Cuda Ridge Wines Acquired by Lemmon Family / Concannon – What does it mean?
Photo from Concannon Vineyards
Larry, Margie and daughter Megan with the purple Barracuda in front of the California Historical Landmark No.641 founded by James Concannon in 1883 on the Concannon Vineyard.
Cuda Ridge Wines was founded in 2007 by Larry and Margie Dino. They announced the move of Cuda Ridge Wines from Arroyo Road in Livermore moving August 1st to Concannon Vineyards and Winery at 4590 Tesla Road in Livermore and a few questions have been asked?
When entering Concannon Winery’s courtyard off to the right is Cuda Ridge Wines indoor tasting room. Photo from Larry Dino
First what will happen to Cuda Ridge Wines label. In a nutshell, nothing bad and only good will prevail. Cuda Ridge Wines will continue with their label and have a separate tasting room at Concannon. They also will have a designated area in the lawn pavilion, one side for Concannon wines and one for Cuda Ridge Wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Margie Dino has completed transforming a beautiful space at Concannon Winery to make a cozy, warm and friendly indoor tasting bar and room. Kevin Baskin, VP at Concannon, I know worked quickly and long hours in getting the room ready by August 1st.
Photo from Larry Dino
With Larry’s Cuda Ridge Wines being acquired by Lemmon Family/Concannon will he still be doing Bordeaux style wines? The simple answer is yes and even more wines are planned. Larry will continue to be the consulting winemaker for all his product portfolio as well as consult, if necessary, with Concannon’s winemaker Brett Fiske.
The benefits of being co-located with Concannon are immense:
- Concannon’s wine club members will now be able to taste Cuda Ridge Wines at the same location and vice-a-versa.
- Cuda Ridge Wines will be able to use Concannon’s state-of-the-art laboratory on site without sending it off to a lab.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
- Cuda Ridge Wines can leverage mobile bottling line production now and fully automated system down the road, increase barrel storage area, etc.
- Cuda Ridge Wines will also have access to many new winery machines such as a newly installed press that can handle up to 17 tons and cold storage of the juice automatically! This new press is not a typical bladder press but a wire mesh with the juice being captured and refrigerated immediately.
Photo from Larry Dino
- Cuda Ridge Wines will continue to be a small boutique and artisan winery producing wines of distinction and award-winning quality.
Photo from Larry Dino
- Cuda Ridge Wines will be able to leverage Concannon’s resources for marketing (Harrison Miller) and production personnel.
- Without going into a lot of detail in this story, but in a subsequent story, Concannon has a vision for what Concannon Winery will become and Cuda Ridge Wines will hop on the train with events, wedding venue, special events, etc.
- Concannon and Cuda Ridge Wines, as production grows, are in active discussion with distribution partners to increase their market presence.
If there was a picture of everything coming up roses, it would be a picture of Cuda Ridge Wines finding its new, creative and innovative home at Concannon Vineyards.
More on Concannon Vineyards vision and plans in an upcoming story.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
Cellar13 Winery – An Exciting New Beginning
It is not often one gets to see a small company at its inception to grow and become a substantial part of a community. That is the case with Cellar13 Winery, with Darin Winton and Gail Henderson.
Photo from Cellar13 website
Firstly, their beginnings gained momentum with winning local wine competitions and then received national press at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition. Starting in 2017 after retiring, Darin took up winemaking, starting with enology classes and volunteering for various harvests. He became the Assistant Winemaker at local winery where he started honing his craft. Gail Henderson’s background is Human Resources for ten years and then the last twenty years she has been working as a licensed real estate broker. Gail is responsible for running Cellar13 behind the scenes with marketing, social media, wine club, holding tastings, winemaker’s dinners and so much more.
Darin is a quarter Cherokee Indian heritage and proudly uses that language for some of his wines. The artwork on the bottles is also done by a Cherokee Indian John Balloue, Darin’s uncle.
