it for three years – when we got our first veraison! So, the first wines were  “almost exclusively Syrah even though we founded ourselves to make Viognier.”

BTW: That confusion was not uncommon with Syrah and several of the Rhone varieties. Roussanne and Viognier were often misidentified.

When I recently approached Andrew about sharing other experiences via emails, he was wide open though the 2026 harvest was in full swing. This his 36th harvest and he is one busy winemaker after purchasing the Qupe brand and continuing the line along with his other projects. Those projects include managing  about 150 acres spread out over three AVAs, selling some fruit to other winemakers and making wines.

The wine world was surprised to learn in 2024 that Murray had purchased the Qupe brand and inventory after its owner Vintage Wine Merchant went into bankruptcy.  He somehow learned how to make an offer in the complicated bankruptcy system. After tasting  the inventory involved, he came up with a price, and to his surprise it was accepted.

When I asked Andrew about the purchase he said: “I was always more an artist with a mildly analytical/scientific mind. Business sense has been hard earned through the years. We have made some amazing decisions and some wildly poor decisions, but we have always believed in slow and steady improvement and growth.”

This is how he announced  the purchase of Qupe:  “We’re bringing it back home.”

Paying homage to Qupe’s founder Bob Lindquist, he added  “I was in his shadow when we started and admired him for being so manically passionate, like I ultimately became, about Rhône varieties.”

In my mind, Qupe never got as much media attention as did Bonny Doon Vineyards and a few others. But it was a major force behind the Syrah surge in the 1990s. Rich Cook wrote glowing reviews of Qupe’s wines, but the review at winereviewonline.com that says it best is this one from Robert Whitley:

“Qupe’s 2012 Santa Barbara County Syrah demonstrates the winery’s mastery of this grape variety. Elegant and firmly structured, it shows a hint of white pepper and spice on the nose, followed by mouth-watering blueberry fruit and a layered palate that finishes with impressive persistence. Drinking well now, but another three to five years in the cellar would reward anyone with that degree of patience.”

Riding With the Rangers

By 1996 Andrew Murray Vineyards was making all of 150 cases of Syrah. And by then Andrew Murray was accepted as a member of the Rhone Ranger group. But they were setting out on a wild ride. Thanks to the trailblazing efforts of the original Rhone Rangers, by 1996 Syrah was about to explode.

In 1996, California had fewer than 200 acres of Syrah. But by 2004, there were more than 15,000. It was no secret that Syrah was over-planted and many vineyards were ill-suited for the grape. Many Syrahs from warm sites were too ripe and powerful.

In 2004 the movie “Sideway” appeared, and opened the door for Pinot Noir while bad-mouthing Merlot. Oddly enough, in one brief scene, the main actor pokes fun of high alcohol red wines by holding up a bottle of…Andrew Murray Syrah.

They could have found much better examples of over-ripe Syrah, but it was clear that one way or another, Murray became identified with Syrah. For a good overview of the rise and fall of Syrah you should read the September 2020 Tablas Creek blog entitled “Syrah from Darling to Pariah…and Back.”

In 2010, the stories about Syrah were mostly negative, and I can’t help stealing from that blog to quote a comment back then:

“Eric Asimov wrote that same year in the New York Times” Is there still hope for Syrah? with the opening line: “There’s a joke going around West Coast wine circles: What’s the difference between a case of syrah and a case of pneumonia? You can get rid of the pneumonia.” The Rhone Rangers, doing their best to make lemonade out of lemons, turned the punch line into benefit tastings for global pneumonia prevention in New York and San Francisco, called Pneumonia’s Last Syrah.”

Maybe that kind of negative press has something to do with it, but In 2006, the 42 acre Andrew Murray Vineyard, winery and home were sold. The new owners quickly established Demetria Estate & Vineyards. At that time, his parents were ready to retire and sold everything except the brand name.

Back in the Saddle: Tous Les Jours

Before the sale, Andrew had already begun to source grapes from other vineyards and the owners of Demetria had agreed to sell him enough fruit to maintain continuity as he regrouped.

So  beginning with the 2006 vintage, he was leasing a part of the old Firestone brewery where he created his own winemaking space. He continued exploring new sources of Rhone varieties and setting up lease agreements with vineyards in the Central Coast. He expanded his search into Paso, but mostly looked within Santa Barbara.

Owned by the Firestone family, the Curtis Vineyard was one of those vineyards, and Andrew worked with the family for its Curtis Family wines. It was a hectic period for sure and at one point, Andrew remarks that Adam Firestone “threw him a badly needed lifeline in 2014.

That was in the form of a long-term lease on the property and 200 acre vineyard.

Returning Home

It was like “going home again” by returning to Foxen Canyon Road.

So here’s Andrew on the current vineyard:

“We currently farm about 150 acres of grapes spread across 3 different vineyard sites and three appellations. Curtis Vineyard is our home vineyard, directly above our Estate Winery. It is home to 100 acres of grapes. We carefully and lovingly farm these grapes for ourselves and our myriad grape customers.”

He continues, “Curtis Vineyard began its life in the late 1970’s, just as grapes were beginning to be planted in the Santa Ynez Valley. The oldest section of vines is called Jurassic Park, and is home to some burly, own-rooted Chenin Blanc.

The majority of the vineyard is 25-30 years old and just hitting its prime. We have been slowly re-working the vineyard by grafting and replanting, and we have had some great success from these efforts. We bottled our first Estate Syrah a few years ago and continue to explore different expressions of Syrah with some very special and limited bottlings, named for our Children.

In addition to Syrah, we grow amazing Grenache and Mourvedre that make it into varietal and blended bottlings from the Estate. Lastly, we grow Roussanne and Grenache Blanc for our white blend, Enchante, and a bit of Viognier to co-ferment alongside the Syrah.”

Andrew Murray Vineyards Curtis Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley (California) Enchante 2025 $40

From the hillside vineyards, this 2025  Enchante brings together 55% Roussanne and 45% Grenache Blanc. They are fermented and aged in seasoned French barrels for 10 months. The color is light, bright yellow, and the aroma needs little prompting to reveal lovely ripe apricot and peach along with undercurrent of figs. The texture is rich, smooth, plush and the expansive flavors of stone fruit have a hint of walnut and then a little citrus takes this big mouthfilling wine to a clean, lively finish. 93

He also is working on another series of wines, the E11EVEN series, calling them “rebelliously blended wines.”

Back Home & Back in the Saddle

The way he emphasizes “home” and estate vineyard makes you realize he has come full circle. The family’s estate vineyard was sold in 2006, and 20 years later his winemaking is again focused on home vineyards along with a few special ones.

Andrew Murray Vineyards now offers several Syrahs in addition to Tous Les Jours.

The Other Affordables

Qupé Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County (California) Sauvignon Blanc 2025 $25

That French politeness and polish poke through here, though it is unmistakably Sauvignon.

The aroma is fresh melon with hints of flint, and green tea. A little grassiness emerges with aeration. It is medium bodied with a silky texture and attractive melon flavors. Well-balanced, it ends on a subtle lime and mineral note. Just enough acidity to add good length. My French friends would give this a very slight chill and bring out the oysters. If there’s anything left, they’d move on to the goat cheese.  92

Andrew Murray Vineyards Curtis Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley (California) Enchante 2025 $40

From the hillside vineyards, this 2025  Enchante brings together 55% Roussanne and 45% Grenache Blanc. They are fermented and aged in seasoned French barrels for 10 months. The color is light, bright yellow, and the aroma needs little prompting to reveal lovely ripe apricot and peach along with undercurrent of figs. The texture is rich, smooth, plush and the expansive flavors of stone fruit have a hint of walnut and then a little citrus takes this big mouthfilling wine to a clean, lively finish. 93

Qupé Central Coast Syrah 2023 $25

This Syrah began life at the Laetitia winery and was probably still in barrel when Murray purchased it. The rescue effort seems to have been successful enough to preserve Qupe’s reputation. It has that typical dark Syrah color and an aroma of ripe plum along with some leather and pepper. The flavors are fresh with lots of young black fruits and a touch of pepper. Balanced, smooth and easy to drink. Most people would be happy with this as their everyday red wine. Enjoy now and over the next year or two. 89.

So, in today’s wine scene. “Affordability” is the way to go.

Let’s knock off that “luxury wine” crap.

This was posted earlier at winereviewonline.com where you can find more reviews.

Explore Arroyo Seco’s Unique Chardonnay Selection

From cobalt-blue bottles of sweet Isabella Gold to austere, no-oak bottlings, this piece explores how JL Wood and neighbors like J. Lohr, Wente, Morgan, and Joyce use Arroyo Seco’s cool climate and gravelly soils to reinvent Chardonnay and attract a new generation of wine drinkers.

“Dare to be different!” is how the Isabella Gold back label begins. An artsy image of a female on the front label draws your attention to these words: “Sweet Chardonnay.”  Marketed by La Reina Cordials, Isabella Gold is a brand created by the owners of JL Wood Vineyards, Carol and Paul Morrison.

Presented in a striking cobalt blue bottle, the wine is different and  the back label invites consumers to serve it over ice, mix it as a cocktail, or whatever is possible.

As a companion piece and marketing tool, Paul Morrison co-authored a novella, titled “The Evil in the Shadows and the Rebirth of Isabella Gold.”  The package is aimed at the Tik-Tok crowd, influencers and audience of what’s called “romantasy fans.”  It’s available on Amazon and wherever e-books are found. 

As one totally unfamiliar with “romantasy” and not much of a fan of sweet Chardonnay, I was nevertheless hooked. The clincher, though, was that the wine was from the Arroyo Seco AVA, a region that has yielded many of my favorite wines. Especially its vibrant, non-buttery Chardonnays.

Recent reports indicate Monterey County has also been hit hard and many vineyards have been removed or went un-harvested in 2025. In mid-June when returning from Paso Robles, we saw vines stacked high in burn piles along Hwy 5 in and around Greenfield. The problems are real, and those in the wine biz are dealing with them in different ways.

Speaking of Different

To begin with, the Morrisons are unabashed Chardonnay specialists.  Their JL Wood Vineyards is an established 125 acre vineyard in Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco AVA. They have been selling Chardonnay to many wineries for over two decades and began easing into winemaking in 2020. They acquired a winemaking facility in 2021 and hired veteran winemaker Ed Filice. 

When you hit the link jlwoodwine.cm  you will see that JL Wood’s roster does indeed include several versions of Chardonnay.  In recent vintages they have made a no-oak Chardonnay, a lightly oaked Chardonnay, a classic, barrel fermented, a Nouveau style Chard, a low alcohol (under 10% ABV) labeled “Hoo Knew”  and the before mentioned sweet one named “ Isabella Gold.” 

But why a sweet Chardonnay?  Paul offered two key reasons: “It’s a belief that wine drinkers are ready for innovation and that a sweet wine would further demonstrate the tremendous range of Chardonnay.” 

