There’s something to be said for a winemaker’s long tenure at one estate. It would be a fine thing to, season after season, become one with a vineyard, with its vines and insects and rows and birds and microclimates. Don Schroeder, the winemaker at Sea Smoke, has been at the estate since 2003, and he knows every square inch of it.
I met Schroeder recently in Los Angeles at a Sea Smoke lunch tasting. The wines were very good, and I enjoyed speaking with him about his experiences in Alaska (we both once lived there), his education, his family, and his enthusiasm for Alsace, which I share. We also, of course, talked about the wines he makes.
Schroeder is the subject of the latest “Wine Talk,” which you can read here.
The Sea Smoke Estate shares an intimate relationship with the Pacific Ocean. (Courtesy Sea Smoke)
It was 1976, and a little thing we call The Judgement of Paris took place that year. In short, American wines largely bested their Gallic counterparts in the tasting, as determined by some fine French palates. The world noticed.
Chateau Montelena was one of the American producers involved in the tasting, and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the auspicious event the estate is introducing a sparkling wine and a brandy in limited editions. These bottlings mark the first time that the estate has made a sparkling wine or a brandy.
The 2023 Blanc de Blanc and Brandy Release #01 go on sale today, July 3 (the brandy is available in California only). The wine is $125 for Chateau Montelena wine club members and $150 for everyone else, while the brandy sells for $75 (members) and $95 for non-members.
“The Blanc de Blancs and the brandy both trace back to the same ground that produced the 1973 Chardonnay,” said Matthew Crafton, president and winemaker at Chateau Montelena. “They aren’t recreations of that wine, nothing could be, but they are honest expressions of the same vineyards, approached with the curiosity and discipline that have always defined Montelena.”
Matthew Crafton, president and winemaker at Chateau Montelena, sits with some bottles at the estate. (Brockhaus Photography)
The sparkling wine’s fruit — 100 percent chardonnay — comes from Napa Valley’s John Muir Hanna Vineyard, which played a pivotal role in the 1973 Chateau Montelena selection that finished on top in the chardonnay category at The Judgement of Paris. The brandy was distilled from fruit (all chardonnay) harvested from the John Muir Hanna, Belle Terre, and Bacigalupi vineyards, the three sites that provided grapes for the famed 1973 vintage. Montelena plans to release nine additional bottlings of brandy over time.
Speaking of the Spirit of 1976, Montelena put together a great kit for the sparkling wine and brandy that includes a bottle of each, along with all of the ingredients needed for the Montelena 76, a cocktail I am looking forward to try.
In honor of a grand occasion and a storied cocktail. (Brockhaus Photography)
If you want to get a bottle of the sparkling wine, click here beginning on July 3. As noted, the brandy is for the moment available solely in California — contact the winery for information on that.
Evan White is the star of the latest “Wine Talk,” and he got his start in the hospitality industry at one of my favorite restaurants in Manhattan. That would be Babbo.
White now resides in Houston, Texas, and he’s the wine director for the Bludorn Hospitality Group, for he which oversees a number of wine lists and beverage programs. I liked hearing his take on problematic customers, and share his enthusiasm about pairing wines with Vietnamese cuisine. Wait until you hear what he says is the best cabernet sauvignon made in the United States.
Bludorn occupies one of my favorite spaces in Houston. (Julie Soefer photo)
The latest “Wine Talk” is here, and this one is heavy on pinot noir. Specifically, pinot noir from California. Adam Lee, of Siduri fame, opens up about his journey from Austin, Texas, to making wine with his former wife, Dianne Novy, in California, to founding his current main project, Clarice Wine Company.
Along the way Lee debated alcohol levels with Rajat Parr, surprised Robert Parker with some wine left with Meadowood’s concierge, and made myriad outstanding wines. He’s still making them.
I enjoyed speaking with Lee, and his background and story are fascinating. He majored in French History, knows a lot about the French penal system, and has managed to maintain a passion and enthusiasm for wine for decades now. That’s a good thing.
An event I rate highly is right around the corner. It’s the Festival of Undiscovered Grapes, and it takes place this year on March 28 in Los Angeles, directly on the heels of the inaugural San Jose edition of the event. (This year I am offering readers a few discounts on tickets to the festival, so read on.)
