Zinfandel vine row with a sign reading "Zinfandel"

Celebrate National Zinfandel Day

Zinfandel Day is the third Wednesday each November, putting it as a close predecessor to the Thanksgiving holiday. Here are some great Zinfandel facts for a bit of conversation over the turkey (and wine) for your celebration: Zinfandel is considered California’s heritage grape, there are some vines in…

International Tempranillo Day

Tempranillo is a Spanish red grape variety whose name alludes to its nature of ripening earlier than the other Vitis vinifera of Europe (temprano = early).  Tempranillo has a very, very long history in the Iberian Peninsula, and is most likely as old as the discovery of wine…

Zeke Neeley in a vineyard appearing ready for harvesting

What’s Happening in the Vineyard – Harvest

Get ready for your vineyard harvest season crash-course from Cameron Hughes’s Zeke Neeley. By CHW Team We recently caught up with Neeley about what’s going on in the vineyards right now during harvest. Zeke Neeley Winemaker Zeke Neeley, the senior winemaker at Kunde Family, is also one of…

A bottle of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from Cameron Hughes Wine lies in the vineyard next to ripe grape clusters

Napa Cabernet Sauvignon – Gatekeepers of the Valley’s Best Secrets

Forget everything you know about Napa Valley’s famous Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Read on to find out why these decadent, structured, richly-flavored reds are the gatekeepers of the Valley’s best secrets. A True Gem… There’s no denying that Napa Cab stands out as a true gem in the world…

Orange background abounds in this photo showing Cameron Hughes Lot 681 and 3 balanced red wine glasses leaning against the wall at a 45 degree angle

9 Cabernet Sauvignon Facts

It’s International Cabernet Day the Thursday prior to Labor Day each year (8/31 this year), and thus, we offer fun Cab facts for you! Cabernet Sauvignon is the child of Cabernet Franc crossed with Sauvignon Blanc.  And it was most likely not intentional.  It occured in the 17th…

Flutes filled with sparkling prosecco, in a restaurant in Conegliano

It’s International Prosecco Day!

August 13th is National Prosecco Day.  A day dedicated to the most famous bubbles of Italy! Did you know that the name Prosecco is highly guarded, possibly even more so than Champagne?  That’s right.  Technically only wines from Champagne, France can bear the name “Champagne” on their label,…

Rack of Lamb paired with Cameron Hughes Wine Lot 588 illustrates great wine pairing

5 Questions for Chris Lafleur About Pairing Wine and Food

From salt, acid, fat, and sweets in your favorite cuisines, to the wines that pair best with dishes that include those ingredients, Certified Sommelier and CHW Tasting Panel guru Chris Lafleur offers sound advice on pairing wine and food. By CHW Team By now, if you haven’t seen…

Closeup of wine vineyard in Spring showing small berries

What’s Happening in the Vineyard – Spring

Get ready for your vineyard crash-course in wine vineyards leading up to and during harvest. By CHW Team A graduate of UC Davis with a degree in biochemistry, Neeley first worked in cancer research for a biotech firm in South San Francisco. Every vacation, he would end up…

Sunset in winter over the vineyards of Barolo

What’s Happening in the Vineyard – Winter

Get ready for your crash-course in winter-time grape-growing. Cameron Hughes’ Zeke Neeley talks through winter dormancy, springtime threats to young vines, and offers predictions on the winter growing season ahead. By CH Wine Team Zeke Neeley, the senior winemaker at Kunde Family, one of the shining gems in…

Beautiful Casale Merittimo village showing rows of early summer wine vineyards

On Super Tuscan Wines, and the only Super Tuscan DOC (so far…)

Over the past year or so, and continuing onward, we’ve been on a run of exceptional Super Tuscan expressions we’ve acquired from Italy (Lots 717, 803, 804, 837, 873 – more to come!). While generally misrepresented as Bordeaux-style wines, due to the inclusion of Bordelaise grapes used in…