varietal character index

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A taste of Livermore Valley

Livermore Valley
The New Old Livermore Valley By Laura Ness

Sandi Belcher at Arns Winery

Napa Valley
Arns Winery - Finds Its Place In Between By Alan Goldfarb

Colorado
Colorado Wines - High Altitude, High Expectations By Dan Berger

Tierra Roja Cabernets are magnificent

Oakville ~ Napa Valley
Napa Valley’s future in the Cabs of tiny Tierra Roja By Alan Goldfarb

Texas Hill Country's main drag

Texas Hill Country
From Tuscany to Provence in Texas Hill Country By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Mount Veeder ~ Napa Valley
Will Malbec Find a Home in the Napa Valley? By Alan Goldfarb

Stags Leap District ~ Napa Valley
Stags Leap District's
20th Anniversary Reveals its Appellation Distinctiveness By Dan Berger

Hospice du Rhône

Paso Robles
Is Paso Robles the Rhône Region of America? By Laura Ness

Paso Robles
Kiamie Cellars:
Own No Vineyards, Cherry Pick from the Rest By Laura Ness

Araujo Estate Eisele Vineyard

Napa Valley
At Highly Acclaimed Araujo, It’s All About The Vineyard – The Eisele Vineyard By Alan Goldfarb

Halter Ranch on westside Paso Robles

Paso Robles
Deep Roots In Paso:
Growing the Future at Halter Ranch By Laura Ness

Bella Oaks Vineyard is sold.

Rutherford ~ Napa Valley
Legendary Vineyard Bella Oaks Sold By Alan Goldfarb

Lemon Creek Winery in Lake Michigan Shore AVA

Lake Michigan Shore
No Citrus But Loads of Intriguing Wines at Lemon Creek Winery By Eleanor & Ray Heald

The story behind Joseph Phelps Insignia

Napa Valley
Joseph Phelps Insignia:
The Components of Terroir
The Terroir of the Components By Alan Goldfarb

Gainey Vineyard

Santa Ynez Valley
Gainey Vineyard
Runs Hot and Cold* By Dennis Schaefer

Hestan Vineyards

Napa Valley
Hestan Vineyards Is Off the Beaten Track but Its Grapes
are Right on Course By Alan Goldfarb

Round Barn Winery in Michigan

Lake Michigan Shore
Round Barn Winery’s
World is Not Flat By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Napa Valley
Terroir Denied:
Give Cabernet Franc a Chance By Dan Berger

Kiona Vineyards

Red Mountain
Kiona Vineyards
John Williams boldly went where no one had gone before. By Anne Sampson

Les Trois Emme Winery

Massachusetts
Les Trois Emme:
Finding a Niche in the Berkshires By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Obsidian Ridge in Red Hills of Lake County

Red Hills Lake County
Obsidian Ridge’s
Rocky Mountain High By Alan Goldfarb

Wolf Mountain Winery in Georgia

Georgia
Georgia Gold Country is Now Golden for Wine By Gregory McCluney

Kirk Venge makes wine for his own winery as well as dozens of clients.

Napa Valley
Kirk Venge: The further rising
of a rising superstar winemaker By Alan Goldfarb

Historic Larkmead Vineyards in Calistoga

Napa Valley
Old, historical Larkmead Vineyard:
The vines may be young,
but the terroir isn’t By Alan Goldfarb

Monterey
Monterey Hones Its Identity By Laurie Daniel

GustavoThrace Winery

Napa Valley
Bottle Shocked:
Uncorking the Real Gustavo Brambila By Alan Goldfarb

Philippe Langner Hesperian Wines

Napa Valley
Philippe Langner’s Napa Valley ‘Project Terroir’ By Alan Goldfarb

Sunset at Bianchi Winery in Paso Robles

Paso Robles
Doing the Paso Robles Paso Doble
at Bianchi Winery By Laura Ness

Bonterra Vineyards winemaker Bob Blue

Mendocino
Bonterra Vineyards: Ground Zero
for Organic Grapegrowing By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Flora Springs Eternal

Napa Valley
Big changes at Flora Springs
as next generation takes over By Alan Goldfarb

Tapteil Vineyard

Red Mountain
Tapteil Estate Taps
The Riches Of Red Mountain By Anne Sampson

Terra Blanca Winery in Red Mountain AVA

Red Mountain
The Pilgrims Land on Red Mountain By Anne Sampson

Hightower Cellars in Red Mountain AVA

Red Mountain
Hightower Cellars Towers High in Red Mountain By Anne Sampson

Red Hills in Lake County AVA

Red Hills Lake County
An Up and Coming AVA in
an Up and Coming AVA By Harry Haff

Mountains of Difference

Napa Valley
Napa Valley High:
Mountains of Difference By Roger Dial

August Briggs wines

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
August Briggs: It’s both the winemaker and the vineyard By Alan Goldfarb

