Five of our current top picks for wines/winemakers to keep an eye out for. If you find bottles in a retailer from these producers, buy them!

And watch for BT winemaker dinners coming soon…

Palmina
Italian varietals by Steve and Chrystal Clifton. Their nebbiolo, dolcetto, tocai friulano and subida are stunning.

Edward Sellers
Look for Ed & Dani Sellers and winemaker Amy Butler’s 2005 Vertigo, 2005 Le Thief, 2005 Syrah Sélectionné and 2005 Cuvée des Cinq. They make some of the finest Rhone wines in Paso Robles

Stolpman
Look for Tom Stolpman and winemaker Sashi Moorman’s 2005 hiltops syrah and 2005 sangiovese, estate grown in Santa Ynez Valley and they are both extraordinary

Thompkin Cellars
Look for Julie Thompson-Dobkin and Jeff Dobkin’s 2006 grenache and 2006 syrah, they are both outstanding

Fiddlehead Cellars
Look for Kathy Joseph’s 2005 Estate Pinot Noir Lollapalooza and 2003 Sauvignon Blanc Hunnysuckle. Kathy without a doubt makes some of the finest Pinot Noir I have ever tasted!

Sol Rouge
Look for Bryan Kane’s grenache, The Gypsy and marsanne-rousanne

Ovene Winery
Look for Jeff White’s 2006 Pinot Blanc with its big floral bouquet and 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon with its rich intense aromas of ripe berry fruit with a hint of sage and chocolate

Cass Winery
Steve Cass and Ted Plemons make killer mourvedre, viognier and an unbelievable left-bank Bordeaux-blend cab.

Our recommendations are always highly-extracted, big fruit bombs with remarkable character, complexity and perfect balance. If it doesn’t knock our socks off, we won’t recommend it!