I’ve known Andrew Murray and his wines, for nearly 20 years. As a professed lover of Rhône, and all of its wine tributaries, Andrew, and his wines, immediately caught my interest. As a buyer for 6 years on the Central Coast, there was always something of his on my wine lists. Andrew started his winemaking journey in Australia. He quickly purchased some land in Santa Ynez Valley. After a few years, Andrew shifted and decided to sell his property, in favor or sourcing a diversity of grapes, from mainly cooler and older vineyards. While this may seem to go against the norms, this makes perfect sense for Andrew, who is always looking to improve and refine. They have taken over the old Curtis Vineyard, which he has replanted to better clone and plant materials. Since 2013, they have been farming organically and sustainably. The aspiration, is to be largely Estate within just a few years. Andrew Murray has expanded from 4 employees to more than 20. They now own 2 facilities, the older operation, hosts wayward winemakers without facilities. This journey may be somewhat full circle, but returning to what you started doing, but after gaining 20 extra years of experience. He wines are routinely, among the top reviewed wines in many publications. Half of their total production, is the ubiquitous Tous les Jours (translation:everyday), typically garners 90pts on a regular basis (2016-90pts RP). His top bottling, Roasted Slope (translation: Cote Rotie), is a coferment with Viognier and partial whole cluster, has turned into an icon in its own right.

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Every now and then, you come across a winery that is just doing everything right. Not flashy, no gimmicks, just really cool people making and selling great wine. That describes Anne Amie Vineyards to a "T".

Anne Amie is the baby of Robert Pamplin, Philanthropist, Author, Minister, Environmentalist, Educator, and much more. He purchased Chateau Benoit in 1999 in Willamette Valley. I can't speak to the quality of the wine prior to his purchase, but my understanding is that there was a lot of unfulfilled potential. He changed the name, and began bringing in some pretty key personnel. They kept one vineyard with Muller Thurgau, and pretty much replanted, grafted and generally changed everything else. They also purchased 3 additional estate vineyards. Most plantings are as recent as 2000-2001. Benoit had been producing every wine imaginable, but now, Anne Amie would, appropriately, focus on the 3 Pinots. L.I.V.E.and Salmon Safe practices were instituted, and Anne Amie was eventually certified.

With prime vineyards containing a diversity of Clones and Soil types, blending would be key. Single Vineyards bottlings can show great style, but many believe that blending different elements can result in a superior wine. The answer is there's no right answer, just style preferences. The results of Anne Amie are hard to argue against though. Using the right amount of age, and master blending results in very complex refined Pinot Noirs. The whites show the only flashiness, with rich Pinot Gris and racy Muller Thurgau, the whites have found their own cult.

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Growing into wine in the 90's,rowing into wine in the 90's, Bonny Doon was a tremendously important producer to me as I learned about wine. Randall Grahm's embrace of Rhône varietals, as well as other obscure (at the time) wines, gave hope to the idea that the world of wine did not begin and end with Chardonnay and Cabernet. His quirk and wit said that you can make serious wine without being self-important. There aren't too many rock stars in the wine world, Randall is definitely one.

Reinvention, renaissance, revolution, rebirth. They list goes on. This is 10 years into Randall and Bonny Doon’s second act (perhaps the 3rd, if you count the early misstep). THIS version of Bonny Doon Vineyard is built around several orbiting visions. The first-To find the right mix of varietals, some old, some new, some from seed, grown in an idealized location (Popelouchum) to try to discover true California terroir. Second, through open eyes and sleepless nights, develop wines of substance, soul and lifeforce.

The lineup now includes the eponymous “Cigare Volant” and family-Rhône-centric and inspired blends. The Rhône varietal wines-Le Posseur (Syrah), Clos de Gilroy (Grenache), and Picpoul. Rounding out the offerings-Bordelaise blends of white (Gravitas) and Red (A Proper Claret).  In addition-a veritable Wonka-esque offering via tasting room and wine club, show deeper dives into sources, techniques and other curiosities.

Somehow, after all of these 30+ years of taking the road untraveled, and championing the wines and ideals seen as eccentric and quaint, the American tastes are finally evolving to catch up to the very things Randall has been preaching for generations.

Update: On Jan 1, 2020, Randall took on partners-War Room Ventures. They have streamlined the operation, stabilized pricing and supported the quest towards continuity at the distributor level. with the addition of a new Orange wine, the core is 5 wines. Same winemaking, same vineyard sources. Uninterrupted quality-The transition has been seamless. Randall is still heavily involved.

