Quixote Winery

Last updated
Quixote Winery
Quixote winery logo.png
LocationNapa, California, USA
Appellation Stags Leap District AVA
Founded1996
First  vintage 1999
Key peopleCarl Doumani, Founder and Former Proprietor; Philippe Melka; Consulting Winemaker, Robert Smith; Winemaker
Cases/yr2,500 [1]
Known forQuixote Petite Sirah
Varietals Petite Sirah , Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Daily by appointment. Estate Tasting -$80 per person / Estate Tour & Tasting - $100 per person / Food & Wine Experience - $150 per person
Website http://www.quixotewinery.com

Quixote Winery is a boutique winery in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, California. The winery produces organic red wine in the premium segment, and also features unusual, eclectic architecture [2] and label design.

Contents

Production and facilities

Quixote winery.jpg

Quixote Winery produces Petite Sirah (Quixote spells it as Petite Syrah) and Cabernet Sauvignon varietal wines, under the "Quixote" label. Fruit is sourced from the 27 acres (11 ha), sustainably-farmed Stags’ Leap District estate vineyard that was planted in 1996 located between Stags' Leap Winery and Shafer Vineyards. The wine, which retails between $85 to $225 per bottle ($40 for Rose), [3] are highly rated and have received numerous awards. [4] Food and Wine Magazine rated Quixote one of the twenty best new wineries in the world between 1999 and 2004. [5]

The winery building, including grounds, is the only United States project built by Viennese architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000). [6] Among other unusual touches, the winery is designed in a whimsical, exotic way with ceramic tiles, irregularly rounded and painted columns, and deliberately uneven floors designed for their tactile effect on occupants' feet. [6] [7] There are no right angles, except in the basement. The design style has been called phantasmagoric, [8] psychedelic, and Dr. Seuss-like, [9] [10] and also likened to "the creation of a beautifully demented child". [6] The winery structure is dominated by an onion dome covered in gold leaf, [7] as well as a living roof topped with grass, bushes, and trees. [7]

History

2002 Petite Syrah label design Quixote.label.gif
2002 Petite Syrah label design

In 1971, Carl Doumani purchased the historic Stags' Leap Winery. Over two decades he restored the vineyard, winery, and manor house. In 1988, Doumani decided to create a smaller organic and sustainable winery highlighting his much adored varietal, Petite Sirah. He formed a friendship with renowned Austrian artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, with whom he worked to design the winery, after growing impatient with his intended project architect and noticing Hundertwasser's sculptures in a calendar. Partly due to the unusual design process and construction methods, the winery took ten years to complete. Hundertwasser also designed some of the winery's unusual wine labels, and persuaded Doumani to produce the wine with organically farmed grapes. [11] Hundertwasser and Doumani agreed on a design approach that would emphasize that structures, and the people in them, need not be on "the grid", and could instead be close to nature. [6]

Winemaker for Quixote Winery has been under the direction of Robert Smith since 2011 with Philippe Melka as consulting winemaker since 2018.

Wine Spectator reported in July 2014 that Quixote Winery had been sold to a Chinese company for approximately $29 million. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durif</span> Red wine grape

Durif is a variety of red wine grape primarily grown in Australia, California, France, and Israel. Since the end of the 20th century, wineries located in Washington's Yakima River Valley, Maryland, Arizona, Texas, West Virginia, Chile, Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, and Ontario's Niagara Peninsula have also produced wines from Durif grapes. It is the main grape known in the U.S. and Israel as Petite Sirah, with over 90% of the California plantings labeled "Petite Sirah" being Durif grapes; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recognizes "Durif" and "Petite Sirah" as synonyms for the same grape. It produces tannic wines with a spicy, plummy flavour. The grape originated as a cross of Syrah pollen germinating a Peloursin plant. On some occasions, Peloursin and Syrah vines may be called Petite Sirah, usually because the varieties are extremely difficult to distinguish in old age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stag's Leap Wine Cellars</span> Winery in Napa Valley, California

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is a winery founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970 and based in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, California.