“Younger drinkers grew up on sweetened beverages. When they look at their choices for alcoholic beverages, they initially gravitate to sweeter drinks, and you can see that in the craft cocktail trend.”

He concludes, “There is no doubt that Isabella Gold is a departure from the usual Chardonnay expectations. It’s an unconventional style, doesn’t fit into contemporary wine categories, and everyone will love it.”

Well, I certainly admire his optimism. But since I hardly fit the target audience, I will only note that the wine looks and smells like an attractive Chardonnay. It also can take a serious chilling and still retain its good aromatics.

I’m more intrigued by  Paul’s remark that he’s out to “demonstrate the tremendous range of Chardonnay.” What also sets his winery apart from the crowd is that every Chardonnay is made from the same estate vineyard. From the early vintages of Kistler, Ramey, and Aubert to today’s counterparts, winemakers offering several Chardonnays focus on site specific terroir from different vineyards. 

But Chardonnay in different styles from the same vineyard would support his belief. A week or so ago I reviewed two JLWood  Chardonnays and rated both the 2024 No Oak and the 2024 Premier a 90 and 91. Tasted side by side, they were attractive and distinct. My notes:

JL Wood Wine Arroyo Seco (Monterey County), No-Oak Chardonnay 2024 $28

Their “No Oak”  was stainless steel fermented and did not undergo malo-lactic fermentation. Pale straw in color, it is all about green apples and fresh cut pears. Medium bodied with a solid feel on the palate, it delivers racy, crisp apple and guava flavors supported by definite acidity. Finishing lively and crisp, with a touch of minerality,  it is no wimp at over 13% ABV. An excellent example of cool climate Chardonnay on its own. 90

JL Wood Wine Arroyo Seco (Monterey County), Premier Chardonnay 2024 $32

 With winemaking handled by veteran Ed Filice, the “Premier” is lightly oaked and emphasizes zesty fresh fruit and crisp acidity. Pale yellow, it offers green apple, citrus and jasmine aromas and the flavors show a pleasing flintiness along with the fresh fruit. Finishes with mouth-watering acidity, making it a welcome change of pace Chardonnay that pairs well with seafood. 91

The Team

Carol and Paul Morrison both grew up in the Salinas Valley. Paul’s family was in the fresh vegetable business, developed during the 1920s and ‘30s, while Carol’s family were long-term ranchers and farmers in the Arroyo Seco region. It’s also noteworthy that both Paul and Carol graduated from the Business School at UC Berkeley. Later, both attended the Parsons School of Design in New York. Paul later completed the winemaking and wine marketing program for professionals at UC Davis.

So with their farming background, business education and artistic streak, the Morrisons aren’t the typical vineyard owner venturing into winemaking. The Wood vineyard was planted to the Wente clones 4 and 17 back in 1987 by Carol’s father, JL Wood. Acreage has been augmented over the years. 

Once they became sole owners, the Morrisons then embarked on a series of changes to improve the quality of the grapes by implementing sustainable farming practices. Today, the vineyards of the JL Wood Ranch are certified as sustainable by the CSWA. 

So, why only Chardonnay? The reasons, Paul Morrison says, are numerous. “There are few specialists in Chardonnay in California,” he begins with. Then adds: 

“We also believe that a lot of California-produced Chards had winemaking issues that we could correct as a specialist. The heavy-handedness that works in red winemaking can be a liability when working with white wines, especially because Chardonnay specifically is a special challenge given its delicate nature.”

And rather than hiring some rockstar, big ego winemaker, they turned winemaking over to seasoned veteran, Ed Filice. His 40+ year career began working with Dick Peterson at The Monterey Vineyard, which later morphed into Taylor California Cellars. Throughout the years he’s been a key player in the development of several brands such The Wine Spectrum,Seagram’s, Constellation, Courtside Cellars, Tolosa Winery, and Purple Wine. 

Ed was co-owner and winemaker of La Filice Winery in Templeton. He offered his take on working with the Wood’s Arroyo Seco grown Chardonnay this way:  

“With their Chardonnay, there’s a tremendous opportunity to show what you can do with the varietal. We present Chard that people haven’t seen before. Every Chard is not about the same thing. We taste select specific rows within blocks and harvest according to ripeness, not overripe flavors that boost fruit impressions.”

Today, Ed estimates he’s probably made over a million gallons of Chardonnay. He also recalls back in his early years that Dick Peterson was extremely fond of Chardonnay from Greenfield, part of Arroyo Seco today.   

A Nose Dive into Arroyo Seco

 In 1983 Arroyo Seco was one of the first AVAs to win approval. “Arroyo Seco” means dried riverbed, but while a deep dive metaphor seems inappropriate, it is a special place that is one of the few AVAs that can be clearly defined.

For more about the AVA, here’s a concise description found at wentevineyards.com

“The Arroyo Seco AVA offers something truly special. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean means that foggy mornings and steady afternoon winds create a long, gentle growing season—ideal for varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer. The soils here are gravelly and well-draining, often flecked with large river stones affectionately called “Greenfield Potatoes.” These rocky soils, combined with pure mountain runoff from the Santa Lucia range, encourage vines to dig deep and yield fruit with exceptional flavor, structure, and natural acidity.”

Compared to other AVAs, it is small with about 8,000 acres of vineyards planted today. Chardonnay accounts for over half. Filice emphasizes the well-drained soils as “the deciding factor in attaining consistent ripening of the site.” 

Neighbors

One who recognized the area’s potential was Doug Meador who established Ventana Vineyards in 1978. It was eventually planted to over 300 acres of several varieties. Some 130 acres consisted of Chardonnay and by the mid-1990s, several well-known wineries soon were offering a Ventana Vineyard Chardonnay. Meador loved to experiment and paved the way for others. He was one of the first to work with Sauvignon Musque, a special clone of Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard is now owned by Joyce Winery.

Another innovative winery is now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the family owned J. Lohr. In my mind it is one of the most savvy wine marketing wineries, balancing quality and innovation over its rich history. This past January, J. Lohr Vineyards released a new wine, “Paperwhite No-Oak” Chardonnay. The 2023 sold out within 3 months, and the 2024 is now on the market at $14 a bottle. Grown in the Arroyo Seco, it is all stainless steel fermented with no malo-lactic.

 It joined three other Chardonnays in the J Lohr portfolio, all from the Arroyo Seco AVA: the Riverstone Estate,  J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Chardonnay and the J. Lohr “October Night” Chardonnay. The latter is  picked in a single fall evening and is made from the  distinctive “Musque” clone of Chardonnay. Here’s how Rich Cook described the 2024 at WRO:

“A mouthful of tropical fruit freshness awaits you in this glass of Chardonnay, and that’s not all – mouthwatering acidity carries those bright flavors across the palate and into a crisp finish that leaves spiced apple and pear impressions. This bottling has seen a dialing back of oak exposure for a few vintages, as the winemaking team has opted to showcase the fruit source in a more unfettered way. A can’t-miss offering at a more than fair price, as usual.” 95 Rich Cook

 One of my favorite go-to Chardonnays is J. Lohr Estates’ Riverstone Chardonnay. It takes its name from the large alluvial stones scattered throughout the soils of J. Lohr’s vineyards in the Arroyo Seco appellation. J. Lohr Founder Jerry Lohr first began planting Chardonnay in the region in 1972. The Riverstone Chardonnay will be the first J. Lohr wine to bear the California Certified Sustainable seal.

With regard to wine history, the Wente Family goes back even further and has always been associated with Chardonnay. Wine young-uns and influencers may not know that the first California wine to be labeled Chardonnay was Wente’s 1936. Incidentally, it was labeled “Pinot Chardonnay,” but that’s another story.

 In addition to its Riva Ranch and Livermore Valley bottlings, Wente is currently offering a no-oak Chardonnay under the family’s Smith Bench Vineyard brand. The latter wine is from Arroyo Seco as is the Wente  Riva Ranch, two Chardonnays in dramatically different styles.

Last year, a 2021 Chardonnay from Arroyo Seco made by Dawn Galante under her “Dawn’s Dream” label impressed me with a similar vibrancy and zippy acidity. My comment ended on this note:

“It is solid and compact on the palate, delivering vibrant ripe pear and lemon-tinged flavors wrapped in light oak. There is a lengthy mouth-watering finish. This is the most impressive Chardonnay from the Arroyo Seco AVA.”

In recent vintages, several other wineries have contributed to the Arroyo Seco success story. Like the Morrisons, Dan Lee of Morgan Winery originally was a Chardonnay specialist. He went on to explore many AVAs but never lost sight of the Arroyo Seco. Today, Morgan now offers a stunning Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache Rose, both highly rated by Rich Cook at WRO. 

Rich ended his review of the Sauvignon blanc with this:”The fruit takes control on the palate, with zippy acidity  driving the finish, when sweet lemongrass joins in. A unique take on Sauvignon Blanc.” Working with the Reva Ranch Vineyards, Bernadus has also earned high marks for its “snappy” Sauvignon Blanc.

Anyone looking for vibrant, zippy and mouth-watering whites should also consider Arroyo Seco Albarino. Morgan’s 2024 is  an attention-getting, terrific rendition. Joyce Winery proves that’s no fluke with its attractive 2024 Albarino and a 2025 from Cedar Lake.  The winery is in Soledad and there’s a tasting room in Carmel. For more info, see joycewineco.com

Back to Isabella Gold

So with evidence from Wente, Ventana, J Lohr, Morgan and others, the Arroyo Seco AVA does seem to be a magnet for winemakers daring to be different.

In these difficult times as everyone tries to re-ignite the wine business, maybe daring to be different and unconventional is the best way to go. 

And, in my humble opinion, Chardonnay, the most widely planted and most popular white wine, definitely needs to be re-booted. 

If it takes a sweet Chardonnay to attract new wine drinkers and to show the diversity of styles, I’m all in. 

Think Outside the Bottle: Embracing Kegs

Thinking Outside the Bottle 

Recently a friend joined us for a long-anticipated reunion at the Ladera Grill in Morgan Hill. Though both she and my wife are experienced wine professionals and know their wines, they let me select a wine.  My eyes went to a white I recently tasted and favorably reviewed. But it was followed by the words, “On Tap,” available by the glass and bottle. They encouraged a bottle.

For the three of us, a bottle of “wine on tap” was a first. It actually arrived in a carafe. The waiter poured a glass and disappeared. Well, we all loved it… the wine and the experience.

No cork sniffing ritual, no hushed moment of swirling and tasting as the wait person waits for a sign. The experience turned out to be fun, uncomplicated, untraditional and maybe signaling the wave of the future to fully enjoy wines in a restaurant.  

The wine was Tablas Creek Vineyard’s 2024 Patelin de Tablas Blanc, a Rhone blend. Although I have been following this winery closely, I didn’t know it has been “kegging wines since 2013.” I also didn’t know ‘kegging’ was a verb. 

 Kegging

Kegs may be the answer to several questions facing the wine world today. It’s time for all of us to think outside the bottle. Yes the glass bottle, not the proverbial box. 

