Reverie Vineyard

Nestled in the hills of Calistoga, up Diamond Mountain Road where the cell signal can’t reach, is Reverie Vineyard and Winery. This thirty acre vineyard is an appointment only must-see and Norman Kiken, Reverie’s owner and winemaker, has been making his elegant Bordeaux-style wines for 22 years. All his grapes are estate grown and picked early so he can keep the alcohol levels low and “showcase the intense and unique mountain flavors”.

I had the pleasure of attending the Reverie Harvest Release Party, met Norman and his family, toured his amazing property and tasted several incredible wines. I will share with you my top 3.

Out tour started on the crush pad where we learned some Reverie history as we sipped the 2012 A.S. Kiken, names after Norman’s oldest son. This blend is made up of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, but also includes Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Grenache.

 

Our next stop on the self-guided tour was the wine cave tasting of Reverie’s Tempranillo. My second favorite wine of the day is a varietal that is predominantly grown in Spain’s Rioja region. This wine is lighter than a Cabernet and possesses elements of tobacco and spice.

 

In the Redwood grove I met my favorite wine of the day, the 2012 Cabernet Franc. Norman describes his Cab Franc as a feminine wine and I must agree. This fruity and soft wine put Norman on the map. A slightly older vintage of Reverie’s Cabernet Franc was recently selected as one of the Top 100 Wines in the World and it was the only Cabernet Franc-based wine to make the list.

If you want to learn more visit their website at www.ReverieWine.com. If you want to make an appointment to visit them give them a call at (707) 942-6800.