Stags' Leap Winery is a winery located near Yountville, California, United States, in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. The winery's 240-acre (97 ha) estate vineyard was first planted in 1893. In 1997, Stags' Leap was purchased by Beringer Wine Estates, which in 2000 was in turn purchased by the Australian company Foster's Group, whose two wine groups combined to become Beringer-Blass Wine Estates. Beringer-Blass was demerged from Fosters in 2011 to become Treasury Wine Estates. Robert Brittan continued the revitalization of the vineyards and winery until 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Draper (winemaker)</span> American winemaker

Paul Draper is a California winemaker who has been the chief winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in California since 1969. Without any formal training in winemaking, Draper first gained recognition for his 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon when it placed fifth at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting. Draper has played a significant role in the history of California wine through his pioneering work in popularizing "vineyard-designated" wines as well as instigating the resurgence of old vine Zinfandel. Along with Ravenswood Winery's Joel Peterson, Draper is considered one of the most important figures in the history of Californian Zinfandel, rescuing the grape from obscurity and demonstrating its full potential as a serious wine. Draper was featured in a short film titled Terroir and directed by Christopher McGilvray which was shown at the 2017 Cinequest Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B.R. Cohn Winery</span>

B.R. Cohn Winery is a winery in Sonoma Valley, California in the United States.

Heidi Peterson Barrett is an American winemaker and entrepreneur who has been responsible for some of California's most notable cult wines. Her career has included stints at Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Paradigm Winery, Grace Family Vineyards, Amuse Bouche, Lamborn Family, Showket Vineyards, Revana Family Vineyards, Vineyard 29 and Fantesca. Barrett is a consultant for Elizabeth Spencer and has her own wine label, La Sirena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Duckhorn Portfolio</span>

The Duckhorn Portfolio Inc. is an American wine company producing varietal labelled and blended red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines from California and Washington State. The main winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, is outside St. Helena, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines</span>

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is a winemaking company headquartered in San Jose, California, with over 4,000 acres of estate vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands AVAs in Monterey County, and the St. Helena AVA in Napa Valley, California. The family-owned and operated company was founded by Jerry Lohr in 1974. The company operates wineries in San Jose, Paso Robles, and Greenfield, California. In 2013, Steve Lohr was appointed CEO of the company. J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines’ product portfolio includes eight tiers of wine: J. Lohr Signature, J. Lohr Cuvée Series, J. Lohr Vineyard Series, J. Lohr Gesture, J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Wine, J. Lohr Monterey Roots, J. Lohr Estates and ARIEL Vineyards. The portfolio also includes specialty brands Cypress Vineyards and Painter Bridge. J. Lohr ranks among the top 25 wine producers in the United States, with annual US sales exceeding 1.8 million cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twisted Oak Winery</span>

Twisted Oak Winery is a family-owned boutique winery in Vallecito, California specializing in wine made from grape varieties native to the Mediterranean regions of western Europe. The winery is located on a hilltop at 2280 ft above sea level in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and most of the grapes for the wines are sourced from nearby vineyards in Calaveras County. The winery name and logo design are derived from a California Blue Oak tree on the property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards</span> Californian vineyard

Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards is a California wine estate producing limited amounts of varietal wine; due to the small quantities produced and high prices commanded, their wines are considered cult wines. The winery is located in Oakville, California, north of the town of Napa in the Napa Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turley Wine Cellars</span>

Turley Wine Cellars is a popular California wine producer with wineries in both Templeton and St. Helena. Turley wines are often recognized as "making some of the best, if not the best Zinfandel in California for decades." Becoming a recipient of the winery's private wine club can take up to two years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown Estate</span>

Brown Estate Vineyards is a winery in Napa Valley, California, United States. It produces zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and petite sirah varieties. Founded in 1995 by siblings Deneen, David and Coral Brown, Brown Estate produced its first Napa Valley zinfandel in 1996 after the family had been farming grapes and selling them to established winemakers. It is the first and only Black-owned estate in Napa Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bianchi Winery</span> Winery in Paso Robles, California, U.S.

Bianchi Winery is a winery in Paso Robles, California. The property includes the winery, a tasting room and a vineyard house for guest accommodations, all located among the estate vineyards. Bianchi Winery produces approximately 10,000 cases annually.

