Chances are if you have any interest in wine, you can drop into any wine tasting room or wine bar and start chatting with the owner, server or another patron and quickly discover you know someone in common. It’s what makes the industry a strong tribe.
A recent visit to Carneros—a must for lovers of classic pinot noir, chardonnay, sparkling and, increasingly, albarino—took us to Cuvaison, where we met with CEO Dan Zepponi, who grew up in the wine industry. His grandfather is the “Z” in ZD Winery, one of 14 wineries in Napa that date back 50 years ago.
Zepponi has worked at Beringer, Foster’s Wine Estate, Mark Anthony (in Okanagan BC, where Mike’s Hard Lemonade and White Claw originated), among others, and took over Cuvaison and sister brand Brandlin Estate nine years ago. He’s been replanting vigorously to replace pinot noir that contracted a virus and to add the Sancerre clone of sauvignon blanc, which makes their 2023 Brandlin Estate SB from Mt. Veeder such a gem. Steve Rogstad, who’s been Cuvaison’s winemaker since 2002, make it in specially treated cigar-shaped barrels that are steam bent to eschew the toasty caramel of the 50% new wood.
“Everyone has chardonnay, but this sauv blanc is in the perfect spot to get ripe enough to avoid pyrazines while maintaining just enough acid,” Zepponi said. “We actually pick it after our pinot noir.”
Generally, sauvignon blanc is one of the first grapes brought in during harvest, to capture its freshness and before acid drops. In cool vintages, this can result in some green vegetal notes.
Over tastes of the 2020 Cuvaison Brut Cuvee, made with the help of sparkling wine house Domaine Carneros, with whom they share views of the same grape-covered hillsides, Zepponi told me we had a friend in common.
“I played in a band with Tres Goetting,” he said, referring to the former Ridge winemaker, who briefly took over from Eric Baugher before being replaced himself. Goetting plays bass and Zepponi lead guitar in the band Silverado Pickup, who primarily play for charity auctions. They’ve also opened for Leon Russell at Bottle Rock.
Speaking of rocking, Rogstad really rocked it with the entire Cuvaison lineup of chardonnays, which range from barrel-fermented to those done in concrete barrels. The 2023 Cuvaison Kite Tail Chardonnay is made in the Chablis style from old Wente clone vines, very reflective of the wild grass-covered hills of Carneros.
We enjoyed the 2023 Debut Cru Pinot Noir, the 2022 merlot and the 2019 Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, whose tannins are smoothed by warming the cellar to form longer tannin chains earlier in the aging process, resulting in a silkier mouthfeel.
Speaking of cabernet sauvignon, Premier Cruz, the annual tasting of Santa Cruz Mountains cabernet, is coming up Nov 1, 4-6:30 p.m. at the Lexington Hills Estate and Winery in the Los Gatos hills.
This strolling salon features current and library vintages from 15-plus local producers, alongside savory pairings from Oak and Rye, showcasing the tremendous age-worthiness of wines from this renowned terroir. Since the late 1800s, the Santa Cruz Mountains has been recognized as a premium cabernet-producing region, when local winegrowers began to win acclaim in national and international competitions. At the Judgment of Paris in 1976, one of the 12 wines chosen to represent California was Ridge Vineyards’ Monte Bello Cabernet from the Santa Cruz Mountains. The tasting was repeated in 2006 with the same vintages, and the Ridge Monte Bello was judged the top-rated wine.
But Ridge is not alone here: You have Burrell School (classic “Old School” Cab and flagship “Valedictorian”), Cooper Garrod Vineyards (piney, intense cab francs), House Family (smooth cabs), Mount Eden (legendary mountain might), Kings Mountain Vineyards (meritage that taste like French Bordeaux), Kathryn Kennedy Winery (the Small Lot and Lateral always aim to please), Lexington Wine Company (from Gist Ranch), Maison Aerion (made by an actual Frenchman), Martin Ranch (accessible yet well-built), Silver Mountain Vineyards (O’Brien’s Alloy is pure gold), Storrs Winery (excellent Bates Ranch Cab), Vidovich Vineyards (endurance runner) and Wrights Station Winery (spicy cab franc from Lago Lomita Vineyards). Tickets are $135 at http://bit.ly/47e9dxy.
Discover the story behind the vines at Mount Eden Vineyards at the Saratoga Foothill Club’s first public event of the 2025–26 season. On Sunday, Nov. 16, 4:30-7 p.m., enjoy a special screening of “Eden,” an award-winning documentary exploring legacy and craftsmanship in Santa Cruz Mountain winemaking, followed by a Q&A with director Chris McGilvray. For tickets and more information, visit saratogafoothillclub.org/public-events.
Winston’s Champagne Bar is now open in downtown Los Gatos on Santa Cruz Avenue. Run by proprietor Melanie Bauer, Winston’s is open for business Wednesday-Thursday, 3–8 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 3-10 p.m., and Sunday, 2-8 p.m. winstonchampagnebar.com
Further south, Paso Robles now has 20 tasting rooms in the downtown area, including Justin, Tudor, LXV, Art of the Vineyard (Carmody McKnight) tasting gallery and more. The Paso Wine Walk, set For Nov. 1 2-5 p.m., includes 15 wineries like Cordant, Cypher, Indigene, Mid Point and Derby Wine Estates and Rockbound. Tickets are $60 at http://bit.ly/3Lb0Gmq.