In a very short time Darin has received numerous awards for each of his wines. The list is too extensive to enumerate here but would direct you to their website to see the complete list. A few examples:
*2023 Chardonnay – Gold Medal Winner, 2026 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
*2025 Chardonnay – Gold Medal Winner, 2026 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
*2025 Albariño -98 Points, Best of Class, Double Gold Medal Winner, 2026 Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition
*2023 Sauvignon Blanc – Double Gold Medal Winner, 2025 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
*2025 Sidanelv – Best of Show (White Wine Blend), Best of Class, Double Gold Medal Winner, 2026 Alameda County Signature Wine Competition
*2019 Cabernet Sauvignon – Double Gold Medal Winner 97 points, 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition. Double Gold Medal Winner, 2024 Orange County Fair Wine Competition, top 1% of awards. Gold Medal Winner, 2023 SF Chronicle Wine Competition.
*2021 Cabernet Franc – 92 points, Gold Medal Winner, 2024 East Meets West Wine Competition. Gold Medal Winner-2024 Alameda County Fair. Gold Medal Winner – SF Chronicle Wine Competition.
And so many more………..
That is brief outline of their hard work and effort on chapter one from start to phenomenal growth.
Now on to chapter two. They have been pouring at Swirl in downtown Livermore and various popup locations for years. Now the exciting news: they just signed a lease agreement to take over the previous Cuda Ridge Wines location (with Cuda moving to the Concannon site). Cellar13’s new location, hopefully by the end of September, will be 2400 Arroyo Road in Livermore. They are over the moon to finally have a “home base” in which to host both their loyal club members and have the public experience their wines. Darin will also have a “home” to produce his wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
On a recent visit to Livermore Valley, I stopped by Swirl where they were pouring on Sunday afternoon. Greeted by the hard-working Gail pouring wine with her effervescent smile. We started off with one of my standard wines in the cellar, their award-winning Albariño.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up on the tasting and then joined by one my favorite judges/SOMM’s Fran Cunniffe, to taste the 2025 Sidanelv wine, a refreshing and crisp white blend of 25% Albariño and 75% Sauvignon Blanc.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We moved on with Darin providing “color commentary” on each exquisite and tasteful wines we sipped. The one in the picture was their Pinot Noir.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We continued through with their Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc selections. A great afternoon!
In the interim if you can’t wait until the end of September to taste their wines at their new home, they will be pouring at Swirl in downtown Livermore before moving to their permanent winery/tasting room on Arroyo Road.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2023 Gérard Bertrand Heritage An 825 Crémant de Limoux Brut with Dinner
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Recently picked up a couple of these bottles at a local event after tasting the wine. At the tasting, while going through six or seven different wines, this stood out as being the best I tasted that evening.
The wine is made up of four varieties of grapes: Chardonnay (58%), Chenin blanc (28%) and Pinot Noir (14%). Gérard Bertrand Heritage An 825 Crémant de Limoux Brut is a traditional-method French sparkling wine from Languedoc. The wine can be found for around $21 and comes in at 12% alcohol.
A quick refresher that Crémant is a French sparkling wine made outside the Champagne region using the traditional bottle-fermentation method. Key features include regional variety, lower cost, and a creamy texture. They use the méthode traditionnelle, meaning the second fermentation happens inside the bottle. Named for crème (cream) because of its soft and fine bubbles.
First on the eyes a light golden color with aromatics of honey, green apple and brioche. On the palate definite structure and elegance giving way to sips of enjoyment. The small bubbles only added a finesse and light quality to the wine. The winery states “the Chenin adds vivacity and enhances longevity.”
Light, refreshing and uplifting would best describe this wine.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The meal this evening was called Chicken and Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan cheese. Ingredients include penne pasta, EVOO, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces, kosher salt, ground pepper, minced garlic, dry white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, unsalted butter, grated Parmesan cheese and fresh spinach. Accompanied by a fresh garden salad.
Enjoyed the meal and especially the pairing with the chicken bites and fresh Parmesan cheese. A very good food and wine pairing despite the spinach that normally calls for high acidity to balance the earthy and slightly bitterness of the spinach.
The Winery
Gérard Bertrand reveals the history of the great terroirs of the South of France. The first written trace of the Abbey of Saint Hilaire date back to 825. The Abbey is located near Limoux and is famous for having housed the monks who discovered the secret of effervescent wines.