Corvidae is a side project of David O'Reilly of Owen Roe. While they share a winemaking team and facility, they are stylistically different wines. Corvidae referes to "corvids" the family of birds that include crows, magpies, ravens, etc. These are though to be the most intelligent and inquisitive birds out there, even remembering people's faces. Oddly, this curious and smart nature, describes David O'Reilly just as well. I sold his wines in the 2000's as I begged him to let us represent him. After agreeing and giving us a great allocation, he came out for a visit just as I was getting ready to leave the distributorship. we sat down for a beer at the end of a long tasting and he told me about this project he was working on. Great vineyards were available, that would lend themselves to organic and sustainable farming practices. By buying the vineyards, they would be able to keep costs down. He believed he could come to market with very competitively priced wines with complexity and structure. But, he said, that several years down the road. well, that beer was 7 years ago, and Corvidae is now on it's 3rd vintage. while it's not fully estate grown fruit quite yet, it's largely based on their own vineyards as well as those of some great grape growing friends. They just completed their brand new winemaking facility. In the coming years, the hope to have even a larger percentage of the grapes from their maturing Estate vineyards, farmed organically. These are wines made with purpose and minimal intervention. Oak regiment is kept to a minimum.

The Fableist is a collaboration between winemakers Curt Schalchlin and Andrew Jones. Curt, owner and vintner of the heralded winery, Sans Liege, is known for his critically acclaimed Rhone varietal wines. Andrew, winemaker of Field Recordings spends his days planning and planting vineyards and has stood foot in just about every vineyard on the Central Coast. Together, they produce The Fableist, a collaboration that gives special attention to the craft and story behind each wine.

I kept crossing paths with Field Recordings wines. Their social media presence is significant, but the thing that really grabbed me were the acolytes. People bought in, big time, and I was curious as to why. When I reached out for Andrew Jones a few years back, we connected immediately. Andrew, coincidentally, hailed from the town in California where we lived for 7 years, Ventura, but he spoke with direct, no bullshit, Midwest affect. This is a dude that has grinded his entire life. Football player, college scholarship, car accident changed that trajectory, but, as luck would have it, he was at a great enology school Cal Poly SLO. He found himself immersed in the industry. His first gig was working for a grapevine nursery, selling rootstock to vineyards around the Central Coast, and eventually, the entire West Coast. It was doing this job, that showed him underappreciated varieties grown in amazing vineyards. He tried his hand at winemaking with “Jurassic Park” Chenin Blanc-Old Vine Chenin that was used to top off Chardonnay barrels. From there, it sort of exploded. Andrew often gets grouped into what he calls “The Natty Crew”. This is not by design, necessarily. He is taking the simplest approach to making wine. He’s not a lab guy, he’s a vineyard guy. No manipulations. All of the fruit he buys is Organic, and or/ sustainable. No new oak. Minimal filtration. Minimal sulfur. Vegan. HOWEVER, the wines are impeccable. Aspirational, but not flawed. Oh, and they are ridiculously affordable. Andrew makes Pet Nats, Piquettes, Orange wine, Ramato, Carbonic Cab Franc, “crushable” Carbonic Sangiovese, and probably came up with something else while I was writing this. Along with a few other brand sunder the Field recordings umbrella as well as the Fableist partnership, you would assume that Andrew is doing this full time. well, for normal person, the amount of hours he devotes, would be a full time job. HOWEVER, he remains at that nursery sell rootstock, and is raising a growing family, coaching baseball and football. It’s remarkable. The only criticism? He’s a HUGE Packers fans. Gross. #GoLions

In the early 2000’s-I was a somm in Santa Barbara. I will always feel a deep connection to that wine country, and the people that work there. I was a fan of Gainey then, and in fact, took my staff there a couple of times. I always felt that they were producing some of the best Bordeaux varieties in the area. Fast forward, oh 20 years, and a dear friend reconnected me with Gainey. They had been represented by a National Brokerage for years, so, they were never a real candidate to join my book. Well, they wisely restructured their National sales strategy. They sent me samples. In the time since I last knew the wines a few things changed. Notably-they bought 2 vineyards in Santa Rita Hills-the spectacular cool appellation on the far western edge of the county Evan’s Ranch on the Southern edge and Rancho Esperanza, on the Northern edge. Together, they are growing some incredible Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Paired with their Home Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, where they produce Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc, the entire range is outstanding. 4 Generations of Gainey have farmed the Home Ranch since the early 1960’s. The ranch itself was planted to vines in 1984, establishing Gainey Vineyard in the relatively young Santa Barbara (only 13 wineries in the county at the time).

