Winemakers are trained to think in grapes and, almost always, only grapes. Most will spend their entire careers relentlessly working within that single medium, fully aware that the craft is both exciting and unforgiving.

‘In wine, you get one harvest a year. Maybe 50 in a lifetime if you’re lucky,’ says Nick Gislason, winemaker at Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley’s Oakville AVA, who has taken on beer as another pillar of his creative outlet.

The built-in limits of winemaking, including the once-a-year window to make decisions in the cellar that will define an entire vintage, don’t exist in the same way in other beverage crafts.

Beer, for example, operates on an ongoing production cycle rather than a single seasonal window, with far more room to adjust and repeat in real time.

‘[Beer] makes you better at fermentation, because we’re working with yeast every single day,’ says Gislason. Even if the grains are harvested seasonally, like grapes, beer doesn’t unfold in a single moment. One batch is fermenting while another is being brewed.

An advantage over wine, he recognises, but one that makes it a complementary craft. ‘You learn how to manage air, temperature and timing in a more dynamic way. That absolutely feeds back into winemaking.’

From grape to grain: Hanabi Lager Co

Gislason created Hanabi, a small lager-focused beer label, around 2015.

For him, beer is not a side project, but another way of thinking through the same questions: how to grow grains for flavour, how to work with fermentation, how far one is willing to push risk in pursuit of something truly high quality.

Hanabi is an absurdly serious label. Unlike most brewers, Gislason is also a farmer, and he applies the same seriousness in viticulture as to grains, farming each variety differently, paying growers regardless of yield, going as far as reintroducing an ancient, almost extinct barley used in the first-ever Pilsners as Hanabi's flagship.

'For us, flavour is number one – even if the grain costs four times more or yields less,’ he says.

The label found its first audience among wine drinkers and sommeliers – The French Laundry and Single Thread, both Michelin-starred restaurants in northern California, were early placements – where Gislason's wine background likely carried weight.

These days, however, most of its consumers (it is distributed in six different states in the US and exported to Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Taiwan and China, about 25% of its total production) are serious beer drinkers who, as he notes, ‘often have no connection to wine’.

'Beer and wine, to me, are like different instruments. Like in music, you can play to people in a wider way if you use more than just one instrument.'

Reaching a wider audience

Dan Petroski of Massican, in Napa’s St Helena, also went on to play a whole new set of instruments to reach a wider audience.

Over the course of a decade, he explored making vermouth, beer and even gin alongside his wines, building by 2019 what he called 'world Massican': a universe he wanted to open to everybody, 'not just people who love white wine'.

The vermouth came to be almost as an accident, a result of wine barrels that didn't make the final blend: juice with nowhere to go. 'You cover the flaws. You aromatise it, sweeten it, fortify it,' Petroski says. His own version of ‘when life gives you lemons’…

'I then started to build this picture of myself as the guy who knew everything about aromatising alcohol beverages,' he says.

An earnest vision. But Petroski hadn't fully anticipated how separate the concert halls were. Wine, beer and spirits, it turns out, don't share the same road to the consumer.

At the time, managing three distribution networks proved one too many for a producer like Massican. The vermouth program ended in 2022. The beer and the gin did, too.

Since then, the brand has been acquired by Gallo (2023), and the infrastructure roadblock may no longer exist, so Petroski hasn't ruled out a return: 'I love the idea of doing it again,' he says – especially now, as 'the world is drinking slightly differently'.

Vermouth, however, remains very much alive at Matthiasson Wines in Napa Valley, where Steve and Jill Matthiasson have produced their farmhouse-style version since 2011 — now distributed across the US and exported to several countries, with Japan as its largest market.

While the couple had long been fascinated by apéritifs, their vermouth also began with a wine that fermented too far. Instead of discarding it, they transformed it using botanicals, fruit and bitters grown on their property.

In many ways, it feels connected to how they think about farming and wine — just another way of telling the same story.

Whiskey and wine

At Jackson Family Wines, which owns dozens of wineries and operates its own distribution channel, the infrastructure problem doesn't exist.

With Regal, one of California's largest wine distributors – an unusual position in a system designed to keep producers and distributors apart – the company operates on both tiers.

'Having the ability to represent high-quality spirits does serve a commercial or strategic purpose,' says Christopher Jackson of Stonestreet Wines in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, which produces Stonestreet Bourbon within the Jackson Family portfolio. 'I think it's smart to talk to the consumer across multiple different beverage platforms.'

The company released two bourbons in the past two years: Stonestreet, in 2024, which it sees as a more accessible whiskey, and Mt Brave in 2025: a cask-strength, vintage-dated expression made with collectors in mind.

For Mt Brave in Napa’s Mt Veeder, winemaker Chris Carpenter approaches whiskey blending the same way he does his wines.

‘A lot of the blending is layering flavours so none are lost, but they accentuate one another,’ Carpenter says.

‘When I'm matching different wine lots to the barrels, I’m thinking about how that barrel is going to contribute to the expression of wine. I'm thinking about those same things when I'm putting these whiskeys together.’

There's a longer game, by design, being played about how credibility travels in both directions here: a wine drinker who trusts Carpenter's palate has a reason to try the bourbon, while a bourbon drinker who respects the whiskey might feel compelled to try the wines.

Blurring boundaries

Tequila, too, has begun attracting the attention of prominent winemakers.

Bordelais consultant Philippe Melka recently released the first batch of a new tequila project, Felicente, in partnership with Vincent Garry, a veteran in the barrel business, after becoming fascinated by what he describes as a moment in the category that reminded him of California wine in the 1990s: smaller producers experimenting, challenging industrial styles, and trying to redefine quality.

Still in its early stages, the project focuses on organically farmed, high-elevation agave and uses winemaking techniques to produce three styles of tequila, currently distributed across Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Texas, and California, with plans to expand starting next year.

It’s another sign of how fluid the boundaries between premium beverage categories have become.

Learning curves

But not every beyond-wine project is driven by commercial strategy. In a more modest way, Jamie Kutch added a new line to his Kutch Wines portfolio to address a byproduct problem: wine lees that, if dumped carelessly, could poison rivers and streams.

'It clogs up and kills the fish,' he says. 'This is a sustainable way to use them.'

Kutch distills a brandy from Pinot Noir lees, aged five years in neutral Chardonnay barrels. He makes just 90 bottles a year, sold out each release, including for at least one customer who has never bought his wine.

Winemakers usually don't set out to be anything other than winemakers, and most consumers don't turn to a winery looking for anything other than wine either.

But when something else appears, it often carries the same level of care – sometimes more – than most standalone products across other beverage categories.

Winemaking standards don't end with grapes. And it turns out the exchange goes both ways. 'Every time I'm in a new project, I learn something that I bring back to my primary project,' says Chris Carpenter.

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Against the backdrop of New York City’s iconic skyline, more than 600 fine wine enthusiasts joined 52 renowned producers at Decanter’s flagship Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) making this the most successful edition of the event to date.

Held on the 60th floor of Manhatta in Manhattan’s Financial District, the event brought together wine lovers and industry leaders for a rare opportunity to taste some of the world’s most iconic wines.

Set against a breathtaking setting, this year’s DWWA Winners’ Bar showcased 28 top-scoring wines, highlighting the very pinnacle of global winemaking.

The selection featured wines awarded 95 points and above, including Gold, Platinum and Best in Show winners from the 2025 competition. The line-up showcased the breadth of today’s fine wine landscape, from established classics in Italy, France and Spain to outstanding examples of their style from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and beyond.

Four out of the 50 Best in Show winners from Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 were featured at the Winners’ Bar and were amongst the guests' favourites. The line-up included the 97-point Barons de Rothschild Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne, France NV, Clos du Val, Cabernet Franc, Stags Leap District, California, United States 2022 and Italians Diego Morra, Del Comune di Verduno, Barolo 2021 and Donnafugata, Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria 2023.

More highlights included five Platinum medal winners, each scoring 97 points from Spain, France and South Africa and US presenting.

The event also included a fantastic lunch option with a pairing sponsored by Eola Amity Hills and Château Sideraut, an excellent opportunity for the guests to continue to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere that embedded the event.

The Encounter also featured three sold-out masterclasses led by Salon & Delamotte Champagne, leading Super Tuscan producers and Napa Valley pioneer Heitz Cellar, offering guests a deeper insight into some of the wine world’s most celebrated names.

The celebrations continued into the evening with an intimate VIP reception for producers and invited guests that enjoyed Champagne from Laurent-Perrier alongside canapés, charcuterie, artisan cheeses and dark chocolate truffles, providing a fitting finale to the day.

See below for the full list of DWWA 2025 top-scoring wines sampled at the DWWA Winner’s bar on the day:

Sparkling 

• Terre del Cima, Extra Dry, Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore, Veneto, Italy 2023
  Gold, 95 points
• No.1 Family Estate, Cuvée Methode Traditionelle, Marlborough, New Zealand NV
  Gold, 95 points
• Barons De Rothschild, Blanc De Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne, France NV
  Gold, 95 points

White

• Adegas Valmiñor, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain 2024
  Platinum, 97 points
• Eudald Massana Noya, Avi Ton Organic Xarel·lo, Penedès, Spain 2021
  Gold, 95 points
• Rohe, Sauvignon Blanc, Rapaura, Marlborough, New Zealand 2024
  Gold, 96 points
• Sother, Château De Malessert 1er Grand Cru Chasselas, La Côte, Vaud, Switzerland 2022
  Gold, 95 points
• Early Mountain, Petit Manseng, Virginia, United States 2022
  Gold, 95 points
• Castelfeder, Family Reserve Kreuzweg Chardonnay, Alto Adige / Südtirol Riserva, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy 2021
  Gold, 95 points
• Ambar Estate, Lustral Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, Oregon, United States 2022
  Gold, 95 points
• Vignaioli Contra' Soarda, Vignasilan, Breganze, Veneto, Italy 2017
  Gold, 95 points

Red

• Khachen Wines, Areni, Vayots Dzor, Armenia 2023
  Gold, 95 points
• Bodegas Y Viñedos Verum, Ilusioverum Cdvin Garnacha, Rioja, Spain 2022
  Gold, 95 points
• Bodegas y Viñedos Luis Saenz, Ana Sáenz, Crianza, Rioja, Spain 2022
  Gold, 95 points
• Alvarez-Alfaro, Selección De Familia, Rioja, Spain 2020
  Platinum, 97 points
• Domaine Sarrabelle, In Vinum, Gaillac, Southwest France, France 2019
  Platinum, 97 points
• Hasher Family, Batrachella Pinotage, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Walker Bay, South Africa 2022
  Platinum, 97 points
• Château Romanin, Le Coeur, Les Baux-de-Provence, Provence, France 2019
  Gold, 97 points
• Clos du Val, Cabernet Franc, Stags Leap District, California, United States 2022
  Best in Show, 97 points
• Echolands Winery, Blue Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, Washington State, United States 2022
  Platinum, 97 points
• Diego Morra, Del Comune Di Verduno, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2021
  Best in Show, 97 points
• Watermill, Hallowed Stones Syrah, Oregon, United States 2021
  Gold, 95 points
• Samā Cellars, Bhūmi Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, Washington State, United States 2022
  Gold, 95 points
• Ernie Els, Proprietor's Blend, Helderberg, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2022
  Gold, 96 points
• Avinodos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, California, United States 2019
  Gold, 95 points

Sweet and fortified 

• Donnafugata, Ben Ryé, Passito di Pantelleria, Sicily, Italy 2023
  Gold, 97 points
• Tenuta Roletto, Passito, Erbaluce di Caluso, Piedmont, Italy 2013
  Gold, 95 points
• Curatolo Arini 1875, 10 Years Old, Marsala Superiore Riserva, Sicily, Italy NV
  Gold, 96 points

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The hottest ticket in the Big Apple this past Saturday wasn’t on Broadway, or even a prime seat at a sports bar to watch the New York Knicks take a 2-0 lead in the NBA finals series.

Those in the know – all 500 of them – were 60 floors up at Manhatta for the fifth annual Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York City (DFWE NYC).

Now firmly established as Manhattan’s greatest world wine event, this Empire State iteration of Decanter’s renowned global events series brought together a Grand Tasting of 30 Gold, Platinum and Best in Show medal-winners from the Decanter World Wine Awards as well as more than 200 premium wines from 55 producers.

Our star-studded line up of Masterclasses featured Salon & Delamotte Champagnes, SuperTuscans and Heitz Cellar, while the unique experience of dining with world-class producers themselves ensured our exclusive Winemakers' Lunches sold out almost instantly.

With panoramic views of the city skyline and across New York Harbor to the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Tasting room is the heart of the event, where each of the 50 stands was invited to showcase one special wine, either an old vintage or a large-format bottle – and often both – to share with guests.

Guests tasted throughout the day using glassware from Riedel, a fitting partner for an event celebrating fine wine, where presentation and tasting conditions are an important part of the experience.

Highlights of DFWE NYC 2026 included the Eola-Amilty Hills table, which welcomed several winery principals from this Willamette Valley AVA in Oregon, and similar regional tables from both Switzerland and Castilla y Léon in Spain.

In-depth tastings of icon wines

Away from the buzz and bustle of the Grand Tasting, our Masterclass room – with spectacular dual-aspect vistas – offered 75 attendees in each of three sold-out sessions the chance for a more in-depth look at a producer, region or wine style, with a guided tasting of eight to 10 exclusive cuvées, presented by renowned experts.

To start the day on a sparkling note, Cristian Rimoldi of sister Champagne houses Salon and Delamotte, along with Master Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, took a deep dive into the world of Blanc de Blancs, tasting five cuvées each from these very different properties, back to Salon 1997.

Next, one of Decanter’s key Italian wine specialists, Michaela Morris, and Decanter’s Italy Editor, James Button, joined forces to present eight SuperTuscans – two each from leading producers Antinori, Isole e Olena, Fontodi and Bibi Graetz – to show the evolution of styles and approaches of these iconic IGTs.

Ending DFWE NYC 2026 on a historic note, Master Sommelier and Heitz Cellar CEO Carlton McCoy was joined by Decanter’s Napa correspondent Jonathan Cristaldi to take guests through 10 Heitz Cellar Cabernets through the decades, including the 1985 and 1979 vintages from Martha’s Vineyard.

Read all about it: Full masterclass reports from DFWE NYC 2026

• Salon & Delamotte
• Super Tuscans
• Heitz Cellar

Meet the winemakers in person

Apart from the wines, of course, the biggest drawcard to all Decanter Fine Wine Encounters is the chance for attendees to speak with the winemakers and winery owners themselves.

And what better way than to sit down for an intimate meal with them, sharing three exclusive bottles at our Decanter Winemakers' Lunches.

This year Dr Laura Catena, fourth-generation winemaker and Managing Director of Catena Zapata in Argentina hosted an oversubscribed lunch for seven lucky guests, who enjoyed her Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay 2023, Argentino Malbec 2005 and the icon Nicolás Catena Zapata 2004 in magnum.

Katie Vogt, winemaker at Pahlmeyer in Napa Valley, hosted the other sell-out lunch for six guests, alongside Decanter's Napa expert Jonathan Cristaldi. She poured her Savoir Faire Chardonnay 2024, Right Bank 2023 and Pièce de Résistance 2023.

In the Grand Tasting, several other winemakers and owners generously took time out of their busy schedules to fly over for the DFWE NYC 2026, pour wines and chat at length with guests.

We thank, and look forward to seeing again: Louise Grillet (Veuve Clicquot), Olive Hamilton Russell (Hamilton Russell Oregon), Luke Evnin (Annulus Cellars), Jeff Mangahas (Williams Selyem), Dan Petroski (Massican), Adam Lowy (Cloudsley Cellars), Emma Garner (Thirty Bench), Gabriel Mustakis (San Pedro), Zvonimir Jurkovic (Poderi Luigi Einaudi), Alberto Moretti Cuseri (Tenuta Sette Ponti) and Rodrigo Costa (Taboadella).

Revisit the wines discovered

One of the pleasures of DFWE is the opportunity to taste wines that are often difficult to find in one place. For guests looking to revisit a favourite bottle from the day, premium wine retailer Millesima has curated a dedicated Decanter Fine Wine Encounter collection featuring a selection of wines showcased at the event.

The collection is designed to make it easier for attendees to source memorable wines encountered during the Grand Tasting and masterclasses. As an additional benefit, there's also access to a limited-time offer through the collection.

Browse the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter collection at Millesima here.

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Julia Rose Hoyle and Kelby James Russell are too busy for pinch-me moments.

The pair launched their Finger Lakes-based winery, Apollo’s Praise, in 2023 and are deep in the work.

Partners in life and love, they’ve got their hands full, from farming to fermenting, bottling to selling.

‘We’re working phenomenally hard on the back end because we recognise that we’ve been given the chance to help push the Finger Lakes forward,’ explains Russell.

With a charge like that, there is little time to pause – even when the praise is good.

Within three months of launching, inventory sold out, and scores reached up to 98-points, which is among the highest the region has received to date.

The duo keeps moving, popping up across the US and internationally as they introduce a brand that has brought a fresh new energy to Finger Lakes wine.

Finding Apollo

'Thus, then combining, hands and hearts joining, sing we in harmony Apollo’s praise. Here ev’ry gen’rous sentiment awaking, music inspiring unity and joy. Each social pleasure giving and partaking, glee and good humour our hours employ.'

These are the lyrics of ‘Glorious Apollo’, the 18th-century glee written by composer Samuel Webbe. They end every quarterly zine designed by Hoyle for Apollo’s Praise.

Russell first encountered Glorious Apollo at Harvard College, where he studied Orchestra Management and sang in the Glee Club.

His admission to the Ivy League school felt like a one-way ticket from his small Finger Lakes hometown that he’d eagerly been awaiting.

While there, he won a fellowship to study food in Italy.

‘I went for the mortadella,’ he laughs. To stretch the funding, Russell found lodging in exchange for work at a ‘quirky castle’ surrounded by vineyards.

‘It was a romantic spot. I fell in love with the lifestyle, got the wine bug, and decided – to my shock – to move back home and get into wine.’

A few hundred miles away, Hoyle traded northern Pennsylvania for Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.

She picked up seasonal work in the tasting room at Fox Run Vineyards, but found herself fascinated by winemaking: ‘I wanted to learn more about this product that there’s no firm answer on – I wanted to know more all the time.’

Russell arrived at Fox Run two weeks after Hoyle, dressed for an interview, only to be handed a shovel on what would become his first day of harvest.

He and Hoyle quickly fell for the industry, the region, and eventually for each other.

As their careers progressed, each traveled across hemispheres, gaining experience by chasing harvests while staying connected through handwritten notes.

While in Paris in 2012, they eloped.

Building Lahoma

Through all their travels, the Finger Lakes kept pulling them home.

‘There was a lot of interesting energy and evolution happening. It was still a real underdog of a region, and to be here was a choice,’ explains Russell, who settled as lead winemaker for Red Newt Cellars on Seneca Lake.

Hoyle took the reins of winemaking at Hosmer Winery on Cayuga.

‘There’s an excitement you can’t replicate going to a region that already has the accolades,’ he continues.

‘Getting to demonstrate and earn those accolades for an underdog region is really enriching.’

Hoyle shares the ambition: ‘I want to make the best wines of the region. That is the end goal.’

Their work is heavily influenced by Austria and Germany, especially the idea of Grosses Gewächs, given they both work with distinguished vineyards.

Russell’s work at Red Newt introduced him to Ken and Harlan Fulkerson, the original farmers behind Lahoma Vineyards.

Once planted with apples, pears, peaches, and cherries, the celebrated vineyard is now 22.2ha of vinifera and hybrid grapes, including Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay, and the first commercial planting of Scheurebe in New York.

High on a knoll

Within the parcel sits a notable 0.8ha plot of land named The Knoll, known for its rare sandstone soils and unique expression in the glass.

Russell has sourced fruit from this block for over a decade, crafting structured, muscular, and textural Rieslings that earned him a devoted following.

As the wines gained traction, so did the property, with Russell proudly touring the vines with journalists and buyers.

The Fulkersons quietly took note and secretly designated Russell and Hoyle as a potential succession plan.

The offer came in 2022 when Russell called the Fulkersons in search of Chardonnay. There was none, but they had a counteroffer: the farm itself.

Hoyle, who calls herself Russell’s co-conspirator, could see his vision: ‘At the end of the day, the deep trust we have for one another is what’s guided a lot of our decisions.’

They closed on the property in April 2023.

A frosty beginning

Within a month of closing, an unprecedented frost decimated half their crop. It was a once-in-50-year event.

Russell couldn’t sleep as temperatures dipped overnight. He got to the farm at sunrise to find the Fulkersons already there.

‘The plan was to sell 95% of the crop, and keep a few tons to tinker with. But, we knew we had to start a winery and make a new business plan to save the farm.’

They were more than ready. They already had the name. They had the label artist, Christi Lopez, whom Hoyle found on Instagram and bookmarked for this moment.

And, they quickly learned the region had their backs: neighbors offered unclaimed fruit, and Harlan Fulkerson even personally advocated for them at the bank, noting that you can’t predict the weather.

‘You can’t do it alone,’ Hoyle smiles. That winter, Apollo’s Praise launched their Wine & Glee Club and Skurnik Wines added the brand to their portfolio – the first and only brand contracted without a tasting.

The wines posted some of the highest scores in the region. Within three months, their inventory was completely sold out.

A warmer future ahead

Three years in, and the Apollo’s Praise team remains busy. They’ve since purchased the 1850s farmhouse next door, which houses their offices, a hosting space, and a seasonal Airbnb.

In the cellar, Russell and Hoyle operate on a 60/40 split, respectively – each producing their own wines that work in concert across the full portfolio.

‘We did not want to work together–especially in production,’ laughs Russell, though they have one exception: a single wine called Lovejoy: a blend of Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner, and Riesling grown on The Knoll.

They’ve also built a company culture that reflects everything ‘Glorious Apollo’ promises. Alongside Hoyle’s joyful zines are Russell’s inspired music pairings on the back of every label.

General Manager Sarah Tuttle leads a small team that they call smart and quirky. Staff are given room to be fully themselves.

‘Sometimes it seems very crazy that the universe just lets us do this,’ says Tuttle.

That permission is not accidental, but deliberate. ‘I have an open door to anyone who wants to work hard. I’ll give people a shot because a lot of people wouldn’t do that for me,’ says Hoyle.

‘It’s important to get new voices at the table every time.’

Russell sees the same opportunity through the wine itself: ‘How do you get more people to love wine? It’s a really simple answer. Make exciting wine at a price point people can afford.’

Three tiers of wines are currently offered, ranging from approachable offerings under £20 to small-production single-vineyard bottlings that can command £100 and above.

From the outside looking in, Apollo’s Praise is more than a winery. It is the culmination of Hoyle and Russell’s hard work and preparation for this particular moment.

From chasing harvests and trading handwritten letters, to starting a brand authentic in its representation of the duo, it all folds into something that feels less like a business plan and more like a calling.

As the lyrics of Glorious Apollo go, they are giving and partaking in equal measure – and it seems the Finger Lakes are singing back.

Apollo's Praise wines

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An opaque, intriguing history

America’s oldest vineyards are a sight to behold.

Marked by gnarled old vines planted in the 1880s, often by Italian immigrants, they provide a palpable sense of history in this so-called New World.

