Wine Reviews

Vice Versa Debuts a Bold New Home in Calistoga

Napa has no shortage of polished tasting rooms. But few are hidden inside a steel-and-concrete bunker built into the hillside, channeling equal parts James Bond lair and modern art gallery. Even fewer…

Customized Hospitality: Inside the Revana Estate Experience

Within the bucolic vineyards of St. Helena, Revana Estate has spent nearly three decades refining a singular focus: producing exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley’s most pedigreed sites. Established in 1997 by…

Clos du Val: Bordeaux Spirit, Napa Soul

In a valley where heritage is often bought and bottled, Clos du Val remains a true family affair. Founded in 1972 by John and Henrietta Goelet, the estate helped put Napa on…

Château d’Esclans: The Rosé that Rewrote the Rules

20 years ago, rosé was a poolside afterthought. Then came Château d’Esclans—and everything changed. The estate sits in Provence’s hinterland, northeast of St. Tropez. Vines stretch toward the Massif des Maures, with…

Perrier-Jouët: The Art of Champagne, Reimagined by Nature

There are Champagne houses, and then there are Champagne maisons—those rarefied institutions where tradition and artistry mingle in ways that transcend time and taste. Perrier-Jouët belongs emphatically to the latter. Founded in…

Frank Family Vineyards: A Legacy of Chardonnay Excellence

Chardonnay lovers no doubt are familiar with Frank Family’s Carneros Chardonnay, one of the best-selling Chardonnays in the nation. This high-quality, reasonably priced wine is a staple for those seeking an elegant,…

Orin Swift Cellars: Extraordinary Wine Labels & Beyond

An Instant Mega-Hit You could call it a cult following. Since introducing his untraditional style nearly a quarter-century ago, winemaker Dave Phinney’s iconic brand, The Prisoner, has had a magnetic pull on…

At The Wine Foundry, You Are the Winemaker

Imagine crafting your own wines via a process that allows you to choose your prestigious vineyard site, dictate your taste preference, sort and crush your grapes, blend varietals, and design your own…

Family-Owned Wines for your Thanksgiving Table

Family-owned wineries are special. They are also increasingly rare in today’s wine landscape. Economic and industry pressures have led to market domination by larger corporations, making it a bit more difficult for…

Valpolicella Rocks: Tenuta Sant’Antonio

At wine tasting and lunch with Armando Castagnedi, owner of Tenuta Sant’Antonio family winery in Italy’s Veneto region, I solved this riddle. Q: What is even better than one charming, skilled, prestigious…

Wines for Summer at Yountville’s Goosecross Cellars

Yountville, Calif. — Transition spring into summer Napa style at Goosecross, an intimate, boutique winery overlooking lovely estate vines and the Mayacamas Mountains beyond. Since all of the wines are distributed direct…

Under-The-Radar No More: Mathew Bruno Winery

Mathew Bruno Winery produced its first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2009, yet the Napa Valley winery has flown very much under the radar these past many years. A small production accounts…