2008 Erna Schein Sainte Fumee, 1.5ltr

Erna Schein is made by Behrens Family Winery in St. Helena. The winery is owned by Les Behrens and Lisa Drinkward, a couple with backgrounds as restaurateurs and wine experts. In the early 1990s the couple decided to try making wine, and they teamed up with Bob and Lily Hitchcock. Together the two couples formed Behrens & Hitchcock. In 2005 the Hitchcock’s retired and Behrens and Drinkward bought them out, renaming their winery Behrens Family Winery. The name Erna Schein is in memory of Les Behrens’ mother. The estate makes Cabernet Sauvignon blends.

St. Helena AVA is at the northern end of Napa Valley just north of Rutherford and south of Calistoga. It is a relatively warm climate thanks to the Mayacamas Mountains on its western edge, which protect it from Pacific Ocean fog. Out of the 9,000 acres in the appellation, some 1,500 are under vine. The principal grapes grown in St. Helena are the Bordeaux grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. St. Helena is considered prime wine producing territory, and it was one of the first important wine producing regions in northern California. The legendary Charles Krug founded his winery just north of the town of St. Helena in 1873, and today the appellation is home to many prestigious producers, including Abreu, Grace Family and Spottswoode.