Many of them are field blends, the common practice at the time – a melange that may include Alicante Bouschet, Palomino, Carignan, Mataro, Syrah or Petite Sirah.

The Old Patch at Ridge’s Lytton Springs estate, first planted in 1882, includes 24 different grape varieties. The foundation, though, of these old sites is almost always Zinfandel.

‘The Dickerson vineyard in Napa was planted in the 1920s, and it’s 100% Zinfandel,’ Joel Peterson, ‘the Godfather of Zin’, tells me, while we’re standing in his old-vine Sonoma site, Bedrock vineyard.

‘The very old vineyards, like this one or Old Hill, are a mix of more than 20 varieties.

They were some of the first vineyards planted after phylloxera (both during the 1880s), so they really leaned on an old way of doing things.’

Once thought to be native to the US, Zinfandel’s origins have long been muddied.

For many years, it was believed to be closely related to the Italian variety Primitivo, maybe hailing from Puglia.

However, DNA testing at the University of California, Davis, chased its origins across the Adriatic to the coast of Croatia.

It turns out that not only are California’s long-standing signature variety and Primitivo genetically identical, but both of those grapes are also genetically identical to Dalmatia’s Crljenak Kaštelanski (also known as Tribidrag).

Peaks and valleys

The notion of quality in Zinfandel has also had a tumultuous history, particularly recently. It was the original American fine wine.

Early California bottlings of Zinfandel were sold from trains on the east coast and they made waves at the Paris Exposition of 1889.

Over time, though, its reputation has waned, owing in many ways to the great commercial success of White Zinfandel (the inexpensive, typically not dry ‘blush’-style rosés) and a lingering reputation and perhaps unfair stereotyping as a one-dimensional wine of bombast, high alcohol and little else.

‘Somewhere in the 14%-15% range is where the variety hits its stride,’ Peterson instructs. ‘There it has acid, edge and spice without the unfortunate gloopy, overripe character.’

Through all of that, it remains California’s third most planted variety, behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Joel’s son Morgan Twain-Peterson MW is at the forefront in efforts to preserve many of northern California’s old-vine sites.

His commitment to forward-thinking viticulture, regenerative and organic practices, and a fresh take on the wine his father made famous, are evident in the brilliance and site clarity of his Bedrock wines.

Thanks to folks such as Twain-Peterson, Tegan Passalacqua at Turley and the team at ArnotRoberts, old-vine Zinfandel is resurgent.

While America’s fine wine regions are often left referencing their Old World counterparts, Zinfandel offers something uniquely, historically American, in spite of its Adriatic origins.

Pursehouse's pick of America's most enticing Zinfandel

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US winemakers demonstrated their strength in depth at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in 2025, with a host of top medals for delicious styles produced in a wide range of growing areas.

California led the way with 143 medals, including two coveted Best in Show accolades (below) – for Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines respectively.

While the Golden State’s winemakers again demonstrated their prowess – nearly 50 years after the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting – DWWA 2025 also saw strong performances across the US.

Washington state and Oregon increased their total medal hauls year-on-year, led by mouth-watering Platinum and Gold winners.

Other states continued their rise to prominence, too. Virginia followed a first-ever Gold medal at DWWA 2024 with another Gold in 2025, for a Petit Manseng white wine (see opposite).

DWWA’s rigorous judging process, underpinned by leading experts, helps ensure wine lovers can explore the dynamic US wine landscape with confidence.

Best in Show

Clos du Val, Estate Cabernet Franc, Stags Leap District, California 2022

Best in Show, 97 points
US$130 closduval.com
Here’s the second pure Cabernet Franc wine in this year’s Top 50 Best in Show. The lesson is the same from both: this variety can enchant and inspire, but only if its tendency to dryness in warmer climates is seen off, and its fruit qualities express both ample ripeness while retaining poised and perfumed flesh. This Napa example is a show-stopper: opaque black in colour, with a carnival of scent in which spice, flowers and damsons mingle with carefully schooled abandon. On the palate, the wine has splendid depth and width, just as its Cabernet Sauvignon offspring so often does in Napa; the difference is a lightness of touch here, an aerial grace, and a lithe ease of line to the tannins; the acidity remains tenderly supportive. Rarely does a wine from Stag’s Leap leap so gracefully; the result is memorably drinkable. Alcohol 15%

Kenwood, Six Ridges Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California 2021

Best in Show, 97 points
US$17-$25 Widely available
We’re thrilled to see a wine from Alexander Valley join the nine California red-wine peers that have already featured in our Best in Show selection. This distinctive zone clearly offers Cabernet of significantly different style to Napa: amply fleshed, yes, but with a savoury, mountain wildness to that flesh, and with a different acid emphasis. The blend here, with its seasoning of Petite Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, surely also plays a role in lending this wine its intriguing complexities. It’s black-red in colour, with open, affably fruity aromas lent depth by a dry-forest warmth; on the palate the wine has both breadth and depth as well as a compelling inner sweetness. The acidity is low but soft, while plump tannins with that distinctive savoury nuance bring the wine resolution and balance. Alc 14.5%

California

Cupere, Faces, Sonoma Coast 2022

Platinum, 97 points
US$65 Grand Cru Custom Crush
Rich, ripe aromas of yellow pear and apple, charry oak. Gorgeously creamy, sleek, oozing panache and charm. Utterly delicious, with bright acidity, a finely tuned texture and a candied citrus finish that lasts and lasts. Alc 13.2%

Maple & Ash, Chardonnay, Central Valley 2023

Gold, 95 points
@mapleashwines
Full of white nectarine, apricot, yellow apple and pear fruits with flinty inflections. Ample creamy oak, counterbalancing limey acidity and a cleansing, mineral finish. Alc 13.5%

Exprimere, Mia Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills 2022

Gold, 95 points
US$74 exprimere.wine
Sparky red berry fruit with a sweet overlay of cherry vanilla aromatics. Robust and expressive, with glossy tannins and focused acidity. Finishes long and savoury. Alc 14.2%

New Clairvaux Vineyard, Petite Sirah, Tehama County 2022

Gold, 95 points
newclairvauxvineyard.com
Captivating, inky blue fruit, sweet tobacco and violet are joined on the palate by wonderful chocolate oak flavours. Structured and full, with fine-grained tannins and brisk acidity. Alc 14.1%

Washington state

Echolands, Blue Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley 2022

Platinum, 97 points
US$50-$60 Elliott Bay Distributing Co, Medium Plus
Black cherry, berry and plum with an earthy, herbaceous tone. Appetising, with lustrous tannins, juicy acidity and a smoky finish. Alc 13.8%

L’Ecole No41, Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 2022

Gold, 95 points
US$35-$54 Widely available
A sophisticated display of blackcurrant, cedar and graphite fragrance, with an array of sleek tannins, a silky texture and delectable spicy lift on the finish. Alc 14.5%

Samā Cellars, Bhūmi Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2022

Gold, 95 points
US$62 samacellars.com
Ample plum, blackberry and raspberry with herbaceous and violet nuances, coupled with tobacco notes, vibrant acidity and fine tannins. Textured and meaty, long and harmonious. Alc 13.6%

Spring Valley Vineyard, Uriah Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley 2022

Gold, 95 points
US$65 springvalleyvineyard.com, Total Wine & More
Plush blackberry, violet and notes of graphite and tobacco flow liberally across the nose and palate, encased in a refined tannic structure. Long and savoury. Alc 14.5%

Oregon

Domaine Serene, Yamhill Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2022

Platinum, 97 points
US$60-$85 Widely available
Crunchy red cherry and raspberry fruit with generous, sweet, oaky spice that unfurls and weaves around the supple tannins and texture. Bristling acidity and a lengthy finish. Alc 13.8%

Ambar Estate, Lustral Chardonnay, Dundee Hills 2022

Gold, 95 points
US$230/magnum ambarestate.com
Distinctive custard apple, ripe pear and peach fruit is joined by a dusting of creamy hazelnut oak. Smooth acidity and luxuriously lasting length. Alc 13%

Watermill, Hallowed Stones Syrah, Rocks District, Walla Walla Valley 2021

Gold, 95 points
US$50-$55 Medium Plus, watermillwinery.com
Violet florals, ripe blueberry and plum engage seamlessly with a smoked meat and black olive core. Generous and open. A peppery finish. Alc 13.9%

Virginia

Early Mountain, Petit Manseng 2022

Gold, 95 points
earlymountain.com
Richly flavoured and gastronomically textured. Honeyed ripe apple, fresh peach and perfumed herbal notes enlivened by zingy acidity and a bright mineral finish. Fabulous. Alc 13.9%

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Readers should bear in mind that the 2023 growing season offered Napa producers the luxury of time: a long, relatively mild growing season with extended hang time for grapes and above-average yields – the kind of year that’s being widely described as ‘the vintage of a lifetime’.

And while official narratives can be rhapsodic, a more straightforward description might be that 2023 represents the ideal Napa Valley vintage: a year when the vines had everything they needed without the pressure of damaging heat or rain.

Many 2023s will end up among the era’s greats, but a small percentage of wines bear surprising lightness, likely a result of overcropping and extraction choices that over-taxed the tannins, leading to dilution.

I’ll add that there is also a compelling argument that the denser, more inherently concentrated 2021s may give the 2023s a run for their money, even if only long-term cellaring will settle the matter.

Rain at the right time

Nevertheless, the stage was set for an exceptional vintage, with winter rains helping ensure the vines were in a really good place to kick off the year, with good moisture in the soil.

More than 457mm of rain fell across Napa Valley between October and December of 2022 – double the typical amount.

Another 324mm fell in January, 121mm in February, followed by 249mm in March, just before bud break.

Temperatures from December 2022 through the end of March 2023 hovered between 10°C and 18°C in the daytime, dipping to 2°-7°C at night.

That coolness held consistent from spring through summer and into harvest. Daytime highs ranged from the low to mid-20s°C from June through October, with only one day over 38°C in early July.

Peak highs reached about 36°C just a few times between August and October. Most notably, September was unusually cool, with no days above 32°C, meaning growers had to be extra patient, hopeful for an Indian summer with no rain.

Thankfully, nothing beyond a centimetre or so of rain fell in October.

Canopy management

Rombauer Vineyards’ Richie Allen recalls a cold spring, with bud burst quite delayed, which put back flowering and pushed harvest out several weeks into late October and early November.

‘It never got quite warm, and we thought it was going to be another 2010 or 2011, with tons of rain and everything not getting ripe,’ he says.

Instead, Mother Nature was kind. Orin Swift’s Dave Phinney said 2023 reminds him of 1997 in Napa when there was ‘no weather pressure or rush to free up fermentation tanks’.

Nickel & Nickel winemaker Joe Harden says: ‘It was a dream for winemakers. If you managed your canopy, kept enough leaves to the end to maintain dappled sunlight, you got polished, silky tannins and supreme elegance, and it was incredibly welcome after the hot, challenging 2022 vintage.’

‘Abundant’ and ‘friendly’ are the two words that describe the 2023 vintage for Dominus Estate owner Christian Moueix.

‘If you have good growth, you let the ends of the vines grow to get out excess growth and arrive at a certain balance in terms of the size of the canopy,’ he says.

‘In every berry, you have all of the universe of the vintage, and you want each berry to get over the finish line.’

Too much of a good thing

For some, bigger canopies are welcome and easier to maintain. ‘I knew early on that there was a decent amount of fruit,’ recalls Arkenstone’s Sam Kaplan, ‘and I saw cooler days, so crop adjustment was the storyline of the season.’

Consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown agrees that mitigating crop load was essential to success.

‘If there’s a downside to 2023, it was a big crop year, and if you had a site that couldn’t handle that size of crop, there would be dilution in the wines if you didn’t thin,’ he says.

‘Berries never shrivelled in 2023,’ meaning fruit concentration couldn’t come from selective raisining – it was all about reducing the number of bunches appropriately.

Indeed, during the four months I spent visiting producers and eventually tasting more than 600 wines, I found that just 10% of wines or so felt somewhat diluted, lacking the structured, ripe tannins I’d expected to find in abundance across all wines.

And while certainly pleasant, they lacked the integrity of the vintage and resulted in my lowest-scoring wines (having said that, low scores were very rare, likely because of the calibre of producers who presented wines).

Marcus Notaro of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars says that as late as September, there were ‘some lingering green berries through veraison, so you needed extra-long hang time’.

He adds: ‘For us, we had a nice combination of ripe grapes – not super-sugar-loaded grapes, because of the coolness, but the length of time let us get the tannins to a nice, ripe level.’

Jonathan's wines of the vintage

• Kinsman Eades Anjea, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Yountville) (100)
• Dalla Valle Vineyards, MDV Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (100)
• O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Mt Veeder) (99)
• La Pelle Wines Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (100)
• Monsieur Etain (by Scarecrow) Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Rutherford) (98)
• Merryvale Profile Napa Valley (St Helena) (98)
• Robert Mondavi Winery 60th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (98)
• The Debate Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (100)
• Bryant Estate Bryant Family Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (99)
• Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Rutherford) (98)
• Cathiard Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (100)
• Facets Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (95)
• JCB Surrealist Napa Valley (97)
• Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Calistoga) (96)
• Nickel & Nickel Winery, Element 28, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon (99)

Back to the old ways

Over and over, during the many weeks I spent tasting at wineries, winemakers across the valley commented on the psychological shift required after 2022.

‘We felt deeply scarred by the 2022 vintage,’ said Brown. ‘We had a really wet winter, so there was plenty of groundwater, and we had a pretty big fruit set, and we just kept holding our breath for bad things to come, and they never came. You had to learn to be patient again. You had to pay attention to tannin maturity because if you harvested any grapes too early, you’d be harvesting unripe tannins.’

Jason Moulton, winemaker for Whitehall Lane, was reminded of 2016, when ‘the crop load was heavier, but you had perfect [flavour and tannin] extraction during fermentation, to the point that you’re not forcing a post-ferment protocol to extract more’.

Michael Scholz, vice president of winemaking and vineyards for St Supéry, noted that the moderate temperatures ‘allowed vines to keep working through the season without stopping for any heat spells’, thereby aiding both ‘flavour and phenolic development, giving us great flavours, ripe tannins that were not big and not so aggressive, and above all, vibrancy and freshness in the wines’.

‘We learned that tannins and colour are heat sensitive, and when we don’t have those issues, we have darker-coloured wines with beautifully fine-grained, resolved tannins,’ said Freemark Abbey winemaker Kristy Melton.

Cathiard Vineyard winemaker Justine Labbe echoed that sentiment, noting, ‘we had integrated tannins right after fermentation’, a structural factor that has clearly played out even with time in bottle.

For Sullivan Rutherford Estate winemaker Jeff Cole: ‘This vintage felt like the way Napa Valley operated years ago, when you weren’t thinking about picking Cabernet in September.’

Luc Morlet of Morlet Family Vineyards, was reminded of the excellent 2016s, which benefited from rains that finally ended the drought years of 2013-2015.

‘The wines have energy and freshness that will make them a true vanguard that we’ll be able to cellar for multiple decades.’

Cristaldi’s pick of the top 2023 Napa Cabernets to buy – and to keep

The wines below includes a representative selection scored between 93-100 points. For all of Jonathan Cristaldi's scores from the vintage, click here.

Related articles

Buying a fantastic bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from an exceptional vintage, while ‘on a budget’, may require a bit of a mental recalibration.

Most of us think of budget-buys as great bottles under $30 or $40 per bottle.

And while those exist, certainly in supermarkets and many retail shops, for most high-end producers of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, you have to approach buying on a budget with the mindset that somewhere between $50 and $100 is more the norm.

Here are a few reasons why: The cost of grapes alone is formidable.

The California Grape Crush Report cites a 2023 weighted average of over $8,770 per ton of Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon, before barrels, bottle, labour, and sales even enter the frame.

Bear in mind that one ton of grapes amounts to roughly 150 gallons of wine, or about 60 cases (720 bottles).

Factoring in additional production costs means that you’re looking at a per-bottle price of around $85 and up.

But The Valley’s best grapes cost winemakers between $15,000-$60,000, per ton. And these costs trickle down to the bottle price, which has been steadily trickling up since the early 2010s.

Meanwhile, broader Napa Valley pricetags have climbed too – the average basic tasting fee ranges between $40 and $100+ per person.

Tightening the lens

So, here’s the practical takeaway from my 2023 Napa Cabernet taste-through.

While the median price per bottle of all the Napa Cabs I tasted is around $150, a solid value-play would steer us into the under‑$100 lane.

So, I tightened the lens again to $85‑and‑under (around 70 wines total), and then chose the best bottles on quality, not just thrift.

What emerges is a consistent pattern: the best values tend to be broadly sourced Napa Valley blends rather than single-vineyard wines or those bearing a single appellation on the label.

They come from largely tried and true producers who have extensive holdings or long-term grape contracts that allow them to source from multiple sites throughout the valley to create harmonious blends that, simply put, don’t break the Napa Valley bank.

20 featured 2023 Napa Cabernets at $85 and under

1. St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (91, $63)
2. Black Stallion Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (92, $35)
3. Argot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (93, $75)
4. The Vice, The House, Cabernet Sauvignon, Batch #181, Napa Valley (94, $36 )
5. Charles Krug, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $40)
6. Raymond Vineyards, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $50)
7. Force & Grace, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $55)
8. Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (94, $55)
9. Ashes & Diamonds, Cabernet Sauvignon, No. 2, Napa Valley (97, $70)
10. Materra, Cunat Family Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $72)
11. Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $75)
12. Cliff Lede, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $80)
13. Rombauer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $80)
14. Jax Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley, (94, $80)
15. Merryvale, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $82)
16. Mi Sueño Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (94, $85)
17. Burgess, Contadina Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (95, $50)
18. Blackbird Vineyards, Arise Red Wine Napa Valley (95, $60)
19. Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (95, $80)
20. Louis M. Martini, The Gryphon Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (97, $85)

For all of Jonathan Cristaldi's scores from the vintage, click here.

More from this report

For all of Jonathan Cristaldi's scores from the vintage, click here.

Napa Valley 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons: 100-points

Napa Valley 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons: 99-points

Napa Valley 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons: 98-points

Napa Valley 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons: 97-points

Napa Valley 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons: 96-points

Napa Valley 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons: 95-points

More from this report

Spend enough time outside the wine industry and a curious pattern emerges: almost no one thinks about buying wine to open decades from now.

Among the parents of my daughter’s friends and most people I meet outside professional wine circles, the idea rarely even comes up.

Wine is something to drink tonight, maybe this weekend, perhaps next year – but 20 or 30 years down the road? That seems almost unimaginable.

Part of the hesitation is practical. Many people assume that aging wine requires a wine cellar.

In reality, all it takes is a thoughtful purchase and a cool, dark place to store a bottle properly. If you want to make the effort truly worthwhile, look for wines in large formats – magnums, double magnums, or even larger.

These bottles age more gracefully because the ullage (volume of air to liquid) is so small, making oxidation even slower, while the flavors and textures evolve more slowly and beautifully over time.

Buy a bottle from the birth year of your grandchild, store it carefully, and hold onto it for two decades or more.

But don’t wait 20 years to tell the story. When your grandchild is eight or nine years old, show them the bottle and explain why you bought it.

Tell them about the people who grew the grapes and the place where the wine was made.

Explain that wine is simply fermented grape juice that – if all goes well – transforms with time into something extraordinary.

The joy of old bottles

One day, perhaps at a wedding, an anniversary, the purchase of a first home, or another milestone worth celebrating, that bottle will be opened.

The cork will ease out, the wine will swirl in the glass, and the aromas will rise: savory, expressive, captivating. The flavours will be layered and complex, the textures deep and hauntingly delicious.

That is the gift of aged wine—the taste of something remarkable shared at a moment that matters.

I would not have understood this myself had it not been for the family I married into.

My wife’s parents quietly held onto special bottles for decades, keeping them at proper cellar temperature until the right occasions arrived.

When we married, they brought some of those bottles out, and the experience added a certain magic to the evening.

I can still remember one in particular: a bottle of 1982 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Carte Or Brut we enjoyed over dinner at Gary Danko in San Francisco in 2008 (a 26-year-old Champagne!).

The wine had turned a deep golden hue, the bubbles were fine and persistent, and the aromas exploded from the glass – toasted hazelnuts, truffle, and something wonderfully savoury and complex.

I remember the elegance of my soon-to-be bride, her joy and joie de vivre, and the pride her mother took in sharing a bottle she had patiently saved for years.

That is what a well-chosen bottle can do. It captures time, preserves a story, and waits quietly for a moment when life deserves to be celebrated.

I hope you consider creating that kind of memory for your children or grandchildren.

To help you get started, here are a few 2023 vintage wines worth buying – ideally in large format – and setting aside for the future.

18 Napa Valley 2023 Cabernets to cellar

1. Dalla Valle Vineyards, MDV Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (100)
2. Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (100)
3. Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Spring Mountain) (100)
4. The Debate Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (100)
5. Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (100)
6. Ad Vivum Sleeping Lady Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Yountville) (99)
7. Bond Pluribus Red Wine Napa Valley (99)
8. Cliff Lede Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (99)
9. Colgin Cellars IX Estate Red Napa Valley (99)
10. Louis M. Martini Bruadair Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Mt Veeder) (99)
11. O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Mt Veeder) (99)
12. Annulus Cellars Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (99)
13. Stony Hill Côte Rouge Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Spring Mountain) (99)
14. Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (St Helena) (98)
15. Corison Winery Sunbasket Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (St Helena) (98)
16. William Selyem Beckstoffer Vineyard To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
17. Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Mt Veeder) (98)
18. Impensata Las Posadas Vineyard Proprietary Red Napa Valley (Howell Mountain) (97)

For all of Jonathan Cristaldi's scores from the vintage, click here.

More from this report

In past vintage reports, we have published separate features highlighting select Napa Valley sub-appellations – often eight or so of the valley’s 17 nested AVAs – typically focusing on those regions that submitted enough wines to warrant deeper exploration.

This year, with the 2023s, we are taking a slightly different approach, highlighting the 'Stars of the AVAs' in a single list, again guided by the regions with the strongest representation in submissions.

These are wines worth seeking out because they capture, in crisp detail, the defining characteristics of their respective appellations.

Top Coombsville 2023 Cabernets

Coombsville is situated at the southern end of Napa Valley, and among the coolest of the sub-AVAs, strongly influenced by marine air and fog drifting in from San Pablo Bay.

The best Cabernet examples tend to be dark-fruited yet bright and energetic, with lifted aromatics, ultra-fine tannins, and a sense of tension and length that distinguishes the wines of this windswept corner of the valley.

• Favia Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• La Pelle Wines Ceniza Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Paul Hobbs Nathan Coombs Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Rewa Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• AXR Bennett Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (97)

Top Stags Leap District 2023 Cabernets

Vines in the Stags Leap District AVA are planted from near valley floor elevations up to about 123 metres, with the craggy, exposed palisades of Stags Leap rising dramatically above the region.

The wines are often defined by finely sculpted tannins with a polished, fine-grained texture, supported by a typically volcanic mineral edge alongside red-fruit notes and warm spice nuances.

• Cliff Lede Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Stag's Leap Wine Cellars SLV Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Robert Mondavi Winery WH Vineyard, The Estates Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
• Chimney Rock Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (94)
• Lithology Steltzner Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (96)

Top Oakville 2023 Cabernets

Cabernet Sauvignons from Oakville characteristically deliver concentration and depth, layered with complex aromas, flavours, and textures.

