Napa, California

THE CLUB SELECTION -2020 Slam Dunk Red Blend

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

Slam Dunk is not a second label, but a spinoff highlighting quality, entry-level wines.  It comes from the parent winery Royal Prince, Here’s the setup… founder David Green has over 30 years of wine industry experience, developing brands and advising a diverse group of wineries, from 100 pt bastion Dana Estates to luxury producer Lede Family to value pioneer Joel Gott. His goal with Royal Prince Wines is to solve the puzzle of producing great California wines that overdeliver in accessibility, quality and price. To achieve his goal, he brought in rock star winemaker Maayan Koschitzky as a partner. Maayan is director of winemaking for Atelier Melka, yes that Philippe Melka.

Slam Dunk shot was taken, Dave and Maayan called in some favors and sourced some ridiculous juice from old vines Petite Sirah and Zinfandel. Slick and sleek packaging and a ridiculous price and you have… yeah. A slam dunk.

Founded in October 2020 by world-class winemaking, brand building and distribution industry leaders, the partners behind SLAM DUNK rely upon unique access and treasured relationships to massively over-deliver at an unprecedented price point. From heritage old-vine vineyards, this opulent, richly textured red blend combines the best of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel and is produced to celebrate both milestone moments and every-day achievements.

At 39 years old, winemaker Maayan Koschitzky was named a “Wine Enthusiast” 40 Under 40 Tastemaker’s of 2019​!

*ChapelHillWineCo

Red Mountain, Columbia Valley, Washington

THE CLUB SELECTION - 2018 Kiona Estate Grown Red Mountain Merlot

THE PREMIER SELECTION - 2019 Kiona Estate Grown Red Mountain Chenin Blanc Ice Wine

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

The Williams family has deep roots on Red Mountain in southeast Washington, where they planted the first grapes in 1975.

John and Ann Williams moved to Red Mountain in 1983 and constructed Kiona Vineyards’ original tasting room and bottling area in their basement.

Ann is the glue that holds this place together. She is everywhere, and she is nowhere. Always behind the scenes, anticipating needs before they are needs; thoughtful and considerate don’t begin to describe her contributions. She has called Red Mountain home since 1983.

So, making best use of the vast nothing and their space, “We put the ‘tasting room’ in the basement of my parents' house because it seemed ludicrous that people would want to come out to Benton City to drink wine,” said Scott Williams, Kiona’s second generation. “Now, we’re not in the middle of nowhere anymore.” 

Today, the road is paved and the region is renowned for producing some of Washington’s finest red wines. Over the years, the family business has grown along with the Red Mountain AVA they co-founded, which now hosts some 50-odd vineyards covering 2,300 acres of former sagebrush slopes just west of Richland. 

That sense of place remains integral to how the three generations of the Williams family tell their story. It’s a story of luck, hard work, friendship and how a family business evolves across three generations when it accidentally pioneers a premium wine region. 

Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania

THE CLUB SELECTION - 2021 Galen Glen, Lehigh Valley Grüner Veltliner

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

With their wine-growing daughter tending the vineyards, this family is plotting its future.

The idea for the operation stemmed from three things, says winemaker Sarah Troxell, who runs the winery with husband Galen and daughter and winegrower Erin: a trip to Germany’s Württemberg region, a bottle of Hawaiian wine from a friend’s wedding, and Galen’s family’s 200-year-old farm in Andreas, just outside the Lehigh Valley. “We thought we could use the farm in a new way to grow wine,” says Sarah.

Some of the very best land in the United States for winegrowing is located outside the hub of the Lehigh Valley. You will find our farm near the tiny hamlet of Andreas, on the fringes of the Lehigh Valley American Viticultural Area and north of the Blue Mountains. It rests atop a ridge at 1000 ft with a commanding view of deep Pennsylvania’s rugged terrain. Our unique microclimate features limited rainfall, howling winds, and ancient glacially deposited soils.

Owners, Galen and Sarah, established the winery in 1995 when they purchased the Troxell family double century farm from Galen’s father. Galen, a mechanical engineer and 6th generation farmer, and Sarah, a chemist, traded in corporate careers to grow grapes and launch the winery. After more than 25 vintages, the Troxells’ skill sets have undoubtedly found their niches, resulting in wine rock stars.

Galen is an industry leading mechanical wizard and vine whisperer. Sarah is a noted tastemaker and was nationally recognized as best woman winemaker. 

