They say it's not a time to jump into the wine business, but one of the pleasures of 2010 was how many small labels are on the rise, where vintners are making wines that are starting to redefine the standards of California wine.
All five choices for our latest round of Winemakers to Watch fit this mold. Some of their projects are new; others are established wineries that have returned to the foreground after years in soft focus. Some are making deft, transparently beautiful Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley to Santa Barbara. Others have taken huge strides in farming or are mining such overshadowed regions as the Sierra Foothills for their true potential.
As a group, they are casting a new mold - one that trades away big, impact-driven wines for the values that originally brought fame to California: exuberant fruit, nuance and a willingness to break the rules.
