After months of blending and logistics our second vintage is finally bottled! A beautiful Bordeaux Style Red Blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot & Cab Franc sourced from a 50/50 combination of Napa Valley and its neighbor Alexander Valley. Our endless gratitude to those who have helped and supported us along the way!
Blending Session
2014 was a stellar vintage back home in Northern California, while the the rest of the Bordeaux varietal regions struggled. This year we will be making a 100% California wine, drawing from Stag's Leap and Rutherford in the Napa Valley and nearby Alexander Valley. It is an excellent Bordeaux style red blend comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. We went through literally hundreds of samples in the process of concocting this perfect blend. We do believe that our trials and tribulations have paid off with this exquisite wine.
Taste of Ningxia
A couple nights ago we hosted a tasting of various Chinese wines that we picked up on our recent trip. Both professionals and enthusiasts were blown away by the quality and the potential in this territory that none of them would have ever considered previously. Clearly they are just starting out, but they are certainly off to a great start.
This Memorial day we kicked off BBQ season with a wonderful BBQ with good friends in St. Helena. VinAtlas paired beautifully with all the spices and marinades! We look forward to many more throughout the summer. Good times with good people!
Tasting Decanter's 2011 World Wine Award winner with the winemaker herself, Zhang Jing
We recently spent three days tasting wine in Ningxia, China's premiere wine growing region. The region is part of the muslim territory in what is considered the North West of China. The growing season is certainly ideal for wine grape production but winters are so cold that the vines have to be buried in order to stay alive. This tactic is also used in Germany in Canada and has worked for centuries.
The picture above was taken at Ningxia Helan Qingxue Vineyard with the winemaker, Zhang Jing. She has been the official winemaker for over 10 years now and has quite the talent and knowledge of her native land's terroir. I do expect that this region will win more and more accolades in the years to come.
Taste of Oakville Masterclass
Yesterday was an amazing day at Taste of Oakville. We attended the Master Class education seminars and the grand tasting where we learned the beautiful history of this world famous region. Located in the heart of Napa Valley, Oakville is two miles wide and extends to one thousand feet in elevation. It stretches from the Vaca Mountains in the east to the Mayacamas in the west. The well-drained soils, sun drenched summers and cool falls make this territory an ideal place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon.
Officially recognized by the American Viticultural Association in 1993, Oakville now boasts more than 60 growers and wineries. Each spring, the Oakville Winegrowers welcome distinguished members of the international wine trade and press to the Taste of Oakville, where tastemakers and wine merchants are offered a sneak peak at soon-to-be-released vintages.
Morning Lecture Series at Taste Washington
This event is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States. This is our second year attending and it is by far our favorite! There are over 220 wineries representing their own wines in a spacious, well-organized environment. We come for the Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon that is consistently growing in reputation and value by critics and wine enthusiasts around the world. Washington State produces incredible wines, and we are blessed to be able to taste them.
Wine Tasting in Maipo, Chile
Due south of Santiago, the traditional heart of Chilean winemaking has its roots firmly established in the first generation of serious wines, made from plantings brought back from Europe. Here in Chile is the only place on Earth where you can find the original ungrafted vines planted on a large scale. This is because the wine growing regions of Chile are completely protected from the devastating effects of phylloxera. To the north you find the Attacama desert, to the east the gargantuan Andes, from the south is Antartica and to the west the mighty Pacific ocean.
The Maipo is actually divided into the “high” Maipo, closest to the Andes, and the “Isla del Maipo”, an island formed by the Maipo River. This terroir is esteemed among the finest in the world for Cabernet Sauvignon. The berries are tiny, dense, and filled with aromas that are of deep cassis. There’s an herbaceous note that many say come from the eucalyptus trees in the valley and oils “suspended” in the air. The wines are fresh, elegant, balanced with silky tannins.
Tasting the wines of Lujan de Cuyo
Mendoza is arguably home to the finest Malbec on earth. The three most reputed regions in Mendoza are: Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley. Each of these regions bring different characteristics to the wine. In this picture Olya is tasting through a flight of boutique wines from Lujan de Cuyo just south of the city of Mendoza, this region stretches along the Andean foothills as it rises to the west. The wineries surrounding this area of Mendoza have been widely acclaimed abroad for its world class Malbec with three of Argentina’s recognized Denominaciones de Origen (DOC) of Vistalba, Agrelo, and Pedriel. With the snow-capped Cordón del Plata always in the distance and the gentle slope of vines, many Malbec vineyards in this area were planted over 100 years ago and today achieve low yields and high concentration with elegant tannins. Most vineyards range from 2,000-3,500 feet above sea level and the oscillation in temperature creates fine aromas and good acidity. Soils here are quite varied depending on how close vineyards are to the mountains or Mendoza River, and tend to form alluvial layers of loam, rock, and gravel.
Based in San Francisco and blended in the Napa Valley, VinAtlas is a Bordeaux style red blend sourced internationally because "true passion knows no boundaries" We combine wines from around the globe within 32-42' latitude both north and south. All the territories within these Parallel Latitudes™ create beautiful and unique wines. Synergizing them together creates a Global Fusion wine with unparalleled depth of complexity and a smooth perfect balance. For up to date information please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @VinAtlas
Beautiful photo taken by PD Photography on his annual holiday visit to San Francisco. We had an amazing time soaking in the winter sun with my wine and his camera.
Hello world, we are creating this innovative new category of wine for Millennial drinkers. This new generation is a generation of disruptors, open minded and judging products by the content of their character instead of the pedigree of their origins. Breaking free of the shackles of "how it has always been done." It is our great hope that Global Fusion will catch on, and then we intend to start a certification mark non-profit for which proceeds will go to a scholarship fund for the sons and daughters of hardworking vineyard farmers.