2/3/10

Artesa Wines


This January I went to a wine tasting at Bone’s which featured Artesa wines. It was a fantastic evening, and all of the wines were delicious!

Here are some details –

Artesa is a gorgeous winery in Napa Valley known as the Jewel of Carneros, which focuses on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Artesa is owned by the Raventós family of Spain, veterans of the winemaking business for 15 generations. The Artesa vineyards and winery were designed by a renowned Spanish architect to balance harmoniously with nature, and it features beautiful avant-garde buildings. There is also an artist in residence that creates artwork for the winery.

We tried the Artesa Chardonnay and loved it. It is delightful and very easy to drink. The color is a bright yellow, and the flavor offers a tropical fruitiness with hints of caramel and vanilla. The Artesa Reserve Chardonnay was just as delicious, but more full-bodied. We also tried the Cab and the Pinot Noir, and both were very enjoyable. The Pinot Noir has aromas of cherry and chocolate, and the Cab is a complex and elegant blend with berry flavors as well as cedar, clove, nutmeg, dark chocolate and vanilla.




Artesa has always been known for offering exceptional wines for a great value, and last year the winery gained a wonderful new asset when Mark Beringer joined their team as Vice President of Production and Winemaking. Beringer is the great, great grandson of Jacob Beringer, a co-founder of Beringer Winery. Mark built a solid reputation in artisanal winemaking at Duckhorn Vineyards, winning two Winery of the Year titles. Mark attended the wine tasting, and we found him to be extremely knowledgeable and charming. With internet prices ranging from about $13 to $35, Artesa wines are an excellent value, and they are definitely going on my favorite wines list!