More than 60 wineries from California will be pouring everything from clairette blanche, bourboulenc, counoise, xarelo.lo, fiano … Wait, what is that I hear from some of my readers? What is bourboulenc, you ask, and fiano? Pouring what? Well, for those who are unfamiliar with those grapes, that is, in a nutshell, the focus of this event: to highlight lesser-known varieties and introduce them to more people.
Rob Sinton, who along with his father, Tom Sinton, owns Starfield Vineyards, is returning to the festival this year. (Sandoval Media)
Nine varieties — chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, zinfandel, syrah, and petit sirah — comprise 93 percent of total wine grape plantings in California. However, 110-plus varieties are planted in the state, which means an abundance of other wine grapes are looking for attention and love. No, those other grapes are not literally “undiscovered,” but they are unknown to and underappreciated by many people, something the Festival of Undiscovered Grapes hopes to rectify.
Kevin Lee, co-owner of Marchelle Wines, greets a taster at last year’s festival. (Sandoval Media)
“It’s exciting to understand and appreciate the vastness of the wine world in California, and this is an event that you’ll want to come to with an open mind and have fun discovering things,” says Allison Levine, the event’s founder. “We’ll have more than 70 great varieties being poured.”
Tablas Creek Vineyard will be back at the festival this year. (Sandoval Media)
Levine owns Please the Palate, a marketing, branding, events, and education firm focused on wine and spirits. She’s also a friend of mine, a fact that in no way biases my assessment of The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes. This year’s Undiscovered will be my third — I was unable to make it to the San Jose premiere edition — and the first two were among the best wine events I’ve experienced. Smaller producers are given the opportunity to shine, and I love that attendees can meet and talk with them one on one. There are some outstanding people behind these wines, and I never tire of speaking with them.
Allison Levine, founder of The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes, toasts attendees at the 2025 event in Los Angeles. (Sandoval Media)
Of course, one of the main reasons to attend a wine tasting is to sample as many wines as one can. To do so in an efficient and responsible manner, be sure that you carry a spit cup, drink lots of water, and eat something — food will be available for sale at the festival. Finally, consider using rideshare
Rebekah Wineburg, winemaker and co-owner of Post & Vine, helms her table at the 2025 Festival of Undiscovered Grapes. (Sandoval Media)
Another reason to attend an event such as Undiscovered is that you can purchase wines from myriad producers in one place. What makes Levine’s event special is that there are no minimums: You can pick up a case or two of a particular wine, or mix and match without restriction, or you can buy a single bottle and call it a day. There is no pressure, and no complicated details. In addition — and this is a big deal — if you purchase 12 bottles or more and reside 60 miles or closer to the event venue delivery will be free.
Larry Schaffer, Tercero Wines owner and winemaker, pours at the 2025 Festival of Undiscovered Grapes in Los Angeles. (Sandoval Media)
You’ll need a ticket to attend, of course, and I recommend getting VIP passes, because the $125 price gives you a lot, including noon admission (as opposed to 2 p.m. for general admission tickets), a pre-tasting discussion on Lodi wines with Stuart Spencer, executive director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission, and David Glancy, a master sommelier and instructor at the San Francisco Wine School, free delivery of any wines you order at the event with no minium requirement, a ticket for one food item, an Undiscovered Grapes T-shirt, and, last but not least, a Festival Passport, which includes offers from participating wineries and sponsors such as free tastings and tours, special experiences, and discounts.
Attendees at the 2025 edition of The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes. (Sandoval Media)
As promised, and because I want to see as many of you on March 28 at the festival as possible, here are some discount offers for tickets to the festival. First, for those planning to go solo, click BROCKHAUS10 to get $10 off any ticket (VIP or GA). Going with a friend or partner? Click BROCKHAUSBUNDLE to save $30 on two tickets.