The best examples combine muscular structure with a sense of poise and refinement, achieving a balance between power and perfumed elegance that has made the AVA synonymous with some of Napa Valley’s most celebrated wines.

• Amici Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (100)
• Harbison Estate Horseshoe Cabernet Sauvignon (100)
• Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (100)
• Dalla Valle Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
• TOR Wines Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (99)

Top Rutherford 2023 Cabernets

Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the benchlands and ancient riverbeds of Rutherford often expresses the hallmark 'Rutherford dust', a quality evident both aromatically and on the palate.

This signature character can appear as dusty earth, dried rose petal, or unsweetened cocoa powder, lending savoury nuance to wines that typically show generous fruit and structured tannins.

• Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
• Dana Estates Helms Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
• J.H. Wheeler Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
• St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery Rutheford Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
• Whitehall Lane Winery Millennium MM Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (96)

Top Mount Veeder 2023 Cabernets

High on the western Mayacamas range, Mount Veeder’s steep slopes and rugged terrain produce some of Napa Valley’s most structured mountain Cabernets.

The wines typically display powerful, muscular tannins and a deep forest-berry profile, underscored by earthy woodland notes and a spectrum of blue- to black-fruited intensity.

A distinctive graphite-like minerality often runs through the best examples, giving the wines both gravity and lift.

• Pott Wine Incubo Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
• Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Pilcrow Archer & Byrd Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Hess Collection 'The Lion' Cabernet Sauvignon (97)

Top St. Helena 2023 Cabernets

Situated near the narrow 'hourglass' point of Napa Valley, the St. Helena AVA tends to experience warmer daytime temperatures and relatively limited wind flow.

The resulting wines often show a ripe, dense fruit profile with generous texture, yet without angular tannins, offering a plush, approachable expression of Cabernet Sauvignon.

• B Cellars Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (100)
• Stewart Cellars NOMAD Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
• Rombauer Stice Lane Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
• Patria A. Price Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
• Whitehall Lane Winery Leonardini Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (95)

Top Howell Mountain 2023 Cabernets

Perched above the fog line, Howell Mountain encompasses an array of slopes, rolling hills, and diverse microclimates.

Its well-draining, rocky soils encourage small berries and concentrated fruit.

The wines are known for their formidable tannic structure, often presenting a broad, textured mid-palate supported by excellent fruit concentration and a distinctive mineral elegance.

• Arkenstone Estate Red (100)
• Salty Goats Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
• La Jota Vineyard Co Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Sylvan Lake Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Moone Tsai Wines Hillside Blend Red Wine (97)

Top Calistoga 2023 Cabernets

At the northernmost end of Napa Valley, Calistoga sits at the foot of Mount St. Helena, nestled between the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges.

The AVA is typically warmer during the summer months than most other parts of the valley, allowing tannins to ripen fully.

The best wines offer ample mouthfeel and complexity while maintaining balance, delivering richness without excessive heaviness or over-concentration.

• Hourglass Bluelne Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
• Donelan Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
• Venge Vineyards Igneous Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
• Baldacci Family Vineyards Stella Knight Vineyard (94)
• Davies Vineyards Oliven Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (94)

For all of Jonathan Cristaldi's scores from the vintage, click here.

More from this report

The wines for short-term pleasure

For the most part, the 2023 Cabernets are built for a long life.

However, they are also immensely joyful, easy to drink, and expressive in their youth, thanks to the long growing season, which produced refined tannins that are already well integrated at this early stage.

I combed through my notes to find those wines that speak most clearly of pure deliciousness—the kind that are very hard to put down.

This short list highlights some of my easy-drinking, enjoy-now favourites, though they should drink beautifully over the next three to seven years.

• Schrader Cellars Old Sparky To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (100)
• Argot Sage Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (97)
• To Kalon Vineyard Company HWC Napa Valley (Oakville) (98)
• Tres Perlas Barber Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (98)
• Fait-Main Wines Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (97)
• Castello di Amorosa Manley Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Rutherford) (93)
• B Cellars Star Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Rutherford)
• Clos du Val Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Stags Leap District) (94)
• Desiree Wine Company Out of Sight Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (St Helena) (93)
• Coronet Wines Lady Liberty Vineyard, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (95)

The wines with mid-term appeal

We’re moving into wines you may be tempted to drink right away, but which will benefit from additional time in bottle.

So when that shipment arrives, do your best to hold off – or buy enough that you can pop a cork now and hold the rest for a few more years before diving in.

These wines possess immensely powerful, chewy tannins, and while they soften with a solid four to six hours of decanting, you really owe it to yourself to tuck them away until the tannins integrate further and the drinking experience becomes pure enjoyment.

• Morlet Family Vineyards Cœur de Vallée Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (100)
• Nickel & Nickel Winery Element 28, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (99)
• Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (St Helena) (99)
• Pott Wine Incubo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Mt Veeder) (99)
• Rudd Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (99)
• Venge Vineyards DLCV Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (99)
• Bure Family Wines Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (St Helena) (98)
• Burgess Quartz Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (98)
• Dominus Napa Valley (98)
• Vine Hill Ranch VHR, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (98)

The wines for long-term reward

And now we arrive at the pièce de résistance – the moment de vérité. The wines that follow are the true heavyweights of the vintage: deep, structured, and destined for long lives in the cellar.

Even where there is surprising early charm, these wines possess the structural hallmarks of longevity: a firm tannic backbone, a vibrant spine of acidity, judicious use of oak, and layers of flavours and spice that unfold with complexity and precision.

Not all the usual Napa icons appear here, either—several newcomers have earned their place, signalling brands to watch and collect over the coming years.

And because the 2023 vintage produced such a wealth of cellar-worthy Cabernets, be sure to see the section on wines to buy for your grandchildren for additional long-haul candidates.

• Pahlmeyer Pièce de Résistance Napa Valley (100)
• AXR AxR1 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (100)
• Harbison Estate Horseshoe Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (100)
• Keplinger Wines Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (100)
• CADE Winery Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Howell Mountain) (99)
• Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (99)
• Pilcrow Granite Lake Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Howell Mountain) (99)
• Estate 8 Iconic AVA Mt Veeder, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Mt Veeder) (99)
• Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (99)
• Simon Family Estate Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (100)
• Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
• Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Rutherford) (98)
• Julien Fayard Wines Sleeping Lady Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon (Yountville) (97)
• Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (St Helena) (98)
• Gamble Estates Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville) (99)

For all of Jonathan Cristaldi's scores from the vintage, click here.

More from this report

A visit to the Opus One website reveals the slogan: ‘Two families. One Vision’.

Which somewhat reminds one of the opening lyrics to Queen’s 1986 hit, It’s a kind of Magic:

‘One dream, one soul

‘One prize, one goal

‘One golden glance of what should be

‘It's a kind of magic’

Joking aside, Opus One was very much a pioneer in its fusion of classic Bordeaux and upstart Napa Valley winemaking heritage.

Born of a collaboration between Baron Philip de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi, it was meant to harness the potential of the ‘New World’ with the know-how of the ‘Old’.

Furthermore, it was based around not just the Bordeaux blend but also the idea of the Bordeaux estate, a winery surrounded by its own vines in a single appellation/American Viticultural Area (AVA).

This was unlike a common model used in Napa Valley, both then and now, of buying grapes from across multiple sites/AVAs.

The pair had begun discussing the project in the early 1970s after a meeting in Hawaii. The first wine, the 1979 vintage, was released in 1984 and a dedicated winery in Oakville was opened in 1991.

The wine was priced high right from the start, and quickly became a marker of the swelling tide of ‘icon’ and ‘cult’ wines beginning to emerge from various corners of North and South America in this period.

With its French connections, however, Opus One was one of the rare few to have widespread distribution beyond the US.

As such, it remains one of the Napa Valley labels most non-American fine wine enthusiasts will know best.

Secondary market overview

Looking back over the winery’s last 10 releases, it’s worth pointing out the glaring omission of the 2020 vintage.

This is not an error! After the devastating forest fires in the region in 2020, Opus One decided not to release any wines from that vintage due to smoke taint issues.

The winery’s output in terms of both scores and prices remain incredibly consistent. A case of 12 bottles costs just under £3,000 on average, with an average score from Decanter of 97-points.

This compares favourably with some of the leading Bordeaux estates that have been examined so far.

The average score is the same as Château Cheval Blanc and Château Haut-Brion, and it’s considerably cheaper on average than all of the First Growths and Cheval Blanc.

Fine wine marketplace Liv-ex includes Opus One in its ‘California 50’ index. Like so many other indices, it is far from the peak it attained in 2022.

However, among all the other wines in the index (Harlan, Screaming Eagle, Ridge Monte Bello and Dominus), it is the vintages of Opus One that have seen the most gains over the past year.

Opus One vintages

For any buyer looking to add Opus One to their collection, an obvious starting point would be the 2022 vintage.

A solid 97-points from two Decanter critics – Georgie Hindle and Jonathan Cristaldi – it is also the cheapest vintage currently available, with a Market Price of £2,590 (12x75) according to Liv-ex.

Two older vintages may also be of interest. The trio of 2018, 2019 and 2021 yielded three vintages Decanter rated 98-points across the board.

However, the 2018 is currently available at a discount of around £100 per dozen versus the other two, a neat little discount for a wine called ‘striking, elegant and precise’ by Hindle.

Curious buyers may want to not hang around. The wine recently gained 4.2% month-on-month according to Liv-ex. Maybe others have spotted the gap too?

It feels odd to say that there’s a 2013 vintage rated 100-points. But while that particular vintage was rather less than legendary in Bordeaux, it was one of the all-time greats in Napa.

Opus One’s 2013 is striking enough to have earned it a triple-digit score from Jane Anson.

At a tasting in 2019 when she described it thus: ‘Dark deep rosemary spice and black olive paste deepens the flavours through the mid-palate and you just have to hang on as this goes spiralling through, drawing the flavours out to a lengthy finish.’

And at £3,050 per dozen, it does not command a serious premium over other available vintages either.

The 2012 vintage was equally famous and, of the two, is currently the more expensive (though its Decanter score is only 97-points).

Like the 2018 though, the 2013 gained 4.2% MoM according to Liv-ex, meaning it may be a vintage drawing attention again.

And finally, it will be interesting to see the price of Opus One 2023 when it's released through La Place de Bordeaux this autumn.

Rated 98-points by Jonathan Cristaldi in his recent review of the vintage, a price equal to or even below that of the 2022 would surely make it an attractive proposition?

Opus One: Selected tasting notes

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The buzz for Napa Valley’s 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon wines began circulating during the 2025 Premiere Napa Valley Barrel Auction.

I recall several producers belting the phrase ‘over the moon ecstatic,’ and gushing over the ‘plentiful tannins’ and ‘bright, grippy acidity’ that seemed to mark the wines in their early maturing phase.

Hardly anyone I spoke to had harvested Cabernet grapes in September—certainly unusual if we look back over historical picking dates from the last decade.

In 2023, most began harvesting in October and continued well into November.

Early on, the Napa Valley Vintners promoted 2023 as ‘the Vintage of a Lifetime.’

My own verdict, after tasting more than 600 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons from the year, is that the phrase, while catchy, may not quite capture the deeper truth of the season.

A more accurate description might be that 2023 represents the ideal Napa Valley vintage: a year when the vines had everything they needed – including time itself, without the pressure of damaging heat or rain.

Heavy winter rains replenished soils depleted by several drought years, placing vines in a strong physiological position as the growing season began.

Soils rich in moisture and microbial life provided vines with the resources to produce healthy canopies and excellent fruit set.

Once the season began, Napa Valley experienced something increasingly rare – stability in the weather, with moderate temperatures throughout spring and summer, and well into harvest time.

As Michael Scholz, Vice President of Winemaking and Vineyards of St. Supéry, observed, these moderate conditions allowed flavour and phenolic development to progress together, yielding wines with, ‘great flavours, ripe tannins, and above all vibrancy and freshness'.

The finished wines possess deep crimson colours, yet striking luminosity, layered fruit purity, and silky, finely structured tannins supported by vibrant acids and graphite-tinged minerality.

Managing yields

If there is any criticism of Mother Nature in 2023, it is that September might have benefited from a handful of warmer days.

A brief stretch of additional heat could have accelerated ripening by roughly a week or ten days and pushed the vintage into truly historic territory.

Even so, growers across the valley widely described the year as a dream scenario.

Nickel & Nickel winemaker Joe Harden called it ‘a dream for winemakers,’ noting that careful canopy management yielded polished, silky tannins and remarkable elegance in the finished wines.

Of course, a great growing season does not guarantee great wine. What winemakers do with the fruit ultimately determines whether a vintage lives up to its potential.

In 2023, vineyard management was critical. The abundant water and healthy canopies led to generous yields, meaning producers who failed to thin crops risked dilution in the finished wines.

As I tasted through hundreds of wines, only a small percentage showed signs of that kind of lightness.

The overwhelming majority displayed the structure, freshness, and depth expected of a great Napa year.

What is perhaps most exciting is how 2023 will sit alongside the extraordinary 2021 vintage.

A compelling duo

The wines of 2021 are dense, inky, and powerfully structured – born of a shorter growing season with reduced yields and vines combating hydric stress.

By contrast, the 2023s lean towards a brighter, fresher profile, are almost relaxed, yet framed by equally powerful tannins that are so extremely fine-grained they are already seamlessly integrated, making for incredibly easy enjoyment.

For collectors and traders of high-end Napa Cabernet, that pairing is particularly intriguing.

The muscular grandeur of 2021 and the poised elegance of 2023 will likely age on parallel trajectories for decades.

If the wines evolve as expected, the coming years may see these two vintages spoken of together as defining benchmarks of the modern Napa Valley era.

Together, they may form one of Napa Valley’s most compelling back-to-back collector vintages.

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The 1976 Judgement of Paris is credited with putting American wine on the map internationally, but a century earlier, a forgotten milestone put New York wine on the world’s stage.

In 1873, a Finger Lakes sparkling wine took home gold at a competition in Vienna – the first American bubbly to win an international medal.

The wine was crafted from Catawba grapes by Pleasant Valley Wine Company on Keuka Lake, U.S. Bonded Winery No. 1.

The victory caused quite a stir back home in the Empire State. In 1871, the winery’s founder, Charles Champlin, sent a case to the Boston wine connoisseur, Marshall P. Wilder, who declared it the ‘The Great Champagne of the Western World’.

Pleasant Valley quickly earned the nickname ‘Great Western’, and its shipping records from the late 19th century show it was a supplier to numerous prestigious east coast establishments such as S.S. Pierce, Macy’s, Park & Tilford, Palmer House of Chicago, and Parker House of Boston.

Origin story

‘[American hybrid] grapes like Delaware played such an important role in our region’s early sparkling wines,’ explains Erin McMurrough of Little Clover Wine Company, a micro-winery in the Finger Lakes offering traditional method style Riesling, Delaware, and Cayuga White.

‘These grapes are naturally suited to traditional-method sparkling wine: they hold bright acidity, develop beautiful aromatics at lower sugars, and create wines with freshness and energy,’ she continues.

‘I never questioned whether they could make serious sparkling wine; I only wondered whether people would be open to revisiting these varieties in a new, yet historically rooted, way.’

McMurrough’s wines have become cult favourites since launching in 2023.

She says: ‘I see Little Clover as both a nod to our roots and a reminder that New York doesn't need to imitate other regions to make world-class sparkling wine. We have our own story to tell.’

New York’s rich history of sparkling wine dates back more than 150 years. The fame of local sparkling wines from the Finger Lakes was such that from 1870 to 1945 it adopted the postmark ‘Rheims, N.Y.’.

The vinifera revolution

Though prohibition was crippling to the wine industry, the region’s strong associations with sparkling wines remained.

Renowned winegrowers and makers immigrated to Long Island and the Finger Lakes in the 20th and 21st centuries, including Guy Deveaux of Moët et Chandon and Mumm Napa, and Charles Fournier of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin.

‘Our sparkling programme began with the 1985 vintage under my grandfather, Willy Frank,’ says Meaghan Frank, fourth-generation General Manager at Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery on Keuka Lake.

The winery began in 1958 as an experiment between Charles Fournier and Frank’s great-grandfather, Konstantin.

Willy Frank’s deep commitment to traditional method wines, classically made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, meant he was the first producer to successfully plant Vitis vinifera in Finger Lakes, proving it was possible and leading to a new wave of still and sparkling wines made with vinifera varieties.

‘At the time, he labelled the wines “Finger Lakes Champagne” because he was intent on legitimising both vinifera and sparkling wine production in the region,’ Frank continues.

Although EU-USA labelling agreements mean it is still allowed to use the term, the winery prefers to list 'traditional method' on its labels out of respect for the venerable Champagne region.

Diverse sparkling offerings

As interest in New York sparkling increases, so do the state’s offerings: with traditional and tank method wines, Pét Nat (pétillant naturel also known as ancestral method), and everything in between.

You’ll even find a sparkling Albariño in the Hudson Valley and sparkling rosé ice wine in the Lake Erie AVA.

‘I guess the reason is “why not?”. I'm a scientist. I like challenges,’ says Johnson Estate Winery winemaker Jeff Murphy.

Like his counterparts statewide, Murphy is a true New Yorker, unafraid to push the limits of cool-climate wines, sparkling especially, and not back down from something others might think is too difficult.

‘Long cool summers and crisp falls ripen aromatics and flavour components at lower sugar levels, providing an ideal sparkling base,’ he says of the state’s conditions.

After decades of testing and measuring itself against European benchmarks, New York’s persistence has arrived at something more valuable than validation: an identity of its own.

When you open a bottle of New York sparkling, you’re experiencing deep roots – and a very bright future.

Empire State of fizz

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One hot summer day in early September 2021, I was helping Early Mountain Vineyards with the harvest.

We were processing Petit Manseng grapes and winemaker Ben Jordan wanted to show me something he and assistant winemaker Maya Hood White were working on.

He walked up to an old shipping container and opened the large heavy doors. Inside were mats and tables, with more Petit Manseng lined up on the mats.

I had read about this in my wine studies. In Italy, it is known as ‘appassimento’ where grapes are picked early to maintain their acidity, then dried ventilated rooms to concentrate the sugars.

I had never seen it done in Virginia, but Petit Manseng’s naturally high acidity made this an interesting experiment.

Innovations like these are common at Early Mountain. Today, they have an award-winning method known as ‘perpetual lees stirring’.

This was a creation of Maya Hood White, now the head winemaker at the winery.

The winery has one barrel, known as the ‘perpetual lees barrel’, which was started in 2017. The lees, spent yeast cells from fermentation, remain in the barrel every year.

Using the lees impacts more depth and savoury complexity to the younger wines. As of 2026, there are nine total vintages in the barrel. And the team has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

‘I want to be doing this for 100 years. We’re actually starting another perpetual programme to build on the volume’, said Jon Ruel, President of Early Mountain.

‘The cells are constantly breaking down and regenerating, so you don't know exactly how much of any one vintage is in there, but it gives the wine a unique personality,’ added Hood White.

While they were not the first winery to bring the grape to the state, they are a pivotal part of the grape’s position among white varieties.

Early success with Petit Manseng

Petit Manseng was first planted in Virginia by Dr. Tony Wolf of Virginia Tech University in 1987.

Dennis Horton of Horton Vineyards planted the grape just two years later in 1989 after working with wine consultant Alan Kinne. The grape thrived almost immediately.

Shannon Horton, the daughter of Dennis and current general manager of the winery, explained: ‘Alan said: “It has thick skins, loose clusters. We need that for humidity. It's like a natural rot repellent.” And Dad [Dennis] said: "Okay, let's put it in”.’

Horton eventually won the renowned Virginia Governor’s Cup in 2019 for its Petit Manseng, a rare win for a white wine.

Though Horton was technically the first winery to plant the grape, Shannon credits Virginia wine pioneer Michael Shaps for the inspiration behind their dry expression of the wine.

Shaps recalled: ‘Horton was doing the off-dry style, I took it to dry, and then Early Mountain really honed in on promoting that and featuring it.

'Early Mountain developed its Petit Manseng after making it here at my facility. It’s been fantastic to see the industry evolve over my 32 years here.’

Today, more than 179 acres (72 hectares) of Petit Manseng are planted across the state.

It is the second most planted white grape, and the third-highest planting of the grape worldwide.

The case for Petit Manseng as Virginia’s signature grape

Early Mountain took the baton for Petit Manseng from Horton and Shaps at its inception.

The winery has since become a symbol for why the grape could be a signature for the state.

Everyone starts with excitement for Petit Manseng as a near-perfect match for the climate here.

‘The looser clusters, thicker skins, its natural resistance to disease, along with the ability to maintain acidity in a region with warm nights is viticulturally compelling,’ noted Early Mountain's Ruel.

Horton added: ‘The other thing about the grape that makes it built for Virginia weather is that it can take rain and not change its chemistry. It will hold its sugars, it will hold its acid. It’s a very resilient variety for our climate.’

Since then, wineries have recognised the grape as a clear favourite. More than 60 wineries, nearly 20% of all wineries in the state, have Petit Manseng available.

In the most recent Governor’s Cup , the 34 bottles of Petit Manseng received medals.

The state remains focused on the customer as well. The team at Early Mountain discussed how customers are often looking for new interesting wines, and Petit Manseng is perfect for that.

Shaps also discussed the tasting room experience and how it is the primary selling mechanism for the state, no matter what grape we are focused on.

Newcomers in the state have also taken up the grape’s cause. Woodbrook Farm Vineyard planted its first vines in 2022 and was recognised in this year’s Governor’s Cup case for its 2024 Petit Manseng.

Novella Wines, a low-intervention label based in Monticello, kicked off its brand with a 100% Petit Manseng.

These wineries prove that Petit Manseng is no longer a successful experiment but a way to express Virginia’s voice in the industry.

Virginia Petit Manseng: 7 to try

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Decanter meets Kyle MacLachlan

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San Francisco is a relatively small city, fondly referred to as ‘7x7’ for its roughly 49 square miles (127 square kilometres). Yet for such a small area, the City by the Bay is big on wine.

It makes sense, being the closest urban zone to much of California’s most famous wine regions.

A visit brings the opportunity to taste varied wine offerings, inevitably focused on local producers, as well as the chance to investigate the exciting, boundary-pushing culinary landscape that has steadily kept San Francisco in focus.

Here are 10 super spots to savour.

Fresh faces

Palm City

4055 Irving Street

A respite from the bustling central city, Palm City is in the quiet Outer Sunset neighbourhood, sister spot to Bar Jabroni in the Lower Haight.

The open-beamed, one-room space is simple, with chunky, round wooden tables under large, woven basket pendant lampshades and a dark, L-shaped counter.

A vintage photo booth sits in the corner and several bright yellow tables are set outside. Shelves of wine to go (or you can enjoy there for a $15 corkage fee) are priced from a $23 Txakoli up to almost $300.

The by-the-glass list, with three or four selections of each category, skews natural, mostly from France and Spain, plus a handful of local wines, like the 2024 Picpoul-Chenin Vini Jabroni collab with the Les Lunes Wines label based nearby, their house wine.

By far the most popular things to eat are the giant hoagies, especially the Italian American with nduja sauce. Al Green on the stereo on a Wednesday at noon made for a chill lunchtime.

DON'T MISS: Any of the hoagie sandwiches.