Let’s remember that screw caps were associated with cheap jug wine until 2001 or thereabouts. Back then New Zealand wineries banded together to promote the  use of screw caps for their bread and butter Sauvignon Blancs. That was called the” Screw Cap Initiative,” but it was a long battle to get others to join in. Eventually, the wine drinking public accepted them as sensible and friendly replacements for corks. 

Now that screw caps have set a precedent challenging traditional wine thinking, maybe this is the time to say “screw it” to glass bottles and start a Wine Keg Initiative. 

Kegs in Tasting Rooms

When visiting Tablas Creek a few days later, Jason Hass told me “Kegs accounted for 9% of the volume Tablas Creek sold last year, totaling 430 kegs sold to restaurants and wine bars.” 

Now we all know dealing with restaurants is never simple, but 430 kegs is a lot of wine. But then, in our conversation he added this:

“For our tasting room, kegs have worked every bit as well as we hoped. Last year, we poured 330 kegs in our tasting room. That’s 8,580 glass bottles (plus the corks, labels, capsules, cardboard, etc) that never needed to be made and shipped to us. We figure that it is the ROI (return on investment) on the kegs and the keg infrastructure in our tasting room was about 9 months, plus additional benefits in keeping wine fresher and reducing waste.

It does require a little more planning, and we do occasionally realize that we made too many kegs (or not enough) of a particular wine based on the pace at which it sells, but that’s fairly minor.”

After doing a little math, I figured from Jason’s numbers that a keg holds 25-26 cases of wine. That is about the same amount that a standard barrel holds which is probably no coincidence.

Other than being a good return on investment for a winery,  what are the advantages, the good points, about offering wines from kegs?  Here are the three primary ones, says Jason:

1.Sustainability: Think about everything that goes into a bottle—glass, cork, capsule, label—all of which is discarded after a single use. Kegs eliminate all of that unnecessary waste. Plus, reusable stainless steel kegs slash the carbon footprint of wine packaging by 76%, according to our friends at Free Flow Wines.⁠

 A photo from free flow, a napa based company  servicing the wine keg business

2. Why kegs in our tasting room? Because bottles account for half the carbon footprint of the average winery, and there is no bottle less worth the resource cost than one that holds wine that will never leave the building. 

3. Less Waste: “Restaurants and tasting rooms waste a significant amount of wine from opened bottles—sometimes as much as 25%! Kegs solve this problem by keeping wine fresh until the very last drop, meaning less wasted wine.” 

Everyone benefits, it seems. And the key point is lowering the carbon footprint for the environment.

Kegging in Restaurants: A Winemaker’s First Hand Experiences

Concerns about the environment and the carbon footprint are top priorities with many winemakers these days. But how can wineries deal with restaurant owners and their wine servers who may or may not  be of the same mind?

Remembering a conversation about recycling bottles I had with Herb Quady two months ago, I contacted him to see where his winery, Quady North, was on kegs. His winery is in Jacksonville, part of Oregon’s Rogue Valley. At present he offers these wines in kegs:

2025 PIstoleta

2024 Syrah 4,2-a

2025 Rose’ GSM

2024 Sauvignon Blanc

BTW: all four of these wines are excellent. The Pistoleta is a lovely white Rhone blend.Quady North’s Syrah is always rated high, and my ratings have been in the 92-95 range. The Cab Franc is another fav. Take a look to see these and others at http://www.quadynorth.com

Herb Quady is truly committed to kegs and, oh my, here’s how our conversation began:

“I love kegs. I’m all in, but it’s been a 15 year journey to get us to where we are, and I’ve been purchasing additional kegs all along the way and cultivating accounts, so it’s not a simple option for most.  

From an environmental perspective, it’s probably the best way to deliver wine. The restrictions are that the winery needs to keep a lot of kegs on hand and the restaurant needs some special equipment.  This requires some investment, but that’s not different from a lot of things in the winery and restaurant business.  

From a marketing perspective, it gets a winery a by the glass placement at a reasonable price, for both restaurant and winery.  BTG (by the glass)  placements are a form of marketing for the winery, so this is really important.”  

Now Moving on the the Logistics

Herb continues:

“Outside of the expense of kegs, the limitations have to do with logistics.  From a practical perspective, unless you really specialize in keg wines, wineries can only offer a few options for kegs, since you need to maintain inventory and arrange placements. 

New kegs are around $100 each, last time I checked.  Used kegs are out there for less. However, they last forever, with little maintenance.  Glass and packaging costs for the equivalent wine would be around $30-$40, not including bottling, so it’s cheaper than bottling after just three fills.”

At this juncture, it seems that going with kegs in winery tasting rooms makes sense and will gradually be expanded. Afterall, wineries will still have the same wine in bottles and can have bottles ready for display.

Restaurants, however, present far more issues and problems. Like many wine writers, I routinely vent that many by the glass wine prices are outrageous. And restaurants can’t simply convert the beer kegging system to wine. They have to commit to the program to some degree.

But to return to finding out if kegs are a real option for wine by the glass programs. Quady now owns over 100 kegs and since I had his ear, I asked Herb Quady a follow up series of questions related to his first hand experience with restaurants.

NR: What are the downsides, if any?

HQ: “As far as problems go, initially I prepared the wines as I would for bottling.  However, I learned that the keg environment is really reductive, like no O2.  This means you need little to no SO2 at kegging.  Once I realized that, I haven’t had any issues.  Wines keep really well in kegs.  This is good in case you’re not selling them as fast as you would like.” 

NR: Do you own each keg to begin with or is there some outside service supplying them?   

HQ: “We own all of our own kegs.  We have about 150 stainless steel kegs. We started selling kegs to restaurants around 2010.  We were one of the first wineries to sell kegs at Britt,(a popular outdoor  musical event in Jacksonville)  for example, and that really got us started.  We also had some direct sale programs to some restaurants in Portland like Irving Street Kitchen (who had an all keg wine program) and Cooper’s Hall, which really went big into keg wines.  

NR: What’s involved in starting a keg program?

“Getting into kegs isn’t that expensive.  You need to purchase a keg filler. You’ll fill them with a pump and, as needed, use a sterile filter in-line.  We don’t have a keg washer.  We send them to another winery that does and pay them to wash them.” 

NR: And what have you encountered when dealing with restaurants?

HQ: “The motive was, as always, selling wine, and meeting restaurants where they were.   

From both the restaurant and winery perspective, if you want to sell a very good wine by the glass, it needs to be affordable. This means cutting out packaging and middlemen.  We worked with these accounts to sell wines’ by the barrel,’ which means filling 11 kegs and selling them to those restaurants.  

It worked well for us, but it’s a big ask for a restaurant.  11 kegs is like 25 cases of wine.  

Now, restaurants will “commit” to a keg program, but won’t purchase more than 1 or 2 kegs at a time. This does create some logistical issues for a winery.  The winery has to fill kegs speculatively and have them on hand to sell to the restaurants when they need them.  

This is the same as bottled wine, but the difference is that a winery can’t sell kegs to anyone other than restaurants.  They also have to be stored, and that’s less efficient than stacking cases.  

For red wines, you could fill kegs from barrels, emptying a barrel into 11 kegs at a time.  So, if you wanted to have a red wine keg program, maybe you have 22 kegs, and when you get the first 11 back, you can fill them again from a barrel.  However, from a white wine perspective, the wine is made bottle ready, (filtered and stabilized) and needs to be kegged or bottled all at once.”  

Kegging Wines in the Cellar: The Inside Story

“So, a winery has to fill a year’s worth of kegs, sterile filtered, all at once.  Again, this isn’t different from cases, but it’s a tricky planning issue.  If you have some good accounts and you just need to keep them in stock, maybe you can plan accordingly.  However, if you want to go out and get accounts, you really don’t know if you can sell all those, or, if you’ll sell out.  If it’s bottled, you can sell it in a number of ways.  In kegs, you only have one option.  

In the greater Rogue Valley area, I can only think of about 8-10 accounts that are offering wines by the keg.  Each of those only sell about 4-5 wines by the keg at a time. It becomes a tricky thing.  

Can you get the placement first and then fill the kegs?  Or, do you need to fill the kegs first, so then you can get placements?  If there’s only 30-40 placements available, what are the odds that you’ll get one of these placements? 

There’s also recovery.  If you’re selling kegs to restaurants directly, you can keep an eye on the kegs and quickly pick up the empties when you deliver a full one.  If you’re selling them to a distributor.  They’ll recover them for you and keep them.  You then need to arrange to pick them up and ship them back.  With shipping costs, you want to do that when you have enough to ship back.  So, you need a lot of kegs, or, you’re driving up and getting them. “

Transitioning to Kegs

While I was trying to digest this information based on real experiences, Herb mentioned a possible stepping stone to kegs.

“Another good option is the PET one-way keg.  These are cheaper, around $40, and can be recycled in most systems, especially in metro areas like Portland and Seattle.  This gets around the recovery issue.  If you think you can market them in other areas, you can fill 50 and ship them to a distributor.  The carbon footprint is still better than single use glass bottles.”

 And bag-in-box wines which are becoming increasingly visible in supermarkets, are now being taken seriously by small, quality-minded wineries. Bedrock’s Morgan Twain-Peterson is on record as saying recently: “Bag-in-Box (BiB) represents a nearly 80% reduction in overall carbon footprint due to less weight, recyclable materials (the lining, though plastic, is made from predominately post-recyclable material and is recyclable, as is the box itself), and ease of shipping.”

So there you have it. I’m not suggesting that the glass wine bottle will disappear since it is part of the aging process. But we all know only a small percentage of wines improve with bottle aging. So maybe, as happened with screw caps, kegs will gain wide acceptance as an important part of the ever-changing world of wine.

Discover The Wine Atlas Collective: A New Wine Club Experience

A new approach to wine clubs and wine education.

The Wine Atlas Collective is the name of a new wine club that every wine lover should know about. Even if you have never ever been interested in wine club membership, this one might be a game changer.

Over the last 2-3 years, along with the decline in overall sales and wine tourism, wine clubs have suffered some setbacks. A recent report from Sovos ShipCompliant and WineBusiness Analytics confirms that in 2025 there was a significant drop in new club sign ups.The report noted that wine clubs are “the backbone of DTC (direct to consumer sales), accounting for about 75% of total revenue.”

As  stories continue to surface in 2026 about winery tasting rooms being closed and staff layoffs, many wineries are looking at ways to reinvent and reinvigorate their clubs.

While wineries are adding an event or changing the membership categories, The Wine Atlas Collective came up with a different concept of a wine club.    

Established in 2025, it is an association of eight independently operated, family-owned wineries from 5 states. Yes, you heard right: 8 wineries from 5 states. Coast to coast…buckle up.

The Wine Atlas Collective has a very simple underlying core: reciprocity. If you are a member of one club, you are automatically an equal member of all others. When you visit in person or online, show your membership ID in any of them and enjoy full membership perks at all eight. Like complementary tastings, discounts, special events and members’ only wines. And yes, merch is included.

