Williams Selyem Winery began when Ed Selyem and Burt Williams started making wine as a hobby in 1979 in Forestville, California. Their first commercial release was in 1981, and in less than two decades they created a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Setting a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking, they put Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley at the forefront…
Wayfarer Vineyard, located on the remote Sonoma Coast, was planted by David Abreu in 2002. In 2005, Jayson Pahlymeyer started blending Wayfarer Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with fruit from Russian River Vineyards and bottling it under the Pahlmeyer label. By 2012, the vineyard’s exceptional fruit presented an irrefutable case for a namesake label. Jayson’s daughter, Cleo Pahlmeyer, runs the estate and Todd…
No Girls Wines is a partnership between famed Cayuse vigneron Christophe Baron and longtime friend and Cayuse general manager, Trevor Dorland. The fruit comes from the Cayuse La Paciencia vineyard, which means patience—appropriate as the project was ten years in the making. The vines are tightly spaced and planted on an angle, giving No Girls a profile all its own. Karen…
Cameron Winery is dedicated to producing high-quality, hand-crafted and sustainably-farmed libations for the people. Cameron is a small family operation, producing 3,000 to 4,000 cases annually. John Paul, the irrepressible owner and winemaker emeritus, founded the winery in 1984. Sourced from Abbey Ridge, Clos Electrique, La Colina and La Sierra Vineyards. Ruby red in color. 13.5% ABV. Charming nose of…
Limerick Lane Cellars is in the Russian River Valley just south of the town of Healdsburg. The Del Fava family planted the oldest currently producing vineyard at Limerick Lane in 1910, a field blend consisting mostly of Zinfandel. In 1977, the Del Favas sold their thirty acre property to brothers Michael and Tom Collins. The two brothers began by selling…
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week Cheers!
Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Tegan is the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Turley. The line-up encompasses some of the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. The wines made at Sandlands include Syrah,…
In 1994, Jack Florence planted Zinfandel in the remote hills west of Dry Creek Valley and Healdsburg (Sonoma County), an area that would eight years later become the new Rockpile AVA, bringing cuttings from the St. Peters’ Church vineyard, which he farmed, and working with Rosenblum Cellars to produce wines that immediately gathered a following. Jack went on to plant several…
Convene was founded by Dan Kosta in 2019. Shane Finley is the Winemaker. Dan and Shane previously partnered at AldenAlli and I have followed Dan Kosta since Kosta Browne launched over 20 years ago. Convene specializes in Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Sourced from Campbell Ranch, Starscape and Sun Chase Vineyards. Ruby red in color.…
Chateau Talbot is a Fourth Growth Bordeaux estate in the Saint-Julien Appellation. The Chateau was acquired by the Cordier family in 1917. The current owner is Nancy Bignon-Cordier, her husband Jean-Paul Bignon, and their 3 children. Jean-Michel Laporte is the General Manager and Winemaker at Château Talbot, while Eric Boissenot serves as consulting winemaker. Laporte has overseen significant changes in winemaking processes since…