Gigi’s

299 Divisadero Street

Far from standard, Gigi’s is a new wine bar and bottle shop in the fun Divisadero neighbourhood, featuring chef Tu David Phu’s food, lovingly inflected with his Vietnamese-American heritage.

The space is small and intimate, but with diverse seating options, including a communal table, numerous window-side stools, cosy burgundy banquettes and a row of chairs at the main bar.

Dark burgundy walls, plants and wood accents add a sultry vibe. The small by-the-glass selections change three to four times per week, allowing for constant exploration and discovery.

The wine list is designed to be playful and accessibly priced, with most bottles offered at $50-$100. The Made in the USA section has some stars, such as the 2023 Ruth Lewandowski, Naomi Grenache Gris.

And of course, all of the wines selected by general manager Madison Michael are intended to pair beautifully with the food’s Asian flavours.

The signature dish at Gigi’s, and the one you’ll see all over the internet, is the wagyu hot dog. It’s cheeky, and it’s meant to be – an homage to the Costco hot dog that was a childhood treat for the chef.

DON’T MISS: Anything in the menu’s seafood section, or the Happy Hour ‘Bump and a Shot’ of sparkling wine and a spoonful of Tsar Nicoulai Baerii caviar.

Bar Gemini

2845 18th Street

This Mission District wine bar pulls you in like a hug. The space, while small, is lovely and glowing, with round light fixtures, flickering lamps and booths with honey-toned wood bench seats.

Dark green walls and a long, L-shaped bar with leather seats add to the cozy atmosphere. It also smells good, like butter browning, thanks to the small team of cooks crafting bar bites.

The food has been curated by chef Brandon Rice from nearby Ernest, a sophisticated New American restaurant that’s much harder to get into than this place. Nibble on the wide selection of tinned seafood and dippy things, all served in ceramic bowls, while sipping on something from the thorough natural wine list (one of the co-owners also heads up local wine label Subject to Change).

The owners also run Gemini Bottle Co (now being rebranded Gemini Bottle & Market), a wine shop a few blocks away, in case you’d like to grab a bottle of any of the interesting selections on offer, such as Stagiaire’s Don’t Tell Mom sparkling red.

DON’T MISS: Sweet, smoky curried spiced nuts or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Key Klub

850 Bush Street

Opened by the folks behind the beloved Bodega SF, Key Klub is a party. Located in Nob Hill, the moody red-lit ‘drinkery’ fills two levels with booming music and piñatas.

Huge paper-lantern lampshades hang from the ceiling above a copper bar with a view of the 15 wall taps of mostly local beer.

But natural wine is certainly a draw, too, with cool selections by the glass and extremely fun tasting notes. ‘All gas, no brakes, side show’ describes the Weingut Fritz Haag Riesling.

Equally fun is to do a few Key Bumps of rotating vermouth for $6 – maybe buy one for the bar staff, too. The food menu consists of robust dishes such as crab cake arancini and mushroom poutine fries.

DON’T MISS: Oozing, spicy eggplant parmesan sticks with San Marzano dip; French toast with duck liver mousse.

Get schooled

Ungrafted

2419 3rd Street

For an added educational layer to your wine enjoyment, head to Ungrafted in the quiet area known as Dogpatch.

This neighbourhood is seeing more and more culinary enhancements spring up, with a large concentration of wine-leaning spots for such a small zone. In fact, you could make Dogpatch a wine destination if you wanted, with visits to the Domaine SF wine shop, La Fromagerie cheese shop and an outpost of the popular Souvla chain, which features a Greek-centric wine bar.

But Ungrafted has been here since 2018, opened by husband and wife Master Sommeliers Chris Gaither and Rebecca Fineman, with the goal of creating a community space and wine education centre. It’s a wine bar, restaurant, wine shop and wine club, with bi-weekly classes, workshops and weekly blind tastings.

The all-sommelier staff will guide you through the diverse, global wine list (plus a big bottle list of around 600) with multiple by-the-glass options, plus sake and beer.

Cocktails with vermouth, Sherry or wine as the base are also available, such as a classic Champagne cocktail with bitters.

The large, warehouse-type space has a copper-topped bar, French bistro tablescapes and white walls with golden vine trunk murals.

DON’T MISS: A fried chicken sandwich or the mixed mushroom toast with whipped cheese and pickled daikon radish.

Bin 415

950 Mason Street

While San Francisco is chock full of places to enjoy wine, it’s also close to several notable California wine regions, so if time allows during your trip, you could enjoy a full vineyard immersion less than two hours from the city.

Bin 415 – a tasting room and tour operator located within the historic Fairmont Hotel on top of Nob Hill – is the answer. They offer special tastings of wines from nearby Napa and Sonoma, the bottles sourced directly from the wineries based on longstanding relationships with founder Michael Lagau.

Entry-level, walk-in tastings are just $25, with pours of the newest selections in the shop. From there, a variety of alternate tastings are available, or you can arrange full excursions to wine country.

The tasting room is an alluring space nestled among the boutiques and art galleries in the lobby level of the hotel.

Furthermore, the iconic Fairmont itself is an ideal place to stay when visiting the city. Historic black and white photos adorn the halls, majestic marble columns tower in the lobby and the basement-level Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar is the place for tiki drinks (rum-forward tropical cocktails) when you’ve maxed out your wine palate.

DON’T MISS: A curated, guided tasting experience or an excursion to Sonoma wineries.

San Francisco Champagne Society

1097 Howard Street

Bill Marci, owner of the San Francisco Champagne Society, is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a true Champagne lover.

Spend five minutes with him and you’ll quickly understand that his dedication to discovering and showcasing grower producers and family-owned vineyards is personal for him – a real hobby turned career.

So for a deep dive, head to this reservation-only Champagne lounge in SoMa (South of Market), which offers a few tiers of tastings, featuring unique selections sourced through Marci’s personal relationships and allocations from small producer lists.

Several add-ons are available, as well as a very informative comparative glassware tasting. Marci calls his glassware his ‘tools’ and is very specific about what he serves in which glass. Some of his own comprehensive education occurred during the Covid lockdown, when he tasted 100 bottles of Champagne in 100 days.

DON’T MISS: The ‘Champagne face mask’ experience from a wide, open-mouthed wine glass; the French cheese pairing add-on.

Food first: San Francisco restaurants

Saison

178 Townsend Street

Saison is a restaurant for wine lovers. With two Michelin stars under chef Richard Lee, the openhearth cooking is, of course, unforgettable. But the wine pairings are more than just notable, too, with an extremely thorough cellar and special attention to Burgundy.

There’s not much signage or fanfare upon arrival at this SoMa (South of Market) location, with a subtle entrance in a red-brick building, but stepping inside, you’re enveloped in a wood smoke-scented, lodge-like atmosphere, especially in the barside salon area, which is loungy, with brick walls, leather stools and booths adorned with furry pillows.

Two astounding tasting menus are on offer and the entire restaurant bustles with the energy of culinary purpose.

Also worth visiting is the new Saison Cellar & Wine Bar, just a short walk away, which was opened by Saison Hospitality co-founder and winemaker Mark Bright in 2024.

DON’T MISS: The full tasting menu with the matched wine flight.

Verjus

550 Washington Street

A popular bistro, opened by acclaimed chef couple Michael and Lindsay Tusk in 2019 (then closed for four years, with a new iteration opening in late 2024), Verjus is inspired by the lively atmosphere of Parisian cave à mangers (wine shop restaurants) and skews French in every way.

The lengthy, mainly French wine list features very thorough Champagne and Burgundy sections, priced as high as $1,800 for a 2015 Kenjiro Kagami Sonorite du Vent Chardonnay.

There are also a handful of cocktails on offer, courtesy of Thad Vogler of Bar Agricole. Try the Bijou with Nebbiolo vermouth.

The menu is posted on a back-lit cinema marquee-style board above the open kitchen that reflects off the high-gloss red lacquered ceiling. It’s partly in French, so be sure to get your translations ready.

Wall shelves are full of bottles and a long communal table set in the middle of the space is always packed.

DON’T MISS: Rolled omelette au Boursin and the custardy, bruleed Pain Purdue with vanilla gelato. Lunch on Saturdays.

Bar Brucato

275 South Van Ness Avenue

While technically more spirit-forward than wine-forward, Bar Brucato is worthy of a mention on this list. Founded by Sierra and James Clark in 2021, Brucato Spirits is centred around producing California amari (Italian herbal liqueurs), using local ingredients and promoting a sense of place.

Their amari, gin and kumquat liquors are all distilled onsite in their Mission District distillery, with the new Bar Brucato situated upstairs, featuring drinks crafted from their products and memorable food, made with similar intentions.

The cocktail program is directed by Leila Malikyar, who has put together an approachable menu for all, even non-drinkers.

The effervescent section, which will appeal to those seeking lighter, more wine-centric beverages, features the Angel Island, with blood orange aperitif and Lambrusco, and the Treasure Island, with Cava – bright and tart, akin to an Aperol spritz.

The tight wine list, with nothing above $90, is mostly California selections, with a few Italian sparklers.

DON’T MISS: Baked-to-order piada bread with house-cultured cacio e pepe butter; spicy lamb meatballs with almond anchovy sauce.

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Sonoma County is huge - more than 4,000km2, stretching from the Pacific coast to the mountains. It’s twice the size of its next-door neighbour Napa Valley, and larger than the state of Rhode Island.

You would think that such a wide geographical range would translate into diversity in its wines. And it does.

Yet the conversation about Chardonnay here keeps recycling the same two talking points: the buttery-oaky California stereotype and austere, overly restrained wines.

Ironically, given this duopoly of opinion, Chardonnay is considered by winemakers to be a ‘blank canvas’ – malleable enough to be shaped in the cellar, but capable of deeply expressing terroir.

A Chardonnay that tastes saline and sharp on the West Sonoma Coast turns richer and rounder 15km inland in Russian River.

Mountain sites add structure due to the elevation and tension from rocky soils, while wines from San Pablo Bay-cooled Los Carneros tend toward softer textures and freshness.

With more than 20 sub-appellations in the county, that’s not even close to the full picture.

Listening to the terroir

But expressing such a range hasn’t always been the focus. ‘There’s been a shift in the last 10 years,’ says Kristina Shideler, winemaker at Stonestreet Wines in Healdsburg.

The change isn’t just technical – less oak, lower alcohol, more restraint – it’s philosophical.

‘There is now a willingness among Sonoma County producers to let their sites dictate the style,’ says Jasmine Hirsch of Hirsch Vineyards.

This meaningful change has brought a sharper focus on single vineyards, the incredible diversity of the region’s soils and farming practices that are more attuned to the land.

‘We have more soil types than all of France, plus an extreme variety of microclimates,’ says Hirsch.

Has the message broken through? ‘I still hear people say, “I don’t like California Chardonnay, but I like yours”,’ Hirsch admits.

Even if some of the stigma lingers, Sonoma’s diversity has never been clearer. And the wines have never tasted better.

Shideler is confident: ‘Get over everything that you think about Sonoma Chardonnay. We’re in a new wave.’

Sonoma Chardonnay: 20 top picks to explore today

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New York’s vibrant hospitality scene was celebrated last week at the Star Wine List of the Year 2026 awards. The event recognised the city’s leading restaurants and wine bars across 13 categories, highlighting the venues currently setting the benchmark for cellar depth, by-the-glass creativity and expert service.

Winners across the 10 international categories will now advance to compete at the Star Wine List of the Year Global Final, taking place in Sweden this June, hosted by Terra Skåne.

The awards were judged by a high-profile panel of industry experts, including Master of Wine and Master Sommelier Doug Frost, ASI Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and the Middle East 2024 Mikk Parre, and renowned New York sommelier Yannick Benjamin, also a Decanter World Wine Awards judge.

Top cellars and by-the-glass innovators

Among the leading Gold Star winners was 2-Michelin starred restaurant Atera, which collected top honours for its extensive and meticulously curated cellar programme. Meanwhile, Benoit New York was recognised for the strength and diversity of its by-the-glass offering, proving that great wine doesn't always require pulling a cork on a full bottle.

Chambers was also highly celebrated, securing (for a third year) the Gold Star for the Sustainability Prize, a category of growing importance to both trade and consumers. Brooklyn wine destination The Four Horsemen featured prominently among the winners as well, underlining its continued influence on New York’s contemporary, low-intervention wine scene.

Other notable venues recognised across the awards included newcomer Saint Urban, New York institution Peasant and Coqodaq for its sparkling wine selection, alongside more regional category winners.

The results reflect the sheer breadth of wine experiences now available across the city, ranging from destination fine-dining restaurants to more compact, sommelier-led neighbourhood wine bars.

The diversity on offer is epitomised by Special Jury Prize winner Noreetuh, a modern Hawaiian restaurant in the East Village, offering wine lovers something out of the ordinary.

Precision and personality

In comments published alongside the awards, the judges highlighted both the rigorous quality and the distinct personality of the winning lists.

Alongside a strong foundation in classic regions and producers, 'New York reveals a dynamic and confident wine culture, where sommeliers embrace individuality, championing lesser-known regions and low-intervention wines with conviction,''said Parre.

Reflecting on the strength of the city's wine offerings, Frost MS MW added: 'New York does not starve for big wine lists, filled with the names of wines most of us can only dream of drinking, much less buying.'

For consumers, the awards offer a timely snapshot of where to drink wine well in New York right now, whether searching for classic fine wine vintages, grower Champagne, emerging regions or adventurous tasting flights.

A global wine hub

The Star Wine List results reinforce New York’s position as a global epicentre for fine wine, arriving just ahead of next month’s Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York.

Taking place in Manhattan, the event will see top producers from around the world gather for exclusive tastings and masterclasses. Among the experts involved, award-winner Chamber's Pascaline Lepeltier will co-host a sold out masterclass with Champagne Salon & Delamotte.

A full list of winners and categories is available via Star Wine List.

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At the table with Carlton McCoy MS

Carlton McCoy has spent decades immersed in the world of fine wine – from restaurant floors and cellars to overseeing some of Napa Valley and Bordeaux’s most prestigious estates.

Now, ahead of a special Heitz Cellar masterclass at Decanter's Fine Wine Encounter in New York on 6 June, McCoy sat down with Decanter to discuss how Napa Cabernet is changing, why collectors should rethink old assumptions around aging and what makes mature Napa wines such compelling bottles at the table today.

Join Carlton McCoy for a one-of-a-kind tasting of Heitz Cellar wines, including rare library vintages dating back to 1979 at Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York on 6 June.

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Arguably, no wine region – not Bordeaux, not Burgundy, not even Champagne – has pursued luxury as deliberately as Napa Valley.

When winemaker Ivo Jeramaz arrived from Croatia in 1986 to work alongside his uncle, Miljenko ‘Mike’ Grgich, Napa was a quieter, humbler and unmistakably agrarian place.

In the decades that followed, the region was transformed, he recalls.

An influx of outside capital ushered in showpiece wineries with chandeliered tasting rooms. The hot pursuit of 100-point scores introduced cult wines and tightly held allocations.

‘Napa became a very exclusive place,’ says Jeramaz – a region, and wines, defined by luxury, polish and power.

The model worked for a while, he says, but today it’s clear that it’s under strain.

Inflexion point

Signs pointing to an unprecedented market correction are unavoidable across Napa Valley.

Wine sales have slowed, leaving excess inventory in their wake. Layoffs and facility closures have become regular and climate volatility is an operational constant.

Confidence levels at Napa wineries are among the lowest of any major US wine region, according to a recent survey by Silicon Valley Bank.

At every turn, there’s talk of a reset – a new era for Napa framed in terms such as authenticity and accessibility.

Wineries are leaning into storytelling and digital outreach. Wine tastings are being recast as wellness experiences.

But beneath the tactical adjustments, there are signs of a deeper, more structural shift emerging, too.

In a region that has largely exhausted conventional markers of luxury, a more durable expression of prestige may lie in the vineyard itself.

Prestige reconsidered

For many growers, this recalibration begins with a correction of the narrative.

Annie Favia, the viticulturist and co-owner of Favia Wines, recoils slightly when I suggest that Napa can, at times, resemble a Disneyland for wine lovers.

‘Napa has this very shiny veneer,’ she says, ‘but underneath it, it’s always been about farming.’

The valley’s agricultural core, she argues, may have been overshadowed by a commercially sexier narrative of luxury, but its backbone, built on family-run estates and generational stewardship, never disappeared.

For Favia and her husband, winemaker Andy Erickson (of Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle fame), farming has always come first.

Since 2012, they’ve produced wine from organic vineyards certified by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), incorporating biodynamic and regenerative principles.

‘We’ve had our heads down, working towards this goal for over three decades,’ Favia says.

What feels different now, Erickson suggests, is the growing momentum around those principles. ‘[Now] we have a chance to be a voice in a new chapter for Napa,’ he says.

At Vine Hill Ranch, a heritage estate situated on the slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range in Oakville, Bruce Phillips (pictured, above) – whose family has grown wine grapes there since the late 1950s – poses the idea similarly. What if Napa’s new luxury was rooted in a grower movement?

It’s a question that points to Champagne as a reference – a reorientation of currency away from grandes maisons and brand marketing, and toward wines crafted by growers, site expression and generational stewardship of land and community.

These recalibrations align with broader cultural currents. The rise of quiet luxury in fashion, for example, displaced logos and overt displays of wealth with a renewed reverence for craft, origin and sustainability.

In Napa, sustainability has similarly emerged as a marker of changing value systems.

Translating that impulse into a cohesive movement, however, hasn’t been easy.

A greener Napa

Among many wine-growers, there’s a shared conviction – if any wine region should take the lead on stewardship, why not Napa?

It’s one of the world’s most prestigious wine regions, with some of the highest land prices and operating budgets in the world, explains Jeramaz.

‘And yet, we’ve pretended that what we put in the soil has no bearing on wine quality,’ he says.

Grgich Hills, along with pioneers such as Neal Family Vineyards and Spottswoode Winery, were among Napa’s earliest adopters of organic viticulture and the trio are the only estates in the valley to hold silver-level Regenerative Organic Certified status, a standard that extends beyond organic regulations to include things such as soil health metrics, biodiversity benchmarks and labour protections.

Jeramaz argues that Napa should be further along, with stronger commitments to organic certification, wider adoption of regenerative practices and a full ban on synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers.

Organic certification, often considered a baseline standard for meaningful sustainability, has grown in Napa, especially in recent years.

According to CCOF data, about 12.5% of Napa Valley’s vineyard acreage is certified organic.

The Napa County Department of Agriculture reports that there were 138 certified organic wine grape growers in Napa Valley in 2024.

Yet even those numbers may understate actual practice. Napa Valley Grapegrowers estimates that the number of organic grapegrowers would double if uncertified farms practising organic methods were included.

Long-term benefits

The pursuit of sustainability rarely follows a single blueprint in Napa. Cathy Corison (pictured, above) of Corison Winery farmed organically for nearly three decades before obtaining CCOF certification in 2023, prompted largely by her daughter Grace.

‘I started farming organically long before it was fashionable,’ explains Corison, recalling a time when the label could even be viewed as a liability.

Cost and administrative burdens delayed the decision, but her daughter’s influence helped Corison to understand the greater value and recognition that certification carries, particularly for the next generation.

Also, she says, a growing sense of greenwashing in the industry – when companies use terminology related to sustainability to make misleading, vague or exaggerated claims about the supposed environmental benefits of their own operations – made the decision feel timely.

Indeed, the idea of sustainability is increasingly central to Napa’s messaging, but it’s a notoriously elastic term lacking a consistent definition or standards.

As environmental virtue begins to function as prestige currency, the absence of cohesion leaves consumers navigating a wide spectrum of approaches, often with varying shades of greenwashing.

On one hand, certifications provide invaluable benchmarks for assessing and communicating farming practices, but on the other, debate persists over which standards carry the most weight, and how much legitimacy should be afforded to vineyards operating outside formal certification.

The sheer number of certifications and competing claims from wineries can be difficult for consumers to parse, acknowledges Caleb Mosley, the executive director of Napa Valley Grapegrowers.

Yet if the shared objective is the long-term health of soils, vines and the people who work the land, ‘the certification conversation might become a little more ancillary’, he suggests.

It’s possible that even imperfect or incremental moves toward sustainability, which are often dismissed as greenwashing, may still signal a shift in values.

Long-term view

If farming is indeed becoming the new marker of luxury in Napa, Joseph Phelps Vineyards offers one of its clearest expressions.

Following its sale to luxury group LVMH’s Moët Hennessy division in 2022, the estate launched one of the valley’s most ambitious regenerative projects to date.

Unveiled in 2024, the Borgo Project represents a sweeping redesign of vineyard systems around agroecology principles.

The initiative incorporates everything from an intensive study of soil health to hydrological mapping and the creation of ecological corridors to restore biodiversity.

The plan operates on a capital-heavy, nine-year horizon before wines even reach the market.

CEO David Pearson describes the Borgo Project as ‘a new paradigm and a new basis for agriculture in Napa’, a model he hopes others in the region will follow.

Pearson is candid that he doesn’t intend to pursue third-party certification. The goal of the project, he says, was always to produce the best possible wines.

Certifications, he argues, neither guarantee that outcome nor necessarily align with the estate’s specific needs.

Building resilience

The Borgo Project underscores a reality many growers face – cost remains a significant barrier to structural change.

Regenerative certification, for example, requires paying all workers, including seasonal grape pickers, a set living wage – a minimum in Napa of roughly $36 an hour, instead of the more typical $20-$25, explains Aron Weinkauf, winemaker and vineyard manager at Spottswoode.

The upfront costs are high, acknowledges Spottswoode’s president and CEO Beth Novak (pictured, above).

‘[But] we look at it as an optimisation of profit rather than a maximisation,’ she says.

Over time, those investments amount to business resilience, Novak explains – a healthier environment, as well as longer-lived vines that require fewer inputs, less labour and ultimately, lower operating costs.

‘You make those investments because you intend to be here decades from now,’ she says.

Napa is in a tough place right now, Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ Mosley acknowledges, but it’s a reset that has offered clarity, ‘recalibrating toward people making not only positive business decisions, but positive viticultural and land-use decisions, too’.

Approaches to a greener, more resilient future for Napa will vary, as will the metrics used to assess them.

Ideally, what will endure is a fundamental shift in values and a return to farming as the region’s most credible expression of identity.

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Set up at the Kimpton Vintage Hotel in downtown Portland, I spent two days tasting the final bottled samples from nearly every lot on offer at the upcoming Willamette Valley Wine Auction (13-14 May, 2026).

I was there in my capacity as Decanter's Acting North America Regional Editor and Napa Valley Correspondent, assigning ratings and tasting notes to the auction lots.

And I realise this might be controversial. Auction lots are special blends, often culled from a single barrel or from an assemblage of the best barrels from a single vineyard site or top fruit sources.

They are bottled in 5-10 case lots, for the auction, intended to raise money for a great cause, one that usually supports the local community.

The lot is presented, paddles fly, a winning bid is announced, and these special wines disappear onto a high-end restaurant list, a fine wine retailer's shelves, or into a private cellar.

So, why rate them? Eventually, they resurface, but with nothing much about them beyond perhaps the price it sold for at auction.

I myself have been the recipient of many auction wines, and try as I may to find information on them, I usually can’t.

