Orson? it's time to drink the wine

Once known as the Champagne King  of California, Paul Masson left town not once, but twice.  The first time he was homesick for France, but when he got there, the phylloxera virus killed all the root stock, so he came back.  The second time was when Paul Masson folded its tent when it was acquired by  Vintners International and became the Mountain Winery..hardly a distinctive brand (have you heard of it since Orson Wells died?)  

Maybe that's because Vintners filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Canandaigua. better known as CENTERA.  That was nearly 20 years ago.  Growing out of that mess Canandaigua became Constellation (heard of that?) and  the Masson label was sold by Centera to the Wine Group LLC of California.

We know now that Wells never drank Paul Masson in his life.  And in a sense, neither have we, since 1993.  Wine Group also bought two other lowbrow brands (Almaden and Inglenook) which I guess you can still find on the shelf at Safeway?   (You can buy Almaden Heritage Cab for about $7 in box wine.  Might be worth a sip if you're just getting started with wine.) The Mountain Winery sells a cab for $27 and a zin for $26.  They also offer wine classes/tastings at the vineyard where you can learn the ropes (vines?) from experts.)  At Inglenook, they took the high road...wines run from $48 to  $430 a bottle.  They've earned high marks, but I don't buy wine that pricey.)

All of this is prelude to the question: Where do we learn about wine?
I believe the answers are (in this order):
a) friends and family who introduce us to it at parties
b) fraternities
c) tasting events we attend at nonprofit auctions.

We haven't seen Orson Welles pumping Paul Masson for years, and we don't see wine advertised on television, so the role of media in minimal in shaping our taste. If you shop at wine stores, you are no doubt bedevilled by the sheer array of bottles...you feel like a kid in a toy store, or a woman buying fishing gear...unless you happen to be Joan Wulff, that paragon of casters.

But I'm not here to offer advice. Taste is too precarious for that.  I prefer to point out that there are two ends to the wine trade, or maybe three. The first is the mega-wineries (Gallo owns about 60%of it, I suppose, even if they hide their hands in boutique mittens.)

The other end is the tiny one, and that's where I tend to migrate. I like Hauck Cellars in Healdsburg, for instance. When I buy a case from Hauck, I can talk directly to Greg at the counter. Same with Austin Briggs in Calistoga, CA. I also had a nice chat with a charming woman at Barnard Griffin in Prosser, but the founder was not far away. That sense of proximity/ownership/pride melts away when the winery becomes a mere commodity.

So here are some other solo vineyards --named randomly--if you happen to share my bias.  I suggest 500-1,000 cases as a ceiling
in choosing your wines. 

Allora  --Napa (esp. for its petite sirah, their best seller). 
Biale -- Napa (esp. for its old vine Zin, reumored to be fine..I don't know.)
Vincent Arroyo--Calistoga (for its cab and petite sirah..I have not tried them.)
Robert Hall --Paso Robles  (for syrah, but also for its gold medal Rose) Have tried only the syrah)
Penman Springs--(Paso Robles for petite sirah and cab--have not tried)
St. Francis Winery: --Sonoma (for its 2008 Cab)
I have one in my cellar

And in Washington State:
Dunham Cellars: --Walla Walla (for its syrah and its Trutina, both terrific)
Dusted Valley: --Walla Walla (for its cabernet franc and its malbec)
                                                                         (have not tried that)
Gramercy Cellars---Walla Walla (have not tried these, but hear great things
                                 about Syrah, Cab and Third Man
Mark Ryan: --Woodinville (for its allegedly great Dead Horse and its cabernet
                 (already sold out).  Note: I could not afford any of their wines, but
                     they have become a winemaking legend in NW, considered a "cult" winery.)

Gorman Winery: --Woodinville (for its Evil Twin and Bully wines, both red)         
                         as much for their amusing names as any other reason..I can't afford 'em.

JM Cellars: --Woodinville  (for its Bramble Bump--sold out)
                     They have others I can't afford, but if you can, consider Longevity @ $38
                          Their Tre Fanciulli--cab/merlot/syrah) is also sold out. Only 275 cases.
                               (15% discount for club members)