7 American Wine Producers You'll Want On Your Table
Most meals are enhanced when they're paired with just the right glass of vino. Whether you're looking for a buttery Chardonnay or an excellent, kosher Cabernet Sauvignon, try drinking from the wine producers listed here, which prove that you don't need to go beyond the United States to find exceptional wines. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
7 Delectable Wine Producers in the US
| Name | Location |
|---|---|
| Kiona Vineyards | Benton City, Washington |
| Casa Larga Vineyards | Fairport, New York |
| LIOCO Wine Company | Healdsburg, California |
| Shannon Ridge Family of Wines | Lower Lake, California |
| Covenant Wines | Berkeley, California |
| Donkey & Goat Winery | Berkeley, California |
| Belle Pente Vineyard & Winery | Carlton, Oregon |
At Casa Larga
Gift Ideas For Wine Lovers
- Wine totes for transporting cold bottles to dinner parties & picnics
- Electric bottle openers that make uncorking easy
- Aerators that bring out the best flavor
- Wine savers to keep unfinished wine from spoiling
- A set of nice glasses for classy parties
- A set of unbreakable glasses for outdoor get togethers
- Cork holders that turn corks into works of art
- Racks for nicely displaying bottles
- Wine pourers that increase exposure to oxygen
- Decanters to enhance the bouquet
The Sustainable Practices of Shannon Ridge
In Depth
Winemaking is an age old tradition that is revered for its craftsmanship, history, and artistry. These days, there are new wineries cropping up all over the country, each offering their own unique take on this process. In no particular order, here are 7 contemporary wineries that are sure to impress your guests and your palate.
Coming in at #1 is Kiona Vineyards. John Williams and Jim Holmes became fast friends after their desks were pushed together at an engineering firm in the 1960s. Their mutual appreciation for wine led to an idea to plant a vineyard on an overlooked expanse of desert on the edge of town. When they first got it into their heads that Red Mountain might be a great place to grow grapes, people thought they were crazy. Now Red Mountain is regarded as one of the premier grape-growing regions in the New World.
Red Mountain was an island during the Ice Age floods. This tremendous natural force scoured the land, leaving only a barren basalt moonscape. Prevailing winds from the south east deposited super-fine granite based silt and dust particles, called sandy loess on top of the rock. The resulting eolian soils are fine grained, well drained, and perfect for growing grapes with minimal disease and pest pressure.
Prevailing winds from the south east deposited super-fine granite based silt and dust particles, called sandy loess on top of the rock.
#2 is Casa Larga. In 1974, founder Andrew Colaruotolo planted the first two acres of vines atop a picturesque hill in Fairport, New York, naming it after his grandparents' vineyards in Italy. Casa Larga embodied Mr. Colaruotolo's dream of preserving Italian culture and history. Passion, patience and tenderness are the tenets of his winemaking practice that were passed down from former generations.
Mr. Colaruotolo's hobby matured into a larger business, and Casa Larga became the 21st licensed winery in New York State. Casa Larga had entered the golden era of local winemaking, becoming an icon, as well as a sparkling jewel of the Finger Lakes and Rochester regions.
Next up at #3 is LIOCO. This winery was conceived in an alley behind the restaurant Spago in Beverly Hills by wine director Kevin O'Connor and salesman Matt Licklider. The two colleagues, critical of the heavy-handed styles of the day, wondered if it were possible to make a local wine that favored nuance over power. In 2005, relying on nothing more than their palates, the two embarked on a winemaking odyssey. Europe was the inspiration, as were the more restrained Californian bottles of the 1980s.
The two colleagues, critical of the heavy-handed styles of the day, wondered if it were possible to make a local wine that favored nuance over power.
Today the winery is owned and operated by husband wife duo Matt and Sara Licklider. Their small team produces the wines at a state-of-the-art cooperative in Santa Rosa. They focus on producing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Carignan from vineyards with older vines, interesting soil, and heritage clones.
Moving on to #4, we have Shannon Ridge Family of Wines. Owner Clay Shannon has transformed his ranch into one of the agricultural icons of California's North Coast, and in doing so is changing the face and substance of grape-growing in the USA.
The vineyard produces over 11 different types of wines ranging from light to full bodied ones. Their Shannon Reserve wines are sourced from their finest grapes. Barrel aged for over 20 months, these are a popular choice for local enthusiasts and connoisseur alike.
Barrel aged for over 20 months, these are a popular choice for local enthusiasts and connoisseur alike.
Next up at #5 we have Covenant Wines. In 2003, founders Jeff Morgan and the late Leslie Rudd wondered if they could make a great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that also happened to be kosher. Upon release of their first vintage, the pundits concurred that Covenant was, indeed, an outstanding example of what Napa Valley can achieve in terms of wine quality. Today, Covenant's 7,000-square foot urban winery is situated in Berkeley, California.
All Covenant wines are kosher. They are made very simply, with natural, indigenous yeasts and no fining. Their wines are not boiled or pasteurized. Instead, this winery opts for a dynamic, unfiltered result produced from organic or biodynamic vineyards. Covenant's sister winery was founded in 2013 and is located in Israel's Galilee region.
Moving on to #6, Donkey & Goat Winery is owned and operated by Jared and Tracey Brandt and is located in Berkeley, California. They make natural wines, which is a term that refers to the grape growing and fermenting style. What distinguishes natural wine is the employment of sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming practices for the growing and cellar aging process.
They make natural wines, which is a term that refers to the grape growing and fermenting style.
Since 2004, Donkey & Goat's wines have been made from sustainably farmed vineyards located in the Sierra Nevada, Mendocino and Napa regions of California. In the cellar, nothing is removed or added to the wine save for minimal amounts of sulphur. They only employ the use of wild yeast to start fermentation. The owners of this winery believe that letting the wild yeasts do what they have been doing for thousands of years allows for a superior flavor profile in the final product.
Finally at #7 we have Belle Pente Vineyard & Winery. This winery is located in a historic farmstead on 70 acres in the Yamhill-Carlton American Viticulture Area, two miles east of the town of Carlton, Oregon. Owned and operated by Brian & Jill O'Donnell, Belle Pente produces Oregon Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay wines.
Belle Pente means beautiful slope. The owners chose this name to describe their lush 70 acre hillside vineyard and winery site in Oregon's Willamette Valley. It also reflects the inspiration that they draw from the wines of Burgundy and Alsace, following the guiding principle that great wine is made in the vineyard and merely nurtured in the winery.
