2018 Rosé with Olga Patland

Our first vintage of Rosé was 2012. Every year since then we played around with our winemaking method for this wine, until 2015 when we finally hit the nail on the head!

We felt the 2015 vintage was the epitome of complexity and expressive flavor in a Rosé. Since then, it's been the benchmark for every subsequent vintage we've released.

Just like its predecessor, the 2018 release is chock-full of strawberry, raspberry and ripe watermelon flavor. It is just as rich and substantial as the 2015. 

The 2018 does have a few differences though. For one, it was made from Syrah and Tempranillo, whereas we've traditionally made our rosé wines from a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec. 

The other key difference is that we made this wine using the saignée method, in which a portion of the juice meant for the Syrah and Proprietary Red Wine was bled off early and separated for fermentation into a Rosé. 

As a result of working with dark-skinned grapes like Syrah, we've been able to maintain a deep, rich color in our Rosés year after year. And don't let that color fool you! Some people see it and think that means a sweet wine, but we assure you, this is anything but!

Last big difference--for the first time--we've bottled this beautiful wine in magnums! Perfect for that summer pool party. ⛱

The 2018 "Lillá in Fiore" Rosé is a wonderful example of a balanced and elegant, expressive and bold Rosé. We invite you to give it a taste. It's perfect with lighter fare, or just to sip on its own. Cheers!

SHOP ROSE

Making an IMPCT Together

Now is the time to band together to help small businesses. It is also the time to support those healthcare professionals and essential business operators that are on the frontline of this pandemic. 

We put on our thinking caps and figured out a creative way to do all of those things, and it certainly doesn't hurt that you end up with a little wine, as well.

Through a friend of the Patland family, we were recently introduced to a company called impctcoffee. This company is a global social enterprise dedicated to doing good. Traditionally, 25% of their margin would be invested into transforming low income and urban slum communities through education. 

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, impctcoffee pivoted to aid in the fight against this virus. Now, 25% of their margin is being redirected to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Response Fund. 

We got together with impctcoffee's CEO, Taylor Scobbie, to take it a step further. Here's what we're doing:

Since you're certainly wondering what kind of coffee we're talking about here, we'll take a minute to explain. 

This is a medium roast, fruity coffee. It has a creamy texture with pronounced berry notes. Put another way, this is about the closest a coffee can come to pairing with wine. (If any of you are bold enough to try that, let us know!)

The coffee is grown on the Nebbi Zombo Farm in Uganda, where focus on specialty coffee is on the rise. This growing region is just west of Lake Albert's northern tip, one of Africa's Great Lakes. 

All of the coffee is produced through natural processing, in which the coffee cherries are passively dried on raised beds for 15 to 20 days. This allows the seeds, or coffee beans, to separate from the pulp of the cherry. One coffee expert, Timothy Hill, had this to say about the Natural way of processing:

"I always—and maybe it’s an unfair comparison to wine or other beverages—but in my head, I really do look at natural processing as akin to red wine, where you’re taking in more of the skin and whole product itself into the beverage. With white wine, you’re leaving the skin and the tannins out, and I think that’s a good way to think about natural coffees. With the natural processing, you’re letting the fruit and the nutrients from the skin and the sugars go into the seed through the drying process. With the washed process, you’re washing it clean so you don’t get those flavors in there."

We invite you to buy some wine, and enjoy some coffee too.

Afterall, Every Good Day Starts with Coffee and Ends with Wine!

SHOP WINE & COFFEE

2017 Proprietary Red with Michael Patland

In 2007, Henry and Olga purchased a vineyard property called Terra Del Cuore. A few of you may have been lucky enough to see it, but most have not. It was a sublime 40-acre property that featured three main buildings. Those buildings were complimented by rows of vines that sprawled across the property. All together, those vineyards made up less than three acres, but due to the retaining walls used in building the terraced vineyard, it may easily be one of the most expensive vineyards in Napa Valley.

Originally the vineyard was planted to three grape varieties: Syrah, Merlot and Sangiovese. The man who originally built the property had a taste for old world wine, having done much of his business in France and Italy. However, when Henry Patland tried the wine, he realized it was markedly different from the classic Napa Valley style that he had so come to love. 

With time the enemy at his back, Henry was forced to use the fruit from the property in his first vintage. So the 2007 Proprietary Red was comprised of Syrah, Merlot and Sangiovese.

When the Patland Winemaker, Jay Buoncristiani, was asked what to do with that vineyard, Jay said, "Graft everything to Malbec." 

So we did. Every year since, the Proprietary Red wine has been a blend of Malbec from the estate, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from Stagecoach Vineyard.

Every year some detail of this changes, but this is the basic framework to which this wine must always adhere.