Today, the wines are classic styles of each variety. Minimal use of new oak and no manipulation. They adopted sustainable farming practices before it had a name. They utilize cover crops, composting and use no pesticides. This is a generational operation ad a steward of the land.

I’ll admit it. Early on, in my wine career, I was into ‘parkerized” Spanish wines. I say this after coming out of that fog a better person (at least I think so). I have always loved Spanish wines. As my palate developed, I realized the Spanish wines I really liked weren’t readily available. As a distributor, we shopped around a bit and through mutual friends, found Grapes of Spain. I was immediately impressed with their structured, and elegant wines that all found the terroir of Spain (without any candied oak!). Aurelio Cabastrero is one of the great minds regarding Spanish wines and his portfolio does this beautiful country justice.

During the economic recession of 2001, and Owen Roe’s first couple vintages as a winery, Washington growers were facing hardship in selling their fruit, come harvest time. At Owen Roe, we wanted to help our farming friends and prevent missing out on such well-tended, beautiful fruit. We were presented with the difficult and costly purchasing of grapes to process, cellar and bottle, waiting several months to recover our costs on the finished wine. To overcome this obstacle, we decided to bring back the historical business practice of sharecropping, resulting in the aptly named wine, “Sharecropper ’s.” This partnership meant that Owen Roe would take the fruit, make the wine and once it was sold, share the profits with our growers. This remains an important part of our history and due to the success of this wine; we are now able to pay our growers upfront.

Milla Handley was the “first” for a few things. She was one of the first women to graduate from UC Davis with a Fermentation Sciences degree. When she founded Handley Cellars in 1983, she was the first woman in the U.S. to put her name on her own wine label. She planted her first vineyard, Handley Estate. Her second vineyard was planted in the 90’s by her late husband Rex Scott McLellan (RSM EState). In 2005, Handley was the first winery in Anderson Valley to earn CCOF (Certified Organic Farming). A steward of the land and a visonary leader for Anderson Valley. Milla started retiring (an age old trope among winegrowers) in 2015, handing the reigns over to longtime winemaker Randy Schock (since 2004) and her daughter Lulu. Lulu, who grew up on the vineyard, attended UC Berkeley. Lulu travelled the globe learning about biodiversity, homesteading, and winemaking, before finally returning home in 2016. Sadly, Milla passed away from COVID in July of 2020. Today, Lulu oversees all operations and is proud to be a second generation woman owned winery.

Santa Barbara. My home away from home. Not the place I like to visit, but the place where my wine knowledge foundation was built. 7 years in and around wine country, some of the famed old guard patiently answered my questions. My affinity for this place is forever. when i was approached by the team behind Jonata, The Hilt and The Paring, I was intrigued. These wineries all started after I moved back to Ohio, but that was 20 years ago. I’ve missed a lot since then. Jonata took the world by storm in the early 2010’s. A farm in the heart of the Ballard Canyon AVA, they immediately reset expectations of what this appellation could be. Then, they reset expectations in Santa Rita Hills. They began buying 3 vineyards: Radian, Bentrock, Puerta Del Mar 3600acres 205 planted. All are certified sustainable with Puerta del Mar being also certified organic. winemaking on Chardonnay is pretty reductive with lots of lees contact. Pinots are destemmed and gorgeous. Matt Dees has been the winemaker since day 1.

Hobo Wine Co, and the family of brands, is the brainchild of Kenny Likitprakong. Kenny, a native of Sonoma, founded Hobo over 20 years ago after graduating from UC Davis and spending some time abroad. Kenny ran the UC Davis Organic Vineyard program for 2 years and fell in love with organic farming and minimalistic winemaking. Originally founded as a traveling brand without vineyards or a winery, that has now shifted. Hobo resides in Santa Rosa, and farms 1/3 of the grapes they buy. A strong focus on environmentalism and organic practices, all of the wines under the umbrella share 2 traits-low intervention and tremendous bang for the buck. the brands all have different purposes-Folk Machine is a catch all for esoteric varieties as well as Pinot Noir and a pair of blends. Camp is focused on North Coast “fighting” varietals. Banyan is Monterey Gewurztraminer. Ghostwriter is all about Santa Cruz Mountains and Hobo is Sonoma, and Workbook is the keg program.