Klipsun Vineyard

Red Mountain
The Sun Shines Bright
On Klipsun Vineyard By Anne Sampson

Cherry Creek Cellars

Michigan
Cherry Creek Cellars Sees
Green in Its Red Wines By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Firestone Estate Vineyard

Santa Ynez Valley
How Firestone's Winemaker
Kevin Willenborg Tamed
Its Wild Frontier By Dennis Schaefer

Envy Wines is in Calistoga, the north part of Napa Valley

Napa Valley
It’s The Envy of Napa Valley By Alan Goldfarb

Welcom to Umpqua Valley

Umpqua Valley
Go Ahead, Say It: Umpqua
Better You Should Taste It By Dan Berger

The new old Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Stags Leap District ~ Napa Valley
The Owners Have Changed
at Stag's Leap...Has Anything Else? By Alan Goldfarb

New Mexico wineries

New Mexico
Bringing the people to the wine:
How New Mexico connects wines, tourism and its unique cuisine By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Hendry vineyards under the rainbow

Napa Valley
George Hendry has a head for blocks. By Alan Goldfarb

Robert Mondavi Winery update

Oakville ~ Napa Valley
How Robert Mondavi Winery
Maintains Its Original Vision By Alan Goldfarb

Thomas Fogarty Winery

Santa Cruz Mountains
Winemaker Michael Martella:
The Soul of Thomas Fogarty Winery By Laura Ness

Napa Valley
Charbono:
The Misunderstood Grape Breaks Through…Barely By Alan Goldfarb

Syrah symposium

Santa Ynez Valley
The Syrah Conundrum:
When Will it Get Respect? By Dennis Schaefer

Horse Heaven Hills
Cab May Be King, But at Zefina the Rhones Rule By Anne Sampson

Diamond Mountain District ~ Napa Valley
Diamond Mountain: A gem of a place By Alan Goldfarb

Howell Mountain ~ Napa Valley
What is Howell Mountain?
(A) a logistical nightmare
(B) a winemaker’s dream By Alan Goldfarb

Childress Vineyards in the Yadkin Valley, North Carolina

Yadkin Valley
Recipe for Wine Success:
Take One Nascar Driver,
Add a Winemaker from Long Island,
Mix Well By Barbara Ensrud

Global Climate Change

America
As the Climate Changes
So Does Our Wine By Dan Berger

Spring Mountain District

Spring Mountain District ~ Napa Valley
The folks on Spring Mountain
‘have to know what they’re doing’ By Alan Goldfarb

Champoux Vineyard

Horse Heaven Hills
Champoux Vineyard Reveals
History in the Horse Heaven Hills By Anne Sampson

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
Kicking the 'Dust' off Cabernet By Alan Goldfarb

Chiles Valley ~ Napa Valley
Chiles Valley Isn’t Hot, But It’s So “Cool” By Alan Goldfarb

Technology enhancing wine

America
Spoofulated or Artisanal? By Clark Smith

Rutherford ~ Napa Valley
A Tale of Four Vineyards Gets Under the "Dust" in Rutherford By Alan Goldfarb

Unusual Georgia grape varieties grow here.

Georgia
Who Knew? Georgia's unusual grape varieties By Harry Haff

Oakville ~ Napa Valley
If Cabernet Put Napa Valley on the Map...Then Oakville is Cab Central By Alan Goldfarb

Yountville Mounts figures largely in the AVA

Yountville ~ Napa Valley
Yountville: A Small Hill's Big Influence on an AVA's Terroir By Alan Goldfarb

Long Shadows Vintners

Columbia Valley
Long Shadows Vintners
Casts a Long Shadow By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Stags Leap District

Stags Leap District ~ Napa Valley
Stags Leap District:
Where Cabernet is King By Alan Goldfarb

Golden Mile Winery

Okanagan Valley
Michael Bartier is
The Okanagan Mixmaster By John Schreiner

Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley

Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
Oak Knoll District:
Where Merlot Gets the Vote by Default By Alan Goldfarb

Sutter Home Victorian on Highway 29

Napa Valley
Trinchero Napa Valley Uses White Zinfandel Profits to Make Top Tier Wines By Alan Goldfarb

Clarence Frediani and Jim Luvisi

Napa Valley
Nothing New About the Success of These Old Napa Vineyards By Alan Goldfarb

Pam Starr is the real Starr.

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
The Real Starr of Napa Valley By Alan Goldfarb

Napa Valley Cabernet AVA differences

Napa Valley
Just What are the AVA Distinctions
of Napa Valley Cabernet? By Alan Goldfarb

Atlas Peak has three unique growing regions

Atlas Peak ~ Napa Valley
The Three Facets of Atlas Peak By Alan Goldfarb

Martin Ranch Cab makes music.

