Californian Wine

Domestic Selection: Pinot Noir, 1988. Paraiso Springs

August 26, 2016

Paraiso Hot Springs are situated in the Santa Lucia foothills, 40 minutes south of Salinas in Northern California’s Monterey County. While establishing the Soledad Mission, Franciscan padres used the springs’ curative waters for healing purposes. The monks also planted early vineyards there. Two hundred years later (1973), current owner Richard Smith planted modern vineyards, eleven… read more »

Domestic Selection: Chardonnay, 1989. Plume Ridge

August 23, 2016

With a degree in business from California State University, Los Angeles, Christina Coulourides went to work for one of the largest specialty wine retail chains in the world. She acquired a thorough, top-to-bottom understanding of the wine business. Then, in 1981, she began working for one of California’s finest “old guard” restaurants, selecting wines for… read more »

Domestic Selection: Pinot Noir, 1987. Peacock Hill

August 23, 2016

Things certainly are looking good for us WOMC enthusiasts in 1992! I would never have imagined that Paul could find two lovely Pinot Noirs within such a short period of time (seven months), especially considering the price class of most Pinot Noirs. The last one was Tony Austin’s 1988 (#691A) sent last June. That was… read more »

Domestic Selection: Pinot Noir, 1988. Austin Cellars

August 19, 2016

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 »

Domestic Selection: Rsv. Sauvignon Blanc, 1986. Concannon

August 19, 2016

The Concannon Vineyard is factually a piece of California history, California Historical Landmark No. 641, to be exact. Over 100 years ago James Concannon founded this venerable operation 50 miles east of San Francisco in the Livermore Valley. This area distinguishes itself from other wine regions of California by its striking similarities to the great… read more »

Domestic Selection: Pinot Blanc, 1988. Paraiso Springs

August 18, 2016

The Paraiso Springs label belongs to Richard Smith. He does not own vineyards or a winery. Instead he selects the best grapes he can find, orders them crushed according to his specifications, and then fermented under the direction of Ron Niino, an expatriate from San Martin. He also buys bulk wines that meet his blending… read more »

October 2, 2015

California wines are amongst the best of the United States wines and even ranked better than some of the European wines. California makes up at a whopping 90% of the U.S. overall wine production. The California region would account to the fourth largest production of wine. The history of Californian Wine dates back to… read more »