So, for posterity, a reference point, and to spark some conversation around rating auction wines, below are my scores and tasting notes for the 2024 vintage bottlings offered at the 2026 Willamette Valley Wine Auction.

Initial impressions of the 2024 vintage for Willamette Valley

The 2024 growing season in the Willamette Valley was, by most accounts, close to ideal.

Slow, steady ripening with bright sunny days and highs largely in the low-to-mid 20°C (70s°F), and night time temperatures dipping to the mid-10s°C (50s°F), allowed for long hang times and retention of bright, natural acidity with complex flavour development.

A brief mid-summer heat spike nudged sugars along, ripening tannin without taxing acidity.

The result is a classic Willamette profile of crunchy, ripe, vibrant fruit, modest alcohols largely in the 12.9%-13.9% range, with high natural acidity.

The Pinot Noirs are bold with firm tannic structures, the Chardonnays are striking, tension-driven, and layered, and the sparklers are bright and focused.

As one winemaker put it, this is, ‘a vintage that collectors and wine lovers will want to secure for their cellars’.

A decade of community spirit in Willamette Valley

The auction is entering its tenth year, and Executive Director Morgen McLaughlin describes it as ‘one of the Willamette Valley's most important long-term platforms, not just an annual event’.

It has allowed producers to showcase rare, small-production, library, and collaborative wines that, as McLaughlin continues, 'may not fit into a standard tasting or sales channel, giving them a way to express what makes their vineyards, winemaking, and AVA stories distinctive’.

'Just as importantly, the Auction has reinforced the collaborative spirit of the Valley.'

Over the past decade, more than $5 million has been raised to support the Willamette Valley Wineries Association's marketing, education, and brand-building programmes.

In 2025 alone, more than 80 trade bidders from 35 states and three countries participated.

This year's two-day format reflects the auction’s maturity: Day One (‘Whimsy’) welcomes collectors and consumers for an insider's look at the 2024 vintage; Day Two (‘Wonder’) is a trade-only deep dive with producers on hand.

What struck me across two days of tasting wasn't just the quality of the wines but the positive attitude of the producers behind them.

James Frey, winemaker, proprietor of Trisaetum, and prolific artist (see The James Frey Collection), described the annual auction as evidence of Willamete Valley’s, ‘strong collegial spirit’ and the ‘great group of people who still believe a rising tide lifts all boats’.

Acid-etched purity

Frey produced a sparkling wine for the auction, as did Rollin Soles of ROCO, who has been making bubbles in the valley for four decades.

I found the Willamette sparklings vivid and laser-focused, with ultra-frothy, airy mousses.

‘After 40 years, I still believe the Willamette is the finest spot in the New World for sparkling,’ Soles told me.

‘Growing above the 45th parallel means later harvests, naturally high acidity, and grapes that retain higher protein levels, which directly aids bubble retention.’

Frey added that the ultra-cool sites where Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier struggle to ripen for still wines create ideal conditions for sparkling wine.

As for the still wines: the Pinots are gorgeously pure-fruited, often nuanced by that dusty, red volcanic mineral character drawn from the region's soils, while in the whites it creates a complexity I personally couldn't get enough of.

I'm still thinking about Bethel Heights' Swan Song Chardonnay, among my highest-scoring lots, crafted from own-rooted old Wente clone vines that also produced High Wire – former North America Editor Clive Pursehouse's only 100-point wine during his entire Decanter tenure.

When I asked winemaker Ben Casteel what made those vines and site so special, his response was deeply personal: ‘That it took my father's entire career and the first 10 years of mine to produce something special is a tremendous testament to perseverance.’

At least one more vintage – a 2025 High Wire Chardonnay – is coming before, tragically, the vines succumb to phylloxera.

A note on the scores

Full auction lot scores and tasting notes are available below. They have been marked with a score range which is mentioned in the note.

The Willamette Valley Wine Auction takes place May 13-14, 2026.

To the producers and buyers: no matter my scores, each wine here is genuinely exceptional, and I hope that comes through in the tasting notes.

Top wines from this year's Willamette Valley Wine Auction

All 50+ of Jonathan's notes on the Willamette Valley Wine Auction wines can be found here.

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A trailblazing state

While still young by the standards of the world’s great winemaking areas, here in the Willamette Valley, ‘old vine’ carries a certain gravity.

These aren’t the gnarled centenarians of European wine estates, or the head-trained vines from the late 19th century that one may find in Sonoma, California, but rare, original plantings from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

They’re vines that witnessed the improbable birth of Oregon Pinot Noir and quietly shaped the reputation upon which the Willamette Valley now trades.

The trunks are thick, many of them dripping with moss, no matter the season. The bark peels back in long strips evocative of the surrounding forests of western red cedars.

These sites are a true regional treasure, planted on their own roots, they collectively represent a proverbial thumbing of the nose at the destructive aphid-like pest phylloxera.

Names such as Lett, Coury, Erath, Maresh, Adelsheim and Ponzi, among others, helped to lay down the early roots of Oregon Pinot Noir.

A quiet dialogue with the past plays out each season in clusters that seem to hold the valley’s origin story in every small, dark berry.

This is the story of some of the Willamette Valley’s original Pinot Noir vines – a selection that goes beyond the early epicentre in the Dundee Hills and reflects the regional diversity of the valley today.

The sites whose stories are told here are home to old vines that are still producing some of the region’s most important wines.

The original vines: 1965

The first two plantings in the Willamette Valley happened in the same year and, in fact, at one point, those plots were one vineyard.

The story of the Willamette Valley’s very first vineyards reads like a riddle, as The Eyrie Vineyards’ Jason Lett – son of the Willamette’s original pioneer, David Lett – explains: ‘The date of establishment is tricky, because he planted the vines in 1965 but didn’t move them to the present location until 1966.

'So we give 1965 as the foundation of the enterprise, and the vines at Eyrie are 1965-planted, but the Eyrie Vineyard itself, in Dundee, was established in 1966.’

The other name that gets mentioned alongside David Lett’s is Charles Coury.

If Lett was the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley (and he was), Coury was second.

Lett planted vines at a nursery site near Corvallis, southwest of Salem, on 22 February 1965, according to entries in his personal journal. And then, in April that year, he planted vines for Coury at the same nursery.

Both men then moved their vines north. Lett planted in the hills just south of the town of Dundee, and Coury planted in Forest Grove, west of Portland, at what is now David Hill Vineyards & Winery.

The story of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir began in 1965.

At Eyrie, just shy of four acres (1.6ha) of the old plantings remain, including the iconic South Block planted a couple of years later, in 1968, as well as the first commercial Pinot Gris planting in North America.

And at David Hill, 14 acres (5.6ha) of old vines are still producing, from Pinot Noir to Alsace white varieties.

Chehalem Mountain Vineyard: 1969

Dick Erath is best known for the eponymous Erath winery in the Dundee Hills.

There, he partnered with the pioneering Knudsen family in the mid-1970s, but his first vineyard was planted further to the north.

High on a shoulder of the southern edges of the Chehalem Mountains, just across the treeline from Ribbon Ridge AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the northernmost reaches of what is today’s Willamette Valley appellation, Erath planted his first foray into Oregon Pinot Noir.

In 1969, this became the third vineyard planted in the region, when so much of this extensive wooded area still felt like a long shot for fine wine.

Perhaps Erath was already thinking about elevation, exposure and the kind of marginal growing conditions that might coax nuance from the Pinot Noir variety.

The Chehalem Mountain Vineyard was put down on the steep slopes of ancient volcanic soils before notions of appellation boundaries were even conceived of here.

This is a low-yielding site, where the old, gnarled vines today offer an array of clones, from Pommard and Wädenswil to Calera and Dijon, providing a diversity of expression within the vineyard itself.

00 Wines, renowned for its Chardonnay programme (see tasting notes), has taken a particular shine to this old site, and the producer is using the fruit of all of the remaining three acres (1.2ha) of the old-vine 1969 plantings for its single-vineyard Pinot Noir.

‘Working with this heritage fruit is a true honour,’ says 00 founder Chris Hermann. ‘We ferment this Pinot Noir, 100% in Italian terracotta amphorae from Tuscany, after the berries have been destemmed by hand. The fermentation is semi-carbonic.

‘This old-vine wine is aromatic, pretty, lifted and not as concentrated as one would expect from older vines, which makes this block very special. The bunches are very small, with onyx-coloured skins, yet the resulting wine is ethereal and pretty.’

Maresh Vineyard: 1970

Perched high in the Dundee Hills, the roots of the Maresh Vineyard go all the way back to 1970, when Jim (Sr) and Loie Maresh planted vines here, at up to about 230m above the valley.

The Maresh family farm had long been established for hazelnuts and prunes, and the decision to plant grapes marked a quiet pivot toward what was then an uncertain future for wine in the region.

‘My grandparents bought this farm in 1959 with no farming experience,’ third-generation grower and winemaker Jim Maresh of Arterberry Maresh in Dundee tells me.

‘It was cherries, prunes and hazelnuts that taught them how to farm. The story they liked to tell was that they were sitting on 200 tons of unsold prunes when Dick Erath came up the driveway.’

Erath told them their property was perfect for Pinot Noir – his earnestness and all those unsold prunes made the choice easy.

‘They jumped right in with a small plot of Pinot Noir at his suggestion in 1970. The fruit did well, and over time a block of fruit trees or hazelnuts would be pulled out, and more vines would be planted.’

Farming at that elevation brought its own challenges: cooler temperatures, exposure to wind and a growing season that demanded adaptability.

But those same conditions would prove critical in shaping the vineyard’s identity, producing fruit marked by balance and a kind of lifted, red-toned character that would become a hallmark of Dundee Hills Pinot Noir.

‘For me, it’s not an outlier for the Dundee Hills,’ says Jim Jr. ‘It’s high-tone, red and pretty. No big tannins, but elegance and refinement. Maresh fruit is really long in terms of holding its acidity in ripe, extended growing seasons. It’s at 750 feet (230m), so it’s high-elevation for the appellation. Maresh is, in some ways, the archetype of the Dundee Hills.’

The original farm was 140 acres (56ha), and today the Arterberry-Maresh estate totals 20 acres (8ha); Jim Jr farms about two acres of the remaining original plantings from the 1970s.

Ponzi Vineyard: 1970

The Ponzi family’s original estate vineyard, on the site of a former strawberry field, was planted in 1970 and sits among the Willamette Valley’s foundational sites, dating back to a time when conviction preceded clarity.

This initial plot, among the first five to be planted, was put down on the valley floor.

‘Though the Ponzis’ first planting proved to be viable in the production of all varieties planted, the family recognised quality could be pushed further,’ says Ponzi winemaker Max Bruening.

‘It wasn’t quite what they were seeking. To date, the Chardonnay (Clone 108 Wente/Davis) remains a staple of Ponzi’s sparkling blanc de blancs production, with a small percentage allocated to our still Chardonnay. Pinot Noir is sourced exclusively for our blanc de noir.’

The Ponzis, along with other members of the Willamette’s pioneering wine scene at the time, were a collaborative bunch.

‘In 1975, as part of the Oregon Winemakers Project, an effort spearheaded by Dick Ponzi, Dick Erath and Oregon State University, plantings were conducted to assess which clones could be viable for the area at that time,’ Bruening explains.

‘They were tasked with finding land, planting a vineyard, growing grapes, assessing the outcome, vinifying, blending, tracking, reporting and repeating.’

This early experimental site eventually became a part of Ponzi’s estate, the two-acre (0.8ha) Abetina Vineyard, which the family formally acquired in 1981.

The 1975 planting includes 12 different clones of own-rooted Pinot Noir and has helped inform the future of the Willamette Valley.

Hyland Vineyard: 1971

Originally planted in 1971 (and continuing through the late 1990s) on a south-facing bench in the foothills of the Coast Range, the Hyland Vineyard stands as one of the Willamette Valley’s earliest and, to this day, most versatile sites, known as much for its Riesling as for the distinctive clones of Pinot Noir.

Unique at the time, it was planted not by winemakers but growers, a collaborative effort by four families: Kreimeyer, Merkley, Welch and Smith.

Hyland began with an ambitious vision: to plant a large-scale, professionally farmed site that could supply fruit to the region’s fledgling wineries.

A total of 185 acres (74ha) were planted across the windswept knolls of what is now the McMinnville AVA.

The site itself sits exposed to the Van Duzer Corridor, northwest of Salem, where afternoon winds sweep in from the Pacific and cool the vines through the long days of late summer.

Early plantings included a mix of Pinot Noir selections that predated the modern clonal era, perhaps most notably the Coury clone, which has long been a bit mysterious.

Some say its origins lie in Alsace, others Germany, but who really knows?

A living archive

Half a century later, the vineyard reads like a living archive of Oregon’s first generation of viticulture.

Many of the original blocks remain, their thick trunks and modest yields a reminder of an era when nearly everything about farming Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley was a little bit experimental.

Evan Martin, the winemaker at Martin Woods, near McMinnville city, has delivered the top Pinot Noir from my past vintage reports more than once, and each time it was his Hyland Vineyard bottling.

‘The Hyland Pinot Noir, as I find it, prominently exhibits aromas of forest undergrowth and mossy earth – so coveted by lovers of traditional red Burgundy,’ says Martin.

‘Which is married to delicate florals and red fruit, with a silken palate that lingers seemingly forever.

‘As the vineyard has come of age, the warming trend of the last 30 years has shifted this originally very marginal cool climate to pitch-perfect growing conditions, leading to one of the truly unique ‘grand cru’ expressions of Pinot Noir in Oregon, a Chambolle-Musigny-esque personality that captives with the power of delicacy – defined by the subtle imprint that the wine makes on the sense memory.’

Oregon’s old-vine legacy in bottle today

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Washington wine came of age with Chateau Ste Michelle, a winery founded in the 1930s.

Between the 1980s and 2021, the winery built enduring relationships with Washington grape growers and renowned wine producers like Ernst Loosen and the Antinori family, cultivating vineyards throughout the state and becoming the global ambassador of Washington wine.

A quality wine industry grew alongside it, with lodestars like Leonetti, Cayuse and Quilceda Creek setting a high bar for wines from Bordeaux and Rhône varieties.

And times were good.

‘Easy growth meant there was an incredible opportunity for almost anyone interested in wine to get into the wine business,’ says Jeff Andrews owner of Trothe.

Recent years, however, have seen uncertainty and industry contraction.

Today, Washington wine is facing the same challenges as the wider wine industry – declining alcohol consumption, competition from other beverage categories, and the economic fallout from tariffs.

In 2023, having changed hands from corporate ownership to private equity, and contending with the same contraction as the rest of the wine industry, Chateau Ste Michelle reset its grape supply by ending grape growing contracts with more than 40% of its farming partners.

‘That’s 65,000 people whose livelihoods and families depend on the Washington wine industry. We're now in balance, but obviously it wasn’t easy to do,’ says former-CEO David Bowman [Bowman was interviewed for this article just before it was announced he was being replaced as CEO by David Richardson].

Chateau Ste Michelle returned to local ownership in 2025, acquired by the Wyckoff family, a Washington agribusiness and winemaking company, spurring optimism and 'an expectation we're going to sell better wines at higher prices – wines that speak more to place,' says Bowman.

Bringing back balance

Washington’s historic association with value, specifically as a value alternative to comparable wines from California or Oregon, has been risky.

The key is to find the intersection between sustaining consumer appreciation for good value while cultivating equal appreciation for the expressive, high-quality wines the state’s terroirs can produce.

How then can Washington bring true ‘value’ through commercial sustainability to its winemakers and industry while continuing to deliver something better every year for customers?

Fresh styles, expression and lonely wineries

Kelly Austin, co-owner of Grosgrain in the Walla Walla Valley AVA, describes this as a moment, 'for estate wineries to shape the story'.

The Cascade Mountains bisect Washington, running north-south from British Columbia to California.

Of the state’s 21 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), 20 are east of the Cascades, and some see less than 250mm of rain a year.

It’s a hard landscape to grow grapes. But there’s fantastic variety there too, in which adventurous winemakers can express all manner of varieties in unique – occasionally lonely – settings.

Vintners are ‘willing to take a real risk to build unique estate programmes’, says Elizabeth Keyser-Hadley, winemaker at Rocky Pond Winery, the only winery in the tiny Rocky Reach AVA.

Wind gusts through this northern section of the Columbia River canyon during spring, and grapes are small and thick-skinned, with rich tannin profiles.

This is evident in wines like Rocky Pond’s Tumbled Granite series; the 2024 white, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne and Muscat Cannelli, expresses lively acidity and minerality.

So too Grosgrain’s velvet-textured skin-contact Semillon from Evergreen Vineyard in the Ancient Lakes AVA, or Syncline Winery’s vibrant expressions of Picpoul Blanc, Furmint, and traditional-method sparkling in the Columbia Gorge AVA, among many others.

And, stylistically, there’s been a change in direction too, particularly with refreshing wine styles that unify ‘tension and place', says Mark McNeilly, founder and winemaker of Mark Ryan Winery.

Lighter styles, like Kiona’s Chenin Blanc and Lemburger (Blaufränkisch), and Chateau Ste Michelle’s Estival, a Horse Heaven Hills Sauvignon Blanc are on trend, ambassadors for a next generation of wine drinkers.

‘Wineries are focusing on the varieties and styles they are truly passionate about, and that resonates deeply, create a specific statement of site and intent,’ says Jeff Andrews, owner of Trothe in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

More than just wine

In step with the rest of the wine industry, aligning Washington wine with lifestyle – nature, friends, family, food, experiences – further emphasises quality over value.

This lifestyle focus has added cachet in a region with dramatic lakes, waterfalls and mountains: ‘all of the things people love about the Pacific Northwest,' says Co Dinn, of Co Dinn Cellars in Yakima Valley.

Washington’s storybook landscapes – snow-capped mountains, evergreen forests, the chiselled, 80-mile long Columbia River Gorge, the vast, arid Horse Heaven Hills and Walla Walla Valley AVAs, and the coastal Puget Sound – expand ‘sense of place’ beyond AVA borders and state lines.

The Yakima Valley offers river rafting, hiking, and cycling which integrate seamlessly with wine tasting at close to 100 venues in the town of Prosser’s Vintners Village.

At some venues, such as the Two Vintners Winery in Woodinville, a play area and foosball table set a dynamic, family-friendly, and welcoming mood.

Other arrangements are much more extensive. In the 1980s, Vince and Carol Bryan established both their own winery and what is now a world class concert venue, the Gorge Amphitheatre in Columbia Valley AVA.

With its sweeping views of basalt cliffs, tufted hillsides dotted with sage grass, the contour of the Columbia River below, and shifting light at sunset, it’s an ethereal backdrop for live music

Everyday connections

‘We think about reaching a new generation of wine lovers every day,’ says Kimberly Harris, co-owner of Bayernmoor Cellars in the Puget Sound AVA.

‘Food is the perfect gateway for guests who are newer to wine.’

Chef Tori Barr’s food and wine programme for Bayernmoor emphasises discovery, pairing the same wine with three different ‘bites’ and an ice cream social as playful entry points.

Washington state’s 2024 Tourism Economic Impact Report notes that tourists in Washington spent the largest part of their travel budgets on food and drink, with a total spend of $6.1 billion in 2024.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, other wineries like Analemma Wines in the Columbia Gorge AVA, Wapato Point Cellars in Lake Chelan, Echolands in Walla Walla, and Freehand Cellars in the Yakima Valley, are among the many adding dining options to their offerings.

If you build it they will come but there’s more to it than that.

‘We are figuring out how to connect with a new generation, and we can’t just wait for people to find us,’ says Kelsey Itameri, owner and winemaker of ïta wines, specialising in minimal intervention and carbonic wines, in Walla Walla.

‘We need to reach out to them – and we will.’

Trothe’s Jeff Andrews says: ‘We still offer incredible quality-to-price ratios. However, our real opportunity today is positioning ourselves as the premier discovery choice.

‘Washington isn't just the budget pick anymore. Some of the most exciting wines in the world are being made here.’

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'No city does hotel cocktail bars like New York'

No matter the type of traveller, most cocktail-loving jetsetters agree that nothing beats a classic hotel bar.

Posting up with a strong drink in a cozy hotel space brings a welcome sense of comfort and relaxation, whether visiting from out of town or simply exploring the scene in your home base—and no city does hotel cocktail bars like New York.

Home to some of the world’s most storied spaces, New York’s hotel bar scene offers a myriad of treasures to be discovered, though knowing where to settle in—and of course, what to order—is key.

Check out eight of our go-to Manhattan hotspots here, from longstanding institutions to newly-opened lounges and beyond.

Eight of the best hotel bars in New York City

Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle

35 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021

Few hotel bars exude old-school glamour as well as Bemelmans. Located on New York’s Upper East Side, this iconic cocktail bar has welcomed the likes of celebrities and politicians alike, including JFK and Paul McCartney.

Known for its live jazz and photo-worthy wallpaper – handcrafted by Ludwig Bemelmans himself, who took residency in the hotel for around 18 months during the mid-1940s – the bar’s strong martinis and unmatched ambiance help to justify the premium prices.

Pro tip: With just 69 seats, the bar fills up quickly, so plan to wait—or better yet, arrive early / during off times for your best shot at a spot (we recommend between 3pm and 4pm).

Monkey Bar at The Hotel Elysee

60 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022

Monkey Bar has long been a New York City staple, hosting the company of carefree creatives, Don Draper-like ad men, and Midtown finance professionals for nearly 100 years.

Known for its Art Deco dining room and signature wraparound mural highlighting Jazz Age icons (think everyone from Frank Sinatra to Dorothy Parker) – as well as its gold and wooden monkey figurines scattered throughout the interior – the bar’s dimly lit ambiance and energetic vibe make it the ideal place for throwing back a few bourbon smashes or stiff gin-based drinks.

For top-tier people watching with an old school flair, look no further than this landmark cocktail joint.

Club Room at Soho Grand

310 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013

Drink, dance, or dine—why choose? At the Club Room at Soho Grand, you can truly have it all. Known for its 'uptown elegance with downtown edge,' this two-room supper club is open Wednesday through Saturday, offering live music, a full dinner menu, and late-night DJs.

Clad with velvet banquettes, two-top tables, and 18-foot mirrored ceilings, this Art Deco-inspired lounge also features a dedicated bar area and separate parlour space, perfect for accommodating whatever type of night you’re looking to have.

Note: There’s a cover charge of $25-$35 ($25 Wed-Thu, $35 on weekends), though access is complimentary for Soho Grand hotel guests.

Lobby Bar at Hotel Chelsea

226 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

For a high-end lobby bar with an equally decadent history, look no further than the Chelsea Hotel.

Reopened in 2022, the bar’s curated cocktail menu highlights thoughtful signature drinks and elevated small plates, with the 884 Martini (gin, cedro lemon, vetiver, Spanish olive oil) as one of its most revered libations.

The landmarked hotel has housed the likes of Bob Dylan and Patti Smith, further adding to its trademark Bohemian charm.

In addition to the Lobby Bar, which operates as the hotel’s 'living room', the space also opens to an airy garden terrace, perfect for enjoying drinks al fresco, should the weather permit.

Ty Bar at The Four Seasons

57 E 57th St, New York, NY 10022

Art Deco is a recurring theme amongst New York’s hotel bar scene, though few do it as well as Ty Bar.