Santa Cruz Mountains
Tango in the Vineyard - The Love Affair of Martin Ranch By Laura Ness

Eastern Cabernet Franc is coming into its own

Pennsylvania
Is Cabernet Franc the Cinderella
of the Vineyard? By David Falchek

The Stags Leap District Appellation Collection

Stags Leap District ~ Napa Valley
Stags Leap District's
Appellation in a Box By Michael Lasky

Signe Zoller opens her Paso Robles wine consultancy.

Paso Robles
When small is beautiful: Let Paso Robles winemaker Signe Zoller explain By Laurie Daniel

Freemark Abbey enters a new era

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
Freemark Abbey enters a new era By Alan Goldfarb

Welcome to Napa Valley

Napa Valley
Pop Quiz: Do appellation differences exist in the Napa Valley? By Alan Goldfarb

California
It’s the Unreal Thing – High-Alcohol Wines
for the Cola Generation By Dan Berger

Grapes are staying too long on the vine.

Napa Valley
Vintner/wine industry educator
George Vierra says
grapes are hanging around too long By Alan Goldfarb

Grapes from the first AVA in the U.S.

Augusta
Lucian Dressel – A Talk with the Man
Behind the first AVA in the U.S. By Joe Pollack

Damiani Wine Cellars has some serious red wines.

Finger Lakes
Damiani Wine Cellars Forges Red Wine
Reputation in The Finger Lakes By Craig Pinhey

Welcome to Shady Lane Cellars.

Leelanau Peninsula
Unique Terroir Dynamics Define
Shady Lane Cellars Wine By Eleanor & Ray Heald

Cameron Hughes wines are sold exclusively at Costco.

California
Cameron Hughes: The resurrection
of the American négociant By Alan Goldfarb

Some Like it Hot

America
Some Like It Hot By Clark Smith

The caves at Del Dotto Vineyards & Winery

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
Gerard Zanzonico’s Winemaking Adventures in Xanadu By Alan Goldfarb

Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard Cabernet

Napa Valley
Heitz and Seek
Former Cult Favorite
Heitz Wine Cellars
Hasn’t Changed A Thing By Alan Goldfarb

Rutherford Bench

Rutherford ~ Napa Valley
The Rising Threat of Regional Transparency By Dan Berger

An interview with Alpha Omega's winemaker Jean Hoefliger

Rutherford ~ Napa Valley
When Mr. Natural Meets Dr. Blender
You are at Alpha Omega By Alan Goldfarb

Cask 23 is just one of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet labels.

Stags Leap District ~ Napa Valley
Why Warren Winiarski sold Stag’s Leap:
“I wasn’t going to live forever.” By Alan Goldfarb

Hess Select - Just Say No

Mount Veeder ~ Napa Valley
THE HESS ULTIMATUM By Alan Goldfarb

Big does not necessarily mean less wimpy.

America
The Paradox of Unwimpy Wines:
Why Less is More By Dan Berger

2007 All Canadian Wine Championships report

Canada
2007 All Canadian Wine Championships Documents National Trends By Craig Pinhey

Winemaker Randy Dunn:‘Higher alcohol wines should stop.'

Howell Mountain ~ Napa Valley
Winemaker Randy Dunn:
‘Higher alcohol wines should stop.' By Alan Goldfarb

Leo McCloskey talks about how wineries get high wine scores.

California
Leo McCloskey is against wine scores... By Alan Goldfarb

The Renaissance (Winery) in North Yuba AVA

North Yuba
The "Renaissance" of the
Sierra Foothills’ North Yuba AVA By Jean Deitz Sexton

Dan Aykroyd's new career as wine-meister.

Niagara Peninsula
The Blues Brother Drinks Red and White:
Dan Aykroyd Builds a Canadian Winery By Tony Aspler

The Niagara Escarpment can be seen at the top of the photo.

Niagara Escarpment (NY)
Arrowhead Spring Vineyard:
Winemaking Where the Niagara Falls By Lenn Thompson

Hall Wines Rutherford estate and winery

Napa Valley
A Bow to Terroir
HALL Wines Decks Its Portfolio
with Single Vineyard Wines By Alan Goldfarb

Charles Krug Winery has made big changes as it reinvents itself.

Napa Valley
The Fall and Rise of Charles Krug Winery By Alan Goldfarb

13 the Meritage wine has become 14 with the addition of a new sub-appellation.

Napa Valley
Psst…Have You Heard About…
…The ‘Margarita Night’ Meritage? By Alan Goldfarb

Tony Baldini in his 'workroom' at Trefethen Vineyards.

Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
Napa Valley Pioneers
Tony Baldini, Vineyard Genius By Alan Goldfarb

Monte Rosso Vineyard has magical Cabernet fruit.

Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley’s Legendary
Monte Rosso Vineyard:
Acclaimed Winemaker Ed Sbragia Explains Its Allure By Eleanor & Ray Heald

An esteemed panel tastes Virginia wines but not under the gun.