“We have a similar climate and soil to Austria and Germany,” says Erin, who earned a degree in viticulture and enology from Cornell and a master’s from Vinifera EuroMaster in Germany and France before joining the family farm in 2017.

Central Valley (Napa Valley, Lodi), California

THE CLUB SELECTION - 2021 HOB Red Blend

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

The House of Brown is the 2nd label to the historic and iconic Brown Estate – the first black-owned and operated winery in Napa Valley, California They focus on winegrowing and winemaking in the Central Valley (Lodi and Napa regions).

Brown Estate originally became known for their award-winning Brown Zinfandel in 2000. The 2nd label was established to create access to the Brown wine
experience. Known for its quality and sustainability, the HOB label is vegan-friendly, palate driven, and certified sustainably grown.

In 1980, parents Bassett Brown (originally from Jamaica) and Marcela Abrahams Brown (originally from Panama)
acquired 450 acres (1.8 km2) in the Chiles Valley AVA of the Napa Valley after being informed by local family friends that the property was for sale. Abandoned for some ten years prior, the land and its two structures — an 1859
stone and redwood barn and an 1885 Queen Anne Victorian home - were derelict. The senior Browns cut roads and brought in plumbing and electricity, ultimately earning an award from the Napa County Historical Society for their restoration of the residence structure.

In 1985 they planted their first vineyard on the property, approximately nine acres of zinfandel. The Chiles Valley
microclimate, characterized by extreme temperature shifts throughout the course of each day, proved perfectly suited to cultivating zinfandel grapes, and the Brown family's fruit soon gained tremendous popularity among zinfandel producers such as Green & Red and T-Vine Cellars, both of whom purchased Brown Estate fruit for many years. The Browns also sold cabernet sauvignon to the famed Mike Grgich. (Grgich Hills)

In 1995 siblings Deneen, David and Coral Brown planted vines on land that their parents had farmed since 1980.

However, the family had long cherished the idea of a more affordable brand which had had diversity and inclusivity at its heart. The brand was to move outside their usual estate-grown offering, and was to be retailed at a more affordable price point.

Deneen Brown had a strong vision for House of Brown: it was to be modern and fashionable, and it needed to portray diversity in a unique and appealing way. Inspired by fashion magazines we wrapped the House of Brown branding around the bottle to create a backdrop to the striking image. Created from a collage of people of different genders and ethnicities, the beautiful yet powerful image is interwoven with fruits and flowers echoing the wine notes.

Monterey County AVA, California

THE CLUB SELECTION - 2018 District 7 Estate Grown Monterey Pinot Noir

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

California is divided into 17 grape crush districts, encompassing a wide range of climate, terrain and soil types. District 7 is Monterey County,home to world-class vineyards and exceptional wines.

District 7, aka Monterey County, has the longest growing season of all of the districts, a result of the chilled marine air from the Monterey Bay thatrushes down the Salinas Valley each day.

District 7 is a part of Scheid Family Wines. We created Scheid Family Wines to encompass all Scheid Vineyards brands in one portfolio, but allow each of their identities to remain unique. With a long history growing in the Monterey AVA, we wanted to create an independent brand that was absolutely unique and true to our origin--District7--but still a part of Scheid Vineyards. All Scheid Family Wines are designated by the branding stip on the back of the bottle.

In 1972, Al Scheid first planted vineyards in the then untapped and unknown Monterey County. What started as a grape growing company that sold 100% of its production to other wineries has now grown into an absolute "premium player in the wine world."

Today they own 12 sustainably cultivated vineyards (inc District 7) with a great diversity of terroir. A total of 1691 hectares owned and divided over 4 different AVA's (American Viticultural Area), planted with 39 different grape varieties. People work 100% sustainably.  Combined with a "dream team" of employees and a "state-of-the-art" cellar, they deliver a broad portfolio of wines that are honest, individualistic, elegant and, above all, delicious. Awarded since 1995 with more than 300 ratings above 90 points and many gold medals in international wine tastings.

Approved as an official AVA in 1984, the Monterey region is one of the leading bastions of viticulture with its distinctive cool climate and home to California's most amazing and sought-after Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.

The District 7 Vineyards are 100% Certified Sustainable and 100% Wind Turbine operated. They believe in being caretakers to the land which gives so much to them.

We became the first GlobalG.A.P. certified vineyard in the USA in November 2015.