Tucked within the Four Seasons in Midtown, this cozy red-hued room serves up bespoke cocktails that pay homage to the city’s historic past—think the New York, New York Sour, Ty Manhattan, and Brooklynite, made with Appleton 8 Year Rum, Planteray 3 Stars Rum, lime, local honey, and Angostura bitters.

Outfitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, a warming fireplace, and exclusive views of the hotel’s grand lobby, there’s really no bad seat in this storied space—it’s simply a matter of preference.

Best of all, Ty Bar features complimentary live music every Thursday from 6pm to 9pm.

Sloane’s at The Manner Hotel

58 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012

For top-tier drinks and a glamorous downtown vibe, check out Sloane’s in The Manner Hotel.

A rather new-to-the-scene bar (opened September 2024), this jewel-box lounge brings a welcome addition to the already trendy neighbourhood, and is the perfect place to grab a pre- or post-dinner drink.

Known for its signature drinks and elevated bites – caviar-topped chicken nuggets included – the space regularly features live jazz, though music or not, the vibes are always on point.

We recommend springing for the London Calling, made with Fords London Dry Gin, fino sherry, grapefruit, bergamot, and orange bitters, or grab the simple Dirty Martini, prepared with olive brine sherry vermouth, sea salt, and an optional caviar bump to boot.

Lounge on Pearl at The Wall Street Hotel

88 Wall St, New York, NY 10005

Martinis are having a renaissance, and Lounge on Pearl is one of the best places in the city to drink them.

Known for its high ceilings and airy ambiance, this downtown hotspot highlights a menu entirely dedicated to the drink, including customisable dry, dirty, and espresso options, as well as a handful of unique riffs – think the Manzanilla, made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Valdespino Sherry, and an Almond Stuffed Olive, as well as the savoury Mushroom Martini, made with ​​Grey Goose Vodka, shiitake, and dashi.

The lounge also offers a Martini Frites special, featuring a martini of choice and side of fries for $32, as well as a number of signature cocktails and by-the-glass wine pours.

The bar also houses a small library area with a number of art books and newspapers, making it a great place for a zen moment downtown.

The Rum House at Hotel Edison

228 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

World-class cocktails and Times Square may sound like a contradiction, though The Rum House consistently defies all odds.

Known for its wood-panelled room and – you guessed it – speciality rum cocktails, this vintage-inspired bar offers a desirable reprieve from the chaos of Midtown.

The bar’s wood-panelled walls and distinct copper accents create a retro, 1970s-inspired vibe, making it the perfect backdrop for nightly live piano and jazz music with a strong drink in hand.

Classic rum cocktails, including the Painkiller, Rum Punch, and Mojito are perfectly executed, though we recommend also springing for a signature libation, such as the Hotel Nacional, made with Plantation Dark Rum, pineapple, lime, Giffard Abricot du Roussillon, and Angostura Bitters.

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At the table with Katie Vogt

Katie Vogt will be attending Decanter's Fine Wine Encounter in New York on 6 June, along with top Pahlmeyer wines.

Travel tips: New York to Napa

Food and wine

Join Katie Vogt and taste top Pahlmeyer wines at the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York 2026 on 6 June.

The general consensus holds that Californian Chardonnay is at its best in those areas where cooler climes and Pacific Ocean breezes temper hot days.

And there’s no shortage of winemakers who baulk at the idea of Napa-grown Chardonnay, seeing it as too warm.

The reality, however, is that it can be done. And done well.

Chardonnay is a variety that bears little tolerance for excess heat, and it can easily tip into the realm of plush, soft, full-bodied white wine lacking in tension.

Grown in the right sites in Napa Valley, and in the right hands, the results can be as riveting as top white Burgundy – as pleasure-packed, as contemplative, and as potentially ageworthy.

Yes, I said it, but can I back it up?

Looking back over the 8,000+ wines I’ve reviewed for Decanter in the last five years, I’ve given some pretty high scores to a handful of Chardonnays that defy expectations.

And here’s their little secret: Location, location, location.

A reliable source

Los Carneros, a sub-appellation spanning Napa and Sonoma counties, south-west of the city of Napa, remains the most reliable source of world-class Chardonnay in Napa Valley.

Here, the cooling influence of San Pablo Bay draws fog and wind deep into the southern reaches of the valley, slowing ripening and preserving natural acidity.

It is no coincidence that some of my top scorers below originate from the Hyde and Hudson vineyards, sites that have proven capable of producing Chardonnay with both richness and tension.

David Ramey’s Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay shows the site’s classic profile: layered orchard fruit, citrus oil, and a firm acid spine shaped as much by picking decisions as by place.

David Ramey has long championed acid balance over opulence in his Chardonnays, and so many of his Chardonnays are still bright and lively a decade after bottling because of it.

Back in 2019, during a tasting of his Chardonnays, he felt compelled to remind me of something I imagine he has had to repeat often.

‘It’s a dream that Old World is somehow better or more natural. Do the lab analysis. Stop romanticising things you don’t understand – great producers are great no matter where they are, just as with film and art. Why do we value Château Latour? Experience.’

Ramey has been making wine for more than five decades. In the grand scheme of California winemaking, that’s experience.

Tor Kenward, who works with winemaker Jeff Ames, also makes a stunning Chardonnay from Hyde called Cuvée Susan, which is more textural with extended élevage bringing a deeper mid-palate weight, yet still anchored by Carneros freshness.

A Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay from Nid Tissé, produced by Marie-Laure Ammons, offers another interpretation – more tightly coiled, mineral-driven, and inspired by her upbringing in rural Limousin and by her own winemaking approach, shaped by work for the likes of Philippe Melka, Julien Fayard, and Pierre Seillan.

Do the right thing

And then there is Hyde’s neighbour, Hudson Vineyards, established by Lee Hudson in 1981.

Lee decided to start making wine in 2004, and he asked Chardonnay legend John Konsgaard (who I have yet to taste with, and hence, none of his wines make this list), to make sure, ‘I didn’t do anything stupid,’ Hudson told me while riding a four-wheeler around his nearly 2,000-acre ranch.

‘I wanted to make Chablis. And John said: "Well, move to France. We don’t make that here. We make wine that represents the sun."'

Hudson’s site, with its shallow Hair Clay Loam soils, with a mix of volcanic and marine sediments, and exposure to the Bay’s marine influence, consistently produces fruit with ample concentration and structure – with the style idling between power and finesse, largely determined by picking decisions.

Heading further in

But Carneros is only part of the story. In Coombsville, just east and south of the city of Napa, cooler temperatures and volcanic soils create a markedly different expression of Chardonnay.

Coombsville’s persistent morning fog and afternoon breezes delay ripening, allowing for extended hang time without sugar accumulation racing ahead of phenolic development.

The result here is a wine of remarkable detail – citrus, stone fruit, saline mineral tones – held together by a natural acidity that is so bracing it’ll take the paint off the deck of your boat.

Nearby, in the western Oak Knoll District, the Linda Vista Vineyard Chardonnay from Matthiasson Wines illustrates another model for success.

Steve Matthiasson has built his reputation on restraint – earlier picking, moderate alcohol, minimal intervention – and the Linda Vista bottling reflects that philosophy.

Oak Knoll’s slightly cooler temperatures compared to mid-valley sites allow for freshness, but it is Matthiasson’s farming and timing that define the clarity and lift of his Chardonnay.

Then there are the wines that challenge the assumption that Chardonnay belongs only in Napa’s cooler southern or low-lying zones.

On stony ground

Stony Hill, established by the McCrea family in 1943 on the eastern slopes of Spring Mountain above St. Helena, remains one of Napa Valley’s defining Chardonnay estates.

The 2023 Chardonnay, drawn from vines planted in 1988 using massal selections from the estate’s original Old Wente plantings, shows classic Stony Hill restraint underpinned by a firm, saline acid structure that signals long ageing potential.

Similarly, winemaker Chris Carpenter’s W.S. Keyes Vineyard Chardonnay from La Jota demonstrates what is possible across the valley, on Howell Mountain.

Mountain fruit tends to ripen more slowly, with smaller berries and thicker skins, resulting in wines with greater concentration and grip.

Back on the valley floor, but pushing ripeness boundaries, Pahlmeyer’s Savoir Faire Chardonnay from Hyde Vineyard shows how clonal selections matter too – the 2024 release is entirely Calera clone.

The Calera selection is a low-yielding clone, producing small clusters and berries that deliver naturally high acidity and taut minerality.

And then, there’s Old Wente selections – a heritage clone marked by millerandage (‘hens and chicks’) that produces large and smaller berries (the small are typically seedless), contributing to richness, textural depth, and a broad, creamy mid-palate with ripe orchard fruit.

Putting it all together

Above all, what unites these exceptional Chardonnay wines is not style, certainly not typicity, which is something I don’t believe in, but a combination of factors: slightly cooler climes, water-retaining, yet well-draining soils, good aspect with protected pockets that can mitigate afternoon heat, and farming to ensure canopy management, yields, and soil health all influencing how those Chardonnay berries develop.

Get these elements right, and Napa Chardonnay can result in one of the best wines you’ve ever tasted in your life.

Oh, I didn’t do the obligatory Rombauer ‘cougar juice’ mention, so here it is: I’d happily drink a glass of Rombauer’s Carneros Chardonnay any day.

Listen: If you haven’t tasted it in recent years, you won’t believe how that wine is now built on – wait for it! – balanced ripeness and more nuanced oak.

My goodness, it's delicious.

Below are 12 brilliant Chardonnays from Napa that you’ll want to stuff in your cellar or wine fridge.

My 12 all-time Napa Chardonnays

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Paso Robles has long been known as one of California’s most approachable wine regions, both in personality and in price.

As its reputation has grown, so have its costs. Tasting room fees that once hovered comfortably below $20 now commonly reach $40 to $100 per person at premium estates.

Bottles priced over $100 at the winery are also more common as the region earns greater acclaim.

However, even with the rise in luxury offerings, Paso Robles continues to hold onto one of its core identities. It remains a place where value-priced wines still shine.

Priority target

According to a survey conducted for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, the majority of the region's wines fall within the $16-$30 range.

Some producers are making value a deliberate priority.

In 2023, the Linne Calodo Winery reduced its tasting fee from $40 to $20.

'I believe that everyone should have access to great wines when visiting Paso Robles and that you should be able to easily experience the hospitality that built our wine scene,' says owner and winemaker Matt Trevisan.

Consumers appear to agree. In a Wine Opinions study, consumer sentiment indicates that Paso Robles wines are considered good value for their price point, second only to Sonoma.

In a market where many buyers are becoming more price-conscious, Paso stands out as a region where quality and affordability still align.

Growth is strongest among wines priced between $20 and $30. In other words, even as high-end wines gain attention, value wines continue to be the heart of Paso’s consumer appeal.

The right raw materials

For many winemakers, value is not a compromise. It is rooted in sourcing, farming, and thoughtful production.

For example, long-term vineyard contracts help stabilise grape costs for $20 bottles.

‘We approach value by identifying vineyards where we can cut prices without sacrificing quality,’ says McPrice Myers of McPrice Myers Wines.

‘The attention to detail, both in the vineyard and the winery, does not change between our premium approach and our value approach.'

He also notes that having a range of prices supports both distribution and direct-to-consumer sales. ‘We want to be approachable to everyone, whether they’re just getting into wine or are seasoned enthusiasts.’

Paso’s ability to offer both premium wines and strong values is supported by its wide range of vineyards, soils, and winemaking approaches.

‘The versatility and diversity of Paso Robles is immense and is the main reason our region is so special,’ says Stephanie Terrizzi of Giornata.

At Field Recordings, owner and winemaker Andrew Jones has all the right raw materials to make solid $15 to $25 wines.

Vineyard costs and oak usage are the main factors that influence pricing for his value wines.

Fermentation practices remain the same across all price points, including native yeast fermentation, minimal SO2, no fining agents, and light filtration before bottling.

Jones also credits part of his affordability to a streamlined production facility.

‘A lot of our value comes from our production practices. We have a very simple setup in (the urban winery area of) Tin City.’

Paso Robles continues to evolve, yet its commitment to producing accessible wines remains steady.

Consumers recognise that the region consistently delivers quality at prices that still feel within reach, which keeps Paso at the forefront of value in California wine.

Brianne's value picks from Paso Robles

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There’s a ‘holy trinity’ of California wine – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

They dominate restaurant lists, anchor most tasting rooms, and take up more retail shelf space than everything else combined.

For the past 50 years, this has been the California wine story. But there is a lot more to that story, and it began here long before those three grapes.

‘If you really zoom out, it’s actually kind of absurd that we’ve built our entire reputation on Burgundian varieties and a Bordeaux variety,' says Morgan Twain-Peterson, winemaker at Bedrock Wine Co. in Sonoma.

'From a strictly climate standpoint, Mediterranean varieties are the grapes we should be growing in our Mediterranean climate.’

Curious consumers

It’s not a new idea. Before Prohibition, California vineyards were full of Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah and Cinsault.

A lot has happened since Prohibition, including a recent and noticeable slowdown in sales – particularly of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

‘People can’t sell them,’ says Twain-Peterson. ‘They’re either ripping vineyards out or thinking about what else they can grow.’

The timing aligns with a generation of consumers looking for something different.

People are drinking less, but when they do drink, they want authenticity, curiosity, value – wines that feel like discovery, not a status symbol.

‘People are more and more willing to try new grapes,’ says Jason Haas, proprietor of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, whose estate has been built entirely around all the traditional varieties of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for nearly four decades.

‘It’s never been easier than it is now.’

And the range of what consumers are discovering in California goes well beyond Grenache and Syrah.

‘The first wines to sell at Bedrock last year were the weird stuff,’ says Twain-Peterson. In a market built on name recognition, under-the-radar has become a selling point.

Many of those once-obscure grapes are finding their own expression and a new audience in California.

'Picpoul has great acidity, but the California expression is more tropical and a little more luscious than what people are used to from the south of France,' says Haas. 'It’s a grape that is capable of more than it’s usually allowed to show in France.'

Carignan tells a similar story. 'Old-vine Carignan is the most underrated thing in California,' says Twain-Peterson – 'affordable, endlessly expressive, capable of everything from crunchy and bright to rich and structured, depending on where it’s grown.'

The right place

The appeal goes beyond what’s in the glass. According to growers and producers, these varieties are better suited to the areas where they are grown.

‘If we’re talking about what’s still going to get ripe in a cool year, but also withstand a furnace blast of 110 degrees for six days straight like we got in 2022 – those varieties are far better candidates to deal with heat,’ says Twain-Peterson.

Not coincidentally, many of California’s oldest vines – the ones that have survived a century of heat, drought and frost – are mostly Mediterranean varieties.

‘Planting something that’s happier in a hot, sunny, dry climate should mean it’ll live longer,’ says Haas. ‘That’s got to be a good thing – both from a cost standpoint and from a pure sustainability standpoint.’

There is a direct line between what belongs in the ground and what ends up in the bottle in its purest state.

‘When you have the right variety in the right place, the wine becomes transparent to the terroir,’ says John Hamel, winemaker at Hamel Family Wines in the Moon Mountain District of Sonoma Valley, who has been grafting Grenache over from Cabernet and planting Mourvèdre on his estate.

‘The wines have been a real revelation,’ he adds.

A freedom of expression

Freed from the stylistic expectations of established varietals in California, producers find themselves more creative with winemaking choices, and consumers benefit from having no canon to defer to, no benchmark to be wrong about.

‘When there isn’t this backlog of every style of that wine,’ says Hamel, ‘people are interested in that.’

That diversity of expression is precisely what makes these wines feel less intimidating to a new generation of drinkers.

At the heart of it, what drives all of this is a genuine belief that California has more to offer than most people think.

‘I hope they will find grapes that show the place in which they’re grown in a beautiful way, where none of us is trying to copy the Old World,’ says Haas.

‘We’re trying to find grapes that are well suited for their spots in California – that will show the soils, show the weather, show complexity and freshness and balance, without having to be manipulated to do so.’

A selection of California's Mediterranean wines from Ana Carolina Quintela:

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Setting the scene

The masterclass coincided with publication in Decanter’s March issue of an interview with Barrett, where he recalled the early days of Montelena and the impact that the victory of the estate’s 1973 Chardonnay at the legendary competition had – both on Montelena itself and on California more widely.

After a reception to welcome guests – where Montelena’s only non-Napa wine was served, the 2022 vintage Potter Valley Riesling, made from Mendocino fruit – the masterclass proper commenced.

This featured three vintages (2020, 2014 and 2009) of the famous Chardonnay, all poured from magnum, and three vintages of its Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: the incredibly youthful and exuberant 2021; the ‘Goldilocks’ 2017 vintage, where everything went right; and the fascinatingly evolved 2007.

Montelena's territory

The pair explained that the Calistoga AVA, where the estate is situated, at the foot of California’s Mount Helena (hence Montelena), has unique properties.

Located at the northern end of Napa, it’s both a valley appellation and a mountain appellation, said Barrett. (It’s also a great place to visit, he added, more relaxed and welcoming than some other parts of the county.)

The Montelena fruit grows on geologically diverse soils and enjoys the afternoon sun.

And yet despite the obvious California generosity of fruit flavour, there is a hallmark acid line to these wines that keeps them fresh for decades.

Also, explained Crafton, a marked sense of place and vintage.

‘We work hard on the winemaking side to make ourselves disappear,’ he said. ‘We want you to taste the character of the year, and the place.’

History makers

Bo Barrett was only 18 when his father Jim established Chateau Montelena in 1972, but remembers clearly the excitement when the team in California found out that the 1973 Chardonnay was the top-scoring white at the Judgement of Paris.

‘The phone was ringing off the hook, with everyone wanting to buy our wine,’ he recalled.

‘Without the Judgement of Paris, we’d just be a red wine estate, and it would have taken much longer for us to get to where we are today.’

The original intention was for the estate to produce a single wine, the Estate Cabernet, but it produced a Chardonnay at the start too, to help with cashflow.

After the triumph in Paris, it was inevitable that Chardonnay would take its place permanently alongside the Cabernet.

Chardonnay thankfully remains firmly in the fold today, and the estate has doubled down on its commitment to the grape, buying a new vineyard three miles south of the current one.

The winemaking style with the Chardonnay is to never use malolactic fermentation, and again this serves to accentuate the purity of fruit, the precision and the freshness.

‘At the end of the day, we want tasting our wines to make you happy,’ said Crafton. And judging by the audience reaction, and smiles as they left the class, the team at Montelena continues to achieve that goal.

The Montelena masterclass wines:

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Prior to the arrival of Spanish colonists, the Te’po’ta’ahl, whom the Spanish came to call Salinians, were an indigenous people who called this region home.

They inhabited this portion of the Central Coast from the coast over the Santa Lucia Mountains, to the Salinas River.

Spanish missions were established in the region in the late 1700s, at what is modern-day Soledad and Jolon.

The region’s modern agricultural roots, which run deep, are often dated to an influx of Swiss-Italian immigration in the late 1840s and onward, after the discovery of gold in California.

Today, the region grows an array of produce, and is called ‘America’s Salad Bowl’, producing over half of the country’s lettuce, as well as broccoli, artichokes, cauliflower and strawberries.

Some of the Santa Lucia Highlands’ most prominent families, among them the Pisonis and Franscionis, are now fourth-generation farmers, in some cases managing both produce and fine wine vineyards.

Two names most often associated with the Pinot Noir movement here are really just one; Gary.

Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni, who went to high school together, planted some of the region’s most prominent vineyards in the 1980s and 1990s, where their families once managed cattle.

One of those sites is somewhat confusingly called Garys’, as in, there are two of them. Be careful where you put the apostrophe.

A clone all their own

No one is more synonymous with the Santa Lucia Highands than the gregarious Gary Pisoni. His impressive locks and infectious smile make him the perfect ambassador for a region known for its outgoing wines.

Gary planted the beginnings of the Pisoni vineyard in 1982, and he did so with some Pinot Noir that he acquired, as his son Mark Pisoni puts it, ‘years ago when customs were a little more lenient.’

The Pisoni clone, as it is now known, comes from a renowned vineyard in Vosne-Romanée, in Burgundy's Côte-d'Or.

‘Dad first planted this clone on our ranch in the early 1980s,' Mark explains, 'and it is only found at our Pisoni Vineyard, and then we have only shared it with our partner Gary Franscioni. So, it's only planted at our Pisoni estate, Garys’ Vineyard & Soberanes Vineyard. Then on Gary Fransiconi’s two properties- Sierra Mar & Rosella’s.’

Mark continues: ‘A few things that make it special are that it is massal selection, so it shows some diversity in the vineyard versus the more common clonal selections.

‘Cluster size is average, and they are very tight with small berries. The most remarkable thing for me is that I always felt this clone made a very “complete" wine with great depth, aromatics and maintained acidity well without blending other clones.'

He concludes: ‘We have been asked by nurseries over the years and other outside growers, but have not had any interest in commercialising the clone. It is part of Dad’s and our region's history.'

Contours and climate

The Santa Lucia Highlands may be the most visibly obvious wine appellation in America.

River Road, which runs nearly the entire length of the appellation, sits between the Salinas River and above your head to the west are the benchlands, or ‘highlands’, which are really alluvial terraces where the vineyards begin. Up there is where the wine grows.

These alluvial formations range from 50 to nearly 200 feet above the fertile valley floor, facing east. The soils are poor, fast-draining and sandy, with plenty of granite-based alluvium, a composite of sand, gravel and stones.

‘The Santa Lucia Highlands is the only place that I know of where the warmest part of the day falls between noon and 1 pm,’ says Adam Lee, the founder of Siduri and winemaker at Clarice.

Once the Central Valley warms up, it pulls in strong, cold winds from the Monterey Bay, which is unusually cold owing to a deep-sea canyon off the coast.

The winds mean, of course, thicker skins in the grapes, which can result in more tannins, but because of the speed of the winds, they also stop the ripening of the fruit each day.

‘This really cools down the area. The winds passing over the vine leaves at a fairly high speed shut them down and delay ripening. We often get 130 days’ worth of hang time, while Burgundy is amazed at 100 days,’ says Lee.

Fortunately, the long growing season and the arid climate balance the shortened days; this means that there is no pressure of a pending frost or autumn rains to push harvest before the fruit has fully matured.

Building on bold fruit

‘California Pinot Noir’ is often code for its fruit-forward character, undeniable ripeness and fruit-driven expression.

That’s available in spades, so the region’s best wines weave complexity and nuance into the undeniable Santa Lucia Highands fruit.

For many, it's whole cluster management, picking earlier or finding other ways to dial in precision.

‘The Santa Lucia Highands does have this propensity to deliver bolder fruit,’ says second-generation winemaker, Jeff Pisoni. ‘Our aim really is to have that balance, nuance, and elegance, a style that you’re seeing more and more of in the region.'

Pisoni continues: ‘I see all these traits: our rugged soils, wind, fog, and the mountains, as contributing to great raw material. But it’s a lot, and we have to be careful with it.

'For me, the critical elements for bringing these into balance are harvest timing and acidity. Acidity, which plays a huge role in the stability, interaction with and perception of phenolics and tannins.

‘Finally, it’s fermentation management, specifically extraction, and how you manage air or reduction. “Ripeness” or sugar always gets the dialogue, but these other factors are tremendously important. I think the phenolic potential in the Santa Lucia Highands is amazing, but it can overshadow other positives.’

