In defiance of the wine-industry downturn, certain Healdsburg wine brands have been doubling down on their zones of genius, per se, and making bold moves at the height of uncertainty. One of those is Jesse Katz’ Aperture Cellars, which just launched a fancy new “wine portfolio” called Collage last month. It’s a set of ultra-blended wines that pull from all of Aperture’s 200 acres of vineyards across five appellations. May 3 launch party pictured above!
“Collage is the wine I’ve been dreaming of making since the beginning,” Jesse said in his announcement — “a culmination of years of exploration, collaboration and craftsmanship. With access to a diverse palette of vineyard lots and cutting-edge techniques at our custom-built winery, we created a wine that doesn’t just express a place — it captures a moment in time.” FYI, Jesse is also now helping actress Jessica Biel make her own line of wines — a collab that was revealed at the BottleRock music festival in Napa last weekend, where Jessica’s husband Justin Timberlake headlined.
From the Press Democrat: “The label, Prophet & Poet, originated in 2019 when Jesse Katz… created a red wine blend as a wedding present for Biel’s younger brother, Justin Biel, InStyle reported this week. Katz, a longtime family friend of Biel who also created a wine for her 2012 wedding to Timberlake, suggested to Biel and her brother that they turn the blend he made in 2019 into a label. Biel, who appears on the cover of InStyle’s summer issue, told the magazine she was on board immediately.” Had enough schmoozy celebrity goss yet?
Next up: While plenty of other North Bay wineries and tasting rooms are closing their doors, Emmitt-Scorsone Wines just opened a new riverside outpost this year at 52 Front St., in the former home of Davis Family Vineyards. The pics above were taken at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony in April. Well-known local chef Mateo Granados is running the new tasting room’s food operation, to rave reviews from my colleagues; more info here!
ALSO back in early April, I visited Auteur Wines cofounder Kenneth Juhasz at his gorgeous new spot next to the Raford Inn, at what he calls the “wishbone” of Eastside and Wohler roads. Auteur’s rural tasting room, pictured below, is now open to the public — and it’s fair to say the public is charmed. Kenneth explained to me that while some of his peers may be downsizing in this uncertain moment for the wine industry, he’s doubling down and betting on the enduring magic of excellent wine.
I also stopped by Capo Creek Winery on West Dry Creek Road recently to taste some of head chef-winemaker Mary Roy’s famous food-wine pairings. They did not disappoint! Mary, pictured below, is creating some truly revolutionary culinary art out there in the Healdsburg countryside, at one of the most idyllic rural vineyard properties in the region — and the life stories she told between tastings, about her wild ride from the East Coast to Chicago suburbs to Sonoma County backroads, lived up to the legend as well. Love you, Mary!
Lastly, local photographer “Tenay” — whose photos you often see in this newsletter — says Longboard Vineyards near Healdsburg’s old train station is her new fave hangout spot. She took the pic below at the May 23 installment of Longboard’s “Friday night dance band” series, which pairs rocking local bands with food trucks. “I attended the Longboard music event last night and it was so fun, that I had to share!” Tenay writes. “Somehow, it felt like being at a friends home, and EVERYONE made this awkward gal feel so welcomed. People introduced themselves and shared stories and histories about the wines, people who don’t even work for Longboard!” The band pictured above is Rock on a Roll; next up is The Harvest Band on June 6. Full schedule here.