Gérard Bertrand produces an estimated total volume of 12 to 15 million bottles of wine annually across its entire portfolio. Roughly half make it to the USA. The vineyards cover approximately 6,000 acres in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. They generate around $180 million annually. Fully one third of their production is their Rosé (led by their popular label Cote des Roses). The balance are wine varieties such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Pino Noir and Syrah.
Currently they have seven major brands which are Cote des Roses, Gris Blanc, Heritage, French Cancan, Hampton Water, Legend Vintage and Rouge Clair.
Gérard Bertrand has been committed since 2002 to the path of biodynamic viticulture.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
A Gourmet Meal at Cured Fish Bar in Livermore, California
On my recent visit to California met a good friend, Harrison Wood, for dinner at Cured Fish Bar which he has raved about for months. After many courses of delicacies, I concur one hundred percent with him!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We started off with a bottle a bottle called Poema Metodo Tracdicional Brut Cava sparkling from Spain. Wanted something not too intrusive to the fresh and sublime dishes we were about to experience.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Started out the meal sharing 6 pcs of lil Skookum oysters from Washington with an accruement of sauces and toppings. Those included grated horseradish, red + green house hot sauce and cocktail sauce.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up was the Tuna Tartare of two pieces of Wingen crostini, yuzu Kosho butter, house soy and scallion.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Other dishes included Albacore Cheesy Toast with wine braised leeks, butter, chopped smoked albacore, toasty Gouda cheese and chives.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Several other dishes kept arriving as Harrison knows the chef/owner very well. Here are just a couple pictures of the exquisitely prepared and plated foods. They all tasted better than they looked, which is hard to imagine.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Should you find yourself in Livermore, this is a must visit small boutique restaurant that prepares artisan foods. You will be astonished and outright delighted you stopped!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2020 Lavender Ridge Roussanne – One of the Best Tasted!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Lavender Ridge Vineyard tasting room is in the town of Murphys in the lower Sierra Nevada foothills. Lavender Ridge specializes in Rhone varietal wines. They include Cotes du Calaveras Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne, Rolle, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Rose, Grenache, Cotes du Calaveras, Mourvedre, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Vin Doux and Anniversaire Blanc. They also feature an artisan cheese selection that is unique and has something for just about everyone.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Roussanne on the eyes is a light radiant and clear golden straw color with medium heavy viscosity. On the nose floral aromatics, hints of pear and apricots waft into the senses. On the palate, you are treated to a silky-smooth mouthful texture. The finish provides a soft nutty almond, compounded with a hint of honey and distinct minerality. This Roussanne is powerful with floral aromatics, with hints of peaches, pears and provided a rich and silky-smooth mouthful texture. The fullness of body, almost a creamy sense, is the key contributor making this a unique wine! Roussanne brings more rounded acidity, elegance and aromatic complexities to the wine. Lavender Ridge Roussanne has consistently won awards at various wine competitions. Rich Gilpin, owner & winemaker, produces Roussanne as a standard varietal and a nice change up from Chardonnay! Today’s vintage is 2025 and it goes for $30/bottle. This wine has made my Annual Best Wines Tasted list for 7 years in a row. It will also make the list for 2026 for wines $50 and less!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired with sauteed scallops and a creative Mango Salsa this evening. The Mango Salsa included chopped mangoes, seeded and chopped bell pepper, jalapeno seeded and chopped, red onion chopped, fresh cilantro chopped, lime juice, kosher salt and chili powder. Accompanied by long and short grain brown rice and steamed broccoli. The wine provided both refreshment and a tremendous mouth feel to counterbalance any spiciness from salsa.
While several other varieties may have also worked, the mouth-filling and flavorful Roussanne was an exquisite treat this evening.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
Arizona Chef’s Week 2026 – What a Great Event at Board & Batten
This is only the second year the greater Phoenix area has held this event. It is for locally owned independent restaurants to highlight the culinary talent of their chef’s. Each of the seventy participating restaurants created a three-course menu for this week only loaded as stated “with fresh ideas and bold new flavors.” It started July 31st and ends August 9th.