Here are a few other things that define this wine collective. Their stated shared goal is “to bring our wine club member communities together and give them a passport to explore the diversity of American wine regions, varieties, and styles.”

Sharing and a sense of community, not competition, is what sets this club apart from the mainstream. The eight wineries are also “united by a shared commitment to sustainable farming, innovative winemaking, and authentic hospitality.” 

Introducing The Team

Here they are:

Blenheim Vineyards, Virginia

Brooks Estate, Willamette Valley, Oregon

William Chris Vineyards, High PlainsTexas

Frog’s Leap, Napa Valley

L’Ecole #41, Washington

Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz

Tablas Creek, Paso Robles

Red Tail Ridge Winery, Finger Lakes, New York

When looking over this odd team, several thoughts come to mind. Is it possible for sharing and a sense of community to unite California and Texas in anything?  And why would Frog’s Leap and Ridge, both Zinfandel driven, want to share members?

Jason Hass of Tablas Creek, who turned me on to this collective, suggested that he was approached by Jen Cossey of Brooks Estate about sharing membership. That would unite Oregon’s Brooks of Riesling and Pinot Noir fame with Paso’s Tablas Creek, which produces everything but Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Not only do these two combine to offer a great range of wines, but they also happen to have very successful  wine clubs on their own.  Not familiar with Brooks Estate? Check out its website to learn about its wine club program at brookswine.com 

When you look a little closer at the entire team, you realize each brings a lot to the group. Each winery is located in a historically important wine region. The wineries are all well-established with a solid track record and over the last three or four decades have had an impact on the history and reputation of wine within their respective area. 

More importantly, each remains a key player on the wine stage today. 

To return to my opening paragraph referencing people who aren’t wine club prospects, what really sets this “club” apart from the crowd is the sheer variety of wines offered. When you factor in regional styles with numerous varietals and blends, then the fun and educational opportunities multiply. 

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Let’s start with Ridge Vineyards of Zinfandel and Monte Bello Cabernet fame: it currently offers 56 wines to club members. The lineup includes a Falanghia, Grenache Blanc, and a “Historic” white wine. That one is made from 52% Palomino, 41% Muscadelle, 3% Semillon, 2% Chenin Blanc, 2% Burger. To that I say,”sign me up.”

Tablas Creek also lists over 50 wines. Its members have access to a dozen or so rare varietals from Bourboulenc to Vaccarèse. BTW: Both were highly rated at http://www.winereviewonline.com

And Brooks Estate, to cite another example, currently offers 12 different Rieslings and 12 or more Pinot Noirs. William Chris from Texas is definitely in the game offering close to 50 wines, including several styles of Mourvedre and Tannat.

 Interested in Chenin Blanc? Well, L’Ecole #41 offers three different bottlings. Frog’s Leap offers two styles of Sauvignon Blanc. Or compare those with Blenheim’s no oak Sauvignon Blanc from Virginia.

If, as I’ve heard, one of the main reasons why wine lovers drop out of wine clubs is that boredom sets in after a year or two, that’s not gonna happen with this club.  

My best guess is that it offers 300 or so different wines made from at least 50 different varieties. Members get to try small batch experimental wines along with the prime time players. There should also be many new wines offered to members every new vintage.  

How It Works

It all begins with tasting eight samples in your own home. The bottles are shipped in small boxes, each looking like a book and labeled A Book of Wine. The subtitle is “stories you can drink.” That may seem way out there, but it gets the educational message across. The fee was $120 which included shipping. For more info, check them out at www.wineatlascollective.com

Key to The Wine Atlas Collective and other programs are these wine kits, samples of the wines in mini-bottles, not like the stuff offered by airlines. Each bottle holds 180ml, better known to many of us as about 6 oz. That’s handy for 2 tasting pours, for those who like to share.  

I recently participated in the 2026 Spring Release. It began with Rieslings from New York’s Finger Lakes and the Willamette Valley and concluded with a Mourvedre from Texas. The flight consisted of eight wines and a date was set for a live webinar during which each wine was to be presented by the winemaker and/or owner. 

This tasting webinar and discussions were lively and well-paced, finishing about 90 minutes later. The presentations were relaxed and informative, and the audience participation was lively. 

Limeng Stroh, who moderated the tasting, is from Silicon Valley and she has worked on a special production method for these mini-bottles.The bottles fit snugly inside shipping packages that are so environmentally friendly.

Wine Atlas Collective is part of Master the World which offers several wine education programs. Master the World was developed in 2017 by EO Limeng Stroh and Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein.

You can learn more about Master the World and these special bottles at MTWwines.com

A Deep Dive Inside the Spring Tasting Webinar

There were three flights, so let’s look at them one at a time.

Fight #1 

2024 Red Tail Ridge Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, NY $22.97

2024 Brooks Estate Vineyard Riesling, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley $40

Nancy Irelan of Red Tail, co-owner and winemaker for some 35 vintages, talked about the history of the Finger Lakes District and why Riesling performs so well there. Jen Cossey with Brooks Estate went into the winery’s fascination with Riesling (it makes 14, including a sparkler) and explained how acidity is so crucial to Riesling.

Both winemakers answered questions about alcohol levels and the typical descriptors of Riesling.They also exchanged thoughts about “stone fruit” and “petrol” as descriptors often used for Riesling. 

A great start with excellent comments. 

Flight #2

2024 Frog’s Leap, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc $20

2024 L’Ecole #41, Washington Semillon  $25

2024 Blenheim Vineyards, Virginia Painted White $26

After 46 vintages in Napa, John Williams of Frog’s Leap shared a lot about the early years when there were 28 Napa wineries and then explained why he went with Sauvignon Blanc as the signature wine. Toward the end, he emphasized that “no wine should smell of oak.” 

With 37 vintages under his belt, Marty Clubb provides the inside story of the Stillwater Creek Vineyard and L’Ecole 41’s focus on barrel-fermented Semillon. If you ever want the inside story about Walla Walla, start with L’Ecole. 

Blenheim’s Tracy Love is part of the all-female winery in historic Virginia. She led the group discussion on ABV in today’s wines. Her blended white was surprisingly elegant and fresh, a subtle blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne and 9% Pinot Noir. The later grape rarely develops color there.

More super wines and inside stories

Flight #3

2025 Ridge Vineyards, Gamay Noir, Ponzo Vineyard  Russian River Valley $39

2023 Tablas Creek, “En Gobelet” Adelaida District $65

2024 William Chris Vineyards, Mourvedre Texas High Plains $54 

Gamay Noir seemed like a strange choice but we soon learned it was typical of Ridge in many ways. From 40 year old vines in a vineyard neighboring the famous Zinfandel Lytton Springs Vineyard, the wine was all stainless and made with minimal intervention. As lively and fascinating as this wine was, the discussion led by Shauna Rosenblum went off the charts. At least to me. 

Her personal journey from growing up in a  winemaker family (Rosenblum Cellars), venturing out on her own and returning to Sonoma as Ridge’s winemaker was spell-binding. The background story of the wine, the First Napa Gamay from Ridge, led to thoughts and comments around climate change.

Not too surprising, with Tablas Creek it all begins with vines, farming, and viticultural practices.  The winery’s 2023 “En Gobelet” is a unique blend of five estate-grown varietals, selected from head-trained, dry-farmed sections of  its certified organic vineyard. It is a blend of wines from head pruned Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre,Counoise, and Tannat. 

Winemaker and vineyard manager, Neil Collins, who was there from the winery’s beginning working in the vine nursery, developing vineyards, and monitoring vineyard experiments and wine blends, led the discussion. 

Great stories, unpretentious, but fascinating.

Compared to other GSM blends from Tablas, the wine was different in subtle ways with its lively, elegant style. Lesson learned: farming does make an impact on wine style for sure. 

Reece Johnson gave some background about the Texas High Plains region and went on to talk about the winery’s focus on making varietals from single vineyards. With Mourvedre, as a participant remarked, the color is not  very deep and dark for the varietal.  Part of the reason for that, he suggested, might be that the fruit is machine harvested. But his Mourvedre is different in other ways, leaning more toward the aromatic, less meaty, earthy side. It is typical of the La Pradera Vineyard which he favors for Mourvedre.

To me, it offered lots of cranberry and plum aromatics and was round and rich with light tannin. Youthful but will age well. A different, enjoyable take on Mourvedre.

I also found the “story” made me want to learn more about wines from Texas.

Overall, the educational presentations were excellent. Attention to detail is apparent everywhere in the Wine Atlas Collective program.  The basic printed material for the wine flights has a QR code to order full bottles of each wine. And it is valid for the entire year.  How cool is that?

OTHER PROGRAMS 

The Wine Atlas Collective, as mentioned earlier, is part of Master the World which offers several different wine education programs. Limeng Stroh collaborates today with a diverse group of Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine, and Wine Experts to select  MasterThe World’s wine kits and programs. 

In addition to Goldstein,Tim Gaiser and Madeline Triffon offer special programs. Paul Wagner, head of the Napa Valley College Wine programs, works with Gaiser to offer a class on wine history. 

There is also a WSET certification program complete with tasting kits and webinars. So there’s something for everyone into wine.

Exploring the Role of a Winegrower: A Unique Perspective

“Winegrower” is rarely used in wine conversations these days because there really are very few situations where it fits. A recent experience had me searching through my wine vocabulary for an appropriate descriptor and then it hit me: “winegrower.” 

Arriving a few minutes early for a meeting, I was told the owner-winemaker was in the vineyards on his tractor. Honestly, I can’t recall the last time I heard those three words: owner, winemaker and tractor–  in the same sentence. And this was happening on a Sunday no less. 

Sure enough, Eric showed up on time and had to shake the dust off before shaking hands.

Eric Weisinger with his Weisinger Family Winery is definitely not your typical winemaker. Some of his colleagues in Oregon label him a “winemaker’s winemaker.” But after my most recent visit and after tasting many of his new  wines, “winegrower” fits him perfectly.

His bio on the winery’s website (weisingers.com ) is a brief one paragraph. To summarize: His parents moved from Texas to Oregon and in 1978 he helped plant the original vineyard. Located on the rural outskirts of Ashland, that vineyard was one of the first in Southern Oregon. He and his father planted it to Gewurztraminer. He grew up on the farm and by 1998 became the winemaker. 

One thing he did early on was to re-work the winery’s name to Weisinger Family Winery, emphasizing “Family.”  And he then gradually converted sections of the vineyard to Tempranillo and Pinot Noir. Between 2007 and 2015, he visited Australia and New Zealand working at several wineries during their harvest seasons. Today, he also makes wines for his Oregon neighbors, most recently the Peter William brand, and has worked several vintages for a winery in Texas.

With his own winery, he makes a wide variety, adding and dropping wines from time to time. He simply enjoys making wines because, as he says, “No two days are the same and there is always more to learn about wine.”