DETAILS The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes Saturday, March 28 Mica Studios 356 South Mission Road Los Angeles, CA 90033 Click here for map 12:00 p.m.: VIP Entrance 2:00 p.m.: General Admission 5:00 p.m.: Event ends VIP: $125 plus Humantix fee GA: $75 plus Humantix fee
One should not judge a bottle of wine by its label. To begin, aesthetics are for the most part subjective. A cute kitten on a label might appeal to you, while your partner finds it sappy and not suitable. However, labels are not to be overlooked or disregarded.
At the basic level, one can learn the specifics of a wine, say, a riesling or Champagne, by reading the label. Trocken? Demi-sec? Monopole? There you go. Labels are also — or can be — art. They can espouse a philosophy or viewpoint, and they can represent a family or region. They can do and be all of those things. Don’t buy a wine based solely on its label (but if you choose to do that I will not shame you), but do keep in mind that the label is there for a reason.
I recently received a four-bottle shipment from Cadre Wines, and the labels are beautiful. Some might even say they constitute art. Again, that can be subjective, but I love these labels. And there’s a bonus here, because the wines are also lovely, and each is one you’ll want to pair with food. (Which brings up another topic: I am a firm believer that wine should always, or mostly always, be enjoyed with food, but some wines go better with food than do others.)
Three white wines from the San Luis Obispo Coast. (Cadre Wines)
The couple behind Cadre, John and Lucy Niven, are no strangers to the wine world. John’s grandfather, Jack Niven, was a San Luis Obispo luminary and is referred to by many as the pioneer of the Edna Valley. In 1973 he established Paragon Vineyard, which is the oldest continually producing property in the Edna Valley. The family sold Paragon and Niven Family Wines in 2020; John and Lucy founded Cadre Wines the same year and source fruit from the vineyard.
Lucy and John Niven took out a second mortgage to launch Cadre Wines.
John Niven is a third-generation vintner, and one can taste his experience in these wines, all of which are fermented and aged solely in stainless steel, have screw cap closures, and retail for a suggested price of $30.
Here is the Cadre lineup I sampled: 2024 “Stone Blossom” Sauvignon Blanc 2024 “Sea Queen” Albariño 2024 “Band of Stones” Grüner Veltliner 2024 “Beautiful Stranger” White Blend
I recently participated in a virtual tasting hosted by John Niven, and he led us through the four bottles after sharing the story of his family’s history in the wine business. A few nights earlier I had opened the grüner veltliner with friends while dining at an Ethiopian restaurant, and it was perfect with the vegan cuisine (lentils, cabbage, carrots, potatoes); the grüner’s fruit is the product of the first coastal planting of the variety in California, which dates to the late 2000s. The three other wines I first tasted during the virtual session. The word “crisp” could be used frequently in this piece, because these wines demonstrate that characteristic in abundance. Cool-climate white wines is the key phrase here, and Niven has made some stellar examples.
Try this with a curry dish.
The “Band of Stones” veltliner comes mainly from block 168 of Paragon Vineyard, a plot marked by well-draining soils containing limestone, sandstone, shale, and mudstone, all playing their roles in the wine’s sharp and complex texture. I loved the structured depth here, which certainly is influenced by fruit from Jack Ranch Vineyard, a steep, sandy property located at the northwest edge of the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA. The typical white pepper and floral aromas are lively here, as is a minerality melded with flavors of white pepper, citrus, and a note of ginger. Pair with curry dishes, grilled asparagus (yes, try it), or chicken schnitzel.
A wine influenced by the sea.
I like cool-climate sauvignon blanc, and Cadre’s “Stone Blossom” is an impressive one. It’s 100 percent sauvignon blanc (Clone 1, Musqué, and ENTAV Clone 530) from the Paragon and Salaal vineyards. Profound salinity was my initial impression, both on the nose and palate. Paragon Vineyard is about 5 miles from the ocean, and the maritime influence is strong in this wine. If you like sauvignon blanc, this is for you, and if you think you don’t like sauvignon blanc, please try this one. Aromas of Persian cucumber, lime, and soft coriander, followed by that salinity, mimosa, melon, and a bright herbaceous note, primarily tarragon and basil. I’d love to pair this with a meal of poached and grilled artichokes followed by a chicken and goat cheese salad.