Santa Barbara. My home away from home. Not the place I like to visit, but the place where my wine knowledge foundation was built. 7 years in and around wine country, some of the famed old guard patiently answered my questions. My affinity for this place is forever. when i was approached by the team behind Jonata, The Hilt and The Paring, I was intrigued. These wineries all started after I moved back to Ohio, but that was 20 years ago. I’ve missed a lot since then. Jonata took the world by storm in the early 2010’s. A farm in the heart of the Ballard Canyon AVA, they immediately reset expectations of what this appellation could be. Progressive farming techniques and unique terroir can provide. Sandy soils, huge diurnal swings. The wines are finessed, with extraordinary depth and detail. Jonata is 600 acres, 84 planted to vine, organic farming and committed to sustainability and regenerative agriculture. Matt Dees has been the winemaker for more than 15years.

Many, many years ago, the wines of Owen Roe caught my. They were intriguing and wen I finally tasted them, I felt they were full of the promise I had always expected from Washington State.  when I had an opportunity to add wines to our distributor portfolio several years later, I knew I had a connection that could hook me up with David O'Reilly-Peter Rosback from Sineann. They’re old friends.  Once I began to wrap my head around what these wines are and their beauty, I was quite enamored. To me, they are a great embodiment of Washington State. From the Dry Rieslings, to the dense Cabernet Francs, they hit every time. Most impressive though, are the approachable, mid range wines-Sinister Hand, Abbots Table and Ex-Umbris (I’m a noted syrah freak). When I finally met David O’Reilly, it sealed the deal (at least in my mind-I’ve been trying to get these wines in my book for 5 years!). The guy just has a twinkle in his eye. His family first approach and big table kindness are refreshing departures from this business of wine. 

The idea of “declassified” wines is an idea as old as the wine trade itself. The concept typically exists to utilize grapes that don’t make the final blends, but has a pedigree and a reputation worthy of the association. well, The Paring is no different. Made from declassified grapes from The Hilt, Jonata and “friends” up North, The Paring, while following the structure, blows up expectations. Made from grapes that ordinarily go into $50-$100+ wines, these are glass pours and everyday wines from the exact same vines, winery and winemaker as it’s lauded sources.

Weingut Max Ferd Richter dates back so far, that it is a little fuzzy as to the exact starting date. On their label, they list 1680, but this is the “bonded” date. It is suspected that this winery dates back generations even before this time. Now on their 9th & 10th generations, the current property is run by Dr Dirk Richter and his son, winemaker, Constantin Richter. This family has defined traditional Mosel Riesling for centuries. With holdings in some of the best vineyard sites, as well as 2 acclaimed monopoles, Richter is a iconic Riesling producer.

I’ve had the honor of working with David O’Reilly since 2005 as a distributor, and then starting again in 2012 as a broker while he owned Owen Roe. we’ve spent a bit of time together over the years, and I can tell you, David is a unique individual. Seeing the sunny side of the street, he’s a survivor. When I heard about his new project with his family-wife Angelica and 3 of his daughters, I was THRILLED. The O’Reillys are a special family, not just in size, but in passion for the wine industry. David’s grandfather was an importer of Bordeaux into Northern Ireland. it’s truly in their blood.

The story behind Rocks of Bawn is rooted in the historical struggle and resilience of the Irish people. Inspired by the popular Irish folk song, Rocks of Bawn pays homage to the determination of those who faced hardship on the rocky west coast of Ireland. Just as our forebears persevered in cultivating the challenging soil, we are dedicated to crafting exceptional wines that embody the spirit of tireless effort and unwavering passion.

Today, the O’Reillys hand select a few grape growing friends to work with. Focusing on WA Bordeaux varieties and OR Burgundian, these wines are low intervention, old world expressions from these areas the O’Reillys have been working with since 1989.

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Ampelography would not exist if it weren’t for David Shiverick. I worked for David from 2004-2007 as a regional representative, and when I started ampelography in 2009, his book was a foundational piece.

Langdon Shiverick Imports was founded in 1987 when David Shiverick took over for the retiring Louis Langdon. David Shiverick eventually purchased the company outright and has been searching for and representing some of the top estates in France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal. David is well-known for his ability to find outstanding producers in Europe and then developing the wines through a distributor network of major markets as well as his own distributorships in NY and CA. Many of the producers are very highly rated and although limited in quantity, he makes sure all markets have a chance to purchase his wines. Robert Parker once said "David Shiverick maintains a remarkably low profile in view of the high caliber of his portfolio. The estates are not always household names and that's the reason why wine insiders are his biggest fans."

