There are few producers in the U.S. that can say their wines are made by a fifth generation American winemaker, and fewer still whose owner has been making wines for 17 generations.  Together, winemaker Mark Beringer – great, great grandson of Jacob Beringer – and Codorniu of Spain, combine their heritages to make classic, high quality Carneros chardonnay and pinot wines that appeal to the modern consumer.
Quality starts with innovation and track record and in Codorniu, one gets both.  Codorniu was established in 1551 in the coastal Penedes region west of Barcelona.  It was …

Throughout the Napa Valley on Thursday evening, vintners were holding welcome dinners for guests and bidders participating in the 30th annual Auction Napa Valley.  In Calistoga, one of these special dinners was hosted by Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and Shane Pavitt of Phifer Pavitt Wines, producer of Date Night Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
After an elegant reception on their patio overlooking the Valley, guests were treated to a four-course dinner and wine pairing prepared by Chef Brandon Sharp of the Michelin star restaurant Solbar in Calistoga.  Chef Brandon Sharp’s menu was stellar with each …

When the four acres of hobby zinfandel vineyards at the Smith’s family residence just north of the town of Saint Helena needed to be replanted in the early 1990′s, Jeff Smith sought the advice of leading viticultural expert Dr. Mark Kliewer of UC Davis to evaluate the site.  Dr. Kliewer told Smith that the rocky vineyards were situated at a very unique part of the valley and that it was one of the premier sites for growing cabernet sauvignon.  The vines were thus replanted to cabernet sauvignon in 1992, beginning the legacy of Hourglass wines on both sides of …

 
There should be more Napa Valley rosé.  We live in a Mediterranean climate and eat Mediterranean cuisine.  Most of us live outdoors on our decks and patios in the summer and nothing is more appealing on a hot summer day than a chilled glass of rosé.  Even better?  A dry, ethereal rosé made in the Provencal style of southern France.  France is the world’s largest producer of  rosé with 28% of global production and Provence represents 40% of that.  Americans love these wines apparently, with retail sales of Provence wines rising 28% for the year ending …

Israel’s emergence on the international stage began in the 1980′s in large part due to the early efforts of Golan Heights Winery in developing the vineyards of the Galilee region and by importing modern winemaking techniques and talent from the New World.  Golan Heights Winery continues to be one of Israel’s largest and most technologically advanced wineries, with its Yarden label widely regarded for quality in international markets.  In 2008,  the 2004 vintage Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon became the first Israeli wine to make Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list. 
Precision viticulture and winemaking at Golan Heights Winery comes from imported talent, with …

At first glance, Israel may not seem to play an important role in today’s modern wine industry.  The country is about the size of the state of New Jersey with only about 10,000 acres of vineyards and 30 commercial wineries in the entire country.   But where Israel has played a leading role with global consequences, and the reason why it will continue to be a serious producer of quality wines, is in the area of technology.  Israel has the distinction of developing the modern form of drip irrigation in the 1960′s that is used in agriculture …

In name and in place, the Chappellets own the real Pritchard Hill. Charles Pritchard was a real man who in the 1870’s first cultivated this difficult terrain about four miles up the eastern mountains from the Oakville floor. In 1873, he reported about 2,000 vines planted and by 1881 there were 15,000 vines on 15 acres (History of Napa and Lake Counties), about the right density of planting for dry-farmed vines on well-draining and shallow slopes. Pritchard’s farmstead was known in those times as “Pritchard Hill.”    
Pritchard Hill is not in …

 Arriving at Ceja Vineyards on a cool spring morning, one is struck by the impeccable landscaping – just one of many signs that the Cejas take pride in their work. Ceja was founded by Amelia and Pedro Ceja, Pedro’s brother and winemaker Armando Ceja, and his wife Martha. Ceja produces about 10,000 cases of wine a year from 115 acres of prized vineyards in Carneros and Sonoma Coast that reflect both the cooler terroir of these appellations and their own personal styles.  
The wines are elegant, medium-bodied and show fine restraint …

Nautilus pinot gris from Marlborough

New Zealand is a new World wine region with a cool climate.  There are over 77,000 acres of vineyards in New Zealand with 2009 production of 205 million liters.  Because New Zealand has a relatively small population, over half of the wines are exported.  New Zealand covers a distance of 1,000 miles from 34th to the 47th parallel across two islands, with the South Island being generally cooler and drier than the North Island.  On the South Island, New Zealand grows  the majority of its signature aromatic white grape varieties such as …

Over fifty years ago, patriarch Donald Long began to acquire land on Pritchard Hill in the eastern mountains above Rutherford and Oakville. Today it is one of the most coveted vineyard areas in the Napa Valley with the most recent owners ranging from cult Ovid to the venerable Continuum owned by Margrit, Tim and Marsha Mondavi.  Current generation owner David Long has been making wine at namesake David Arthur Vineyards for over 25 years now and in 2008 hired Nile Zacherle as winemaker to ensure the crafting of the highest quality cabernet sauvignon …