In the Ten Year Anniversary vintage, 2017, a little bit of Petite Verdot was added into the blend. A few new vineyards were used in the sourcing of fruit as well. The most important factor though--we would argue--stayed the same. Jay is still the winemaker, and as in years past, has brought his singularly incredible skill of wine blending to the table with this wine.

It is ripe, intense and concentrated. It is balanced and structured. It strikes the perfect balance of a wine that can impress now, and one that will reward patient aging. 

If you've had our wines before, then simply take our word for it--this is some of the best juice we've ever put out. If you have NOT tried our wines before, then we heavily suggest you allow this wine to be your first forray. 

SHOP PROPRIETARY RED

2017 Malbec with Jay Buoncristiani

If you were to ask us what our flagship wine is, our official answer would be Cabernet Sauvignon. Those in the know, however, might think Malbec...

When we began producing wine in 2007, we were laser focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. We were lucky enough to be getting phenomenal fruit from the highly acclaimed Stagecoach Vineyard. And yet, we also had our own little vineyard. Sitting high atop the mountains, adorning our family's estate, was the Terra Del Cuore vineyard. When we asked our winemaker what we should plant there, he said Malbec...?

Yes, Malbec. Jay spoke about it almost like it would be his secret weapon. Ten vintages later, it's safe to say it was!

At first, he was only using it as a blending component in our Cabernet Sauvignon and Proprietary Red Wine. One day, he asked the family to come together to taste a few blends he'd been working on. He explained to us what the first couple were, but refused to explain the third blend. We tried it and immediately fell in love. Nearly begging to know what it was, Jay finally had pity on us and told us it was 100% Malbec from our estate.

Until then, we had not encountered that caliber of Malbec in the Napa Valley. After tasting the wine though, it was clear to us that we needed to start producing a Malbec.

Now and then a little something would sneak into the blend, maybe a little Cabernet Sauvignon or a little Stagecoach Malbec. However, the 2017 vintage is uniquely its own beast because it is almost entirely Stagecoach fruit! This bold, structured wine is the perfect symbol of what great mountain fruit can become in the Napa Valley. 

SHOP MALBEC

2017 Syrah with Natalie Kelly

Those of you who have been with Patland Estate Vineyards since the beginning may recall that when we began in 2007, we were producing three wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and a Proprietary Red Blend. 

When we began, we had no idea what sort of journey lied ahead of us. The years have been filled with great triumphs and great trajedies, and amidst it all, we have to take a moment to appreciate this milestone. Ten years in the Napa Valley, and ten years making this wine!

If you're wondering what to expect from this wine, a cozy night by the fire sums it up. Yes! It's strange to describe a wine as cozy, but this one really does have all those warm winter spice aromas that you can't help but associate with cozy winter nights. 

It smells of gingerbread and nutmeg, allspice and fresh cracked black pepper, and even Chinese five spice. Below that, aromas of stewed blackberry and freshly picked black currants.

On the palate this all melds together to be an ultra-ripe, fruit forward wine accented with flavors of brown sugar and molasses. All these smells and tastes swirl together to take you back to the coziest parts of the winter holidays!

If you're among the lucky few that have a bottle or two of our innaugural vintage tucked away, we highly suggest trying the two wines side-by-side. What better way to see the evolution of a wine than to compare it against it's ten years younger brother? Enjoy!

SHOP SYRAH

Our Recipe for a Perfect Evening!

Whether you've been together for decades or just a couple years, a romantic night away is an absolute must once in a while.

Now we hope you're not waiting all year for Valentine's Day to roll around, but since February is the month of love, we thought we'd put together a little guide for what we consider a pretty perfect evening. The soft glow of flickering candlelight, the rich taste of decadent chocolate, and the washing away of inhibitions by delicious wine! 

Sounds good, right? Well here's what you need.

One Patland Candle

For years, we've had empty Patland bottles piling up at the winery. Finally, we partnered with a local candlemaker to start turning those fallen soldiers into stunning centerpieces! Coming in a variety of aromas--and wine bottles--these are the perfect way to set the mood. 

Set them on the dinner table, on the mantle, or even by the tub. Let that soft light wind you down.

PATLAND CANDLE

A Box of Chocolate Truffles

Now this is a classic pairing we're sure you've tried. Rich decadent chocolate with bold Napa Valley wine--what could be better? Well, what if that chocolate was actually made *with* wine? Yes, that's a thing. We actually partnered with a local confectionary to make these gorgeous chocolate truffles with our very own Proprietary Red Wine. That means you can find the nuanced flavor of your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec all in these little bites of joy. 

PATLAND CHOCOLATES

Several Glasses of Liquid Gold

There are plenty of ways to pair food and wine, but when it comes to chocolate at the end of a long day, we like to go sweet with sweet. That's why we always suggest a few glasses of Patland Port to go with those chocolate truffles. 

