Press
2015 Winemaker of the Year: Bibiana Gonzalez Rave
Wayfarer Vineyard Winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave Named The San Francisco Chronicle's 2015 Winemaker of the Year Read More
Best Of Napa & Sonoma Wines: 2011-2013 Vintages
The Corkscrewer Report previews some of their favorite wines from vintages 2011, 2012 and 2013. Read More
Wayfarer Wines Grab My Attention - Again
In October 2014, I led off the PinotFile with an article on the inaugural wines released from Wayfarer Vineyard located in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. I raved about the 2012 Wayfarer Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay then, and recently tasted the 2013 Wayfarer releases and I was captivated again. It is unprecedented for me to put a winery on the front page of the PinotFile twice within a year, but these wines are that good. The wines are expensive, but not unreasonably so given the challenges of… Read More
The Extremists of the Extreme Sonoma Coast
The Fort Ross-Seaview AVA may be only three years old, but its ability to produce distinctive and thrilling wines has been recognized for far longer. Anne Krebiehl MW profiles the early pioneers and more recent producers who are brave enough to farm its inhospitable but rewarding coastal ridges. Read More
West Sonoma Coast - an introduction
The West Sonoma Coast is not an official appellation, but is a region recognised by vintners throughout the area for the quality and refinement of the wines it produces. ‘These wines', Ehren Jordan of Failla tells me, ‘defy most people’s expectations of what California can do.’ We’re standing in the Failla cellar tasting through his many cuvées from the West Sonoma Coast, discussing wines of the region generally. It is well understood that California can offer big flavour. At… Read More
Cleo Pahlmeyer - Not just the farmer's daughter
Hippies plus a school for wayward children merged with the queen of California Burgundy style wines and a trained fine art specialist — what does that equal?If you’re Jayson Pahlmeyer, you take this strange combination and create a new leader in California Pinot Noir.Jayson, the proprietor of the prestigious Napa winery, Pahlmeyer, had the great good fortune or extraordinary intuition to hire Helen Turley as his winemaker twenty years ago. Mostly famous for his red Bordeaux blend, he… Read More
Wayfarer Tasting with Bibiana González Rave
From the superbly talented viticulturist/winemaker Bibiana González Rave, the current vintage is full of excellent to extraordinary wines. Read More
Wayfarer Wins Pigs & Pinot Ultimate Smackdown
After four rousing rounds of "March Madness" style wine competition (and lots of smack talk from the four Master Sommeliers leading the seminar), the audience ultimately named Wayfarer the winner. Read More
Top Ten West Sonoma Coast Wineries
West Sonoma Coast is a leading producer of ultra premium Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and cool climate Syrah. It is home to some of my favorite growing areas, including magical Occidental, Freestone, and the newer Fort Ross-‐Seaview sub-appellation. There are plenty of great wineries in Sonoma’s sub-appellations; however, the Coast has always held a very special place in my heart. Folks from this stunningly beautiful area are pretty easy to find irresistible, as are their wines. They are… Read More
Sonoma, Anderson Valley and Beyond: New Releases
These new and upcoming releases from Wayfarer confirm all the promise I sensed last year. Simply put, the wines are stunning. Cleo Pahlmeyer and winemaker Bibiana González Rave are doing magnificent work here. Wayfarer makes five different Pinots; the Wayfarer is meant to be a representation of the entire property, while the other bottlings explore the unique attributes of a number of single parcels on the estate. At the moment, there is only one Chardonnay, but I would not be surprised to see… Read More