 Let the Terroir Speak

It may be a cliche, but Eric truly believes that great wines are made in the vineyard. And he backs that up by focusing on single vineyard wines. He works not only with his estate vineyard but sources grapes from independent growers and even other wineries for his single vineyard program.

As he explains, “Our goal as winemakers is to let this terroir come through in the expression of the fruit and in the finished wine, with minimal interference. Rather than using a lot of oak, we focus on cultivating the highest quality fruit, and let the terroir speak for itself.”

The Current Wine Roster

Ten wines were available at the winery during my last visit, and over this summer another 5 or 6 will be released. If you look for a pattern or theme, don’t bother. There is none, only an eclectic mix of Rhone, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Spanish, varietals and blends.

 I almost forgot there was a first-ever Gamay and a Tannat being offered to members and visitors that day. BTW: The 2023 Tannat, sourced from the only vineyard In the Rogue Valley, growing that variety, is a rich, beautiful rendition. Lucky club members!

 Back in 2020, he made an attractive Touriga Nacional from the Gold Vineyard. In 2021, his Malbec from the Peter William Vineyard went off the charts. Well, you get the point.

But the main point is that Weisinger is the proverbial treasure trove of high quality, small batch, hand made wines with the personal touch of a winegrower.

. 

Because there are so many small batch wines, the best approach is to take it slow, one flight or deep dive at a time.

So what follows are my notes and reviews from the initial dip, not quite a dive.

 The scores are there to keep to a consistent format used when posting reviews on winereviewonline.com 

Sampling  Current Releases

Weisinger Family Winery, Applegate Valley Cole Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2024 $34

Drawing from his experience in New Zealand, Weisinger works with Cole Family Vineyards, a small organic vineyard located in Williams Oregon, a region among the coolest within the Rogue Valley. This is the second vintage I’ve tasted from this vineyard, and both are among my favs. 

In 2024, the fruit ripened in mid-September and the wine was barrel fermented and aged for six months in neutral French oak. The result is a Sauvignon with high toned aromatics of green apple, lemongrass and verbena. Medium bodied, firm and balanced, with lots of bright fruit (melon, and apple) on the palate, it finishes on a crisp note. Overall, it has more depth than New Zealand Sauvignon. 134 cases made. 92

Weisinger Family Winery, Rogue Valley Avra Vineyard Viognier 2024 $36

 Vibrant and balanced from the first sip to the finish, here’s a Viognier that’s easy to like. The steep (2221 ft) hillside Avra Vineyard was planted in 2005, and Eric has also made a Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc from this nearby vineyard. In 2024 the grapes were harvested in late September and the wine is barrel fermented and aged for 6 months in neutral French oak. Light yellow in color, this Viognier combines white peach and apricot fruit with subtle hints of jasmine. Medium full in body, it delivers lively peach and honeysuckle flavors with a touch of green tea popping up toward the finish. More subtle and vibrant than powerful, it ends on a  mouth-watering note.  116 cases made  93

Weisinger Family Winery, Rogue Valley Tempranillo 2023 $49

From the family’s steep, high elevation (2235 feet) vineyard behind the winery, Tempranillo is emerging as the winery’s signature wine.  In 2023 the fruit was harvested in mid-October at a healthy 25 Brix. The wine was barrel aged for 17 months in 35% new French oak. From the first sip it becomes clear this is a generously flavored wine. Dark in color with an enticing aroma of black fruit and anise, along with cloves, it is medium full bodied. Plush and round on the palate, it offers rich, ripe black cherry flavors and spice. No hard edges here, just well-integrated tannins and attractive ripe fruit to make it a versatile, food companion. 91

A 2022 Reserve Tempranillo aged longer in oak, it much more layered and structured, similar to

An age-worthy Rioja Reserve. A  detailed review is set for the next dive session.

Weisinger Family Winery, Rogue Valley  Buxton Vineyard Grenache 2022 $40

Planted in 2015 and located along the Rogue River, Buxton is a new source of Grenache for Weisinger. This vintage was aged in French oak, 30% new and is a rich, fruit-forward style of Grenache. Deep in color, it displays aromas of black cherry, pomegranate with back notes of cloves. Round, smooth and polished on the palate, it delivers bright cherry and cranberry flavors. With soft, integrated tannins, this is a drink now red that can be enjoyed with a wide range of entrees. 90

Weisinger Family Winery, Rogue Valley GSM 2023 $40

This is a winemaker’s wine with each component harvested from a separate vineyard over three days in mid-October. You can imagine the number of different lots after the fermentation process. Anyway the final blend consisted of 49% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 21% Mourvedre and it was aged  French oak, 30% new. Deep dark in color with lively fragrances of 

plum with a touch of leather and white pepper. Medium bodied with juicy cherry and plum fruit flavors backed by dried herbs and pepper. With well-integrated tannins, it finishes with a layer of yummy plum fruit and earthiness. Overall, quite charming, and yet has the depth and complexity to be ever so food friendly. Then again, isn’t that what a GSM is all about?  108 cases made  92

Though it was not planned, it became apparent when going over these wines and the notes that a common thread is their food affinity. Quite a few wines are too heavy, ripe or powerful to make you think of what to enjoy them with during a tasting. 

Food for thought?

Chateauneuf-du-Pape’s Hidden Gems: New Varietal Wines

“Would you like a rare and totally obscure red wine or how about a difficult to pronounce white?” For the latter, sommeliers may someday suggest a Bourboulenc. As for a rare red, then it could be a Muscardin, a Counoise, or a Cinsaut.  

With the recent release of a Muscardin, “one of the most obscure wine grapes,” Tablas Creek Vineyard has now made varietal wines from each and every permitted grape variety in Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CdP).

Better yet, Bourboulenc and other once unknown varieties are being made by many other wineries, again thanks to Tablas Creek which imported and propagated all of them and over time sold something like 5 million cuttings to over 600 wineries. 

Every wine lover is familiar with the big three GSM reds and in recent years, both Roussanne and Picpoul have emerged from the pack as white wine choices. But what about the others that call Chateauneuf-du-Pape home?

Well, I’ve had the opportunity to try most of them and discovered several exciting possibilities for new varietal wines to expand our taste experiences.

At this difficult and confusing juncture for wine, maybe the downtrend in sales can be reversed by first having more choices. And with some of these new varietal wines, those just looking into wine might find them to be an easy to access onramp. One free from all the snobby historical baggage, vintage charts and point scores that probably turn newcomers off.  

Once venturing into the less travelled wine world, there’s always something new. For example, I learned there are now 18 permitted grapes. Originally when the Chateauneuf AOC regulations were drawn up there were 13. 

Among the additions you’ll see the expanded Grenache family that now includes Grenache Blanc and Gris and a couple of Picpoul siblings. Also, I had to be reminded that neither Viognier nor Marsanne, which are so much a part of wines from the Southern Rhone, are not members of the CdP family.

The Full CdP Roster

 Though my mind set is still stuck on 13 grapes permitted in Chateauneuf, here for the record are those now actually allowed:

Red Varieties: 

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Muscardin, Terret Noir, Picpoul Noir.

White Varieties:

 Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Clairette Blanche, Clairette Rose, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul Blanc, Picpoul Gris, Picardan

5 Other Wineries to Watch As We Keep Score

Several other wineries have joined Tablas Creek and have been exploring varieties other than Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Here are the other major players I highly recommend:

Holly’s Hills Vineyard in El Dorado   hollyshill.com 

Acquiesce Vineyard in Acampo:      acquiescevineyards.com 

Starfield Vineyard in El Dorado:       starfieldvineyards.com

J. Dusi in Paso Robles :                   jdusiwines.com 

Red Door in Paso Robles                reddoorranchvineyards.com 

First Stop: Bourboulenc

Here’s a white wine with a name that could spark conversations or possibly be included in a French pronunciation final exam. “An ancient white grape from the region surrounding Avignon,  it is still valued in France for its vigor, floral character and ability to maintain acids in warm climates.” Susan Tipton of Acquiesce sees it as a natural fit for Lodi because “This late maturing variety is great at maintaining its acidity throughout the growing season.”

 I recently tasted two standouts that clearly indicate Bourboulenc is a complete wine on its own.  And with climate change, it could well be the white grape of the future.

Tablas Creek Vineyard Adelaida Hills District Paso Robles Bourboulenc 2022 $40. 

From 2/3rd of an acre, this is the winery’s 4th Bourboulenc and it is wonderfully unusual. Medium straw in color, it offers an intriguing aromatic mix of orange rind, apricot and lychee nut. Surprisingly rich and round on the palate, it combines orange and citrus flavors with a hint of stone fruit. The texture is rich, and then it finishes with a rush of lemony flavors and bright acidity. All of this is to be enjoyed in a refreshing wine with only 12% alcohol. 

To summarize: lovely aromas, terrific texture, mouthwatering flavors and youthful acidity holding it together. 91

Acquiesce Winery Mokelumne River, Lodi Bourboulenc 2023 $37

Acquiesce is an exciting new winery focusing on white wines and offering a wide range of Rhone-inspired wines. From the estate vineyard, which has the distinction of being the very first planted in the U.S. to this varietal, the grapes were harvested in late September. The wine is stainless steel fermented and then lees aged until being bottled. 

In the glass it is pale straw in color with a delicate aroma of lime and ginger. Nice and lively on the palate it offers flavors of melon and some chalky nuances. Round and smooth in texture, it has a lengthy finish with a chalky, lip-smacking finale.91

Conclusion: Move over Chardonnay. What’s not to like? 

Cinsaut

Cinsaut is also spelled as Cinsault for some reason. From Josh of Holly’s Hill: “Cinsaut is an interesting grape. It grows with huge oblong, olive-like, berries that seem to have no flavor as harvest gets closer and then all of a sudden, bam!, there’s the flavor.  We like it for its juicy fruits, chili spice and it makes for a very nice food wine.” 

It is fairly common as a Rose, and Long Walk Vineyard in Southern Oregon makes an impressive Rose from Cinsaut.  It is well-known in South Africa on its own and as a parent of Pinotage. California’s acreage is under 100 with the Bechthold Vineyard in Lodi leading the way. Tablas Creek planted it in 2017.

From Tablas Creek: “Its aromas of spicy raspberry, violet, and black tea, and flavors of tart cherry, redcurrant, and new leather make it a useful blending partner to higher-alcohol, more tannic red grapes, and it makes a delicious lighter red on its own.” 

Starfield Vineyards El Dorado, Cinsaut 2019  $32

 From its 31 acre vineyard, Starfield produces several Rhone wines as well as others in its “Mountain Mediterraneans” program. Fresh picked strawberry and cranberry juice dominate the refreshing aroma in this medium light-bodied 2019 red. But it really brings on the charm as its lively flavors expand across the midpalate with fresh berry and spice and red fruit persisting well into the aftertaste. More than a summer sipper, this is a versatile food companion. And delicious.92

Holly’s Hill Vineyard, El Dorado Cinsaut 2020 $28

Though Cinsaut is classified as a lightweight, this is no such thing. Based on its color and the initial sniff, my instinct says this could be a Cotes du Rhone Villages. A real good one! But then after an initial taste, it comes across with subtle, but charming flavors that don’t match anything in my experience. Its bright, fresh cranberry aroma mingles with spices and black tea, and the flavors are full of fresh picked dark cherries.  Balanced, with light tannin it finishes on a slightly tart note and lingering berries. 92

Conclusion: However you spell it, this is a red to explore. 

