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Wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs, prepare to be delighted by the debut of Westborn Wine, a new sparkling wine brand emerging from the heart of Napa Valley, set to release in the Fall of 2024. This brand is the result of a dedicated partnership between winemakers Weston Eidson, Russell Bevan, and Nathan Reeves. Westborn Wine represents a blend of expertise, tradition, and an unwavering commitment to quality. "From the first harvest in 2018, the concept was to create a sparkling wine that defies all norms and exceeds all expectations." As we gear up for our debut, visit our website to join the allocation list and be the first to experience Westborn Wine. This blog explores the story behind Westborn Wine, detailing the founders, the meticulous winemaking process, and the unique features that set this sparkling wine apart.

The Founders: A Trio of Visionaries:

Russell Bevan: Celebrated for his dynamic personality and innovative winemaking techniques, Russell Bevan has made a significant impact in the wine industry. His journey from a wine writer to a winemaker with 35 100-point wines is truly remarkable. Bevan's dedication to allowing the vineyard's natural brilliance to shine is a cornerstone of his winemaking philosophy. His meticulous attention to detail and relentless pursuit of perfection have earned him numerous accolades and a reputation as one of the finest winemakers in the industry.

Weston Eidson: Weston Eidson brings a wealth of business acumen and a profound passion for viticulture to the Westborn team. His winemaking journey was shaped by his extensive travel and education in wine regions such as Chile, South Africa, Bordeaux, Alsace, and Veneto during his graduate studies. Eidson’s commitment to sustainable and innovative practices ensures that grapes are harvested at their peak, upholding the high standards of Westborn Wine. Before transitioning to the wine industry, he developed strategic skills through various business ventures. His dedication to quality and innovation is evident in every bottle produced under his guidance, reflecting a meticulous approach to the winemaking process.

Nathan Reeves: With extensive experience in winemaking and a particular passion for sparkling wines, Nathan Reeves completes the team. His hands-on approach and meticulous attention to detail ensure that every step of the winemaking process is executed with precision. Reeves' dedication to quality and his meticulous approach in the vineyard and cellar are crucial in crafting the refined and complex flavors that define Westborn Wine. His journey in the wine industry started with a fascination for the art of sparkling wine production, and over the years, he has perfected his techniques.

The Essence of Westborn Wine:

Wine Type: Westborn Wine specializes in sparkling wines crafted using traditional methods, specifically the méthode champenoise, where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. The brand uses Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes, known for their exceptional ability to create superb sparkling wines. These varieties are carefully selected from prestigious vineyards to create a blend that is both elegant and expressive, showcasing the unique terroir of Napa Valley and surrounding regions. The meticulous selection and blending process ensure that each bottle delivers the refined complexity and quality that defines Westborn Wine.

Vineyards: The grapes for Westborn Wine are sourced from some of Northern California's most prestigious vineyards, including Hyde, Hudson, Charles Heintz, Hirsch, Ritchie, Silver Eagle, UV, Gap’s Crown, Durell, Ferrington, Walala, and Van der Kamp. Each vineyard is carefully selected for its unique terroir, which contributes distinct characteristics to the final blend. The diverse climates and locations of these vineyards—from the cool coastal influences at Charles Heintz to the warm, sunny conditions at Silver Eagle—ensure that Westborn Wine embodies the essence of California's finest grape-growing regions. This meticulous selection process results in a sparkling wine that is both elegant and expressive, reflecting the rich diversity of Northern California's viticulture.

In-Depth Vineyard Profiles:

• Hyde Vineyard: Located in the cool climate of Carneros, Hyde Vineyard is renowned for producing Chardonnay with exceptional acidity and bright citrus flavors, such as lemon and tangerine. The foggy mornings and sunny afternoons, coupled with the vineyard's well-drained, gravelly soils, create the perfect conditions for the grapes to develop complexity and elegance. Hyde Vineyard's meticulous vineyard management and sustainable farming practices ensure that only the highest quality grapes are harvested. The vineyard's contribution to Westborn Wine adds a layer of freshness and vibrant acidity, which is essential for balancing the richness of the wine and enhancing its overall structure and finish.

• Hudson Vineyard: Situated in the Carneros district of Napa Valley, Hudson Vineyard is celebrated for its unique terroir that combines volcanic soil, clay, and loam with cool coastal influences from the nearby San Pablo Bay. This combination results in grapes with intense flavors and a pronounced mineral backbone. The vineyard is renowned for its Chardonnay, which exhibits vibrant acidity and bright citrus flavors, as well as its complex and richly flavored Pinot Noir. These varietals bring a distinct minerality and structure to Westborn Wine, enhancing its overall profile and adding a touch of sophistication. Additionally, Hudson Vineyard employs sustainable farming practices and meticulous vineyard management, ensuring the highest quality grapes for their wines.
  