SIP Certified (Sustainability in Practice) Scheid Family Wines began working with SIP in 2017 and now has six certified vineyards, totaling over 1,000 certified acres.

Monticello AVA, Barboursville, Virginia

THE PREMIER CLUB SELECTION - 2021 Barboursville Vermentino Reserve

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

Historically, Barboursville was a farming estate for sheep. Like many centuries-old farms, it changed hands over time. In 1976 Italian vintner, Gianni Zonin, acquired the estate to create Barboursville Vineyards, the only winery for the Zonin family outside Italy. This was a bold move for the Zonins, whose family dates back seven generations, and it marked a major milestone in then-sleepy Virginia wine history. The Zonins happen to be the largest privately family-run wine company in Italy. By selecting Virginia over locales like Napa and New York’s Finger Lakes to start a U.S. winery, the Zonins made quite a splash in the wine news world.

Luca Paschina has served as general manager and winemaker at Barboursville Vineyards since 1990. Paschina is from a Piemontese winemaking family and is doing some amazing things with Italian varietals in this area of Central Virginia, notably Fiano, Vermentino and Nebbiolo.

Steeped in culture, history and world class care to worth ethic and respect for the land, through challenges of unrest, fires and uncertainty, ahnds in the soil everyday, paved the way of the idea of a dream into reality and brought Barboursville Vineyards , quietly to the forfront of the wine world.

Sierra Nevada, Mendocino County, and Napa Valley, California

THE CLUB SELECTION - 2020 Donkey & Goat The Gadabout White Blend

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

The exterior of Berkeley’s Donkey & Goat Winery is urban in the extreme. Its entrance sits behind steel doors in a concrete tilt-up building on Fourth Street, and the front door looks out on a parking lot. Interstate 80 is less than 1,000 feet away.

But inside, the eight-year old winery is a throwback to another era. There is not a stainless steel or plastic fermentation tank in sight. Instead, stacks of old wooden French barrels rise 15 feet into the air. Two massive 1,600-gallon tanks made from Hungarian wood dominate a corner of the winery.

“We ferment all of our wine in wood — white, red, rosé,” explains Jared Brandt, 40, who started Donkey & Goat in 2003 with his wife, Tracey, 41. “I like the way wood breathes during fermentation. It is a natural insulator.”

The Brandts’ emphasis on natural extends to their wine making. They are part of a new breed of vintners who tinker with their wine as little as possible, preferring that grapes and terroir, rather than designer yeasts and processing, determine a wine’s flavor.

“For us we are interested in letting the wine speak for itself with as little intervention as possible,” said Brandt.

From Salt Lake, Jared Brandt attended Emory and ventured out to California after graduation. Raised in Texas and North Carolina, Tracey Brandt came west at 27. They met while both worked for the gaming company IGN. In 2001, Jared Brandt left his post to jump into winemaking.

Tracey Brandt was raised in Texas and North Carolina, and she came west at age 27. She met her husband and winery co-owner, Jared, while both of them were working for IGN, a gaming company.

In late 2001, as the technology bubble was bursting in Silicon Valley and the Brandts’ “day jobs” were looking less secure, they decided to follow their dream of learning how to make wine. Instead of going to the University of California, Davis to learn the science of winemaking, they went to France to train under Éric Texier, an up-and-coming Rhône winemaker who taught them the art and craft of making wines that speak to the soul about the earth from which they originate.

From their cramped 2,800-square-foot warehouse space in Berkeley, California, the Brandts stick to a mantra of “add nothing, do nothing, besides the bare minimum” to ensure that their 3,000 cases of organic wine are sound. Among other varietals and blends, they produce Syrah and Chardonnay.

With the 2021 vintage Tracey Rogers Brandt began making Donkey & Goat wines on her own and with the 2022 vintage she is joined by Director of Winemaking, Connor Bockman.

Additionally, every vintage includes a rotating and critical supporting cast of passionate creators during harvest. Rogers’ innovation and drive continues and most recently with initiating a dialog around the future of crafting natural, delicious wines in the face of increasing climate impact.

The Brandts, who are the winery’s “donkey and goat,” share their lives with their two children.

Washington County, Pleasant Valley, Rohrersville, Maryland

THE CLUB SELECTION - 2021 Big Cork Vidal Ice, Dessert Wine

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

Nestled on 100 rolling acres in Maryland’s Pleasant Valley, Big Cork Vineyards embodies the bold and expressive landscape of our heritage. Crafted by award-winning vintner Dave Collins, our wines will delight enthusiasts with exceptional flavors and finesse. Pour a glass, indulge your palate, stimulate your senses and toast the Big Cork experience.

