1997 Regusci Hillside Vineyard Chardonnay

Regusci Winery in the Stag’s Leap District was established in 1932 when Gaetano Regusci purchased 289 acres. The estate included a 19th century winery but Regusci mostly farmed the property growing only enough grapes for homemade wine for the family. In the 1960s his son Angelo refocused the estate by planting Bordeaux varieties. In 1985 Angelo’s son Jim started a vineyard management firm and at the same time started his own estate winery. Today Regusci produces 6,500 cases of estate wine annually. Regusci makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Blends and Chardonnay.

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.