Sonoma, Central Coast & Other Non Napa Winemakers

Question 1

Makes high end wines in Paso Robles. Has major influence upon Paso Robles as a wine region. Has received over 38 scores of 95+ from Wine Spectator!

Answer 1

Justin Smith of Saxum. His wines are waitlisted! Famous James Berry Vineyards

Question 2

Who did Helen Turley, founder of Marcassin, start her career working for?

Answer 2

Robert Mondavi

Question 3

True or False: Helen Turley was the first to plant vines in the Sonoma COAST wine region and helped define the style of California Zinfandel

Answer 3

False, she helped define the style of California Chardonnay.

Question 4

Screw caps for premium wine! Loves Rhône varietals and wears tiny round glasses. From Santa Cruz.

Answer 4

Antonio Galloni

Paul Hobbs

James Laube

Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyard

Question 5

His Monte Bellow Cabernet wine placed 5th at the 1971 Judgement of Paris. Ironically, he prefers to use American oak!

Answer 5

Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards in Sonoma

Monte Bello vineyard has often been called America’s First Growth, as it is the finest domestic example of a classic Bordeaux blend in which cabernet sauvignon predominates.

Ridge Zinfandel is in our stores. Wines are single vineyard wines.

Question 6

Founder of cult winery SQN in Santa Barbara. His Rhône based wines have a wait-list of 5-10 years.

Answer 6

Manfred Krankl

Question 7

She founded Matanzas Creek Winery in Sonoma and is noted for her style of Sauvignon Blanc

Answer 7

Merry Edwards

One of the first women to graduate from UC Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology, and the last graduate student to study with professor Maynard Amerine, Merry Edwards began her impact on the California wine industry while still a student. Her thesis on the danger of using lead in wine capsules is credited with helping end the practice.

Refusing to accept unequal treatment as a woman, she forced the university to change its job placement program for graduating enologists. Apprenticing with Dick Graff at Mount Eden Vineyards, Edwards began her pioneering clonal research that would culminate in her leading the first seminar on clones to be given at Davis, and lending her name to one of the earliest Davis clones of Pinot Noir (#37).

After helping start Matanzas Creek Winery, and holding positions at Pellegrini Family Vineyards and Liparita Cellars, Edwards went on to start her own label in 1997, focused on Pinot Noir. Edwards has been making California Pinot Noir longer than any other female winemaker in California, and longer than many men. Her wines, along with those from several other pioneers, were instrumental in proving definitively that the Russian River Valley can produce top quality Pinot. In 2007, Edwards built her own winery outside of Forestville, where she continues to make vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs as well as one of California’s most lauded Sauvignon Blancs