We had heard from various people and read strong recommendations for Board & Batten in the north Mesa area at 4012 E Palm St, Mesa and they were all correct!
Photo from Board & Batten
In addition to the fixed menu, one could also order off the regular menu. Each of the dishes was offered a recommended wine pairing in either three ounce or six-ounce pour options.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We arrived a bit early to make sure we could get indoor seating as the weather was brutally hot. Upon entering the beautiful grounds and impeccable modern decorated restaurant, we chose to sit at the bar. Looking over an excellent and broad European wine list with a few selections of USA wines, chose an unusual Italian Inama Azienda Agricola Carménère Piu offering. Carménère today typically comes from Chile, so it piqued my interest. Had a quick taste and ordered the bottle that was a smoother Carménère than Chilian Carménère, with an Italian twist of oak and Old-World production techniques – a particularly good wine. Aromas of black plum, tobacco and dark berries. On the palate blackberries with herbs and spices. At the conclusion smooth and velvety tannins made for an enjoyable finish.
Once seated we were already delighted with the friendliness of the staff from the hostess and bar host then the wait staff and wine manager continued this exchange. All top notch and professional without any pretense.
My wife ordered Pomodoro pasta with rigatoni noodles, sweet peas, melted Burrata and basil.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I went with the AZ Chef’s Week special. For each course you had a choice of two options. For the first course went with Shaved Vera Earl Ranch Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio. Beef tallow scented peaches, Georgia’s Pesto, Olive oil, toast and fresh slices of Parmesan cheese. This was remarkable and equal to the best presentation of my favorite boutique restaurant in Paris.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The second course with Red Wine Braised Short Rib. This was prepared with creamed corn, beef belly candied, charred scallion Chimichurri. Tender beef with delicious and savory tastes. While enjoying corn, cream corn is not necessarily my favorite, but not a kernel remained in the bowl!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Dessert was Dark Chocolate Date Tore of date swirl mascarpone ice cream and raspberries.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This was given to my wife, and I elected to go with a selection of the standard menu for an unusual dessert, the Crudo di Branzino with chickpea, chili crisp, watermelon, colatura and EVOO. Unfortunately, they did not get their Branzino shipment in and substitute Ahi Tuna. Good but was desiring the Branzino as I have always liked it cooked and was looking forward to it as a Crudo presentation.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Overall, an exceptional experience and excellent food. I would highly recommend the restaurant to anyone who wants a relaxing atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and food with extraordinary culinary treats. We spent a fair amount of time talking about the wine list with Veronica, the wine buyer who was truly knowledgeable and provided keen insight as to the reasons behind her recommendations.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2023 Starfield Vineyards Aglianico – A Scarce but Growing Varietal
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background on the Aglianico
Aglianico wine grapes origin continues to be debated but thought initially is that the grape varietal was transported by Greek settlers to Southern Italy around 800 BC. However, DNA studies show no direct link to modern Greek varieties, leading many to believe it is native to southern Italy. The first written record of Aglianico was in 1520. This grape, like many others, was nearly wiped out by the late 19th century phylloxera invasion.
Aglianico is a full-bodied red wine with high acidity and tannins. Typically, with dark fruit like black cherry and plum, minerality and earthy elements are key characteristics. If you enjoy Nebbiolo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and/or Nero d’ Avola, while all are different and unique, each share some key characteristics, full body, tannins, acidity and fruit with Aglianico.
In the final 2025 Grape Crush Report for California by the USDA, Aglianico in California harvested 190 tons as compared to 161 tons in 2024. While California showed a decrease in the harvest from 2024 to 2025 of 7% for red wine grapes, Aglianico showed an increase of 11% from 161 tons to 190 tons.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While having enjoyed many Aglianico wines over the years, I have never had one from El Dorado AVA. My expectations were pleasantly exceeded with this dark and brooding wine offering both earthy notes and fruits. First on the eyes, a dark wonderment in the glass with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, dark cherries, violets and plum rose up to the olfactory senses begging for that first sip. On the palate a yin-yang of old world minerality and earthiness counterbalanced with delicious aromatic fruits provided an intense flavor and yet balanced to perfection. The finish was medium length and refreshing.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine is made with 95% Aglianico, 3% Mourvedre and 2% Roussanne. It comes in at 15% alcohol and only 177 cases were produced. The wine was aged for 18 months in 27% new oak barrels and the balance being neutral. The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation to keep the acidity lively yet softening the tannin structure. A creative process to achieve a remarkable wine.