For Big Cork Vineyard President Randy Thompson, the rolling expanse of crops that once dotted his family farm was truly a field of dreams. Amid the rows of corn and hay, Randy envisioned a vineyard with a grand winery and tasting room.

For many years, Dave Collins our winemaker and co-owner of Big Cork Vineyard had been driving through Pleasant Valley, where the vineyard is located. Dave who had been making wine in VA for over 30 years, noted how similar the terrior was to Virginia. When Randy Thompson, the other owner of Big Cork Vineyard asked him to come and survey the property and offer his opinion, his intuition was correct. The slope, breeze, and soil all provide the perfect growing conditions for vines. After that serendipitous encounter between Randy and local winemaker Dave Collins, BCV broke ground in May 2011. On 24 luscious acres in Pleasant Valley, Md., Dave planted 13 varietals, making Big Cork Vineyard the second largest vineyard in Washington County.

Since then, Big Cork Vineyards has sought to inspire and captivate the local wine community by producing standout wines with a palpable joie de vivre. Slow down, grab a glass, celebrate the best things in life — great wine, music, laughter, love, beauty.

Where encampments of Union and Confederate troops once mustered during the Civil War, bountiful fruit now grows. Big Cork Vinyards’ idyllic microclimate and fertile soil yield smaller grapes with more concentrated fruits, resulting in more flavorful and aromatic wines. As a commitment to sustaining our land, we are mindful of our farming practices. Our sound strategies help improve the fine quality of our wines and create a better place to live and work.

Calistoga, Silverdao Trail, Napa Valley, California

THE PREMIER CLUB SELECTION - 2017 Pavitt Date Night, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

Phifer Pavitt Wines have an inspired story full of passion and tenacity, where resilience illuminates a room and character rises above the tide.

It started in rural Ringgold, Georgia, when Suzanne Phifer left her hometown to embark on a cross-country road trip to California during her sophomore year in college. “The plan was to get a job for the summer. I was originally hired as a typist for Lockheed, where over time, my position grew,” said CEO & Founder of Phifer Pavitt Wines, Suzanne Phifer Pavitt. “Before I knew it, I was in the management program, and I transferred schools. After completing my Bachelors, I opted to stay and attend USC for my Master’s Degree.”

Subsequently, Suzanne took another high-tech position, traveling the world, exposing her to fine food and wine. It was during this period that she caught the ‘wine bug.’ “My mentor was selecting a bottle of wine during a business dinner, and I was so keenly aware of how he elevated the room. That was a skill set I wanted. So from that point on, I became a student of wine,” said Phifer Pavitt.

Fortuitously, Suzanne came across the love of her life, Shane Pavitt. Though both would agree that she shut down his initial advances, one dance would carry them for the next 24 years.

While still traveling extensively, Suzanne and Shane looked forward to their weekly “date night”, which became a place of ingenuity as the couple traveled together. From children, to their passion project of what is now Phifer Pavitt Wines, Suzanne and Shane knitted their love for food and wine into their life story.

In 1999, Suzanne came across a property in the Napa Valley. Boasting 23 acres of potential, the parcel was rich in history. After a “date night” decision, the couple had the original deed in hand and started building. During this time, Suzanne stood by the mantra, “surround yourself with creative and talented people and great things will happen.”

Great things did happen. Starting in 2001 and 2003, The Pavitt’s welcomed two sons, Jackson and Rhett. Then in 2005, they started building their dream home on the property and conducted their first harvest collaborating with Winemaker, Ted Osborne to craft the wines. In 2007, the Pavitt’s released their first wine. Four years later, Shane’s Father, Dr. Gary Warburton joined the team making the Sauvignon Blanc.

Today, Phifer Pavitt Wines embody family, collaboration and authenticity. Producing 2,500 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, micro-production lots and sparkling wine, the “date night” inspired brand crafts premium Napa Valley wines and is 92% direct to consumer.

Affected by the 2020 Fires, the Pavitt’s lost their home, vineyards and a portion of the winery building. Though the loss was catastrophic, the family withstood the storm and persevered. Re-opening their doors on labor day 2021, Phifer Pavitt Wines has proven once again that great things do happen with talented people.

