American Wines for the 4th of July

Apollo’s Praise Winery is the passionate endeavor of celebrated Finger Lakes winemakers Kelby James Russell and Julia Rose Hoyle as they strike out on a new adventure, having purchased their own estate and creating this label.

Stolpman Uni is an homage to the Santa Barbara delicacy. The 2022 is the most balanced vintage of Uni yet, with complementing forces of ripe, rich Roussanne and high-toned Chardonnay providing a briny character. The Stolpman Uni blend was created to match the sensation of enjoying fresh sea urchin on the Santa Barbara pier.

• Practicing Organic
• 60% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne
• Sourced from Block 3 & 5 of Stolpman Vineyards (Ballard Canyon AVA)
• Whole bunch crushed, 24 hours skin contact
• Native fermentation in neutral 500L French puncheons
• Aged 9 months in 25% new and 75% neutral 500L French oak puncheons
• 1,500 cases produced
• 13% abv

Stolpman Vineyards began over 20 years ago, when proprietors Tom and Marilyn Stolpman discovered the limestone rich soils of Ballard Canyon, about an hour north from Santa Barbara in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. The Stolpmans played a pivotal role in establishing the Ballard Canyon AVA.

Post Flirtation Rosé is a co-ferment of red and white grapes and possibly the most playful of the Post Flirtation trio produced by Martha Stoumen (there is also a white and red). As usual, this fruity friend doesn’t fail to delight with subtlety and substance. 

• 53% Carignan, 47% Colombard
• Sourced from the Ricetti Vineyard (Redwood Valley, Mendocino County)
• Planted in 1948
• Dry-farmed (non-irrigated), certified organic vineyard
• Gravelly loam soils
• Direct-to-press Colombard was settled overnight and then racked off gross juice lees into a stainless steel tank
• Carignan harvested a few days later, whole clusters were loaded into the press, briefly tumbled, and then left to macerate on skins overnight before pressing the following morning
• The pressed Carignan juice was then racked into the just-fermenting Colombard tank to begin co-fermentation
• 100% native yeast; fermented completely dry and racked off heavier lees at the end of fermentation
• Aged in neutral vessels for 6 months before bottling
• Unfined and unfiltered (sediment expected)
• Free SO2 < 2 mg/L (Total SO2 10 mg/L)
• 12% abv

Martha Stoumen started her eponymous label in 2014, focusing on organic, minimal intervention wines from dedicated farmers. She prioritizes healthy soils, native fermentation, and chemical-free farming practices with a highlight on Mediterranean varieties and old vine vineyards.

2023 Big Salt “Orange Rose” has a cloudy, orange amber hue. The nose is an earthy dance between the ginger, turmeric notes of Pinot Gris and the tropical island vibes of skin contact Gewurz and Muscat.

• 50% Pinot Gris, 50% Skin-contact Big Salt
• basaltic/volcanic soils
• Elevation: 1,500 ft
• Harvested: 09/20/23
• Planted in the mid 80’s, this Pinot gris sits atop Booth Hill, in Hood River, Oregon. Just over 1500 feet in elevation, the volcanic soils of the site were unaffected by the Last Glacial Maximum 13,000 years ago
• Pinot gris is destemmed into 1-ton fermenters where 5 gallons of skin contact Muscat and Gewurz are added to spur native fermentation
• After two weeks of daily pumpovers, the wine has turned dark cranberry in color, at which point it is racked into neutral barrel with 50% Big Salt where ML fermentation with complete, and the wine will aged on lees for 5-6 months
• Bottled unfined, unfiltered
• 12.9% alc

Ovum is a small family-run business led by husband-and-wife team John and Ksenija House. The winemaking is about finding the best expression of Oregon whites with a special focus on Riesling from vineyards throughout Oregon. The wines are made with native fermentation, no subtractions, and minimal additions. 

“This is amazing on the nose with dried strawberries, sandalwood, mahogany and tea leaf. Iron and rust underneath the fruit. Dried flowers, nutmeg and rose petals. Full-bodied yet agile and energetic with layers of fine dusty tannins. Entrancing finish. Give this four or five years in the bottle, but it’s hard not to drink” – James Suckling 

• Practicing Organic
• 100% Pinot Noir
• Calera, Pommard, 828, rVR1, and 667 clones
• Royal St. Robert Vineyard (Sonoma Coast AVA)
• 658 ft elevation
• South-east exposure
• Well-drained Goldridge sandy loam and Steinbeck fine sandy loam soils in the lower rows
• Iron-rich Franciscan soils in the upper parcel
• 100% hole cluster
• Native fermentation
• Aged in neutral French oak barrels
• This wine is dedicated to Carlo and Dante Mondavi’s grandfather, Robert Mondavi
• Bottled without fining or filtration
• 12.5% abv

RAEN Winery was founded in 2013 by Robert Mondavi’s grandchildren Carlo & Dante. After working with their father, Tim, in building Continuum, they decided to go off on their own and venture out to the West Sonoma Coast to make world class, cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

“Attractive, dark-fruited character with blue flowers, chocolate and wet stones. Full-bodied with fine, glossy tannins and succulent, delicious fruit. Mellow and sleek.” -James Suckling 

• Practicing Organic
• 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot
• Napa Valley AVA
• Sourced from sustainably farmed and practicing organic vineyards in Oakville,
• Yountville & Sugarloaf Mountain
• Fermented in stainless steel tanks
• Aged 20 months in 50% new French oak
• Unfined
• 14% ABV

Established in 2012 by Weston Eidson, Silver Ghost Cellars, named after his great grandfather’s favorite car, the 1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, was created to tell a story of heritage, passion and the art of winemaking. Weston sources his Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville, Yountville and Sugarloaf Mountain. 

Juvenile is arguably the most playful member of the Turley lineup. Known for world class, single vineyard Zinfandels of structure and complexity, Juvenille is the perfect foil with its berry punch juiciness, by blending some of the “younger” vineyards for this cuvee.

• Practicing Organic
• 100% Zinfandel
• California AVA
• Sourced from 27 vineyards across 11 counties in California
• Average vine age: 6-25 years old
• 100% Native yeast fermentation
• Aged 12 months in 80% French oak and 20% American oak (5% new)
• Bottled unfined
• 15.2% abv

Turley Wine Cellars was founded in Napa Valley by Larry Turley in 1993. Because Larry has never met an old vine vineyard he didn’t like, Turley now makes 50 separate wines from 50 different vineyards, some with vines that date back to the mid-1800s. Often weak and low yielding, these old vine vineyards require extra care and attention to harvest fruit that reflects their aged glory. All of the vineyards are either certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers or somewhere in the process. Only natural yeasts are used in the fermentations.