Personally, to go with this meal, I would have liked a bit more tannins and boldness in the wine. That said, it was an extremely approachable and smooth Aglianico.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Pulled this wine from the cellar to pair with a new recipe called stuffed pepper casserole. Ingredients included olive oil, chopped yellow onion, cut bell pepper, ground beef, tomato paste, kosher salt, ground cumin, paprika, black pepper, minced garlic cloves, fresh tomatoes, cut up zucchini, chicken broth, long-grain rice, fresh parsley, Worcestershire sauce and sharp cheddar cheese. Accompanied by a fresh garden salad with Blue cheese crumbles, green onions and baby tomatoes.
The food and wine pairing was very good with the combination of fruit and spiciness of the dinner.
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery was founded in 2012 by Tom and Rob Sinton with plantings of 31 acres on the hillsides east of Placerville, California in El Dorado County. They are located at 2759 Jacquier Road.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The naming of the wines, especially their new labels starting with the 2023 vintages, highlight the history of the region from the Gold Rush with wine names as Miner’s Inch and Rising Hope. These two are for a nearby mine.
The winery produces 17 varieties of wines comprising of mostly Rhone varieties (66%) and Italian (30%) and a few Spanish varieties. The vineyards have been farmed using sustainable and fish-friendly farming since their inception.
The wineries name Starfield refers to “Star Fields”, sites where in their words “fruit develops the optimal balance of aroma, flavor and texture”. They also consider what they refer to as Sierra Spice, the aroma and taste characteristics that come from the western facing forests surrounding the vineyards. The local trees are Ponderosa Pines, Cedars and Douglas Firs and their oils provide earthy and woodsy forest aromatics from their oils.
Sláinte,
Michael
Solid Wine, Great Food But a Poor Wine and Food Pairing!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
My wife found a great recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad. Being that it was 114 degrees today, she cooked the chicken the night before to have a cold salad for dinner. The recipe looked enticing. Traditional food and wine pairing wisdom leans toward a dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. We just had a Sauvignon Blanc the night before and my favorite dry Riesling, Smith-Madrone Vineyards, is in a refrigerator locker storage about 30 minutes away. So took the opportunity to try a different approach with a Cabernet Franc Blanc, 2022 L’Autre Côte from Steven Kent Winery. Again, one of my favorite anonymous quotes is “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you”. Thus, the adventure began albeit not successful.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First, if you are a red Cabernet Franc lover, you will find tasting this wine a mind-challenging experience. For me it certainly was! First on the eyes, it is difficult to visualize and comprehend a Cabernet Franc Blanc! Secondly when smelling it very little of the typical red fruit qualities waft into the senses. Then the first sip, you are startled that this is a Cabernet Franc with little red fruit taste. Now after closing one’s eyes and sipping many times, once you can calm your uncomfortableness, an entirely new world opens.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine on the eyes is a clear elixir with almost “no coloring. On the nose fresh floral fragrances and almond are noted. Once on the palate the magic appears with honeydew melon, white peach, mellow apricot and a sweet grapefruit. The finish provides a definite crispness of citrus notes but still subdued. A very complex finish with a Yin-Yang struggle and contentment of a red Cabernet Franc verses a white Cabernet Franc. In this wine they gracefully co-exist and accentuate the unique flavors of the juice.
Steven Mirassou’s goal for this wine was straightforward “…..I wanted Cab Franc Blanc to be a white, crisp and pure with a flavor profile that makes for a delicious and fascinating wine. And I think that is exactly what we got”.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Now the tricky part! The dinner meal was a new recipe called Chinese Chicken Salad containing Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, shredded carrots, scallions and chicken. Garnished with crunchy noodles, green onions and sesame seeds. The Asian dressing combined soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, canola oil, brown sugar, fresh ginger, minced garlic and black pepper. The dressing was mixed in a bowl to be served and if needed additional dressing was available. The dish was fantastic and now a favorite of mine especially during the hot summer.
