2001 Nova Wines Cuvee Four Blonde de Noirs

Nova Wines in St. Helena had its beginnings in the 1980s when a group of Napa Valley friends bought grapes, made some Merlot at home, and considered how to give their wine a fanciful, imaginative name. Bob and Donna Holder and a few friends eventually were able to get a licensing agreement with the estate of Marilyn Monroe, and the group made their first commercial Marilyn Merlot in 1985. Today the wine is made at Napa Wine Co. and the parent company of the Marilyn wines is Nova Wines. Nova over the years has made makes numerous wines, from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wines, but all feature a unique label with an eye-catching, glamorous image of Marilyn Monroe. The name and labels have made the wines popular with collectors.

North Coast AVA includes California’s most prestigious sub-appellations and vineyards. The three million acre area includes vineyards in six counties north of San Francisco and nearly 50 sub-appellations. The Napa Valley and Sonoma County AVAs are just two of the renowned sub-appellations included in the North Coast designation, which also includes the AVAs Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Stag’s Leap and Rutherford, which are all among the most acclaimed wine producing districts in California. The North Coast AVA designation is generally used for wines made by blending grapes grown in several counties or AVAs. The appellation includes part of the counties of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Marin, Solano and Lake.