A young region matures

In terms of Pinot Noir, Pisoni’s 1982 planting more or less marks the very beginning of modern fine wine in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Much of the growth happened in the mid to late 1990s, and more plantings followed into the 2000s.

Which means, it's a very young region, and wines from young vines can tend to be on the monochromatic side.

Shallow root systems cause the fruit on the vines to ripen quickly (particularly in warmer years) and tend to produce wines with pronounced primary fruit characteristics.

But that's changing.

‘When I started, the vines were quite young with very shallow roots,’ says Adam Lee.

‘Now, many of the vineyards in the area are 20 years old or more, and so the roots go far deeper. These days it's about 20-30 feet. This allows you to get much more than just primary fruit,’ Lee continues.

‘Flavours become more complex, and stem ripening can truly happen as a long hang time can become far longer - even in a warm year. That’s why I think the future of Santa Lucia Highlands lies in not just producing wines of great fruit, but also additional complexity.’

A stylistic shift

While ripe fruits have long been the hallmark of the Santa Lucia Highands, a youth movement of sorts is happening in the region’s wine styles.

At the top end, the wines made by Jeff Pisoni and Adam Lee show an elegance and nuance that embraces the region’s undeniable fruit signature.

There is also a cadre of young Santa Lucia Highands winemakers, including Corral’s Adrien Valenzuela and Chad Silacci of Rustique Wines, who are chasing fresher styles of wine that emphasise elements beyond the region’s ripe fruit.

However, no one is pushing the region towards wines of a new era, one focused on clarity, precision and place with an edgy, almost Old World bent, more than Scott Caraccioli.

His story is reflective of many in this region. Like the Pisonis and Franscionis, he’s a fourth-generation row crop farmer and a second-generation wine grower.

‘The wine that really inspired me to operate outside the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay mainstays, and showcased what else we can do here was Bibiana’s 2016 Cattleya Syrah from Soberanes,’ Caraccioli admits. This motivated him to work with Mark Pisoni, who farms the site, to obtain Alban clone cuttings.

‘The great thing about this region is that it allows you to take a more elegant approach. Restraint, nuance, and understated wines are what we’re trying to achieve at Caraccioli,’ he says. (Scott's winemaking team is a father-son duo, Greg and Chris Vita.)

Caraccioli is also looking beyond the Santa Lucia Highands to find out how some of California’s sought-after winemakers, particularly those from cool-climate regions, might use the Caraccioli estate's Escolle Vineyard as a canvas to paint a different version of the region.

‘Someone like Ian Brand has made me a better grower,’ says Caraccioli. ‘His diverse perspective, having worked with vineyards on a broad scale throughout the greater Central Coast, enables him to share thoughts and practices that have positively impacted Escolle.’

He adds: ‘Ian’s an outsider; he didn’t grow up here as so many of us did, and his point of view and associated winemaking are really important for a region like ours. Growing Gamay, for instance, was a direction that stemmed from conversations with Brand.’

‘As we evolve and mature as a region, our wines will become more refined,’ he continues.

‘With these granitic soils as our core, we can see that Syrah and Gamay are really brilliant matches for that soil type. The soils in Beaujolais and the Northern Rhône are so similar to ours here, and there’s an opportunity with these varieties.’

See wines and scores for all 100 SLH wines tasted and reviewed by Clive Pursehouse

20 brilliant bottles from the Santa Lucia Highlands

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To the average Canadian wine consumer – the ones who are tasked with simply drinking and enjoying wine – local wine is still a cottage industry. It’s cute.

Wineries in Niagara, Prince Edward County and Vancouver Island are vacation destinations. Their bottles are gifts for visiting friends.

Winemakers and sommeliers will argue otherwise – Canada makes incredible cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, though it’s taken some hard work and hand-selling to convince consumers.

That’s changing, and rather unexpectedly. Last March, Canadian provinces and territories removed and disallowed the further sale of California Cabernet, bourbon, and other all-American products as a protest against President Trump’s tariffs.

Which left Canadian sommeliers and retailers scrambling to fill menus and shelves. There to catch new drinkers: Canadian wine.

In 2025, sales of US wine in Canada dropped 94%, while sales of Ontario wine shot up 56% in the province. Sommeliers are moving more Canadian wine than ever. Producers are reporting tenfold sales increases, at a time when the broader wine industry is struggling.

While this started as a patriotism-fueled pivot, it’s become a major moment for the budding and now blooming Canadian wine industry.

Filling the American gap

A big part of the sales jump is necessity. Up until 2025, Canada was the largest market for American wine. Losing American wine has left gaps in both volume and style.

Last December, Taylor Emerson released a pallet of his 2022 Black Bank Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘It certainly proved the pent-up demand for the varietal. We’ve had record sales, and went through 64% of the inventory in two weeks,’ he said.

‘There’s been a huge increase in our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sales because we are aligned with what California does,’ finds Thomas Pennachetti of Cave Spring Winery in Niagara. ‘We were seeing increases prior to this, but this moment really turbocharged it.’

Ilya and Nadia Senchuk, owners of Niagara’s Leaning Post, went from selling 380 cases a year in Ontario stores to 3,000. ‘We saw everyone from local restaurants to hotel chains – people who had American Chardonnay locked in on their menu – say, oh my god, I need an oaked Chardonnay,’ Nadia says. ‘We have one.’

These sales weren’t without trying. When boycotts came into effect, Nadia personally visited 175 LCBOs. ‘I got listed in near every single one of them,’ she says. ‘When this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity hits, you take it.’

These sentiments are even coming from outside the borders. Leaning Post was picked up by American distributors.

‘Our importer said, this is the best time – Americans have never heard the word Canada more than they have in the last few months,’ says Nadia. Most of the wine sold out on pre-order.

Team Canada

The rest of the demand was driven by an urgent sense of patriotism.

Movements like ‘Canada Strong’ and ‘Elbows Up’ (a hockey term, naturally) have become rallying cries for Canadians. Choosing Ontario Chardonnay over Oregon, and the Okanagan over California, has become an act of resistance, of patriotism.

‘Every time Trump puts an American flag on Canada, it hinders California wine sales here,’ says Henry of Pelham’s Paul Speck.

‘Every time the US government attacks Canada, we get more bookings, either from Europeans who want to support Canada or locals who don’t go to the US anymore,’ says sommelier David McBean.

He’s always had an all-Canadian list at Watermark Beach Resort in the Okanagan. It’s never been so appreciated. ‘We’ve had people who come in and buy cases as a way to stick it to the US,’ he says. ‘

Matthew Jacobson, head sommelier at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim, removed American wine by the glass when tariffs went into place. ‘I doubled down and went heavier into my Canadian programme.’

‘It’s not just us making lists and forcing Canadian wines down people’s throats – we have people coming up from the States and apologising, pour me something Canadian.’

That said, he does have bottles of Napa Cabernet tucked away for guests with cravings – he is in the hospitality business.

‘But those are people who only drink what they know – it’s the same kind of person who goes to France and only eats at McDonald’s,’ he jokes.

Shaking off prior stigmas

It’s not that Canadian wine didn’t sell prior to the tariffs. It did, but it was just considered secondary to international imports – a sweet idea, but not serious.

‘Even for Canadians, BC wine has been stigmatised,’ says Jacobson. ‘People would come up from Washington and say – You make wine here?’

Jonathan Bauer, owner of Bar Allegro and Bar Pompette in Toronto, has always had Canadian wine on the menu. But prior to 2025, guests rarely ordered locally.

‘It was always a hard sell,’ says Bauer. ‘If it was ordered, it was by people from outside the country – European customers who want to try wine from Canada.’

‘People used to say, oh I don’t drink Canadian wine,’ says Christian Hamel, beverage director at the glitzy Toronto steakhouse Harbour Sixty. ‘It’s still a hand sell, but people are more receptive.’ To help him sell, he’s had Canadian producers open up their cellars, offering back vintages and rare bottles to fill the Cali gap.

Indoctrinating new drinkers

So Canadian wine has been selling. More drinkers than ever are choosing Canadian wines. The industry is booming even as global wine sales have slumped.

‘It’s a phenomenal opportunity,’ says Speck. ‘Vineyards are being planted. Wineries are investing in their business with capital equipment. We’re hiring. We’re helping growers plant so we can keep up with demand.’

But American wines will return eventually. What will happen to Canada’s newfound momentum?

Firstly, Canadians need to sort out some internal struggles. Canada’s tiered, heavily regulated, and archaic distribution system doesn’t allow wine to flow freely across the country.

In Ontario, it’s difficult and costly to purchase wines from British Columbia and vice versa. Canadian wines crossing state lines are taxed as international imports.

‘It’s harder to buy wine from Quebec or British Columbia than it is from France or Spain,’ says Bauer. ‘It’s a really strong opportunity to change that.’

But the groundwork is there. Canadian wines, from coast to coast, have only ascended in quality over the last few years. Regions have formed strong identities—producers aren’t trying to make facsimiles of other wines, they’re trying to showcase the terroir of Niagara, Prince Edward County, Okanagan, Nova Scotia, and Victoria. Drinkers are getting it now.

‘With the reduced availability of US wines, Canadian regions are stepping into the spotlight and sparking deeper conversations around site, seasonal challenges, and the influence of climate change, which is driving boldness and renewed elegance,’ says Henri Phrabawa, head sommelier at Riley’s in Toronto.

While Ontario Pinot Noir is different from Oregon, ‘I think people’s palates are changing to embrace that,’ Pennachetti says. ‘If it wasn’t for this nationalist curve, I’m not sure that would’ve happened, at least not as quickly.’

Will Canadian wine keep its momentum when Napa, Washington, and Oregon return?

‘We don’t know what will change when American wines come back,’ says Speck. He’s been training tasting room staff to match California drinkers’ tastes with their wines. ‘What we do know is that Henry of Pelham is in the shopping baskets of a whole lot more people who didn’t drink them before.’

‘Our sales are still growing at a crazy rate,’ he continues. ‘I feel like we’re getting to a tipping point for Canadian wine.’

‘It won’t go back to what it was,’ says Ilya Senchuk. ‘American producers are going to have to win back Canadian consumers. If it had only been a couple of months and it was all pantomime, it would be different. But it’s been a year.’

‘We believe the long-term shift is real,’ says VJ Gandhi, a California exporter of Canadian wines. She expected even her sales to drop, but they remain strong.

‘There has historically been a stigma that Canadian wine could not compete with California or Europe. That perception is finally changing. Once people taste these wines, they realise how expressive, balanced, and world-class they are; they keep buying them.’

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While vineyards from Virginia to the Finger Lakes are no strangers to sub-zero temperatures, recent deep freezes have highlighted both the vulnerability of vines and the increasingly sophisticated strategies growers use to protect them.

Temperatures below -15°C to -20°C can pose serious risks, including bark damage, bud mortality and, in severe cases, vine death. Deep freezes can rupture plant cells, weaken trunks and canes, leaving vines vulnerable to disease such as crown gall.

Yet, as many growers point out, the story is not always one of devastation.

Timing, dormancy, vineyard practices and even snowfall can determine whether winter becomes a catastrophe or merely another seasonal test.

Dormancy: the vine’s first line of defence

For many growers, the saving grace this winter has been the gradual onset of cold, allowing vines to acclimatise fully before the most severe temperatures arrived.

‘As we entered the winter season in late 2025, we had a gradual decrease in temperature, allowing the grapevines to enter dormancy with ease,’ says Ria D’Aversa, co-owner and vineyard manager at Ria’s Wines in the Finger Lakes, who also lectures in viticulture at Cornell University. ‘Now that we are in mid-February, our vines are deep into dormancy, which helps protect them from the intense freeze that we just went through.’

Dormancy significantly increases a vine’s cold hardiness.

When temperatures fall suddenly before vines have acclimatised, damage can be severe; when the cold arrives gradually, vines are often able to withstand surprisingly low temperatures.

Jim Law, founder of Linden Vineyards in Virginia, has seen this dynamic play out over decades. ‘It has been cold for some time, and the vines are at maximum cold hardiness,’ he says. ‘If this happened in early March, we would be in trouble. Temperature fluctuations are the real problem, especially with young vines.’

Bud mortality and the importance of assessment

Even when vines survive, growers may face significant bud loss, reducing yields or forcing changes in pruning.
‘We have had -5°F (-20°C) reading, here at our vineyard,’ says Richard Rainey, managing partner at Forge Cellars in New York State. ‘Generally at -10°F (-23°C) we get concerned and can experience bud mortality, which differs upon site.’

Bud analysis is now a routine response to extreme cold.

Growers dissect dormant buds to determine how many remain viable and adjust pruning accordingly. Rainey explains that his team typically leaves an extra ‘insurance cane’ during pruning, which can compensate for bud loss. Once budbreak begins, the surplus wood is removed.

At Buttonwood Grove and Six Eighty Cellars in the Finger Lakes, owner Dave Pittard is preparing for a similar scenario. ‘I would expect to see some bud damage, hopefully only in the 20–30% range. That should allow us to adjust our pruning practices and allow for typical production planning,’ he says. ‘Any colder at all and we would expect to see things like split trunks and death.’

Fortunately, grapevines possess a natural safeguard. ‘Often, the primary buds can be damaged,’ says D’Aversa, ‘but grapevines have a security blanket of compound buds. If the primary bud dies, secondary and tertiary buds can still push shoots and grow grape clusters.’

Freeze injury and long-term risks

While bud loss is often manageable, structural damage to trunks and canes can have longer-term consequences.

‘During deep freezes, there is a risk for cane and trunk cracking,’ says D’Aversa. ‘When a crack occurs, it allows possible entry of pathogens like Agrobacterium, which can cause crown gall.’

To mitigate this risk, many growers in cold regions rely on the practice known as ‘hilling up,’ covering the graft union with soil to insulate this vulnerable point.

‘This was a technique adapted by Dr Konstantin Frank many years ago and is still widely used,’ says Rainey. ‘In the spring we ‘hill down’. It also has the added benefit of helping with weed control.’

Some vineyards add further protection by burying young vines with compost or straw, or by selecting more cold-hardy hybrid varieties for exposed sites.

Snow: adversary or ally?

Heavy, wet snow can pose its own challenges, particularly in regions where trellised vines may suffer structural damage. Yet in many eastern vineyards, snowfall has been largely beneficial this winter.

‘We prefer a covering of snow to add extra insulation,’ says D’Aversa. ‘Snow can act as a natural blanket, protecting soils and root systems from deeper freezes.’

Pittard agrees. ‘When we have snow that is deep enough to cover any exposed portion of the graft union, we certainly see a benefit in protection,’ he says.

Snowmelt also plays an important role in replenishing soil moisture ahead of spring, a crucial factor in regions where summer droughts are becoming more frequent.

A shifting perspective on delayed budbreak

One of the more surprising effects of a cold winter is that delayed budbreak can sometimes be welcome.

‘Severe cold can delay budbreak, compressing the growing season,’ says Law, ‘but we welcome a delay for two reasons: avoidance of late spring frost damage and a potentially later harvest.’

This reflects a broader shift in eastern US viticulture. As growing seasons warm and harvest arrives earlier, some producers now welcome later picking dates, allowing grapes to ripen in cooler autumn conditions rather than the heat of late summer.

‘With climate change, our harvests are becoming too early,’ Law adds. ‘Ripening in hot, humid August is not desirable if one wants to make wines with finesse, complexity, longevity and verve.’

Pittard echoes this view, noting that a later budbreak may reduce the risk of damaging spring frosts, which can be more destructive than winter cold.

Data, research and adaptation

Growers increasingly rely on scientific research to guide decisions. Tools developed by Cornell University allow vineyard managers to estimate cold tolerance and predict bud mortality based on temperature data and grape variety.

Such resources are part of a wider trend towards more data-driven vineyard management, enabling growers to respond quickly to extreme weather events.

Despite careful preparation, the true impact of winter cold often remains uncertain until spring.

‘The first thing we will do is assess bud mortality by collecting plant material from each variety,’ says D’Aversa. ‘We hope that there is no damage, but the results will guide how we prune and manage the vines for the coming season.’

For now, growers across the eastern United States wait in measured trepidation, balancing concern with the knowledge that vineyards in these regions have long been shaped by cold winters and resilience.

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A seismic tasting 50 years ago

When a small group of California wines triumphed over France’s finest at the 1976 Judgement of Paris, few could have imagined the global shockwave it would set in motion.

Staged by the late Steven Spurrier (Decanter Consultant Editor for 25 years), the tasting event was meant to be a bicentennial celebration, pitting upstart American producers against benchmark French estates.

Instead, it redefined the hierarchy of fine wine and altered the course of California’s future.

The result – Burgundy’s most esteemed whites being bested by a Napa Valley Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena (a bottle of which now sits in an exhibit in the Smithsonian in Washington, DC) – cemented not only the estate’s reputation but also the credibility of an entire region.

Half a century later, the story still reverberates.

The event remains a symbol of innovation, resilience and the restless spirit that continues to drive Napa Valley.

For Bo Barrett (current CEO and son of Jim Barrett, the late winery founder), who was just 18 when the winning 1973 Chardonnay was bottled, the tasting was a catalytic moment – one that transformed his family’s modest dream into a global legacy.

In this conversation, exclusive to Decanter, Barrett looks back on the early days of Montelena, his father Jim’s improbable leap from law to wine, and the unvarnished realities behind a victory that helped reshape the American viticultural dream.

Decanter, in conversation with Bo Barrett

You were only a teenager when your father bought Chateau Montelena in 1972. What do you remember about those early days?

I remember that it was all quite remarkable.

Two factors stand out in my mind that led my dad to Montelena. The Vietnam War was going really badly at the time, and top income tax rates in the US were extraordinarily high.

My dad was a real estate and tax attorney for a company that built malls around the world, and when he saw that President Nixon had introduced new incentives to revive American agriculture – which was struggling – he spotted an opportunity.

The administration had just expanded major investment tax credits and accelerated-depreciation rules for agricultural projects.

In effect, if you were a high earner, you could either hand a huge portion of your income over in taxes, or you could invest that same money into American agriculture instead.

My dad’s business partner always called Montelena ‘the tax dodge that got out of hand’.

Were you with him when he first set eyes on Montelena?

I was with him on the second trip.

My dad was a pilot, and we’d fly around together looking at pomegranate and citrus groves, cattle ranches, all these different things.

I was probably 17 when I came with him on his second trip to check out Chateau Montelena.

This lake was totally overgrown. It was a total jungle. The vineyards were completely run down.

When did you realise this wasn’t just a family project but might be your life’s work?

I didn’t know I was going to be a farmer until that first summer. I came up and started working in the vineyard and kind of just took to it.

The vineyard manager was an Italian-American named John Roll. He’d ploughed with a mule for Madame [Hélène] de Pins at Beaulieu vineyard.

He taught me how to hunt deer, collect abalone and forage for mushrooms – all this good stuff. He taught me the joy of the mason, which is the pride you take in a hard day’s work.

What do you remember about that famous 1973 Chardonnay around bottling time?

From the summer of 1973 and all the way to ’76, my whole family was here. The bottle that’s in the Smithsonian – I know I filled that bottle.

My brother Mike put the nitrogen on the bottle, and my little brother Kev put the bottles in the case. My whole family’s fingerprints are on that bottle.

Tell us about the day that Steven Spurrier visited the winery.

I remember [the winemaker] Mike Grgich being very nervous and making us get the cellar pristine, super-spiffy clean. It was a VIP tour, same as when Robert Mondavi was coming – everything had to shine.

We had to pull the magic disappearing act: all the staff go away, no one’s around. I wasn’t there watching Steven taste.

Mike probably sent me to the vineyard. Honestly, we didn’t pay that much attention until later.

What about when the results of the Paris tasting came in?

When the telegram came in, we were in the cellar working, filling barrels, and the doors were wide open.

Grgich was out in the gravel parking lot, dancing and waving this piece of paper and yelling, ‘We won! We won!’ So we turned off our pumps and walked out. We were all joining him in this little Yugoslavian victory dance.

It was a hell of a surprise. George Taber [then a Time magazine reporter and the only journalist present at the event, and subsequently author of the 2006 book on the topic] called my dad, and my dad gave him a quote. He didn’t want to insult the French: ‘Not bad for kids from the sticks.’

In what ways and how quickly did things change for Montelena after the article in Time came out?

It was immediate. Suddenly, we had distributors calling from all over the country.

The people who had said, ‘No, we don’t carry California wines’ the week before called us up and said, ‘Hey, we’d like to sell your wine.’ The phone was lighting up.

We didn’t have a general manager, but the California ‘attention’ didn’t change that much.

The first immediate change was that the rest of the country recognised that California was making good wine.

You’ve said before that the Judgement of Paris was a catalyst rather than a miracle. What do you mean by that?

All the ingredients were there: the land, the light, the people, the willingness to do the work.

If there had never been Prohibition, California would’ve buried Europe a century ago.

The most important thing is, it made quality such a driving force for everybody’s goal and mission.

So it had that drive towards improved quality, which then drove consumers to seek out a superior product. And so it became a self-perpetuating thing.

How do you see the next 50 years for Napa Valley?

It’s going to be as tough as the last 50. Work harder than anybody, pick the steep hill and keep climbing.

When you think about legacy, about Chateau Montelena’s place in history, what comes to mind?

I do think about what we’ve accomplished with just trying to do the right thing – to make something special out of a special place. The drive to express American excellence is what we’re the proudest of.

And I just hope that the people who fall in behind us in this business understand that you have to do the hard work and keep your nose to the grindstone and have the right philosophy, which is always to reward people’s faith.

They’re taking a bet on buying your product and your job is to make that bet pay off.

Three of my four grandparents were immigrants. The other was born in a covered wagon. No wine experience at all. The opportunity that was presented to us by this great country – it’s been a good thing.

We’re just quiet about it. People ask, ‘Are you going to retire?’ I say, hell no. I love what I do.

I’ve got a beautiful place, friendly people to work with and a fantastic crew. It’s a nice little ship. I don’t want to give it up.

Benchmark Napa: A taste of modern-day Montelena

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Paul Masson is often misremembered as a maker of California ‘jug wine’ and missed altogether for his outsized impact on California viticulture and the state's wine evolution.

It was the Burgundy-born Masson who brought Burgundian cuttings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Burgundy to the Santa Cruz Mountains, specifically a site he planted in Saratoga, California, way back in 1896.

The vines, originally from Louis Latour, are among the groundbreaking Pinot Noir plantings that would lay the genetic groundwork for many of the now-famous ‘California heritage clones.’

Famous names like Mt Eden, Swan and Martini have their origins in Masson’s early plantings.

The Santa Cruz Mountains, however, have not become identified with a single variety.

Instead, it is this region’s great diversity that radiates, and perhaps makes it somewhat of an enigma in terms of how consumers and even wine collectors understand the place.

Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah shine together here in ways that strike me as completely unique to a cool California coastal appellation.

A cool all its own

So what is it about the Santa Cruz Mountains that allows it to sufficiently ripen Cabernet and Syrah crating elegant expressions of these varieties, alongside the more delicate Burgundian varieties of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay?

‘There are a few things that set the Santa Cruz Mountains apart from other cool climate regions in California,’ says Cole Thomas, winemaker at Madson.