Cadre’s 2024 “Sea Queen” has an interesting backstory that involves a relationship with Rías Baixas and the Morgadío Estate. In 2007, Niven journeyed to the region in Spain, which is considered the birthplace of albariño. He tasted a lot of wines and talked with as many winemakers and growers.
“We came back energized and knew immediately that Edna Valley could produce albariño to rival anything in Europe,” he said. Niven then procured cuttings from California growers whose vines had come from Morgadío, arguably Spain’s top source of albariño, and planted 45 acres in Paragon Vineyard, what he terms “the most ambitious albariño planting outside of the Iberian Peninsula.”
Cuttings from Spain resulted in this bottle.
Referring to similarities between the Spanish region and the San Luis Obispo Coast, Niven added: “Much of California’s albariño is grown in warmer inland regions. Our vineyards lie just 2 to 5 miles from the Pacific, shaped by the ocean in ways that echo the Atlantic influence in Spain’s Rías Baixas. Albariño is most at home by the sea. The cool breezes, fog, and maritime moderation allow it to fully express vibrant acidity, lifted aromatics, and salty mineral character indigenous to this stretch of California coastline. I believe the San Luis Obispo Coast is the New World home of albariño.”
Paragon Vineyard was established in 1973.
The “Sea Queen” is made with fruit from Paragon (block 163) and Morro View Vineyard, and this wine is one of the best examples of albariño I’ve had in a while. I’m going directly to the food pairing here, because if you have grilled shrimp (with garlic and parsley) on your mind do not hesitate to open this bottle when you sit at the table with your shellfish. I closed the bottle after the virtual tasting session and enjoyed it immensely with that very dish the next day. As with the Cadre sauvignon blanc, one can smell and taste the sea in this acid-driven wine, along with captivating aromas of peach and citrus and flavors of stone fruit, most notably apricot and muted nectarine.
Three things come together for one great bottle here.
The final Cadre bottle I tasted was the “Beautiful Stranger,” a blend of 60 percent grüner veltliner, 30 percent sauvignon blanc, and 10 percent albariño. Fruit from Paragon and Salaal vineyards is used here, and tasting this one after the other Cadre bottles was a revelation. I could, by focusing on them, discern the individual components, and the interplay between the three was magical. The aromatics of the albariño, the concise minerality of the grüner veltliner, and the sauvignon blanc’s herbaceousness combine for something complex yet approachable. I have no doubt this would pair well with roast chicken, as well as with pasta al limone.
Cadre also has an Ode series, which includes “Ode to the Few,” a sauvignon blanc, and “Ode to the Sea,” an albariño. Both retail for $45. The former’s fruit comes from a single block marked by volcanic soil rich with iron, while the latter’s is sourced from Spanish Springs Vineyard, which lies 2 miles from the Pacific. I look forward to tasting these wines; you can purchase all of them here, or ask for Cadre at your favorite merchant.
My next tasting session will feature wines made from traditional Italian grapes — carricante, nerello mascalese, and nebbiolo —grown in Northern Sonoma County.
The annual World of Pinot Noir extravaganza is a great event to attend; I was there this year for the first time, and look forward to the 2026 edition. More than 200 Pinot producers poured their wines and the seminars, lunches, and dinners were thoughtful and informative.
Alma Rosa winemaker Samra Morris, right, at this year’s World of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara with Angela Shah and me.
As an appetizer to the main event, Wally’s Presents: WOPN LA is taking place on Oct. 25, and if you like Pinot Noir now is the time to get your tickets (purchase here). The Pacific Design Center is the venue, and from 2 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. you can taste wines from Alma Rosa, Calera, Bien Nacido, Dusty Nabor Wines, Kosta Browne, Presqu’ile Winery, and many other producers. Tickets are $125, and if you use promo code WOPN2025 you can save $50 if you buy two.
Dan Fredman pours Champagne at this year’s World of Pinot Noir.
Ciliegiolo. That’s an Italian word. It’s fun to pronounce. It’s fun to drink. And it leads this edition of Tasting Notes.
Ciliegiolo is a grape that originated in Italy, where it is found primarily, if not solely, in Tuscany, Lazio, Liguria, Puglia, and Umbria. The word translated into English means “small cherry;” its berries resemble that stone fruit and the wines made from them are redolent of cherries. It is not a variety that you are likely to have heard about on a regular basis, but those who know it are well aware of its value and importance. And since winemakers are paying more attention to it as a grape to shine on its own, as opposed to mainly blending it with Sangiovese to “soften” the latter’s profile, I hope this ancient grape will come to attract your attention on a more regular basis.
Ciliegiolo: An ancient grape with a disputed DNA. (Photo by Nick Belanger)
“In my view, Ciliegiolo is one of the most underappreciated grape varieties, allowing for wines of mesmerizingly pure aromas and flavors,” writes Ian D’Agata in “Native Wine Grapes of Italy” (2014), and I agree with him. (D’Agata’s book is one of my favorites on the subject, and if it is not in your library I urge you to acquire it, along with his more recent “Italy’s Native Wine Grape Terroirs.”)
Ciliegiolo’s parentage is the subject of ongoing debate. D’Agata included a compendium of DNA studies in his book that have been carried out on the variety, which was, according to the author, “most likely first described in the 1600s by Soderini, whose description of a Ciriegiuolo grapevine resembles the Ciliegiolo we know today.” D’Agata’s compendium is thorough and makes for fascinating study, and for readers who appreciate such things I recommend turning to page 248 of “Native Wine Grapes of Italy.” Suffice to say that researchers behind ongoing DNA analyses are sparring still as to the parentage and makeup of Ciliegiolo; is it a progeny of Sangiovese, or is it a natural cross of Sangiovese and Moscato Violetto? D’Agata concludes his say on the subject thusly: “Clearly, this is a matter that needs to be studied in more detail.”
I now embark on a brief journey into Giovan Vettorio Soderini, the Italian agronomist mentioned above, because I like history and biography and he had some influence on the craft of winemaking in Italy. Soderini, who was born in 1526 and died in 1596, was sentenced to beheading because of his protests against the Medici (he was born in Florence), but Ferdinando I de’Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, spared his life and banished him to Cedri, which today has a population of around 35 humans. Soderini had studied law and philosophy in Bologna, but turned his attention to agronomy following his banishment. Trattato della coltivazione delle viti, e del frutto che se ne puo cavare (“Treatise on the Cultivation of the Vineyard, and the Fruit That Can Be Obtained”) (Florence, Filippo Giunti, 1600) is according to many academicians his (posthumously published) masterwork, and copies of it can be purchased still today.
Back to Ciliegiolo, and a bottle of wine I sampled recently that leads this edition of “Tasting Notes.” It’s produced by Badia a Coltibuono and goes by the helpful name Chill Ya Jolo. It, too, is fun to pronounce, and I loved drinking it. It’s 100 percent Ciliegiolo, and sells for around $20. Yes, you should chill this wine well before drinking it.
Ciliegiolo: A grape that deserves wider recognition.
The 2024 Chill Ya Jolo was imminently approachable — I am looking forward to sampling the 2025 — and I tasted it after the bottle reached 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Winemaker Roberto Stucchi Prinetti, aided by consultant Maurizio Castelli, know what it means to put together a wine that makes you smile, and this one certainly does that. It comes with 12 percent alcohol, and 20,000 bottles were produced after aging in stainless steel.
Drink this with pizza, scallops, or a good hamburger.
Labels are made to attract the eye and impart information about the contents of a wine bottle. The ladybug (coccinella in Italian) on this one calls attention to Badia a Coltibuono’s approach to sustainable organic farming, and the Hesse quote is apt: Beauty is in the details.
Back to a little pertinent history now. Badia a Coltibuono — Abbey of the Good Harvest (or Cultivation) — was established in 1051 by Giovanni Gualberto (sainted in 1193 by Pope Celestine III), who founded the Benedictine Vallumbrosan order. It functioned as an abbey until 1810, when it was unable to withstand Napoleon’s assault on the Church. Michele Giuntini, a banker from Florence and ancestor of the current owners, the Stucchi Prinetti family, bought the property in 1846, and that began the estate’s journey to becoming a leader in the Chianti Classico universe.
This wine is liquid ruby; holding a glass to the light makes the Chill Ya Jolo even more inviting. The cherry aroma here is profound — it made me think of a time I had a particularly fresh basket of Lapins cherries and after rinsing sliced a few of them and caught their scent. A little heady, lots of vivacity.
I paired this wine with seared sea scallops; I put the Maillard reaction to good use and made sure that the scallops showed its effect, because that’s a mix of flavors you’ll remember for a long while. The wine’s brightness and lively fruit seemed made for the seafood, which was prepared with a briny vanilla cream sauce.
Chill Ya Jolo might be seen as a summer wine, but in my house wines similar to it are consumed around the year. No reason to put strictures on matters such as these.
The 2022 Nestweaver Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is next, and it excited my senses for a good while following my initial taste. A subtle aroma blend of raspberry and sweet cherry put me in an expansive mood on the afternoon I sampled this wine, which was made by Patrick Nyeholt. A secondary note on the nose is dried mushroom, a scent that gives this wine a restrained wildness. Its garnet color in the glass promises what I discerned as seriousness.
Nestweaver Wines was launched in 2021 by Caren Frutig Hatton — you might know her as the co-founder of Arietta, which she established alongside her husband, Fritz Hatton, and John and Maggy Kongsgaard, in 1996. “Nestweaver represents the elegant, nuanced Pinot Noir I envisioned creating for over 20 years, and Patrick Nyeholt is the winemaker to bring my vision to fruition,” Frutig says.
Patrick Nyeholt, Caren Frutig Hatton, and Jeffrey Corpuel stand in the Corpuel Family Vineyard, located in California’s Sebastopol Hills. (Photo courtesy Nestweaver)
Some might question the wisdom of pricing the second vintage of a wine produced from purchased fruit at $125, but the market will have final say, as it almost always does. I will say that I have tasted a good number of wines sold at higher prices that satisfied me less than the Nestweaver did, and I’ll leave it at that.
The 2022 vintage — 14 percent alcohol, 122 cases produced, 100 percent Pinot Noir — saw 30 percent new French oak, and nine months of élevage resulted in something that is delicious now and worthy of aging; 140 cases were made. Frutig Hatton says her grandmother, who created a “loving sanctuary” for her family, was the inspiration for the wine, whose label was designed by Frutig Hatton’s daughter, Hattie.
Nestweaver represents the elegant, nuanced Pinot Noir I envisioned creating for over 20 years, and Patrick Nyeholt is the winemaker to bring my vision to fruition.
Nestweaver Wines founder Caren Fruitig Hatton
I find this a cerebral wine, and its soft tannins contribute an elegant touch. Fruit comes from the Corpuel Family Vineyard, a 7.6-acre Sebastopol Hills property planted to Pommard, Swan, and Vosne-Romanée clones by Ulises Valdez, who sadly passed away of a heart attack at the age of 49 in 2018.
Patrick Nyeholt is the head winemaker at Nestweaver, and serves as associate winemaker at Arietta.
I paired the Nestweaver Pinot Noir with a lamb chop seared simply with olive oil and rosemary; the wine gracefully melded with the protein’s gaminess, and the lamb elevated the wine’s midpalate. Nyeholt, who began working under Andy Erickson at Arietta in 2011 and was named head winemaker at Nestweaver in 2022, has produced an intriguing wine, one I hope to revisit soon.
I am a proponent of opening a bottle of sparkling wine as often as one can, be it Champagne, cava, or anything else bubbly and made well. Sharing a bottle with friends and family at the table is a ritual that can slow the pace of a hectic day, encouraging conversation and contemplation. Closing out this edition of Tasting Notes is a wine from Texas, the 2021 Heath Sparkling Wines Adoration. It has a suggested retail price of $61 — Heath club members can get it for $52 — and is a Pinot Noir-dominated blend: 77.2 percent of that sparkling mainstay, along with 17.2 percent Chardonnay, 3.8 percent Pinot Meunier, 1.5 percent Pinot Gris, and .3 percent Pinot Blanc.
Make a platter of spicy friend chicken and pair it with this sparkling rosé.