• Charles Heintz Vineyard: Perched on the Sonoma Coast, Charles Heintz Vineyard benefits from a cool maritime climate, ideal for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The vineyard's proximity to the ocean ensures a long growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and develop complex flavors. The vineyard is renowned for its balanced acidity, expressive fruit, and elegant finish. The soils, composed of Goldridge sandy loam and clay, contribute to the wine's distinct minerality and structure. Additionally, the cool coastal fog and gentle slopes of the vineyard create optimal conditions for producing high-quality grapes, ensuring that each bottle reflects the exceptional terroir of the Sonoma Coast.

• Hirsch Vineyard: Located on the rugged Sonoma Coast, Hirsch Vineyard is renowned for its Pinot Noir, which exhibits incredible depth and complexity. The vineyard's unique microclimate, characterized by cool coastal breezes and rocky soils, ensures a long growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and develop intense flavors and firm structure. The Pinot Noir from Hirsch Vineyard adds layers of red fruit, such as cherries and plums, and earthy undertones to Westborn Wine, enhancing its overall complexity and appeal. The vineyard's diverse soils and careful vineyard management further contribute to the wine's balanced acidity and expressive character, making it a cornerstone of quality for Westborn Wine.
• Ritchie Vineyard: With its old vines and well-drained Goldridge sandy loam soils, Ritchie Vineyard produces Chardonnay with remarkable concentration and richness. The vineyard, primarily planted with the Old Wente selection of Chardonnay, benefits from its age and Kent Ritchie's meticulous farming practices. These practices result in grapes that are highly expressive and full of character, with intense and aromatic flavors. Ritchie Vineyard's contribution to Westborn Wine is a testament to its legacy of producing some of the finest Chardonnay in California, showcasing a unique combination of minerality, vibrant acidity, and complex fruit profiles. The vineyard's esteemed reputation is further evidenced by its collaboration with many top-tier wineries in the region.
• Silver Eagle Vineyard: Located near the town of Occidental on the Sonoma Coast, Silver Eagle Vineyard is renowned for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Developed in 2006 by the late Ulises Valdez, a prominent vineyard manager, the vineyard benefits from its elevation and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which provide a cool climate ideal for producing high-quality grapes. The vineyard's Sebastopol series clay loam soils naturally control vine vigor, resulting in small, concentrated berries. The Calera, Pommard, and Vosne-Romanée clones of Pinot Noir and the Old Wente clone of Chardonnay thrive here. Silver Eagle Vineyard’s contribution to Westborn Wine includes grapes with vibrant acidity and expressive fruit flavors, adding complexity and depth to the final blend, showcasing the unique terroir of the Sonoma Coast.
• UV Vineyard: Located on the Sonoma Coast, UV Vineyard is renowned for producing exceptional Pinot Noir. The cool climate and well-drained clay soils of UV Vineyard contribute to the intense flavors and balanced acidity of the grapes. Developed by the late Ulises Valdez, a respected vineyard manager, UV Vineyard's unique terroir enhances Westborn Wine's sparkling wines, imparting distinct characteristics and adding to their complexity. The vineyard's meticulous farming practices and the specific clones used further elevate the quality and expressiveness of the wines produced from this site.
• Gap’s Crown Vineyard: Situated in the Petaluma Gap AVA, Gap’s Crown Vineyard is renowned for its exceptional Pinot Noir. The vineyard's elevation ranges from 300 to 800 feet, and its cool, windy conditions, combined with well-drained Goulding cobbly clay loam and Goulding-Toomes complex soils, produce grapes with concentrated flavors and excellent structure. These soils and the rocky terrain create natural vine stress, leading to the development of intense, complex wines. The inclusion of grapes from Gap’s Crown Vineyard in Westborn Wine adds depth and complexity, benefiting from the unique terroir of the Petaluma Gap, which imparts vibrant acidity and expressive fruit flavors to the final blend.

• Durell Vineyard: Located in Sonoma County, Durell Vineyard spans the Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Carneros AVAs, resulting in a mosaic of diverse microclimates and soil types, including Goulding cobbly clay loam and Los Robles gravelly clay loam. Celebrated for its exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Durell Vineyard produces grapes with rich flavors and balanced acidity, thanks to the vineyard's unique terroir. Since its establishment in 1979, the vineyard has been a cornerstone of quality, contributing high-quality grapes that enhance the overall profile of Westborn Wine's sparkling wines, adding depth, complexity, and vibrant acidity to the final blends.
• Ferrington Vineyard: Situated in Anderson Valley, Ferrington Vineyard is renowned for producing exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The vineyard's cool climate, influenced by coastal breezes and elevation, combined with varied soils of decomposed sandstone and clay, contribute to the unique flavors and aromas of the grapes. The diverse soil types ensure good drainage, leading to concentrated flavors and balanced acidity. Ferrington Vineyard’s contribution to Westborn Wine includes grapes with bright acidity and expressive fruit, adding to the wine’s complexity. The vineyard employs meticulous viticultural practices, including the use of multiple clones of Pinot Noir and careful canopy management, to ensure the highest quality fruit.
• Walala Vineyard: Located in the remote coastal region of Sonoma County, Walala Vineyard is renowned for its exceptional Pinot Noir. Perched at an elevation of 1,200 feet in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, the vineyard benefits from cool coastal breezes and thick fog, which provide an ideal climate for grape growing. The gravelly loam soils offer excellent drainage, contributing to the intense flavors and firm structure of the grapes. The inclusion of grapes from Walala Vineyard in Westborn Wine enhances the depth and complexity of the sparkling wines, adding bright acidity and expressive fruit flavors. The vineyard's meticulous farming practices and unique terroir ensure the production of high-quality grapes that are essential for creating distinctive and elegant wines.
• Van der Kamp Vineyard: Located on the slopes of Sonoma Mountain, Van der Kamp Vineyard is renowned for its exceptional Pinot Noir and high-quality Meunier. Situated at elevations ranging from 1,200 to 1,500 feet, the vineyard benefits from unique climatic conditions where fog banks from the Petaluma Gap and the bay collide, creating a microclimate that is perfect for grape growing. The diverse soils, including volcanic clay and decomposed streambed, contribute to the unique flavors and aromas of the grapes. The vineyard's meticulous farming practices, overseen by the Van der Kamp family, ensure that the grapes are of the highest quality, adding richness and complexity to Westborn Wine's sparkling wines. These practices, along with the unique terroir, result in wines with balanced acidity and expressive fruit characteristics.