Now the catch: If we had a dry Riesling it would have with its bright fruit and high acidity balanced soy sauce and sesame oil. Or if a Sauvignon Blanc was served it with its citrus and herbal notes cut through the oily dressing and highlighted the fresh greens and help cut through the fat content of the dressing. The Cabernet Franc Blanc, with its delicate aromas and tastes, was overpowered by the dressing. Finally stopped drinking the wine with dinner and enjoyed it after dinner as picked up the fine delicate and finesse aromas/tastes.
The Winery
Steven Kent Mirassou, providing his traditional award-winning style and experience from his Cabernet Sauvignon and red Cabernet Franc’s wines embarked a couple of years back on this new journey with this release coming out initially in March 2023. Since then, he was won many prestigious awards for his Cabernet Franc Blanc, L’Autre Côte.
Here is just one past link to his red Cabernet Franc winning Best of Class:
Venturing into this new “blanc” wine is something he has been contemplating for some time and in 2022 set out to provide his take with a white Cabernet Franc. The goal to get the fruit to the winery immediately and to get it pressed. Fast, gentle whole cluster press and no soaking. Put into the fermenter at 49 degrees it took almost a month to bring the wine to a completely dry quality.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
McGrail Vineyards and Winery – Meeting with Mark Clarin, the Winemaker
Photo from McGrail Website
Met with Mark in mid-July when in California. He is the winemaker at McGrail Vineyards located at 5600 Greenville Road in Livermore, California. Heather McGrail was unfortunately tied up with family members but spending a few hours with Mark provided a lot of information and a few laughs! Had stopped by when they first opened in 2008 and they had one wine to pour, their Cabernet Sauvignon. As they say, time marches and on this day, I had to circle their large parking lot three times to find a parking space as they had so many guests!
We sat out on the patio while McGrail Vineyards was having their Bubbly & Beats event, but we were able to find a reasonably quiet table to converse. We started our discussion with a taste of their Sauvignon Blanc grown at a vineyard just down the street. This was an excellent wine crisp, light and airy grapefruit and on this warm day a perfect “patio pounder” at 13.2% alcohol. This received my highest rating along with the next wine.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While we discussed various business topics like production volumes, number of varieties produced, Mark’s background, etc., he asked which wines I was interested in tasting. Their wine list is extensive and opted to focus on just a couple even though so many were desirable. First up was the 2022 “A JÓ ÉLET meaning “the good life”. Made with 100% Hungarian barrels and aged for 30 months. Mark mentioned the cost of these selected Hungarian barrels ran about $5,900 each! The wine was dark red in color and well balanced with lots of black fruits (cherries, blackberries), with baking species wafting into the senses. A great Cabernet Sauvignon and sells it for $59/bottle. This and one other wine rated my highest scores for the day!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The next wine we sipped on was 2022 Shamus Patrick Red Blend. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in classic Bordeaux Blend style. On the eyes a royal purple in coloring, aromas of plum and “Christmas spices” abounded. On the palate, an ultra-smooth drinking wine, with the pedigree of each grape varietal leaving a pleasing impression. The finish provided caressing tannins and made for a soft conclusion on each sip.
For the record, any wine named Shamus, the name of one of our previous West Highland Terriers, automatically made it a shoe in for being an excellent wine!