The funny thing is, when Henry and Olga founded Patland Estate Vineyards, they had absolutely no intention of ever producing a dessert wine! Neither of them really had much of a sweet-tooth...

Several years after the winery got started though, the couple went on holiday to Portugal, where they were exposed to all sorts of delcious Port wines! One thing they learned was: Just because it's a dessert wine, doesn't mean it has to be cloyingly sweet. So many of the wines they tried were actually balanced and well-rounded. So upon their return to wine country, they charged Winemaker Jay Buoncristiani with the task of creating an equally balanced Port-style wine in Napa Valley.

The result was a wine of elegance and complexity. Made entirely from Petite Syrah fruit, this wine is full of flavors of baker's chocolate, blueberry pie, brandied cherries, orange marmalade and fig compote. It really is all those guilty pleasures wrapped into one wine. 

So if all this sounds as good to you as it does to us, then hop on over to our Wine Store and grab a Perfect Evening bundle. That's right, we put all these wonderful items together for you. You're just a few clicks away from the Perfect Evening. ❤️

PERFECT EVENING BUNDLE

Three Reasons Why We Love Our Club Members

We have been on this wonderful winemaking journey since 2007, and it has been nothing short of an exhilarating adventure. None of it would be possible without our loyal club members and for that, we think they deserve a little time in the Patland spotlight.

They Know How to Have a Great Time

Wine and life are meant to be shared, and that’s exactly what we intended for when we first founded Patland Estate Vineyards. There are many ways that our members share the love of life and wine in the same way we do. Whether it be our release parties, wine cruises, complimentary tastings, and so much more, our members have proven they don’t mess around when it comes to having fun. We have made so many great memories over the years, and we cherish each and every one of them as we look forward to what’s ahead.

They Appreciate the Finer Things in Life

For some, this phrase refers to items of luxury and elegance while others prefer to consider the finer things as objects or moments we take for granted. For us, it’s both, and we know our members feel the same way. Through our handcrafted wine and cigars and our love of travel and fine dining, we strive to live an unforgettable life. We love that our members have chosen to experience this amazing journey alongside us. More specifically, their support and appreciation for our wines reassure us that we must never waver in our commitment to crafting the highest quality wine possible. We know they would accept nothing less, and neither would we!

They’re Like Family to Us

As a family-run winery, we are directly affected by the loyalty, support, and appreciation that our club members give to us year after year. It helps us continue our passionate endeavors in the wine industry and allows us to keep this winemaking dream a reality. How could they not feel like family! We can’t thank our club members enough for believing in our mission to share our complex, Napa Valley wines with the world, and we feel lucky to have them as part of the Patland Estate Vineyard Family. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our Wine Club benefits and joining the Patland Estate family, click here!

‘Tis the Season for Bubbly: 3 Fun Facts About Sparkling Wine

Pop… fizz… pour. Ahhh, the familiar sounds of the holiday season that fill the Patland family home this time of year. There’s just something inherently celebratory about sparkling wine, whether it be the act of popping open a bottle and watching the bubbles overflow or the fizzing sensation in our mouths after each sip, it’s simply made for the most wonderful time of the year. If your holiday gatherings will also be filled with sparkling wine, impress family and friends with these three fun facts about this bubbly phenomenon. This way, you won’t have to try out that fancy knife trick that never goes as planned.

1. A Wonderful Accident

There are many myths surrounding the creation and discovery of this lavish style of wine. Perhaps one of the most well-known of them all is that of the French Benedictine Monk, Dom Pérignon. Sometime in the 1600s, he was making white wine when one series of bottling occurred earlier than usual. He thought the yeast finished converting the sugars to alcohol, but it turns out, low winter temperatures caused the yeasts to go from active to dormant. When warmer springtime temperatures awakened the yeast, they consumed the remaining sugars leaving carbon dioxide in the wake of their hungry stupor. The carbon dioxide was unable to escape the bottle, so the wine eventually absorbed it. When Pérignon came back to check on the wine, he found many corks on the ground that had popped from the bottles. His curiosity led him to try the wine. It is then that he spoke his famous sentence, “Come, I am drinking stars.” 

2. Not One, But Six

Over the years, the method to make sparkling wine has grown from a single accidental method to six. This is largely due to accessibility and modern-day technology. It also just so happens to be the most technical of all wines in the world because it requires two fermentations. The six major methods by which sparkling wines are produced are:

Traditional Method - This is the most appreciated method for sparkling wine production in terms of quality, and at the same time it is also the most costly in terms of production. The most important facet of the traditional method is that the transformation from a still to a sparkling wine occurs entirely inside the bottle.

Tank Method - The tank method came about during the early 20th-century industrial advancements and is the primary process used for Prosecco and Lambrusco wines. The major difference between the tank method and the traditional method is the removal of the individual bottle as the vessel used to turn a still wine into a sparkling one.

