Duckhorn Dynasty

For those of us not attending the opening night of SEWE, the South East Wildlife Expo, we here at the Wine Shop will be hosting an event of our own. Keeping with the theme of the festival that has kicked off Tourist Season here in Charleston since it's debut in 1983, we thought it apropos to taste through some wines of one of the legends of Napa Valley: Duckhorn Vineyards.

Co-Founded in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, Duckhorn Vineyards has been one of Napa Valley's premier wineries for nearly 50 years. Still owned by Mr. and Mrs. Duckhorn, today female winemaker Renée Ary keeps alive the Duckhorn's passion for Bordeaux-style wines. We'll be enjoying their Sauvignon Blanc, which was added into the Duckhorn line in 1982, to begin. Like a White Bordeaux, a touch of Sémillon is blended into the Sauv Blanc to add some depth and complexity.

Next up will Goldeneye Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley, which is not to be confused with the Jamaican Estate of James Bond creator, Ian Fleming, or the Pierce Brosnan starring film. One of the operations Commander Fleming oversaw in WWII was codenamed GoldenEye and he then named his island villa home after it. 

Everyone knows the famous line uttered by an ornery Paul Giamatti in the 2004 film, Sideways, when he declares, "If anybody orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am not drinking any f**king Merlot!" Contrary to this brash statement however, when it comes to Napa Valley we all think of Cabernet (as it rules supreme there), but when it comes to Duckhorn, despite how delicious their Cabernet is, we actually prefer their Merlot. And that's saying something! In 1979 Duckhorn was the first American winery to pioneer the production of luxury Merlot. And they achieved their goal with flying colors. So we're going to leave the flagship Cabernet aside and go with the Merlot. We're curious of your thoughts once you taste it too!

But worry not Cabernet lovers. Our final wine of the evening will be a relatively new project featuring Cabernet by Duckhorn. Named for the Canvasback duck, which is native to the Pacific Flyway, this wine hails from the celebrated vineyards of Washington State's Red Mountain, which is renowned for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Whether you'll be attending some of the SEWE events or not, one event not to be missed is this incredible Duckhorn Tasting.

See you there!

Salud,

The Wine Shop Team