Continuing the Irish wine tasting, tried the Slainte Red Blend. While not revealing all the mix, one thing Mark mentioned was that it contained 23% of Touriga National which is something that is unique in violet floral aroma and strong tart earthy notes and dark fruit. Touriga is a great wine and very much underappreciated in the United States.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The balance of the conversation center around Mark’s background. He started in 1979 at Wente and by 1989 was Cellar Master. He then traveled to Europe in 2002 and picked up more traits on winemaking. In 2006 he attended University of Davis which landed him a job at Bonnie Doon Winery in Santa Cruz. In 2009 he officially joined McGrail Vineyards and Winery. Today their current lineup includes six white and Rosé wines and ten red wines and red blends. They also have a sparkling wine. Mark’s background and use of vineyards and barrel treatments showed tremendous creativity for his art form of making many delicious wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
At this point we were running short on time but managed to sneak in their 2022 Cabernet Franc that was entered into the 7th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition in 2026 in the $61 to $70 Category. It received Double Gold Medal from the People’s Choice Judges and Best of Category! It also received a Silver Medal from the Professional Judges. A very smooth and silky Cabernet Franc and one that could easily be enjoyed by itself sitting next to an evening outdoor firepit or with selected foods.
The last topic, in which he referred me to Heather, was specifically how they were addressing and enticing the younger generations of wine drinkers. More to come on that topic later.
At the conclusion of the time, I was amazed by what was accomplished at McGrail Vineyards and Winery with Heather and Mark since my early and first visit. I was also happy to see the Irish Shamrock on each bottle!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2022 Truchard Vineyards Pinot Noir – A Great Surprise!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Admittedly I don’t stock a lot of Pinot Noir wines in the cellar. It is not because I don’t like the varietal, but contrary, I am enthralled with its allure of fragrance, coloring and taste. Unfortunately, Pinot in my opinion is one of the most difficult grapes to produce with its finicky development cycle, thin skins, tight clusters and extreme sensitivity to weather conditions. Add to this low crop yields and as my good friend states “Pinot Noir is either very good or skunky!”. Over the years I have tasted, both in wine competitions and with friends, more skunky ones than exceptional ones. That said, I asked a waiter for a recommendation at a restaurant for a good Pinot Noir, and this was his recommendation. It was a solid everyday Pinot Noir without breaking the bank. After that evening, I went to the wine store and picked up a couple of bottles as we enjoyed Pinot Noir with selected dinner dishes.
A footnote that while I have been visiting Napa Valley and have visited close to a thousand wineries, Truchard Vineyards has always eluded my visit.
The Wine – “Wine if bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes, this wine held a majestic semi-translucent maroon coloring. No Omega Purple dye here! On the nose both red and black cherries along with ripe plums. In the palate, smooth, refreshing juice flowing gently in the mouth with balance acidity and caressing tannins. On the finish just a hint of cranberries and strawberries rounded out with a gentle vanilla conclusion.
2022 vintage came in with 14.1% of alcohol. The current vintage is 2023 on their website and showing a price of $38/bottle.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One of the key meals we enjoy a good Pinot Noir wine with is pork tenderloin. With the temperature reaching 115 degrees yesterday, scraped our normal BBQ-ing and went with a small baked pork tenderloin. The rub used was a new one consisting of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, chili powder and Flatiron “Dark & Smoky” pepper. The pork slices were served with a drizzle of peach & pepper sauce. Accompanying the meal was a chicken rice blend, sauteed baby asparagus and a fresh garden salad with crumbled Blue cheese.
The Pinot Noir surrounded each morsel of the seasoned pork tenderloin with a refreshing liquid to provide a great balance of fruit (wine) and spice (food). A very good complimentary or Yin-Yang pairing. A very solid and good wine and will be looking to pick up a few more bottles for selected foods.
While not making my Best Wines Tasted in 2026, this is one to keep in the cellar for your everyday enjoyement.
The Winery
Not having visited the winery, only picked up a few key points on their website and reading:
- Tony & Jo Ann Truchard began buying up land in Carneros region from 1974 (20 acres) and today they have 400 acres with 280 acres planted. They opened the winery officially in 1989.
- They are a Sustainable & Certified Winery.
- It is a family run business with son Anthony Truchard II serving as General Manager. His background is diverse with degrees in philosophy and biology. He further went on to get his law degree in New York City and practiced intellectual property law before being asked to return to run the winery.
- The winemaker is Sal De Ianni also with an interesting background in Chemistry and later completing his MS in Enology at Cal Davis.
- They are located at 3234 Old Sonoma Road in Napa.
Look forward to obtaining a better understanding of the winery and their offerings on my next visit to Napa Valley.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly