Producer Profiles

Question 1

Bonny Doon

• Location
• Style of wines

Answer 1

• Santa Cruz, California
• They are producing Rhône style wines

Question 2

Sine Qua Non

• Location
• Syle of wines

Answer 2

• South of Santa Barbara, California
• Rhône style wines

Question 3

Dominus Estate

• Location
• Style of wines
• History

Answer 3

• Yountville, Naapnook Vineyards, Napa Valley, California
• Bordeaux style blends
• owned by Christian Moueix since 1982. (He managed Pétrus for over thirty-eight years)

Christian Moueix, president of Bordeaux négociant Jean-Pierre Moueix and owner of several Right Bank Bordeaux properties (including Trotanoy and La Fleur-Pétrus), formed a partnership with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith to purchase Napa’s historic Napanook Vineyard in 1982.

The new estate, Dominus, released its first vintage of a Bordeaux-style, Cabernet-based blend in 1983. Moueix became the sole proprietor of the property in 1995, and in 1996 introduced a second wine, the Napanook blend. The estate is dry-farmed, and planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Tod Mostero, Director of Viticulture and Winemaking, has worked at the estate since 2007.

Question 4

Kistler

• Location
• Styles of Wine
• History

Answer 4

• Sonoma Hills/Coast, Carneros, Russian River Valley
• Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• The Kistler family founded Kistler Vineyards in 1978, and the first vintage was made in 1979. The winery focuses solely on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir production from across Sonoma County and southern Napa. Since 2006, a conscious effort has been made to step away from the “big, rich style” of Chardonnay that made the winery popular. Grapes are harvested earlier and the winery uses less new oak than in the past. Vineyard operations and winemaking are overseen by Steve Kistler and his business partner Mark Bixler oversees lab work and business management.

Jason Kesner, former vineyard manager of Hudson Vineyards in Carneros, was hired to assist Steve with winemaking in 2008, and took over completely at the end of 2017 after Steve stepped down to focus on the Occidental label.

Question 5

Ruinart

• Commune
• Top wines
• History/style

Answer 5

• Reims
• Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Brut Vintage
  Blanc de Blanc NV
  Dom Ruinart Rosé Brut Vintage
• Established in 1729, it is the oldest champagne house. It is mostly dependent on Chardonnay but not necessarily on grapes from Côte des Blanc, and it is usually a blend with grapes from Montagne de Reims.

The base wine is fermented in stainless steel and goes through malolactic fermentation.

Question 6

Charles Heidsieck

• Commune
• Top wines
• Little bit of history/style

Answer 6

• Reims

• Champagne Charlie
• Blanc de Millénaires
• Brut Millésimé
• Rosé Millésimé

• Charles Camille Heidsieck and Ernest Henriot founded this Champagne house. Heidsick, a slick salesman, saw the potential in the American market and took his first sales trip to the States in 1852. On his visits, Charles became a favorite of New York high society and picked up the nickname “Champagne Charlie.”

Usually, the full-bodied style of champagne