Rhône

One of the demanded red wine regions in France is the Rhône, a valley that starts due south of Lyon and continues along the Rhône River until Provence.

Due to its notable length, it has varying soils, expositions, micro-climates and varieties. The north is home to appellations such as Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, Cornas and features Syrah as its sole red grape. Its whites include Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier.

In its southern half of the Rhône, the wines are notably different. The vineyards are hotter, flatter and composed of different soils and varieties, such as Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan as well as the ubiquitous Syrah. The resulting wines such as Châteauneuf du Pape, are rich and robust with lots of character and warmth.

Château de Beaucastel

Château de Beaucastel is 110 hectares, with one single plot in an exceptional terroir at the Northern limit of Châteauneuf du Pape, exposed to the Mistral wind.

The terroir is archetypal of the best terroirs in Châteauneuf: rolled pebbles on the surface, sand, clay and limestone deeper down. The vines are old and have been organically grown for 50 years, which has allowed the roots to grow exceptionally deep.

The estate traces its history back to a plot of Coudoulet vines bought by Pierre de Beaucastel in 1549. The estate was transferred into the Perrin family in 1909 through marriage, where it remains firmly to this day. Despite being one of the old guards of the region, they are also one of the most progressive estates, they were one of the first converts to organic and biodynamic farming in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which they adopted in 1950 and ’74 respectively.

United States

Wine has been produced in the United States since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628.

Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states but 84% of all US wine is produced in California, over 90% in the states of California, Washington, and Oregon.

The United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world.

The North American continent is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers.

Opus One

Opus One is a partnership founded by Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, France, and renowned Napa Valley vintner, Robert Mondavi. Producing luxury wines from its Napa Valley vineyards, the partnership made its first vintage in 1979 and has made wine at Opus One since 1991. The facial profile of the two founders is visible on their iconic label.

The estate vineyards of Opus One, comprised of four parcels, sit in the western portion of the famed Oakville AVA in Napa Valley. Two parcels, totalling 100 acres, are within the renowned To Kalon Vineyard. These are complemented by the combined 70 acres of the Ballestra and River parcels.