Transfer Method - This method is identical to the traditional method except that wines need not be riddled and disgorged in the same manner. Instead, the bottles are emptied into a pressurized tank and sent through pressurized filters to remove the dead yeast bits. Then, the wines are bottled using pressurized fillers. 

Ancestral Method - Similar to its accidental origin, this method of sparkling wine production uses icy temperatures (and filtration) to pause the fermentation mid-way for a period of months and then wines are bottled and the fermentation finishes, trapping the CO2 in the bottle.

Continuous Method - The Russians may have it with the strangest sparkling wine production method yet! The process gets the name from a continual addition of yeast into pressurized tanks, thereby making it possible to increase the total pressure to 5 atmospheres (or as much as most Champagne).

Carbonation - The carbonation method simply takes a still wine and carbonates in a pressurized tank. While it’s possible that this method has benefits, at the moment the only carbonated wines are lower quality bulk wines.

3. Ditch the Flute

You read that right! Although it’s almost impossible to think about sparkling wine without its famous flute counterpart, it’s simply not the best way to enjoy your bubbly. In order to fully enjoy the aromas of each sparkling wine, it’s best to drink it from your typical red wine glass with a wide bowl. This allows you to fit your nose in deep enough to properly smell the wine. However, the modern-day flute was created to help trap the carbonation and make it last a bit longer. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and what matters most to you in your sparkling wine experience. If you simply can’t say no to the regality of a flute filled with bubbles, then don’t! 

You’re probably ready to bring out your bubbly side right about now, so head over to our wine shop and grab yourself a bottle, or six, of our Patland sparkling wine and join us in toasting the coming new year!

Bonus: Now through the rest of the year, purchase six bottles or more of our sparkling wine and we'll gift you one of our unique Patland wine candles. Supplies are limited, so don't wait too long!

 

Our Turn to Give Back

We absolutely love the Fall season. It’s just an undeniably beautiful time of year. The leaves on the grapevines adopt beautiful orange and red colors, and soon the wind picks them off and casts them about decorating everything underfoot.

At the same time, the weather gets a bit cooler. Suddenly you have the perfect excuse to dig out your favorite sweater and cozy up on the couch.

Maybe the best part, though, is the theme of giving that seeps into your every day. Communities remember each other and band together to help those in need. They gather food, donate time and raise money in the hopes of lifting up those that have stumbled or been displaced.

Give Thanks

In 2017, we were those people. Our family winery had been ravaged by the Atlas Fires, and since we were living at the vineyard estate, we lost our home. As the years go by, the trauma of it fades and we’re left remembering the silver linings. Among the brightest of those linings was that theme of giving. Our community, friends, and family all came together in the most selfless ways to help us. Restaurants downtown fed us free of charge. Local church groups bought and donated everything from toilet paper to new pillows. Friends opened their homes for us to sleep in. Nearby wineries offered for us to host our guests on their properties. It was kindness like we had never experienced before.

Giving Back

As we write this now, there’s a faint hint of smoke in the air. It’s been a persistent reminder this week that there are others now facing what we went through just a few years ago and we want to support our community just as they supported us. We are grateful that Napa Valley was largely spared this season, but our friends in Sonoma were not so lucky.

Throughout the month of November, Patland Estate Vineyards will be donating 15% of all online sales to United Way’s Kincade Fire Emergency Relief & Recovery Fund. Please join us in supporting our community and promoting the welfare of California wine country.

 

Stagecoach Vineyard

When we started out on this wine-filled journey, we made it our top priority to produce wine of the highest possible quality. Indeed, it has always been our intention to create wines that exemplify the rich, beautiful, and harmonious terroir of the Napa Valley. The fruit from the world-renowned Stagecoach Vineyards continues to meet these expectations, and the bottled result speaks volumes to the exceptional quality of the fruit grown from this “extreme terroir.” Year after year, we look for the best fruit to source for our handcrafted wines, and it seems that we can never say no to the unparalleled quality that is Stagecoach Vineyard fruit. Want to know what makes this vineyard so special? Rather than tell you, we’ll show you. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words!

Although we can show and tell you about Stagecoach Vineyard all day long, the only way to truly grasp the many facets of the terroir is through the wines that the fruit produces. Our current wine portfolio offers eight wines made from its fruit:

- 2015 Chardonnay

- 2018 Lilla in Fiore Rosé

- 2016 Syrah

- 2016 Proprietary Red Wine

- 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

- 2016 Select Barrel Reserve Malbec

- 2016 Select Barrel Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

- 2015 Port

So, whether you’ve already fallen in love with these handcrafted wines or you are now eager to give them a try, we encourage you to head over to our online Wine Shop to stock up on our highly sought after Stagecoach Vineyard wines.