What a pleasure to once again attend the Family Winemakers tasting for media and trade in the Pasadena Convention Center. I’m always amazed at the array of talent – from winemakers to sommeliers – that take the time to educate and pour for us. I know that the event, as is the trend for all wine events, requires that the winery pay a fee to attend, as well as serve their wine for free, and I, for one, am very appreciative of their efforts.
I’ve given you the entire list of wineries that participated in this year’s Pasadena trade tasting below, but, you know me, pouring out after that one tiny sip but I still only had time to visit… a few. I will give you the ones I planned to visit (based on reader suggestions and my own research), add notes to the ones I made it to and give you the complete list at the end.
Suffice it to say, it would be that of all the wines I was able to sample that day, there wasn’t a bad wine in the lot. Well done Family Winemakers. Cheers to getting some of the small guys distributors and reminding us of the big guys that aren’t in the current “cult wine” category for whatever reason.
My List
Ahnfeldt Wines – 08 Reserve Merlot, 10 Pinot Grigio, 09 Cab
Ampelos Cellars
Ancient Peaks Winery
argot * New
Beckmen Vineyards
Benessere Vineyards – 10 Pinot Grigio, 08 Sangiovese, 08 Zin and 07 Phenomenon
Bennett Lane Winery
Buoncristiani Family Winery
Cain Vineyard & Winery
Calera Wine Company
Carica Wines
Carter Cellars – Ruby Kurant, Archer Grenache, 09 Carter Cab, 09 Petite Sirah, 09 Cab
Cass Winery
Collier Falls
Corison Winery
Corte Riva Vineyards – the 06 Merlot and 07 Cab Franc
Dragonette Cellars
Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery
Frank Family Vineyards
Harrington Wines * New
Hidden Ridge Vineyard
Hitching Post Wines
JC Cellars –09 The First Date white blend, 09 St. Peter’s Church Zin, 09 Sweetwater Springs Zin and 09 The Imposter.
Kenefick Ranch – Pickett Road Red and Cab Franc.
La Jota Vineyard Co.
Ladera Vineyards
Les Deux Chats Cellars * New
Littorai Wines
Longoria Wines – 10 Albarino (only one I found and perfect), 08 (estate vineyard) and 09 (Bien Nacido) Pinot Noirs and 08 Tempranillo.
Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery
Maldonado Family Vineyards
Melville Vineyards & Winery
Merry Edwards Wines
Merryvale Vineyards – 10 Pinot Noir, 07 merlot, 07 Cab and an awesome 08 Profile.
Orin Swift Cellars
PATEL Napa Valley * New
PEJU
Quady Winery
Ramey Wine Cellars
Riboli Family Wine Estates
Roar Wines * New – Pouring two ’10 Pinot Noirs – adored them both.
Robert Biale Vineyards – 10 Black Chicken, 10 party Line and 09 Red Blend – faves of the day.
Rock Wall Wine Company
Saxon Brown Wines
Siduri Wines & Novy Family Winery – 09 Pinot Noir (Everything got drunk in Del Mar!)
Tablas Creek Vineyard
Tercero – 10 Sauv Blanc, 10 Grenache Blanc, 08 Grenache, 08 Cuvee Christie, 07 Merlot
Veedercrest – Can you say Merlot? The best of the day.
Participating Wineries
A Cellar Full of Noise * New
ADS Wines
Ahnfeldt Wines
Albertina Wine Cellars
Amizetta Estate Family Winery
Ampelos Cellars
Anakota * New
Ancient Peaks Winery
argot * New
Aubin Cellars – Verve Wines
B Cellars Napa Valley Blends
Beaulieu Vineyard * New
Beckmen Vineyards
Benessere Vineyards
Bennett Lane Winery
Black Sears
“Blue Rock Vineyard, LLC * New”
Brophy Clark Cellars
Brutocao Cellars
Buoncristiani Family Winery
Buttonwood Farm Winery
C.G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery
Ca’ Momi Winery & Enoteca
Cain Vineyard & Winery
Calera Wine Company
Carica Wines
Carter Cellars
Casey Flat Ranch
Cass Winery
Center of Effort * New
Clos Pepe
Cobblestone Vineyards
Collier Falls
Corison Winery
Cornerstone Cellars
Corte Riva Vineyards
Croze/Smith Wooton
CrU Wine Company
De Novo Wines
Derby Wine Estates
Domaine Le Mieux
Donati Family Vineyard * New
Donum – Stemmler
Dragonette Cellars
Eden Canyon Vineyards
Emmolo Wine Company
Enkidu Wine
Estate 1856 Wines * New
Farella-Park Vineyards
Fiddlehead Cellars
Field Recordings Wines
Field Stone Winery & Vineyard
Field Vineyards – Katarina Wines * New
Flying Horse Winery * New
Fog Crest Vineyard**
Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery
Frank Family Vineyards
Fritz Winery
Frostwatch Vineyard & Winery
Grassini Family Vineyards
Guarachi Family Wines
Hagafen Cellars
Harrington Wines * New
Hendry
Hidden Ridge Vineyard
Hitching Post Wines
Hook and Ladder Winery
Hunt Cellars
J. Rickards Winery
JAX Vineyards * New
JC Cellars
John Robert Eppler Wines * New
Keenan Winery
Ken Brown Wines
Kenefick Ranch
Kristian Story Wines
La Jota Vineyard Co.
Ladera Vineyards
Lamborn Family Vineyards
LangeTwins Winery & Vineyards
Les Deux Chats Cellars * New
Line Shack Winery/Lido Bay Winery
Littorai Wines
Lone Madrone
Longoria Wines
Lost Canyon Winery * New
Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery
Mahoney Vineyards
Maldonado Family Vineyards
Manzoni Vineyard
Mario Bazan Cellars
Martian Ranch Vineyard & Winery * New
Mayacamas Vineyards
McManis Family Vineyards
Melville Vineyards & Winery
Mercy Vineyards
Merry Edwards Wines
Merryvale Vineyards
Miner Family Winery
Monte De Oro Winery * New
Mt. Brave * New
Muscardini Cellars
Niner Wine Estates
ONX Estate Wines * New
Opolo Vineyards
Orin Swift Cellars
Parallel Wines
PATEL Napa Valley * New
PEJU
Pisoni Vineyards & Winery
Quady Winery
R. Merlo Family Vineyards * New
Rack & Riddle
Ramey Wine Cellars
Riboli Family Wine Estates
Rios Wine Company LLC
Roar Wines * New
Robert Biale Vineyards
Rock Wall Wine Company
Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate / Surfrider
Round Pond Estate * New
Rutherford Wine Company
Saddleback Cellars
Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard / Quinta Cruz
Saxon Brown Wines
Scott Harvey Wines
Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery
Siduri Wines & Novy Family Winery
Sierra Madre Vineyard
Silver Wines
Sojourn Cellars
Stone Edge Farm
Summers Lake Vineyards & Winery
Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery
Sycamore Cellars Family Estate Winery * New
Tablas Creek Vineyard
Tantara Winery
The Terraces at Quarry Vineyards
Thomas Fogarty Winery
Three Sticks
Treana Winery
Ty Caton Vineyards
Urban Legend Cellars
Veedercrest Vineyard & Winery
Vino Noceto
Wallis Family Estate
William James Cellars
3/26/12 Note **Thank you Xochitl Maiman for letting me know that my list, taken too early from the Family Winemakers website, failed to list Fog Crest Vineyard.