This sparkling rosé was sampled after being chilled to around 46 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that served it (and me) well. A beguiling pale coral hue invites one to sip and savor this wine, which smells of wild strawberry, Bing cherry, and rose petals, a balanced melange. In the mouth, red fruit flavors dominate, then a fine citrus blossom note comes along to finish the experience.
The Heath Adoration is classified as a Brut and has .75 percent residual sugar. It spent only 20 months on the lees, which likely explains the large, vigorous bubbles in the glass. The acidity here is impressive; I paired this bottle with a platter of fried chicken that I made with a slightly spicy batter, and the combination was nearly perfect.
Didier Chopin’s life has been a touch hectic during the past several years. The winemaker was sent to jail this week for 18 months after being found guilty of selling hundreds of thousands of bottles of fake Champagne — or should I write “champagne”? He’s also facing sexual assault charges. He was sentenced in a court in Reims. Fake bubbles are not cool.
It was, for a long while, my favorite restaurant in New York. Wedding anniversaries and birthdays were all celebrated there, and I never had a bad time at the Waverly Place Italian destination, no matter if dining at the bar (where on one evening I had a long and pleasant conversation with Jay McInerney), upstairs in the former hay loft, or at “my” table at the far end (on the right) of the downstairs dining room. Babbo was the place — is the place. I sadly had my first awful experience at the restaurant back in 2019, the last time I was there for dinner, so am looking forward to seeing how Mark Ladner transforms the place. He knows it and its creator, Mario Batali, quite well, after all. I hope the Mint Love Letters are on his menu.
A new owner and chef for an old favorite of mine. (Photo by Heath Brandon)
Jess Lander has written a downright dystopian article in the San Francisco Chronicle about the 2025 harvest in California. “Tens of thousands of acres of vineyards have been ripped out across the state, and despite mostly ideal weather conditions this growing season, more than 100,000 tons of California wine grapes will likely be left on the vines to rot — for the second consecutive year,” Lander writes. Brutal, indeed.
To continue in the less-than-good-news category, proposed federal legislation that seeks to bar states from regulating pesticides and insecticides is in danger of being passed into law. A provision in the legislation, section 453, prohibits the EPA and adjacent agencies from updating production warning labels from original conclusions under the 1947 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. According to WineBusiness.com, in an article written by Michelle Williams, section 453 would “grant immunity to all foreign and domestic manufacturers” of these products for failure to “warn about product hazards.” It does appear to be as bad as it seems. Want more glyphosate and paraquat on your vines?
In better news, the Texas Wine Month Passport 2025 is available for purchase now. It gives you access to tastings, discounts, events, and other good things going on at more than 45 Texas Hill Country wineries from October 1 through October 31. A portion of the proceeds from passport sales goes toward the Texas Hill Country Wine Industry Scholarship Fund, so your pleasure will also help others.
There is, of course, more to this world than wine. Mise en Place, my site, is subtitled “Wine, Food, and Other Vital Things,” and literature and books are two of those vital things in my life. Henry Louis Gates Jr. has written a wonderful piece on Jamaica Kincaid’s work and life in the current issue of The New York Review of Books, and I recommend it wholeheartedly, whether you are familiar with Kincaid or not. Gardening, writing, Black literature, a moving, tempestuous relationship with a mother, and a woman whose early years in Manhattan have long enthralled me. Kincaid is the real thing, and has been for decades.
This week’s reading roster ends on a book, one that should, I strongly posit, be in the library of anyone who respects French wine, its history and place in the world, and its present and future. Get yourself a copy of Jon Bonné’s The New French Wineand revel in Chablis, Pinot Noir, insightful and moving profiles of producers and winemakers, and maps and impressions and opinions. It’s a great book, and will provide you with a lot of reading pleasure. You’ll learn some good things, too.
Aligoté can divide. There are those who disdain it openly, proud, it appears, to proclaim loudly to anyone who will listen that it is not worth the effort it takes to make, that the best Aligoté is inferior to the worst Chardonnay. On the other side of the line are the sane, knowing individuals, the ones who appreciate Aligoté and share their enthusiasm for it with their friends and acquaintances. If you encounter a character who belongs to the first group, nod in agreement and walk calmly away.