Detailed Winemaking Process:

Farming Practices: At Westborn Wine, meticulous attention to detail begins in the vineyard. Sustainable and biodynamic farming practices are employed to enhance grape quality and promote environmental stewardship. The vineyards are closely monitored throughout the growing season, with decisions on irrigation, canopy management, and harvest timing made based on the specific needs of the vines.

Harvesting Techniques: "The timing of each pick is crucial for sparkling wine, particularly in California where the picking window can be as short as a couple of days," noted Eidson. Harvesting at Westborn Wine is a meticulous process conducted at night or early in the morning to preserve the grapes' freshness and maintain their delicate flavors and acidity. Grapes are handpicked to ensure only the highest quality fruit is selected. Once harvested, they undergo a rigorous sorting process to remove any underripe or damaged fruit, ensuring that only the best grapes make it into the press. The fruit is then pressed as a whole cluster. This precise approach to timing and selection helps maintain the superior quality of Westborn Wine's sparkling wines.

Fermentation and Aging: The initial fermentation takes place in French oak vessels, allowing the winemakers to control the temperature and preserve the delicate aromas and flavors. This stage lasts for approximately nine months, during which the wine develops its primary characteristics. 'We wanted to build the age and lees character of the extended tirage aging around an elevated base wine,' said Eidson. The second fermentation, which occurs in the bottle, is followed by an extended aging period on the lees for four to six years. This traditional method, known as 'Methode Champenoise,' contributes to the wine's complexity, fine bubbles, and rich texture.

Unique Features:

Westborn Wine’s approach to winemaking is inspired by Burgundian vineyard practices, focusing on smaller yields and superior fruit quality. This philosophy ensures that each bottle reflects its terroir, offering a unique character. Westborn Wine is distinguished by its depth and precision, with notes of citrus, minerality, and a hint of California's golden warmth.

Quotes from the Winemakers:

The founders of Westborn Wine are deeply passionate about their craft, as reflected in their words:

• “Russell, Weston, and I bring diverse winemaking approaches, but we've collaborated closely on WESTBORN, prioritizing the wine's quality over personal preferences. Our shared passion for exceptional sparkling wine united us from the start, guiding us to let the vineyards' excellence shine through.” – Nathan Reeves
• “Taking the highest level of fruit from these iconic vineyards allows the wine to express these distinctive sites and for us to compose wine of great depth and complexity.” – Weston Eidson
• “Each bottle eloquently expresses the terroir of some of the most prestigious vineyards in Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino.” – Russell Bevan

Why Choose Westborn Wine?

Westborn Wine exemplifies the pinnacle of sparkling winemaking in California. The brand's dedication to quality, sustainability, and tradition ensures that each bottle is a masterpiece. Utilizing sustainable and biodynamic farming practices, Westborn Wine sources grapes from prestigious vineyards like Hyde, Hudson, and Charles Heintz. Whether you are a seasoned wine connoisseur or new to sparkling wines, Westborn offers an experience that is both luxurious and accessible. By choosing Westborn Wine, you are embracing exceptional craftsmanship and the rich terroir of some of California's finest vineyards, creating wines that have garnered numerous accolades for their complexity and elegance.

Visit the Website and Join the Allocation List:

To stay informed about our latest releases and secure access to Westborn Wine's limited quantities, we invite you to visit our website and join the allocation list. This is your opportunity to be part of an exclusive wine journey that promises to redefine sparkling wine standards. Allocation list members enjoy early access to new releases, special offers, and invitations to exclusive events.

Visit Westborn Wine to learn more and secure your place on the allocation list. Join us in celebrating the art of sparkling winemaking and indulge in a glass of Westborn Wine, where tradition meets innovation in every sip.