Virginia
Virginia Wines Wow the Brits By Barbara Ensrud

Pina Napa Valley, home to Davie Pina, Top grape grower

Napa Valley
Napa Valley Grower of the Year:
Davie Piña Explains the Art of the Vineyard By Alan Goldfarb

An interview with Doug Meador, Meador Estate winery

Arroyo Seco
Doug Meador is convinced:
Monterey is one of the world’s great wine areas. By Laurie Daniel

An interview with Ray Signorello Jr. of Signorello Vineyards

Napa Valley
Signorello Vineyards: No Sub-AVA, No Problem By Alan Goldfarb

An interview with Cooper Garrod Estate's Bill Cooper

Santa Cruz Mountains
Steward of the Terroir:
Cooper-Garrod's Bill Cooper By Laura Ness

Highland Estates wines are KJ's AVA designated wines.

California
KJ Takes the "High" Road:
Consumers' Terroir Education with Highland Estates Wines By Alan Goldfarb

Joe Barton is producing a wide array of wines at his Grey Wolf Cellars.

Paso Robles
Grey Wolf: Head Of The Pack By Laura Ness

Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley in Sonoma Valley AVA

Sonoma Valley
Two Little Known Sub-Appellations
Reveal the Diversity of Sonoma Valley By Dan Berger

The Snake River Valley is the first separate AVA in Idaho.

Snake River Valley
Snake River Valley Appellation a First for Idaho By Cole Danehower

Valley View Cabernet is made from grapes grown in nearby Rogue Valley.

Applegate Valley
One of the Oldest Wineries in the Southern Oregon AVA Has Some New Ideas By Cole Danehower

An interview with Eric Titus of Titus Vineyards

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
The Titus Touch at the
Choke Point of the Napa Valley By Alan Goldfarb

Esterlina Vineyards in the Cole Ranch AVA

Cole Ranch
The Tiniest Appellation in the US:
Diversity in the Cole Ranch AVA By Laura Ness

Dominari is the domain of winemaker Marie Schutz.

Atlas Peak ~ Napa Valley
Little Dominari About To Grow By Alan Goldfarb

Is the winemaker's honor of vineyard terroir showing up in the bottle?

Napa Valley
Is the Regional Distinctiveness of Wine a Thing of the Past? By Dan Berger

Spottswoode Winery Cabernets reveal their terroir.

Napa Valley
Spottswoode: A Napa Valley First Growth By Alan Goldfarb

Spottswoode Winery's Cabernets reveal their terroir.

Napa Valley
Spottswoode Estate: Keepers of the Terroir By Dan Berger

Remi Cohen is the vineyard manager for Merryvale Vineyards.

Napa Valley
Merryvale’s Vineyard Guru Remi Cohen – She’s Young and Good* By Alan Goldfarb

Nick Nardolillo has had his hands in everything.

Livermore Valley
As the Crane Flies
An Interview with Nick Nardolillo
of White Crane Winery By Laura Ness

Robert Craig sources his grapes from a number of Napa mountains.

Howell Mountain ~ Napa Valley
The Wonders of Mountain Terroir:
Let Robert Craig Explain By Alan Goldfarb

Roanoke Vineyards is on the North Fork of Long Island

North Fork of Long Island
Roanoke Vineyards – Producing Cab
That Ricochets Around the Room By Lenn Thompson

Bodegas Aguirre's rightly coveted Petite Sirah

Livermore Valley
The Doctor is In...and So is Petite Sirah By Laura Ness

Schramsberg, famous for its sparkling wine, now grows Cabernet grapes.

Diamond Mountain District ~ Napa Valley
J. Davies: Why Did Sparkling Wine Producer Schramsberg Turn To Cabernet? By Alan Goldfarb

Peter Luthi precise knowledge of terroir of Trefethen

Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
A Precise and Intimate Knowledge of the Oak Knoll District: An interview with Peter Luthi By Alan Goldfarb

Bill Collins Understands the Terroir of St. Helena

St. Helena ~ Napa Valley
A 30 Year Education in the Terroir of St. Helena: An Interview with Bill Collins By Alan Goldfarb

Rudy von Strasser planting on Napa's Diamond Mountain

Diamond Mountain District ~ Napa Valley
Adding Austrian Flavor to the Diamond Mountain District: An interview with Rudy von Strasser By Alan Goldfarb

Featured Cabernet Sauvignon

Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery 2001 "Emily Kestrel" Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain ~ Napa Valley)
Attractive floral nose packed with mature fruit... cherries, cassis, vanilla flavors and medium oak toast create a silky smooth feel.

buy wine

$40.00

MacLean Wines 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)

buy wine

$55.00

Latest Cabernet Sauvignon Recommendations (Reviews)

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