Araujo Estate Wines is a California winegrowing estate founded by Bart and Daphne Araujo. Located in Calistoga, California within both the Calistoga and Napa Valley AVAs, the estate produces a small portfolio of limited-production wines from the organically and Biodynamically farmed Eisele Vineyard.

Burgess Cellars is a historic California wine producer in Napa Valley on the hillsides of Howell Mountain. It was founded in 1972 by Tom Burgess on a hillside vineyard and winery, and has been continuously family owned and operated. It is run by Lawrence Wine Estates and includes 65 acres across its two estate vineyards, which are at elevations of 800 to 1,000 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Willow Vineyard</span>

Red Willow Vineyard is a grape-growing estate located in the far western end of Yakima Valley AVA, within the Yakama Indian Reservation. Beginning with their relationship with Columbia Winery and Master of Wine David Lake, grapes from Red Willow have been used to produce some of the most critically acclaimed Washington wines with the vineyard's name regularly being featured on vineyard designated wines. Paul Gregutt, wine writer for the Seattle Times and Wine Enthusiast, list Red Willow as one of the "top ten" vineyards in the entire state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldacci Family Vineyards</span>

Baldacci Family Vineyards is a California winery located in the Stags Leap District AVA of Napa Valley. Founded in 1998, Thomas and Brenda Baldacci were entranced by the beauty of the Napa Valley and the timeless heritage of the Stags Leap District. The generations before had left a deep and abiding affinity for the land from which came not only their livelihood, but their legacy. For the Baldacci’s, family is everything. When they purchased the Stags Leap property, over 18 years ago, Thomas and Brenda knew that they had found a place for their clan to stay connected through the generations. As each new vintage unfolds, they look forward to sharing their wines and their story, with you.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Force Majeure Vineyards</span>

Force Majeure is a Washington/Oregon wine estate, specializing in Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon as well as other Bordeaux and Rhone-inspired blends. The brand was founded in 2004, and beginning with that vintage Force Majeure began the "Collaboration Series" of wines made by some of Washington's top winemakers, using fruit from Red Mountain's Ciel du Cheval vineyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Ridge Vineyards</span> Winery in the Napa Valley

Pine Ridge Vineyards is a winery in Napa, California, in the United States.

Ovid Napa Valley is a winery in Pritchard Hill, to the northeast of Oakville in the Napa Valley of California. It was established in 2000. The area, in one of the rockiest parts of the Napa Valley with iron-red and yellow soils, typically produces earthy varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Ovid winery is solar-powered and organically farmed and has been certified "Napa Green" by the Napa County Department of Public Works and the California Green Business Program. In 2017, a majority share of Ovid was sold to the Duncan family, who own Silver Oak Cellars and Twomey Cellars.

References

  1. ↑ Michael Dresser (2004-11-03). "Should the cork be saved?". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  2. ↑ John King (August 24, 2007). "Napa Valley Architecture: Napa's houses of wine". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-08-26.
  3. ↑ Heather Irwin (November 23, 2005). "Wine Tasting Room of the Week: Quixote Winery". metroactive. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  4. ↑ James Laube (January 31, 2005). "Syrah's banner year:in 2002, Rhone Valley grapes star in California". Wine Spectator.
  5. ↑ Richard Nalley (2004). "20 best new wineries". Food and Wine Magazine. Archived from the original on 2011-06-13. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Chris Colin (February 11, 2007). "Where the Winery Itself Is a Little Tipsy". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  7. 1 2 3 "Now That's a Weird Winery". In Wine Country. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  8. ↑ Matt Kramer (2004). New California Wine. Running Press Book Publishers.
  9. ↑ Courtney Cochran. "Dr. Seuss Comes to Napa". Winecountry.com. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
  10. ↑ Thom Elkjer (April 7, 2005). "Lovable rogue Carl Doumani has an uncanny knack for getting into just the right amount of trouble". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  11. ↑ Louisa Hufstader (March 26, 2007). "Quixote Winery tilts at glory with Hundertwasser design". Napa Valley Register. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  12. ↑ James Laube (July 22, 2014). "Napa's Quixote Winery Sold to Chinese-Owned Firm For Approximately $29 Million". Wine Spectator. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.