Once upon a time, one of my favorite wineries was readily accessible. One could walk in, without an appointment, and enjoy their wide portfolio of wines in a relatively mellow atmosphere. On this past Saturday, my experience was noticeably different. Cliff Lede has been discovered, and it seems to be by almost everyone! The tasting room was filled with people all along the long bar and out on the patio, and there was an event going on in a seated private tasting area.

I had to inquire, what transpired? Clearly something had changed — and that’s good for them. It is known that quality can’t be kept a secret. People finally discovered the limited production wines. Most recently, their 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry was awarded a perfect score of 100 points from Robert Parker. This seems to have opened the floodgates of individuals coming through the doors of Cliff Lede.

Many times I get asked, “What is your favorite wine?” I glibly reply, “It comes in a bottle." Funny at times when I say it (folks do chuckle at my response), yet it is true. (Discussion of wine in boxes and cans to come later.) A friend of mine once said that every bottle tells a story. It comes from a specific place, grows in unique terrain, experiences different weather, and the winemaker has a specific expression with the varietal or blend. No two winemakers bring their art to you in exactly the same way. That allows you and I to discover what that expression is and what it means to us as we savor and enjoy their labor of love. That is the exploration each time we open a bottle.

With all that said, there are some wines and winemakers that consistently come to the forefront for me. One of those wineries is Favia. This is the labor of love for viticulturist Annie Favia and her husband and winemaker Andy Erickson. This is a marriage made in heaven and the vineyard. These two make a killer team, and the proof is in the bottle. Each time I open one of their wines, I am charmed and love nothing more than to savor each sip of wine.

Cakebread Cellars is one of the most known names in the Napa Valley and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2013. It is a family-owned winery, which has generated remarkable success. This is due to the quality of their wine and the quality of their people. This is a winery that has grown and evolved over that time period, adding vineyards and expanding its facilities.

Cakebread is known most broadly for their white wines – Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. But this is only the beginning of their portfolio. You will find quality throughout their offerings from Syrah, Zinfandel, and red blends to their Cabernet. In fact, their most recent vintage (2012) of Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet was given a score of 99 points – that is nearly perfect.

“Mending Wall” is a poem by the twentieth century American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963). The poem is about two men who mend the fence that separates their properties, yet it brings them together. This is part of the inspiration for the Mending Wall, a new winery located on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley. Wine is that wonderful beverage that brings people together, and the Mending Wall is the vision of three families who come together in an endeavor to make wine of great quality and flavor. There are excellent beginnings here on the Trail, since this is an endeavor of talented vintners and a highly-regarded winemaker.

None of those involved is new to the winemaking business, but this is a new beginning to “press the boundaries” in an effort to produce the best expression of the grape. At Mending Wall, Frank & Kathy Dotzler (of Outpost Winery and Vineyard) and Donna Walker & Mark Pulido (of Pulido-Walker) come together with winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown to craft a new set of quality wines. They are off and running!

Favia Wines is a marriage that sings beautifully. This winery is the work of husband and wife team Andy Erickson and Annie Favia, and it is a pairing that works extremely well.

Just recently, I had the chance to visit and taste the current releases from Favia. I had discovered their wine back with the 2006 vintage. My first introduction was the Cerro Sur Red Wine. This is a blend of predominately Cab Franc and Cabernet. (The Cerro Sur is a blend – for a wine to be characterized as a certain varietal, it must contain at least 75% of that grape.) I am a big fan of Cab Franc, and this one was done splendidly. I was hooked.