David's portfolio now contains over 50 top producers. He has developed a lovely Portuguese portfolio and has reasserted his presence in Burgundy. Having had the distinct pleasure of travelling with David to Europe each of the last 2 years, I was able to witness what must truly be the defining characteristic of any great importer-an insatiable natural curiosity. When you pair that with experience and quick wit, you have David Shiverick.

Today, like so many of David’s winery partners, he has brought in the next generation. Hope Shiverick. Hope is a force in her own right-UC Davis educated, worked her way up through The Henry Wine Group (I am also a former HWG alum), she joined Langdon Shiverick in 2016. Hope is now the VP of renamed Shiverick Imports. Her influence over the portfolio has been an exciting addition, and her professionalism in unmatched.

So Far Out: a joint project between Field Recordings, organic Central Coast grape grower Mike Testa, and long time Los Angeles wine industry veteran Jamil Williams. So Far Out Winery is dedicated to producing everyday drinking organic wines from Santa Barbara County that are as delicious as they are sustainable.

So Far Out’s mission is to produce high-quality wines that are accessible and affordable for everyone, while still maintaining the quality and integrity that the wine consumer demands. The vineyards have been carefully selected by Mike Testa, who has focused his personal properties on growing organic grapes and providing sustainable, high-quality fruit to the local wine industry. His experience and knowledge in the field have helped to shape the way that So Far Out Winery approaches winemaking.

Jamil Williams has brought his vast expertise in design and wine retail to So Far Out Winery. With Jamil onboard, So Far Out has been able to conceptualize wines that should be praised by critics and wine enthusiasts alike. His goal is to make So Far Out Winery the freshest and most exciting wine project in Santa Barbara wine country.

At So Far Out, we are passionate about the environment and sustainability. Our wines are made with organic grapes, and our vineyard is farmed according to the principles of sustainable agriculture. We believe that our approach to winemaking reflects who we are as people – responsible, forward-thinking, and community-focused.

This business is incredibly small. People like Craig Camp, make it even smaller. Craig has worked with 3 wineries over the last 15+ years. I had worked with his previous 2. I had heard he moved over to Troon Vineyards a couple of years ago. which led me to ask a couple of questions-Where is the Applegate Valley, and who is Troon? Fortunately, for me, Craig is a tireless writer about the trade. I followed the comings and goings of this small winery in a place I'd never heard of. Fall of 2017, Craig offered to send out some samples. My curiosity was piqued. I cracked into the 2 cases and over the course of a couple of weeks, explored the range. I was impressed with each and every wine I tasted.

So, as Jerry Seinfeld might say, what's the deal with Troon? Well, it's sort of unique. The winery has  been around for 45+ years. Dick Troon, a Scottish Immigrant, owned a Cattle Ranch, but found Grape Growing to be more lucrative. He immersed himself in the skills of grape growing. They are located in the Applegate Valley, which is a sub AVA of the Rogue Valley-Granted AVA status in 2000-Its and expansive AVA running 50mi South to North. It is separated from the coastal influence by the protective Siskiyou Mountain range to its West. Less than 2 dozen wineries lie within this AVA, but it is home to Oregon's first winery more than 100 years ago. The Terroir has 3 big things going for it-1) Decomposed granite 2) High elevation (1k ft+) 3) Long days during the growing season without fog.. These 3 things add up to a fascinating spot for Mediterranean Varietals. The new world version of many of these wines often produce over ripe wines without distinction. Troon Vineyard produces wines of elegance, structure and balance. Many of the alc%'s clocking in below 14 and 13%.

Part of this is credit to the winemaking approach. Along with Craig, Troon brought in a new winemaker in 2014-Steve Hall. Steve has an impressive list of Napa Wineries on his resume. Craig and Steve made the conscious decision to look at Natural winemaking and grape growing. Troon foot stomps and uses only ambient yeasts. neutral oak, natural ML, no enzymes, no acidulation, no manipulation, minimal sulfur at bottling. The grape growing is L.I.V.E. Certified (Sustainable), and working towards Biodynamic Certification by 2020.

This all adds up to a fascinating range of wines from varietals native to the rim of the Mediterranean Sea. Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Malbec, Tannat, Vermentino, Grenache, Montepulciano, Marsanne, Viognier. These are wines of character and individuality.