Clairette Blanche

To me Clairette Blanche is a welcome change of pace white with a bright future in California.  “Once one of the most widely planted white grapes in the south of France, it is now seeing a resurgence because of its freshness, its ability to express minerality, and its capacity to thrive in warm climates.” It was imported in 2003 by Tablas Creek.

Paper Street Vineyards J.Dusi Paso Robles (California) Clairette Blanche 2023 $44

From the Dusi family’s 106 acre vineyard in the Willow Creek AVA, Paper Street is a line of limited volume wines made by Janell Dusi. Clairette Blanche is regarded as a versatile white grape in Provence, the Languedoc and in South Africa. The variety was not available in California until 2009, and the first was made by Tablas Creek in 2014 and Janell followed in 2016. 

The aroma of her 2023 is an enchanting melange of green apple and peach with lime and fennel. It is medium full bodied, mouth-filling wine with vibrant flavors of youthful green fruit conveyed by crisp acidity. Peach and subtle lime linger in the palate cleansing aftertaste. Absolutely lovely. 91

Conclusion: Off to An Impressive Start! 

Grenache Blanc

Grenache Blanc is the tenth most widely planted white grape in France, and the fastest-growing white Rhone in California. Winemakers love working with it and it is widely adaptable to climates. Here are solid examples from two different regions.

Curran Santa Barbara County Grenache Blanc 2022 $22.00

Kris Curran rose to fame as winemaker for Sea Smoke. In 1997, she started her own label  and has been offering a Grenache Blanc since 2003. Entirely stainless steel fermented and with no malo-lactic, this is an all-purpose white to enjoy as an aperitif but it has the body and vibrancy to complement full-flavored entrees. It offers bright aromas of melon and mango with some lime and floral notes. The texture is pleasantly smooth and mouth-coating with decent acidity to add length. Melon flavors continue through the lingering aftertaste. This winery also works with Grenache Gris. 90

Klinker Brick Winery  “Under the Sea” Lodi Grenache Blanc 2023 $20

Made from a vineyard planted in 2011 that sits 13 feet below sea level, the wine is entirely stainless steel fermented and was lees aged for 31 days. First thing noted is that the color is almost opaque with a faint/pale straw look. The nose starts out with direct lemon and  some lime, and then the palate is big and plush. Peach and lime come through in the flavors that are all about freshness. Soft and creamy, it takes you to a gentle finish with just enough acidity. Fun and ever so easy to drink. 1200 cases

91

Conclusion: Move over Pinot Grigio. Keep an eye out for a new release of Grenache Blanc from Rhone specialist, Terre Rouge in the Sierra Foothills, Ridge Vineyards from Paso Robles and, of course, Tablas Creek from 2024.

Counoise 

Josh of Holly’s Hills has this to say: Leaning toward cherry fruit, “Counoise also tends to have a spicy quality that we like and we use it sparingly in our Patriarche blend where it offers highlights of red fruits and spice in the background. It’s a bit challenging to grow.” 

To Jason of Tablas Creek: “Counoise is a translucent purple-red, and has a vibrant, spicy character, with flavors of anise, strawberries, and blueberries. Counoise also makes a delicious single-varietal wine with the character of a Cru Beaujolais: earth, spice, intense floral fruit, light body, vibrant acidity and soft tannins.”

Holly’s Hill Vineyard, El Dorado Counoise 2020 $28

Excellent, deep color with an aroma of raspberries, lovely baking spices and floral notes. On the palate it offers vibrant flavors of spices and berries. The subtle floral component adds intrigue and there’s plenty of crisp acidity keeping it nicely woven together. Tannins are light and smooth. And the finish is fresh and long with spices such as cinnamon and clove.  It is reminiscent of a Moulin-a-Vent in weight and direct appeal, but it offers more layers as a result of the floral note and baking spices.  92     

Conclusion: Counoise has great potential as a beautiful drink now red.

Picpoul

Native to the Languedoc region of Southern France, Picpoul Blanc produces wines known in France for their bright acidity, minerality, and clean lemony flavor. Today the roughly 3,800 acres in France are centered around the village of Pinet in the Côteaux de Languedoc, whose Picpoul de Pinet wines are widely available.

From Tablas Creek: “in California, Picpoul maintains its bright acidity, but also develops an appealing tropical lushness. It is quite rich in the mouth, with an exceptionally long finish. When we have enough fruit, we bottle Picpoul Blanc as a single varietal, and the wine shows a rich nose of pear, pineapple and spice. In the mouth, buttery flavors of pineapple and orange are balanced by crisp acids.”

Vaccarèse

Tablas Creek Vineyard Adelaida District Paso Robles (California) Vaccarèse 2023 $40

This is the 4th vintage of the little-known and rarely grown Vaccarese and it is downright delightfully different. Medium garnet in color, it opens quickly to showcase enchanting rose petal, tea and strawberry on the nose. Medium bodied with delicate flavors of berries and spice with nuances of cherries and black tea.  It finishes with light tannin and a peppery note. It leaves you wondering why this grape remains obscure.  246 cases made.The winery blends some into its flagship Esprit de Tablas red. 92

Terret Noir 

An ancient grape from the Languedoc, its acreage has declined and today in Châteauneuf-du-Pape there are just 2 acres. It is quite light in color, but makes for a pleasant, fun red wine, based on my only tasting.

Tablas Creek Vineyard Adelaida Hills District Paso Robles Terret Noir 2021 $40

 Originally from the Languedoc, it has seldom been made on its own, most often blended with Grenache or its fellow family members,Terret Gris and Terret Blanche. Tablas Creek bottled 70 cases in 2021 and offers it at the winery.  Once poured, it has an unusual light red color that sets it apart from most red wines. The aroma is also strikingly unusual, neither berry-ish nor overtly fruity, it offers a pretty floral nose of roses and orange blossom. While light medium bodied at best, it delivers refreshing flavors reminiscent of red currants that are sustained and persistent. Gentle, fresh and lively in the finish, it is altogether pleasant and refreshing. Not an easy match with traditional food, it is a fun aperitif style red.

Muscardin

Muscardin is a rare grape that appears never to have been very common, or found anywhere outside the Rhone. “With only 27 acres planted in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape and even less in the rest of France, it represents one of the more obscure varieties.”

Tablas Creek Vineyard Adelaida District Paso Robles Muscardin 2023 $40

With this Muscardin, Tablas Creek has now made a single varietal wine from each of the permitted varieties allowed in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. With only 27 acres of Muscadin planted in France, this is a rare opportunity to taste a wine without expectations. It is medium dark in color, and the aroma initially is fresh fruit, similar to a Gamay. But with airing, it displays more red cherry and pomegranate with a touch of rose petal. Lively and smooth on the palate, it has pleasant bright somewhat herbal flavors and a gentle finish. In a word,”elegant” overall. 21 cases made. 90

Grenache Gris

Grenache Gris is often blended with Grenache Blanc in France, and the track record is very impressive. For the latest on Grenache Gris here, I defer to Randy Caparoso whose “Wine Clarion” on Substack has a brilliant in depth report

Inside A Cult Winery: Dealing with Today’s Challenges & Changes

“Vertigo” is an unusual name for a wine but after tasting it, the name certainly seemed appropriate. Always interested in tasting new red Rhone blends, this one got my head spinning at first pass and It was tasting more complex a day later. If I did “best of” lists, it would easily be close to the top of GSM blends. Easily within my Top five all time.  Maybe “Best Ever.”

Since I don’t do lists, the wine is the 2022 Vertigo made by Booker Vineyard in Paso Robles. A 2022 Rhone blend that favored Syrah and Mourvedre with Grenache as a supporting actor, “Vertigo” owes its name to the steep slopes where the components are grown in the estate vineyards. 

Since its first vintage in 2005, Booker Vineyard has amassed an impressive track record for wines from Rhone varietals. Along with Saxum and Denner, it brought the wine world’s attention to Paso Robles as home to cutting edge Rhone wines. Founder Eric Jensen who describes himself as the “Farmer-Winemaker,” accrued so many high scores from Parker and The Wine Spectator over its first ten vintages that Booker earned cult wine status.

The other 2022 Booker wines recently tasted provided proof positive that the winery is still functioning at the top of its game. Here are the reviews:

2022 Booker Vineyard Paso Robles (Central Coast) Vertigo $85

The “Vertigo” name is the winery’s way to emphasize the steep slopes of the estate vineyard. This 2022 is also a dizzying, intricate blend of  45% Syrah, 27% Mourvedre, 10% Grenache, 10% Tannat, 7% Petite Sirah, and 1% Viognier. In contrast to the Oublie, it is Syrah-driven with Grenache in the background and is distinctly different. All the pieces work beautifully together in this extraordinary rendition of a Rhone blend. It captures your attention immediately with lovely plum and raspberry aromas, with a hint of lavender. Plum and berry flavors are joined by an exotic hint of espresso and spice as it aerates in the glass. It was aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak, but both oak and tannin are minor players contributing to a lively, delicious finish. Enjoy now but it will reward cellaring for 3-5 years. 95

2022 Booker Vineyard Paso Robles (Central Coast) Oublie $85

“Oublie” refers to the Rhone varieties that were once forgotten, and the wine is usually Grenache dominated. In 2022 the blend was 40% Grenache, 35% Mourvedre, and 25% Syrah, and the wine was aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. The aroma is action packed with fresh blueberries and cherry with bright floral notes. Full-bodied and lively with plum and berry flavors. Seamless with tannin hidden away and a touch of acidity in the finish. A fruit forward crowd-pleaser that’s so plush, smooth and integrated you never are aware of the high alcohol content. 93

2022 Booker Vineyard Paso Robles (central Coast) Fracture 2022 $98

This is 100% Syrah, and “Fracture” highlights the fact that during the summer months the mineral, limestone soils fracture and contribute to the slow ripening process. Aging was in French oak (60% new) for 18 months, and despite the warm vintage conditions, this wine shows intense fruit purity rarely seen from Syrah.  It opens gradually to reveal blackberry-blueberry fruit with floral and clove or green tea nuances. The palate feel is dense and compact as the flavors unfold with black fruit and cassis in the forefront and cloves, tea and light spice in the background. Firm and concentrated, it finishes with integrated tannins. Nothing funky here, just rich, intense Syrah that should reward lengthy cellaring. 96

But it was not just the actual wines that had my head spinning: it was also the ownership. I learned that the year before, 2021, Booker was purchased by Constellation Brands, a large corporation that along with Treasury Estates bought and sold so many wineries over the last decade that, yes, one’s head keeps spinning trying to keep track.

