California Wine

Greg La Follette Is Resurrecting California’s Forgotten French Colombard

Greg La Follette Is Resurrecting California’s Forgotten French Colombard

⏱ 1 min read The Short Version Before Chardonnay’s dominance, French Colombard was California's most planted white grape—now, Greg La Follette is resurrecting this forgotten powerhouse. By leveraging North America’s oldest vines, his brand Marchelle is proving that heritage beats hype in the modern market. In This Article A legacy in the vinesCommunity and education This is worth savoring: while Chardonnay has spent decades dominating California landscapes, it effectively pushed another powerhouse into the shadows. Before the 1990s, French Colombard was the state’s most widely planted white grape, prized for its crisp acidity but now largely relegated to distillation or…
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Paso Robles Is No Longer Living in Napa’s Shadow

Paso Robles Is No Longer Living in Napa’s Shadow

⏱ 2 min read The Short Version Forget the polished pretension of Napa; Paso Robles has emerged as a rugged, authentic powerhouse fueled by dramatic temperature swings and ancient seabeds. It’s a working agricultural hub where world-class complexity meets an unpretentious, laid-back soul. In This Article The power of the diurnal shiftAn approachable wine culture Real talk: if you think California wine begins and ends with Napa, you are missing the point. While the valley gets the headlines, Paso Robles has quietly evolved into one of the state’s premier regions, offering something much more authentic than its polished northern neighbors.…
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