Foul

Domestic Selection: Cabernet Sauvignon, 1989. Sunridge

When is a second label not a second label? This selection pro­vides the answer. The exalted Mt. Veeder appella­tion, where this wine comes from, is home to a constellation of star-quality Napa wineries: The Hess Collection, Mayacamas, Mt. Veed­er and Chateau Potelle. Sunridge Cabernet Sauvignon is actually the product of the Chateau Potelle estate winery,… read more »

Import Selection: Merlot, 1990. Vina Del Mar

In 1987, with their eyes fo­cused north on the U.S.A., an al­ready very successful Chilean wine company created the Villa del Mar brand. The Mitjans family had been producing wine from French grape varieties transplanted to Chile’s fertile farmlands for over seventy years. Their Viña Valdi­vieso line, besides including excel­lent table wines, featured Chile’s largest… read more »

Domestic Selection: Cabernet Sauvignon, 1988. Lone Oak

In 1974, the Smith horse ranch and the Hook cattle ranch were converted into vineyards. A good 250 acres of vines were planted there, split between Cabernet Sau­vignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Thus was the Smith and Hook Estate created as a Cabernet Sauvignon “chateau”. Our selection comes from the Lone Oak Estate, a separate… read more »

Import Selection: Cabernet Sauvignon, 1989. Villa Montes

What would happen if: a) Cali­fornia’s leading Consulting Oenol­ogist, Andre Tchelistcheff, formed a partnership with; b) the Dean of the School of Economics and Business Administration of a prominent university plus; c) a ma­jor Napa Valley vineyard owner and; d) a seasoned wine marketing professional with 20 years experi­ence? They call it Domaine Tche­listcheff. One… read more »

Domestic Selection: Pinot Noir, 1988. Austin Cellars

Anthony Austin’s roots go back to the very early days of Cali­fornia wine… literally. His ances­tors were granted a homestead in 1881 in Sonoma County, and are said to have planted the first Ca­bernet Sauvignon vines in the Rus­sian River Valley. After attending U.C. Davis’ viticultural school, Austin became a protege of the country’s most… read more »

Import Selection: Zinfandel, 1987, San Martin

A mission Padre was the first to plant grapevines in Baja California; on the site of the first lower Cali­fornia mission circa 1697. But viti­culture was known to Mexico far earlier than that. In 1524 the Mexi­can conqueror Cortez decreed that all Spaniards holding land grants in Mexico had to plant annually, for five years,… read more »

Import Selection: Zinfandel, 1987, San Martin International Series

A mission Padre was the first to plant grapevines in Baja California; on the site of the first lower Cali­fornia mission circa 1697. But viti­culture was known to Mexico far earlier than that. In 1524 the Mexi­can conqueror Cortez decreed that all Spaniards holding land grants in Mexico had to plant annually, for five years,… read more »

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