Now that I’ve beaten that vertigo-spinning metaphor almost to death, let’s move on to an update of Booker Vineyards. What’s it like from the inside when a cult winery becomes part of a large corporate portfolio?

A Team Huddle

A few questions were tossed its way and Pete Turrone fielded them.  He’s the  general manager for Booker who is also part of the winemaking team. His role is this:

“I oversee all three brands as GM, Director of Winemaking and Viticulture. Molly Lonborg is the Sr. Winemaker in charge of everything made at the Booker facility. That is 100% of Booker wines, 100% of the Vineyard Designate wines for “My Favorite Neighbor,” a good portion of the My Favorite Neighbor Cab and a smaller portion of the Harvey & Harriet wines.”

When asked about founder Eric Jensen’s role today, Pete had this to say: “As Founder, he is on the road a lot promoting the brands. We talk on the phone often while he is travelling and his main residence remains on the property. He acts as mentor and guru for many of us on the team, including myself.”

Eric and Lisa Jensen live close to the winery and hospitality center and retain something like 35 acres. The hospitality center was a major project. It was, Peter explains:

“The amazing hospitality center and cave system that we enjoy was entirely conceived of, built, and debuted under the direction of Eric and Lisa Jensen prior to the sale to Constellation Brands. It was their passion project to bring to Paso some of the opulent luxury you might find in Bordeaux or Napa but marry it with the easy, laid back vibes of the Central Coast. Working with top notch architects, designers and contractors, every decision was routed through them. Lisa has an innate knack for design and was instrumental in creating comfortable spaces with calm, confident and inviting luxury. Eric got to build the dream cave, wine library, and elevated tasting lounges that were able to rise to meet the quality of his wines.”

After the sale, what did change at Booker was behind the scenes. “There was more support for infrastructure, staffing, and long-term planning. “We didn’t have to cut corners anymore,” Peter says. “We could double down on what we were already doing well.”

One of the first changes was winemaker Molly Lonborg’s project to get Booker wines labeled ”Made with Organic Grapes,” a subtle change that signals a big message.”

From The Winemaker’s Point of View

To learn more about  wines like Vertigo and its estate grown stablemates, I asked Molly a few questions. Molly, a  graduate of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, gained experience at two local wineries. She joined Halter Ranch in Paso Robles in 2011 and rose through the ranks to the position of Associate Winemaker. In 2020, Lonborg took the head winemaker position at Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery in Paso Robles. Now with Booker, she focuses on Booker wines and assists with General Manager Peter Turrone, and works closely with him and Senior Vineyard Manager Hilary Graves.

I first wanted to know more about the wines under the two other labels. “My Favorite Neighbor” Cab is sourced from very special sites throughout the West Side of Paso Robles, primarily the sub AVA’s of Willow Creek, Adelaida and the regions of the Templeton Gap that are west of Hwy 101. “Harvey & Harriet” Reds are from the greater Paso Robles region. The whites from both programs are sourced from Edna Valley and the SLO Coast AVA, with a little coming from Paso as well.

Q. Since you work with several, what sets Willow Creek apart from other AVAs in Paso Robles? 

 “From a winemaker’s perspective, it stands apart because of its unique combination of climate and soils. The coastal influence of the Templeton Gap brings meaningful cooling, resulting in lower daytime highs and fewer cumulative heat hours than many other parts of Paso. Cool ocean air often begins moving into the AVA while other areas are just reaching their hottest point of the day.

That moderation, paired with pockets of high-calcareous soils, creates wines with remarkable depth and intensity without sacrificing freshness. The vineyards are often tucked into hillsides and interspersed with native oak trees, giving the area a sense of intimacy — smaller sites with distinct personalities. Our Vineyard Manager, HilaryGraves, often notes a signature “jasmine tea” character in Willow Creek wines, a beautiful aromatic marker that I’ve come to recognize and love.

Q. Is limestone the key to the “natural intensity” of the fruit you talk about?  Or just how does the soil composition come into play in your sites?

Limestone and high-calcareous soils play a significant role in the natural intensity of our fruit. The Willow Creek District was once under the ocean floor millions of years ago and tectonic activity lifted those marine sediments to form the coastal mountain range.

Those calcareous rocks serve as the parent material for our soils. These soils often have pH levels in the high 7s to low 8s. Interestingly, more basic soils tend to correlate with greater natural acidity in the resulting wines. 

High-calcareous soils also moderate vine vigor, encouraging roots to work harder and naturally limiting excessive growth. When paired with controlled water stress, this can lead to smaller berries with concentrated color, texture, and depth. Our estate includes both calcareous and siliceous soils, but we consistently see themost intense fruit coming from the diagonal band of calcareous soils that runs throughthe property. Soil composition is not the only factor, but it is foundational to the expression of our site.

Q. What are the white varieties you enjoy working with and is the Edna Valley favored over Paso for white varieties?

I personally love making white wines, particularly white Rhône varieties. At Booker, we grow Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne, varieties that thrive in our warm, sun-driven climate while retaining texture and character.

Paso Robles can be too warm for certain varieties like Chardonnay and more aromatic whites such as Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, or Gewürztraminer. Regions like Edna Valleyand the SLO Coast AVA, with their stronger marine influence and cooler overall conditions are especially well-suited to those styles.

Q. How does farming by Regenerative organic practices impact the vine and the wine? 

Regenerative Organic farming begins with the soil. We view the soil as a living ecosystem, and our goal is to nurture it so that it can, in turn, support healthy, balanced vines. When soil biology is thriving, vines develop stronger immune systems, greater resilience to heat and pest pressure, and the capacity to produce high-quality fruit consistently over time.

Detailed vine nutrition, combined with regenerative practices, creates plants that are balanced rather than forced; capable of withstanding challenging growing conditionswhile maintaining integrity and longevity.

Regenerative farming also encompasses the human element. It prioritizes the well-being of everyone who works on and interacts with the property. When the people caring for the vines feel respected, valued, and purposeful, that intention carries through from vineyard to bottle.

Q. On your blends: how and when do you decide to include Chardonnay in the White and, say, how much Syrah or Mourvedre goes into the final red blend? And are there wide differences from vintage to vintage?

“Over time, our approach to Booker White has evolved to more fully reflect our estateand farming philosophy. Today, we rely on estate-grown Chenin Blanc to bring the weight and texture that Chardonnay once contributed. Chenin thrives in our site and climate, and it allows the wine to feel both structured and vibrant while remaining true to our property.

Beginning with the 2025 vintage, the entire Booker portfolio will carry “Made with Organic Grapes” on the label, along with CCOF and Regenerative Organic Certified(ROC) designations which is an important milestone for us. 

For our red blends: “Oublie” (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) and “Vertigo” (Syrah,Grenache, Mourvèdre, along with select blending components), we don’t begin with predetermined percentages. Instead, we blend toward balance and deliciousness. While we often hope “Oublie” will lean heavily on Grenache; we allow the vintage and the wines themselves to guide the final composition. These blends can be the most challenging and rewarding to craft because we are working with many potential components, it’s like assembling a complex puzzle. 

Vintage variation absolutely plays a role. For example, 2022 was the hottest vintage on record and one of the earliest harvests of my career, followed by 2023, one of the coolest and latest since 2011. The wines naturally express those differences in texture, structure,and aromatic profile. Neither is better, they simply reflect their growing season.

Because we work exclusively with estate-grown fruit, there is continuity in our wines from year to year. Often there are specific blocks that make it into specific wines year over year. At the same time, those blocks can surprise us, expressing themselves differently depending on the vintage and sometimes finding a better home in a different blend. 

These are truly terroir-driven wines, and subtle variation is part of their authenticity.

Q. And how does barrel aging program work with the emphasis on terroir?

At Booker Vineyard, we’ve developed a somewhat unconventional approach to barrel aging that’s really become part of our identity. Each year we produce five core red wines, and for each one we bottle two separate expressions: one after 18 months in barrel and another after 22 months. The latter bottling is labeled “Extended.”

It’s a thoughtful way to let both us and our members experience how additional time in barrel shapes the same wine. Coming into this role, I assumed I might consistently prefer the 18-month bottling for its freshness and precision. What I’ve learned, though, is that it truly depends on the vintage. In some years, that extra four months allows the tannins to knit together more seamlessly, creating a broader, more polished texture. In other vintages, the earlier bottling preserves a vibrancy and aromatic lift that feels more aligned with the wine’s personality.

With extended aging, tannin integration is usually the most noticeable shift. The additional time can soften and harmonize structure, but it also increases the imprint of oak, so we’re careful with barrel selection and toast level to ensure the fruit remains at the forefront. Ultimately, the goal isn’t to make one “better” than the other, but to explore dimension, showcasing both the diversity and the evolution that our site can offer.

The Corporate Message


So turning back to Peter and asking about any other changes under new ownership. 

In the early years Booker sold grapes to Saxum and other neighbors, but  not in recent years. “The only exception is that we recently purchased an adjacent property previously owned by Carl Bowker (Caliza). Part of the agreement was to sell him back some fruit for a limited number of years.”

There is a new GSM wine to the roster, PERL, which is all about finding  gems, or what Eric  calls “pearls, at other vineyards. It gives us the freedom to bring some of our favorite local vineyard blocks into the Booker fold.”

Otherwise, the Booker Vineyard team was “given one clear directive from above—don’t mess it up.”

And my advice to Corporate

 Don’t mess it up!!

Alouette: A Fresh Take on Grenache You Need to Try

“The Ambassador of terroir” is how Kermit Lynch introduced a selection of Grenache-based French wines. Kermit Lynch, one of the most respected wine importing companies, then added: “Grenache yields an astounding range of experiences, from dense and soulful to bright and ethereal.” Leave it to Kermit and his crew to come up with such a brilliant description.

“Grenache is the new Pinot Noir” was the best I could come up with a few months back. As someone who came to wine during the sticky sweet Grenache Rose heyday, my admiration for Grenache had to overcome a few bad experiences. But now I’m a big fan.

A new Grenache just recently encountered offered yet another reason to appreciate Grenache: it is a red wine that can be chilled and enjoyed without compromises:. 

“Alouette” is the name of this Grenache made by Tablas Creek Vineyards. The back label says it is “intended for early drinking, ideally served chilled.” The name “Alouette” was chosen for this wine because it conveys a sense of fun. 

Suggesting chilling a red wine is not totally unprecedented, but the wine usually mentioned is a Beaujolais, especially Beaujolais Nouveau. And today, there are low alcohol, pet nat or other light wines like the latest “Blouge”arriving on the scene trying to capture a new wine market. But the difference is that Alouette is a solid wine with normal alcohol (over 13%), has authentic Grenache character and has an affinity for food. 

So listen up you wine snobs with your vintage charts who talk down to anyone putting an ice cube in a glass of red or keeping the bottle in the fridge. You may have something to do with the lack of interest the young generation has for wine.Too many rules and rituals when what is needed is for many to chill out so to speak.