‘The first is that we experience ocean wind much differently. Most of California’s cool-climate regions experience very high prevailing ocean winds, whereas our vineyards do not.

‘We have perpendicular ridge lines and tall redwoods that moderate wind speeds. This makes a massive difference in how the fruit ripens because the vines do not shut down during the warmest and windiest time of the day.

The result is ripe skin tannins earlier.

‘The other key difference is the elevation vs proximity to the ocean. It is rare to have both such a high elevation and ocean exposure together. It seems many places don't have both,’ Thomas concludes.

Fog among the vines

Comparing the Santa Cruz Mountains to another cool-climate appellation where he grows Pinot and Chardonnay, Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley, Rhys Vineyards winemaker Jeff Brinkman notes how that ocean proximity affects peak temperatures in each region.

‘One difference that is quite important is the way both regions accumulate heat during the growing season. On paper, they have a similar average temperature, but that doesn’t tell the whole story,’ Brinkman explains.

‘In the Anderson Valley, mornings are often foggy, but it’s a higher-elevation fog that doesn’t linger in the vineyard.'

He continues: 'The daily high temperature occurs in the early afternoon, and there’s often a late-afternoon ocean breeze that cools things off quickly. It has a larger swing in daytime high-to-low temperatures.'

This diurnal shift means warm-to-hot days and very cool nights as ocean winds and fog move into the valley.

‘The Santa Cruz Mountains are totally different,’ Brinkman continues. ‘The day-to-night swings are much lower because of the proximity to the ocean, the elevation, and the fog is often right in the vines.

Think of it as a very gradual curve with the daytime high spread over a much longer span of the afternoon.’

Classic Cabernet Sauvignon

Marty Mathis is the second-generation winemaker and grower at the winery his mother, Kathryn Kennedy, founded in Saratoga.

Having returned to the region in 1947, Kennedy, who graduated from Stanford at the age of 19, decided to plant a vineyard in the early 1970s, as California's fine wine boom was underway.

Clone 8 Cabernet, planted on its own roots because Kathryn couldn’t afford the grafting, went into the ground in Saratoga in 1973.

The wines made over the years by Kathryn and, now, her son, Marty Mathis, are among the country's most ethereal.

They are beguiling, elegant, and with a long-lived ageability to rival the iconic brands at the top of the mountain from them, Ridge and Mount Eden.

‘This part of the Santa Clara Valley had a wine reputation which in some ways predated Napa Valley,’ says Marty Mathis, of his mother’s decision to plant at home.

‘In 1885, wines from this part of the Santa Clara Valley were often labelled as Medoc. They included Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Though the use of Merlot in this part of California seems to have faded away after prohibition,’ Mathis explains.

Geographic outlier

The Kennedy wines are certainly a product of this cool climate appellation, but as they sit at the foot of the mountains, they're an outlier geographically, yet they show a consistent mountain style of the region.

Mathis believes it's about the soil. ‘The soil is fairly rich in the top, 18-24 inches,' he says.

But below that is a low fertility mix of Clay, sand, sandstone, and quartz pebbles. This provides less vigorous vines and a more mountain-style yield.

Mathis continues: ‘We have two bodies of water that can provide cooling breezes during the most intense heat waves.

'Obviously, the powerful Pacific Ocean flows cool air over the mountains, but we also receive cooling breezes from the south San Francisco Bay when the wind blows from the interior.’

Such savoury Syrah

For a region built on Pinot Noir, it is now best known these days for the Cabernet and Cabernet-based wines of Ridge and the neighbouring Mount Eden.

In my tastings, Syrah, which has proven difficult to market, may just be the region’s most compelling wine.

These are wines of staggering complexity, floral refinement that meets a gamey, umami depth with ferrous minerality and undeniably elegant red fruits.

This variety finds a sweet spot in coastal conditions, where sufficient heat and a long growing season allow the necessary phenolic ripeness at lower sugar levels.

The finished alcohols are often listed between 12.8-13.8%. The acidity and tannin, with varying use of whole bunch maceration, craft ageable wines evocative of the Northern Rhône with dazzling freshness and lifted ‘New World’ fruit.

‘I think the intersection of shallow sedimentary soils and cool climate is key for our Syrah,’ says Brinkman of Rhys Vineyards.

‘The cool climate provides the savoury elements we typically have. I'm thinking specifically of the olive, game, and peppery components. The shallow soils, to me, provide the briny element, good acidity, and naturally lower yields needed for good Syrah.’

Madson’s Cole Thomas is in full agreement, saying: ‘Syrah needs a bit more elevation to ripen. The best sites sit above the fog-line and experience warmer daytime temperatures than most of our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sites.

'Still, these sites are cool, and sugar accumulation can be a challenge. We typically harvest in late October or early November. Again, poor sandstone soil limits yield and intensifies flavour, while the coolness provides delicate aromatics and freshness in the wine.’

Charming Chardonnay

The elegance that balances depth in the Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnays sticks out across producers and styles.

Perhaps no producer is as synonymous with the variety there as Thomas Fogarty, perched high on the northern flanks of the Santa Cruz range.

It produces six or seven bottlings from an array of single vineyards across its deeply forested estate, a Heritage Oak and Fir preserve.

Here, the vines rub shoulders with the intense and endemic mountain chaparral: California bay, eucalyptus, black sage, Monterey pine and a variety of fragrant manzanitas.

The Fogarty single blocks, eight in all, are planted on a mix of sites. The oldest Chardonnay vines are at Damiana, which sits at the very top of the estate, over 2,000 feet above sea level.

This original block was planted in 1978. The first vineyard was carved out among the trees, after clearing low brush and shrub land.

This approach has informed the others, mostly planted from the early to mid 1980s.

Nathan Kandler leads the winemaking at Thomas Fogarty, and uses a similar approach across all the Chardonnays, allowing the single vineyards to really show their diversity.

‘Most of the differences in the wine stem from soil and exposure in the vineyards,’ explains Kandler.

‘The heterogeneous nature of the various sites leads to pretty amazing differences in the variety of Chardonnays we make. The rootstock and the clonal selection are pretty static.

'The soils, however, range from volcanic basalt to sandstone and shale mixes.’

25 wines from Santa Cruz

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Clive Pursehouse speaks for the Willamette Valley in Oregon

As cool-climate Pinot Noir regions go, I think the Willamette Valley in Oregon is without peer in the United States.

I love the wines of the West Sonoma Coast, with their freshness and lift, but the classical elegance of the Willamette, marked by its unmistakable forest floor character and sweet, fresh red fruit, swings it for me.

The Willamette Valley has become a New World answer for lovers of classic Burgundy.

The biggest stigma that the Willamette Valley faces is that it’s not in California. As more than 80% of the country’s wine comes from the Golden State, people often have a hard time imagining American fine wine coming from anywhere else.

While Burgundy aficionados love the region’s Pinot Noirs, the average American wine consumer is still unaware of the Willamette Valley, considering this well-established region, with more than 700 wineries, a sort of ‘Wild West’ outpost.

Despite this, the region that was pioneered in the early 1970s has risen in just 50 years to be recognised as one of the world’s premium Pinot Noir-producing appellations.

American upstarts such as Adelsheim, Coury, Lett and Ponzi have been followed there by French names like Drouhin, Jadot and Lafon.

Unlike the West Sonoma Coast, which I do love for its beautiful wines, the Willamette isn’t a sub-appellation and has a singular identity, known for crafting elegant Pinot Noirs with fresh fruit and a deep, evocative ‘underbrush’ aspect, all while allowing for 11 nested AVAs within it to offer a diversity of expression.

You can’t see the ocean from any of the Willamette Valley’s vineyards – it sits about 65km west as the crow flies – but its maritime influence has a constant impact on the wines of the region.

Earthy richness

The cooling power of the Pacific makes the Willamette Valley the exceptional cool-climate region it is.

As the temperature rises in the valley during the warm summer months, cold air from the Pacific rushes into the Willamette through a gap in the Coast Range, cooling the region in the late-afternoon heat.

The latitude of the Willamette Valley, much farther north than Northern California, also means it has a shorter growing season and lower UV intensity.

The signature of Oregon Pinot Noir for me is the rich, Pacific Northwest forest floor, whether it’s turned soils, undergrowth or mushrooms: what the French call sous bois – the deep evergreen forests blanketed with ferns.

This provides a sense of depth and umami richness that frames the fleshy, bright berry fruits – be they strawberries, raspberries or riper Oregon blackberries – finishing with a saline character deriving from the region’s temperate Mediterranean and maritime climate, crisp and balanced acidity and often a flinty minerality.

Taken together, these elements create an elegance evocative of the Pinot Noirs of Burgundy.

However, in my view, the calibre of the wines, particularly for the price, exceeds what’s available in both Burgundy and the West Sonoma Coast.

Ana Carolina Quintela speaks for the West Sonoma Coast

American wine is no longer aspirational – let’s agree on this much before anything.

Pinot Noir, especially, has been thriving across different regions in the country, comfortably so.

Inevitably, at this point. The only interesting question isn’t whether the US can make great Pinot Noir, but where it speaks most compellingly.

More often than not, the answer circles back to the same two regions: Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the West Sonoma Coast of California.

While these two regions are often grouped together as cool-climate Pinot territory, in practice the resemblance only goes so far.

For me, the California coastal wines pull ahead, and the West Sonoma Coast’s biggest trump card is the Pacific ocean.

The ocean isn’t just a backdrop. The marine fog layer rolling in and out of the vineyards, spilling through winding roads, isn’t a special effect. The sudden rise in elevation isn’t scenery. The wind isn’t occasional, either.

Put it all together and those elements shape the wines that carry that imprint of salinity, etched acidity and a lift that goes beyond freshness.

It reads as energy. I’m comfortable calling it power.

Not ripeness, not weight, not authoritarian force. I mean the power of carrying a unique identity with confidence and a touch of defiance.

A power that doesn’t just sit on top of the wine, but holds it up from underneath. Pinot Noir is, by nature, an elegant grape, but elegance doesn’t have to be polite or appear fragile.

On the West Sonoma Coast, Pinot is elegant and unapologetically powerful.

A sense of scale

Part of what makes the West Sonoma Coast so compelling is also what makes it challenging for consumers to understand. This isn’t a region you cross through casually.

Vineyards are few and far between, because the land resists them with its steep ridges, isolated pockets, thick redwood forests and roads that remind you, pretty quickly, of how demanding it is to grow wine there.

There is a sense of scale: nature, larger than life, that shows in the glass.

I think it’s also fair to say that the Willamette Valley benefits from a built-in point of comparison to Burgundy.

Its geographic position (about 45°N latitude, compared to West Sonoma Coast’s 38.3°N) and climate make that parallel feel intuitive, and over time it has helped give the region a clear, legible identity, especially among collectors.

The West Sonoma Coast hasn’t had the same luxury.

As a younger AVA (American Viticultural Area – it was given TTB approval in May 2022), it has spent years labouring under the generic weight of ‘California Pinot’, or fighting for the visibility it deserves, which says more about how the two regions are framed than about the wines themselves.

I do love many of the wines from the Willamette Valley, but its more inland geography does leave it facing greater pressure as warming trends become harder to ignore.

And the longer you spend thinking about climate change, the more the coast starts to feel like insurance.

If great cool-climate Pinots are the ones that can keep their edge and balance, the appeal of places where the ocean still has a clear say feels obvious.

More top US Pinot Noir? For many more recommendations of top-quality Pinot Noirs from around the US, including Oregon and Sonoma, head to Decanter Premium

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• Willamette Valley 2023 vintage report: 20 of the year’s most polished and precocious Pinot Noirs
• Pinot Noir: 20 top-scoring wines to try
• Rethinking ripeness in Napa Valley: A fresh perspective on the region’s evolution

Tickets are now on sale for the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) New York, returning for its fifth year on Saturday 6 June, on the 60th floor at the stunning Manhatta.

High above the city skyline, the DFWE New York is a one-day tasting experience built for discovery. Guests are invited to taste widely, learn with confidence and deepen their understanding of fine wine, guided by the people who know it best.

The New York Encounter opens Decanter’s global Fine Wine Encounter series for 2026, ahead of later editions in cities including London, bringing together exceptional wines and expertise in an elegant, relaxed setting.

Discover what you like

At the heart of the day is the Grand Tasting, bringing together 55 producers from around the world, including E. Guigal, Château d’Esclans, Mazzei and Ridge Vineyards. Each will present four wines, including a special cuvée awarded 95+ points by Decanter. With the freedom to explore at your own pace, guests can compare styles, revisit favourites and speak directly with producers, building confidence in their palate while discovering new wines along the way.

Learn from the best

For those looking to explore further, a curated programme of three masterclasses offers focused insight into some of the world’s most celebrated names and regions.

Confirmed masterclasses include  Salon and Delamotte, hosted by Cristian Rimoldi, and Super Tuscans, led by Italian wine expert Michela Morris, with a third session to be announced.

Each class runs for 75 minutes and is limited capacity, allowing for a more in-depth, engaging experience.

A seat at the table with a winemaker

After a successful debut across Decanter’s global Fine Wine Encounters last year, the Winemakers’ Lunch returns to New York, having quickly become a highlight of the programme.

This intimate dining experience offers guests the chance to enjoy relaxed, in-depth conversations over lunch with winemakers and members of the Decanter editorial team. Dr Laura Catena of Catena Zapata is confirmed, with more names to be announced.

Essential information

DFWE New York

Date: Saturday June 6 2026 from 11am to 5pm

Location: Bay Room at Manhattan, 28 Liberty Street, 60th Floor

New York, NY 10005

Price: from $225 + US sales tax

BUY TICKETS HERE

Tickets are now on sale for the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) New York, returning for its fifth year on Saturday 6 June, on the 60th floor at the stunning Manhatta.

High above the city skyline, the DFWE New York is a one-day tasting experience built for discovery. Guests are invited to taste widely, learn with confidence and deepen their understanding of fine wine, guided by the people who know it best.

The New York Encounter opens Decanter’s global Fine Wine Encounter series for 2026, ahead of later editions in cities including London, bringing together exceptional wines and expertise in an elegant, relaxed setting.

Discover what you like

At the heart of the day is the Grand Tasting, bringing together 55 producers from around the world, including E. Guigal, Château d’Esclans, Mazzei and Ridge Vineyards. Each will present four wines, including a special cuvée awarded 95+ points by Decanter. With the freedom to explore at your own pace, guests can compare styles, revisit favourites and speak directly with producers, building confidence in their palate while discovering new wines along the way.

Learn from the best

For those looking to explore further, a curated programme of three masterclasses offers focused insight into some of the world’s most celebrated names and regions.

Confirmed masterclasses include  Salon and Delamotte, hosted by Cristian Rimoldi, and Super Tuscans, led by Italian wine expert Michela Morris, with a third session to be announced.

Each class runs for 75 minutes and is limited capacity, allowing for a more in-depth, engaging experience.

A seat at the table with a winemaker

After a successful debut across Decanter’s global Fine Wine Encounters last year, the Winemakers’ Lunch returns to New York, having quickly become a highlight of the programme.

This intimate dining experience offers guests the chance to enjoy relaxed, in-depth conversations over lunch with winemakers and members of the Decanter editorial team. Dr Laura Catena of Catena Zapata is confirmed, with more names to be announced.

Essential information

DFWE New York

Date: Saturday June 6 2026 from 11am to 5pm

Location: Bay Room at Manhattan, 28 Liberty Street, 60th Floor

New York, NY 10005

Price: from $225 + US sales tax

BUY TICKETS HERE

Having tasted extensively across the contrasting 2022 and forthcoming 2023 vintages of Napa Cabernet – the former early-drinking, riper with softer tannins, and the latter a cellarworthy year marked by vivid, fresh fruit and structured tannins – it made me consider the concept of ‘ripeness’

I asked a handful of Napa’s top winemakers to reflect on their approach and perspectives on ripeness in any growing season.

I wanted to know what it means to achieve ripeness today. How do farming choices shape ripening, whether ripeness is measured beyond numbers, and what does it mean in the context of balance?

What emerged was a familiar wine-world paradox: everyone agrees that achieving ideal ripeness – and ultimately a balanced wine – is paramount. Yet no one agrees on any fixed definition of that ideal.

‘The American palate has evolved towards less sweetness and more appreciation for acidity, bitterness, and a diversity of flavours,’ says Julien Fayard, of Fayard Wines, Covert, and Gemstone.

‘Culturally, as the food in our country changes, so do the wines. Napa is following a slower path, but reinventing and re-adjusting itself to better align its wines with what we’re eating today.’

For Aron Weinkauf of Spottswoode, it’s more personal and subjective. ‘I appreciate more subtlety, beauty, and freshness than I did 25 years ago,’ he says, echoing many others interviewed for this article.

Across conversations, the notion of achieving an ideal ripeness reveals no straight line to a target number. Instead, it follows a curving path, with overlaps between freshness and richness, hedonism and restraint, lab numbers and intuition – shaped by farming decisions, soil, vine material, climate, and stylistic preferences.

Evolution of the Napa style

From the higher-acid, tannic, long-lived wines of the 1970s, to the full-bodied, lush, sweet-fruited, richly oaked wines of the early aughts, and back toward a more nuanced middle ground today, the winemakers I spoke with consistently traced Napa’s ripeness conversation to historical planting decisions in the vineyard.

Rebekah Wineburg of Quintessa points to the 1990s as a defining moment: ‘The phylloxera crisis forced wide-scale renewal of vineyards,’ she says, explaining how it brought new clones and rootstocks selected to enhance physiological ripeness and bold flavour development.

At the same time, she continues, winemakers were ‘rejecting the vegetal flavours’ of earlier wines and seeking a style aimed at pleasure and immediate appeal.

By the 2000s, vineyard design and winery tools reinforced that shift. ‘Winemakers were chasing concentration, and the path to it seemed clear: lower yields, later picks, and absolute selectivity,’ Wineburg says. Advances in cellar technology made later harvesting feel safer – and, for a time, stylistically rewarding.

The alcohol fallacy

Rarely was ripeness framed in terms of potential alcohol levels.

Matthew Crafton, President and Winemaker of Chateau Montelena, explains: ‘I’ll see a picking window where the potential alcohol is in a good place, and the flavours are really nice’, explains , ‘but wait a day or two, and those numbers shift, and so do the flavours. You’re not measuring alcohol for balance—you can’t use alcohol as a proxy for ripeness.’

Meanwhile, Jean Hoefliger, of JH Consulting and AXR asserts: ‘You can’t be fooled into thinking a wine should always sit at a specific alcohol level.’

‘One of the greatest wines ever made – the 1947 Cheval Blanc, which came in at 14.4% ABV. Which was over two points higher than was typical for that wine. As for Napa Cab, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, consumer desire for more immediately approachable, pleasurable wine led to picking late, no acid or tannin additions, and ultimately to higher-alcohol, flabbier wines. That trend is now in reverse.’

Weinkauf emphasises how changes in vine material alone have altered ripening dynamics. ‘Today’s vine structure and vine vigour are very different. Trellis and vineyard infrastructures have changed.’

He notes that vertical shoot positioning differs radically from California sprawl or head-trained vineyards, with implications for yield, flavour concentration, and tannin development.

Climate change has added further complexity. Since 2015, Napa has experienced three of its warmest vintages on record. Nile Zacherle of David Arthur Wines argues that growers must adapt structurally, ‘rethinking row orientation and canopy architecture so wines are not shocked by climatic swings’.

Tasting ripeness

Despite access to unprecedented amounts of data, none of the winemakers describe ripeness as something determined solely in the laboratory, either. ‘Ultimately, it still comes down to taste,’ says Celia Welch of Scarecrow fame, and Celia Welch Consulting, with winemakers leveraging data as ‘checkpoints,’ above all else – as Rebekah Wineburg put it.

‘I literally ask myself: Do I want to eat this grape? Is it delicious?’ says grower, winemaker, and winery owner Steve Matthiasson.

As Aron Weinkauf explains, ‘we do measure sugar per berry,’ but he stresses that those numbers are weighed alongside ‘evaluating vine health, watching the weather, and tasting.’

Grapes growing on the vine give tangible cues such as ‘firm clusters versus limp, flaccid ones’, says Zacherle, ‘and a healthy canopy is one that provides dappled sunlight,’ for even-keeled ripening, ‘as harvest approaches.’

Wineburg describes ‘brown flavours’, bruised fruit, and a loss of freshness in grapes that are overripe.

By contrast, Jonah Beer of Pilcrow Wines (pictured above) frames under-ripeness biologically, suggesting that until the vine believes the seed can survive, ‘the vine keeps the acid high and sour’ in grapes.

Farming towards balance

‘Vines are pretty great at adapting to and reading their environment,’ says Weinkauf, ‘but our actions as the farmers can confuse them.’ He avoids early watering and excessive intervention, preferring to ‘guide rather than control’.

Matthiasson describes a season-long approach – cover crops, compost, pruning, shoot thinning, leaf thinning, irrigation – designed to deliver fruit that ‘makes the winemaking job easy’ and improve wine quality ‘without having to harvest later at higher potential alcohol’ (his Cabernet-based wines usually come in around or under 13% alcohol).

Chelsea Barrett talks of site-specific decisions. ‘In high-vigour blocks, we may plant permanent cover crops and [grow] larger canopies’, to control ripening, while ‘in lower-vigour sites, we might drop down to one cluster per shoot’, aiming at finding balance.

Fayard, by contrast, notes that, ‘we have been steadily lowering our alcohol by picking slightly earlier’. He adds that increasing yields at certain sites has improved hang time, slowed sugar loading, and led to ‘lower alcohols and better refined tannins’.

As an example, Fayard cited his Les Vins Julien line of wines, which are made with deliberately lower alcohol levels (as low as 11%).

Pendulums, preferences, and diversity

At a broader level, Napa’s ripeness story follows more of a pendulum swing. From pre-Parker elegance to power-packed Cabernets, now veering back toward a newer version of balance, based on how the growing season shapes a vintage. ‘There is no wrong or right, just diversity of style and taste,’ says Beer.

‘Remember those crazy-ripe Cabernets that had alcohols in the high 16% range?’ asks Welch, echoing Hoefliger that: ‘In recent years, the trend seems to be in the opposite direction.’

Continuum’s Tim Mondavi describes how smarter farming has changed the equation. He says: ‘In the past, we harvested late, in order to ameliorate the harshness of the wines.’

But better farming has allowed him to achieve ideal ripeness earlier in the season, thereby mitigating pressure from potential late-season extreme heat or fire.

‘Harvest is unpredictable,’ says Chelsea Barrett, ‘you make the best decisions you can with imperfect information,’ which is why better farming often comes with some capital-intensive technological improvements.

During the major heat event of 2022, wineries that had spent money to install vineyard misters kept canopy temperatures 15-20 degrees cooler on extremely hot days, thereby limiting sugar spikes and staving off higher potential alcohol levels.

‘We observe various movements – organic, biodynamic, regenerative farming, natural winemaking, on and on – but we do not commit to any single philosophy,’ concludes Fayard. ‘Instead, we prioritise transparency and customising our farming approach to each site.’

Wineburg summarises the collective mood best: ‘Ripeness is important, of course,’ she says, ‘but the intent has shifted.’

And that recalibration – toward balanced wines, expressive of site – suggests Napa Valley will never abandon its signature ripeness so much as refine it, just as regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy did over generations.

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