Coturri "Founders Series" California Red NV

Coturri "Founders Series" California Red NVPress 4 Mix Red February March 2026 Direct Press Selection I first met Tony Coturri back in 2011 when I organized some winemaker visits in Sonoma with a group of friends. We had our first visit at a more conventional winery. Not a vine or a winemaker was in sight, only aloof bartenders in a spacious, modern facility. But our next visit was with Tony Coturri, as I wanted to really show my friends a different side of the wine business that was closer to

“campari-like” herbaceous bitterness keeping it savory and dangerously refreshing

Where the 'Blonde By Nature' is more dominated by pineapple

and adding little except for small amounts of sulfur

Bluestone Vineyard in Bridgewater for Vidal blanc and Chambourcin

After his death in 2018 his daughter Ilaria has taken over and the wines continue to showcase wild beauty

That's still his main gig but he and his wife Leli started making their own wines with purchased fruit in 2018 in their garage that fall under the Galactic label

is bringing the proverbial 'youthful energy' to his wines and the vineyards he works

though they were not certified until 2009

and cumin with delicate

dry climate — it averages 50% more hours of sunshine per year compared to Anjou in the Loire Valley

and 4% Traminette

Today they have almost three hectares of crazy steep vines in addition to nine more hectares on gentler terrain