Tablas Creek Vineyards has scored so many “firsts” since it arrived in Paso Robles that it wasn’t a total surprise to see it break the ice (sorry about that pun) on chilling red wines. Afterall, under the direction of Jason Hass, Tablas Creek has made a single varietal wine from each of the permitted varieties allowed in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I’ve been lucky to have tasted many of them  and am now a fan of Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanche, Terret Noir…and, sorry, I wandered off course.

Back to Alouette the wine. Being quite vigorous, Grenache yields a big crop in some years. 2024 was one of those vintages and as Jason explains: “We decided to make two wines: our traditional varietal bottling of Grenache, from the more classic, structured, deeper lots, and a new wine from the highest-toned, palest, and juiciest lots that we’re calling Alouette.”  

The year before  the winery offered the wine in boxes and kegs. But as Jason explained, the feedback they got was that the wine needed to be in bottles. And so the 2024 Alouette is presented in a clear bottle which leaves no doubt it is a red wine. Jason concludes,”This year we’re expanding it to national scale and reducing the price to $30 SRP so it can be a viable wine by the glass candidate for restaurants (at $35 it was just a little too expensive).”

My note for the 2024 Alouette is that it is a medium red in color, and the aroma is very assertive with cranberry and strawberry to it along with a hint of licorice. Feels smooth on the palate with balancing acidity and flavors that fan out featuring cranberry. Pleasing bright fruit in the finish with no hint of tannin, oak, or alcohol coming through when served chilled.

Overall, it is different yet attractive and seems like a perfect wine by the glass candidate. 

Perhaps Kermit Lynch’s “bright and ethereal” is a little too poetic, but “Alouette” by Tablas Creek is a refreshing new take on Grenache. And a tasty, chillable red!

Re-Discovering the Authentic Wines of Roussillon

Gerard Bertrand, the ex rugby star who led the revival of Rose wines currently offers a wide array of wines from the South of France. From sparkling to orange wines, you name it and there’s probably one under his label. No, this is not another article about Bertrand who has apparently charmed the media. But one wine under his Heritage Group, the 2022 Cotes du Roussillon-Villages, Tautavel “An 560,”caught my eye and got me thinking.

When writing for Decanter Magazine a couple of decades ago, I visited Tautavel and other villages within Roussillon. After tasting wines at a dozen or so wineries that week, I found the wines to be truly unusual and exciting. The article that resulted was absolutely brilliant, of course, and dripping with enthusiasm. 

Many of the owner-winemakers visited were young and enthusiastic, and were committed to sustainable farming. Here are those that whose wines were the most memorable: Domaine Gauby, Força Réal, Domaine Mas Cremat, Domaine Fontanel, Domaine Gardies, Domaine Piquemal, Domaine Joliette, Domaine des Schistes and Domaine Mounie. But what really unified these young winemakers is summarized by Gerard Gauby:

‘From selected sites within Roussillon, we can offer wines that are modern but authentic. If you are passionate about wine, you want authenticity. Without it, or when you try to make wines in the international style, you lose your identity as a region and as a winemaker.”

“Authentic” wines, as opposed to those made in the international style, too often fly under the radar these days.  My visit took place when Robert Parker was extremely influential. And for any region or single winemaker to opt for a pass and not court him was unusual. 

Places & Rules

In 1997, when the appellations, Cotes du Roussillon and Cotes du Roussillon-Villages were officially defined and all the guidelines worked out, the emphasis fell on maintaining traditional approaches.  Basically, single variety wines were ruled out. For red wines, five varieties were permitted – Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre and the rare Lladoner. To qualify for either AOC, winemakers were required to use a minimum of three varieties, with the two most significant used not to exceed 90%. Whenever Carignan was included, the law stipulated that at least 50% be made by carbonic maceration. Whites were similarly regulated and had to be blends.

Also In 1997 after a lengthy wait, AC status was given to four stand-alone communes: Tautavel, Lesquerde, Caramany and Latour de France. But today, only Tautavel merits special status. 

In 2023, the AOC regulations were modified and the Carignan requirement was modified. But still the rules work to preserve the historic identity of the appellations. Both reds and whites must be made from at least two varieties. For reds, no one variety can exceed 80%, and for whites, Grenache Blanc and two other varieties must make up 50% of the blend. 

Of the two appellations, Côtes du Roussillon extends over more territory and includes more low-lying vineyards. The area covers 6,300ha in and around 118 towns. As a rule of thumb, red wines from this appellation are still likely to contain more Carignan and are less likely to have been oak aged.

Confined to the northern sector, Côtes du Roussillon-Villages covers 2,500ha and is for red wine only. It includes some of the oldest and steepest vineyards – many of these must be terraced. Here are some old vine Grenache and Carignan, but also the push to plant Syrah was obviously felt here. Starting in the 1990s, many of the cuvees began including some Syrah. 

If winemakers want to stray from the strict rules, say, by making a single varietal or using varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay, the wine can then be labeled “GP Côtes Catalanes.”

 Back to the Present

Recently my enthusiasm for traditional Roussillon wines was revived after tasting an unusual white wine.That wine, a 2021 from the Domaine de Clos des Fee is a Côtes du Roussillon blend under the Les Sorcières” moniker. The winemaker is Herve Bizeul who back in 1995 acquired 8 hectares, including a large parcel of old vine Grenache Blanc. Herve at the time was a bit of a celebrity in France having been named Sommelier of the Year. 

Though he had no intention to quit his day job, his first wine named “La Petite Sibérie” was an instant hit so he turned to winemaking full time. Over the next few years his vineyards were expanded parcel by parcel and now consist of 30 hectares.  He offers a red and white under “Les Sorcieres,” both intended as entry level wines, not collectibles.

This 2021 Les Sorcieres is 40% Grenache Blanc, 10% Macabeo, 30% Vermentino, and 20% Roussanne, the last two planted on limestone soils in 2011. The Grenache Blanc vines date back to 1945. 

The wine is a bright light yellow in color and offers a fresh pear and chalky aroma with light citrus accents.  On the palate it is a big, round mouthfilling wine with lively white fruit flavors that won’t quit. Finishes with good length and ends on a palate cleansing, long lasting note.  The main takeaway is that the wine is unusual in an extremely pleasing way. Probably the best descriptor is “authentic.” 

Back In the Day

In my Decanter Magazine article,  I singled out his 2001 Les Sorcières red, with just a hint of oak, and the 2000 Vieilles Vignes with more oak which was intense, complex and a long ager. Even more impressive was Bizeul’s high-end cuvée Le Clos des Fées, from equal parts Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre. My review ended with “Aged in oak for 18 months, this incredible wine is hard to top.” 

Domaine Gauby, founded in 1985, may have inspired Bizeul to settle into Roussillon. In early 1985 Gerard Gauby convinced his family to leave the Coop and make wines from their vineyards. Arguably among the first to abandon chemicals and move toward biodynamic farming, Gerard Gauby won over the British trade with his early vintages and was heralded as an authentic garageist by the 2000 vintage. High praise was heaped upon his Syrah-driven cuvée, La Muntada, that in both 2000 and 2001 went way off the charts. 

Working with partners from the UK, Gauby added wines under the Domaine Soula name. A blend of Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc from late-maturing hillside sites, Soula’s 2001 Blanc struck me as an amazing, vibrant wine. The Soula 2000 Rouge, predominantly old-vine Grenache aged in new oak, was concentrated and garrigue scented. Though Gauby is no longer involved, Soula maintains the same goal of regional authenticity.

While the Brits strongly suggested a visit to Gauby would be crucial to my article, my favorite wine merchant in St. Foy La Grande, pointed me toward another voice, Domaine Gardies and its young winemaker, Jean-François Carrel. His was the third garigiste type winery to be established in the mid 1990s. 

“Since putting his signature style on the 1996 vintage, he has become one of the top winemakers here. His wines are also having a profound impact on the future direction of Roussillon: intricate, structured and harmonious, they show the kind of restraint often tagged feminine with regard to ripeness, oak level and flavour complexity.”

With the 2000 vintage, Domaine Gardies hit full stride. With half of the cuvée aged in oak, the 2000 Gardies, Les Millères (50% Syrah and equal parts Mourvèdre and Grenache) is finely balanced. With fine tannins and perfect balance, Domaine Gardies 2000 La Torre, (Mourvèdre, old-vine Grenache and old-vine Carignan) is an outstanding example of the heights that can be reached with a traditional cuvée.”

Acknowledging the difficulties winemakers face in this warm climate, he feels that knowing when to harvest is the key to success. “Picking a day late or a day early can spell the difference between a balanced wine and overripe jam.” 

 Back to the Future

Along with the three early pioneers mentioned here, Roussillon has attracted several bigtime players. Michel Chapoutier offers both red and white Cotes du Roussillon under the Bila Haut brand. Domaine Lafarge includes wines from this region in its ever-expanding portfolio. 

Current vintages from these two share a style that is at once rich, lively and unctuous: 

Bila-Haut Michel Chapoutier Côtes du Roussillon (Languedoc, France) 2022 $15

Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris with a dollop of Macabeo, this is full-flavored and lively. Yellow with a hint of green, it offers lots of spice, fennel and mineral notes. Smooth, round and gentle on the palate, it has some bright citrus taking it to a pleasing finish.

Domaine Lafage Cuvee Centenaire Blanc Vieilles Vignes Cotes du Roussillon (France)  2021 $18.00

From vines a century old, this white brings together Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris and adds younger Roussanne in a full bodied package.  Peach and citrus along with light floral notes on the nose.  Rich, unctuous palate with broad flavors of stone fruit and some chalky back favors.

Let’s not forget  Gerard Bertrand. He ended his 10-year rugby career in 1987, following the death of his father, a well-known winemaker in Languedoc. He inherited Domaine de Villemajou, which is based in Corbieres. That’s where the Rose Clos du Temple is made today. 

 And now Gerard Betrand is a major player in Roussillon. He focuses on Cotes du Roussillon-Villages from Tautavel. His wine named “Heritage An-560” brings together Grenache, Carignan and Syrah, with a portion blended in oak for 9 months. Another Tautavel is the 2021 Gerard Bertrand Tautavel “Grand Terroir.” 

And what does that “An-560” mean in the name? Well, like so many who were born and raised in the area, Bertrand is ever mindful of the region’s place in history. It was once the home to the Cathars, a fascinating religious group living in several villages. But they annoyed certain people and the Cathars were wiped out during the Crusades.

But Roussillon’s  historical impact goes way, way back. In 1971 around the village of Tautavel, some of the oldest indicators of human life were uncovered.  Known as “Tautavel Man,” these remains date  back to 450,000-560,000 years ago, so that’s the “560” reference. Basically, the Roussillon area is thought to be one of the cradles of civilization. 

We can suspect that Tautavel Man who was found in a limestone cave probably engaged in a little winemaking. What do you think? Did he make a blend of Grenache and Carignan?  Mostly new vines probably.