*NapaValleyWineMag

Columbia Valley, Woodinville, Washington

THE PREMIER CLUB SELECTION -

2020 Damsel Stillwater Creek Mourvedre

2019 Damsel Boushey Vineyard Yakima Valley Cabernet Franc

Vineyard and Producer Highlights

Damsel Cellars. The name of the winery might conjure up the historical myth of a woman, seemingly helpless, in need of rescuing. In the case of the woman behind the winery based in Woodinville, Washington and the meaning behind the name, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Damsel is in…

Mari Womack’s path to winemaking was an unorthodox one. She didn’t attend school for it at one of the local enology or viticultural programs, nor did she come from a family already in the wine business. She does have a degree in landscape design and horticulture but that’s not what brought her to winemaking initially. She first fell in love with wine from working in the restaurant business while putting herself through college. There she was exposed to high quality food and wine long before she could afford it.

Over the next 22 years Mari continued working in the restaurant business in various capacities, including restaurant owner, then decided to move to Woodinville and pursue her ultimate goal of making her own wine someday, “We sold our last restaurant in 2009, came out here, and I just started volunteering. I knew I wanted to be involved in wine, I was always very passionate about wine and I would even plan vacations around it.”

Mari in her element.

Mari’s move to Woodinville meant joining a very tight-knit community where introductions were made easily. She started working at Obelisco back when they were only producing their Cabernet Sauvignon. She volunteered in their tasting room on the weekends and not long after was introduced to Leroy Radford, the winemaker at Baer Winery at that time (before he left to start Flying Dreams). She was so determined to learn whatever she could that she regularly showed up during production and harvest and would ask if the team there needed any help. She kept coming back and was exposed to everything from checking on fermentations to helping with crush: “once I saw the production side of wine and that great hands-on process, the feel and the smell of everything, I was hooked. I knew this is what I wanted to do. Forget the sommelier route, forget being a marketing or tasting room manager—production is where I knew I belonged.”

Working at Baer, she met Darby English (winemaker and proprietor of Darby Winery), who was in the same complex. Someone mentioned that he was looking for a tasting room manager, so she went over and introduced herself, “I said to him ‘hi, I’m going to have a winery someday, I hear you need a tasting room manager. I will help manage your tasting room if you teach me how to make wine’.”

The very first day she went to work for him was a sign of things to come. He asked if she knew how to drive a forklift. She didn’t so he tossed her the keys and told her to go practice in the parking lot and come back in a few hours when she felt comfortable, “I spent 2 hours trying to learn how to drive a forklift and soon learned that he applied that same philosophy to everything – this is why we’re doing this, this is why the ferment is going this way, this is why we’re doing this at this time. He was such a great mentor because there wasn’t anything that was off-limits that I couldn’t do. Even today, he continues to be a great sponsor for me.” Mari ended up working her way up to being Darby’s assistant winemaker for 4 years which she describes as the most intensive hands-on learning that you can do when you’re 2 people crushing 85 tons of fruit.

Another benefit of her connections in the community and her hands-on work experience, was the opportunity to develop her own relationships with some of the best vineyards in the region. Boushey and Stillwater Creek, in particular, are renown vineyards that are in big demand by winemakers in the state. Clearly their desire to work with Mari is a testament not only to the personal connection she has with them, but to the respect they have for her winemaking ability as their name also goes on to the bottle.

Tasting through Damsel wines.

Tday she’s currently making 9 wines, at a shockingly good price point given the quality level, “I made a conscious decision early on. A lot of it is that you make money in certain places and then sacrifice money in other places to get your brand going.

Hearing about Mari’s tenacity, focus and passion, it begged the question as to why name the winery “Damsel” noting the obvious connotation to the word. “The more it kicked around in my head the more it really represented the fact that, in my mind, wine is very feminine and being a female winemaker there aren’t a lot of us yet in the Washington State wine industry that are head winemakers and owners. A ton of women are working in the industry, always have been, but not as many out in front. It was important for me to do that little nod to the feminine aspect of winemaking.

“I think there are plenty of people out here where if you are hardworking and make a good product, you’re going to get recognized. I would love it if there were more women visibly out front leading in wine but there are plenty of women in the business; it’s more the visibility factor of actually being seen in those lead roles. Eventually I would love it even more if the qualifier would just go away. No one wants to be known for being a great female winemaker. Just a great winemaker. I’m not in competition with the other women, we’re all competing and cooperating together as an industry. When the qualifier goes away, and it isn’t such a noticeable difference, that will be great.”