Aligoté is a proud grape; Burgundian winemakers love it (check out Les Aligoteurs) and yes, you’ll traditionally find it in your Kir cocktail. (Fascinating history and story behind that apéritif. It was originally known as a “blanc-cassis,” but now honors Félix Kir —1876 – 1968) — a former mayor of Dijon who served the drink to delegations visiting his city to showcase his region’s offerings. What was once made with crème de cassis and red wine had to be made with white wine after the Nazis had their way with Burgundy’s red wine stocks, and the tradition lives on. Put one part crème de cassis in a wine stem and follow with nine parts white wine. Here’s a recipe from the International Bartenders Association.)
Aligoté is in no way an inferior grape, contrary to what the misguided proclaim. It is a cross between Gouais Blanc and Pinot Noir, it is, after Chardonnay, the second most-planted variety in Burgundy, and it represents great value.
Drink this with oysters on the half shell.
One Aligoté that I enjoyed recently is Abbey Road Farm‘s 2023 vintage, available for $35 directly from the producer. I opened the sample bottle and thought, “I must pair this with briny, small oysters,” which is what I did. Royal Miyagi, with lemon and mignonette sauce. Poached shrimp would also be excellent. The wine carries a refined note of salinity, along with unripe apricot and Granny Smith apple. Delicate floral aromatics add to the pleasure. Whole-cluster pressing was used, and this estate Aligoté was aged sur lie for eight months in neutral French oak (70 percent) and in one new Austrian oak puncheon. Drink now.
Abbey Farm Road is an 82-acre farm, winery, and bed and breakfast in Carlton, Oregon. (Abbey Road Farm)
2022 Markham Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley, California
I have my mind on a Napa Merlot that also represents great value for the price, and I’d recommend finding it soon, because it’s sold out at the producer’s website (though the 2023 vintage will be along soon). I have found it at retailers in the $25-$30 range, however, and it’s worth every dollar. I paired the 2022 Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot with a rack of lamb, and the duo was the centerpiece of a fine meal.
Kimberlee Nicholls is a veteran winemaker and leads the Markham winemaking team. (Markham Vineyards)
This wine, from an all-female winemaking team, is dark red in the glass and offers aromas of black stone fruit, sensuous and warm. You get the familiar cherry and plum flavors on the palate, and freshness and vibrancy that spark conversation. The 2022 Merlot spent 18 months in oak barrels — 30 percent new — and was fermented in stainless steel. It is 95 percent Merlot, 3 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2 percent Malbec.
Markham’s estate vineyards — Yountville Ranch, Little Cannon, and Rockerbox —provide about a third of the fruit here, and head winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls and her team have produced a food-friendly wine that I’d gladly give to all of my cooking friends.
2024 Turnbull “Josephine” Sauvignon Blanc, Oakville AVA, California
Rounding out this edition of Tasting Notes is a Sauvignon Blanc from the Oakville AVA that I particularly liked. It’s available for $50 from the producer, Turnbull Wine Cellars, and holds a place on my list of top 10 Sauvignon Blancs tasted in the past year.
Turnbull Wine Cellars’ ‘Josephine’ Sauvignon Blanc: Graceful, complex, and delicious.
Peter Heitz is the winemaker at Turnbull, and he’s been quoted thusly in reference to this Sauvignon Blanc: “This wine gives me goosebumps — in the best way.” I did not get goosebumps when I tasted this wine, but I am in no position to quibble with Mr. Heitz, nor doubt his reaction, because I did love this bottle. I paired it with a pork loin (garlic, fennel, and parsley). Fermentation and élevage are carried out in terracotta amphorae, concrete tank, and French oak, and the result is an exhilarating journey of citrus joined with grace, complexity, and satisfying texture that pairs well with foods. I couldn’t ask for more in a Sauvignon Blanc.
Peter Heitz is a fourth-generation winemaker.
Fruit in this wine is primarily estate, from Turnbull’s Home Ranch and Fortuna vineyards, complemented by grapes from a North Coast site that sits at 1,600 feet above sea level. If you have friends who think Sauvignon Blanc is not worthy of pairing with serious food, who consider it a “pool sipper,” share some of this wine with them during a meal of the pork loin I mentioned and watch their reactions.
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