2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Judgement of Paris tasting. Wines from California outclassed those from Burgundy in a tasting that changed the landscape and understanding of California wines. California wines were already climbing the ladder of quality for some time, yet the ‘judgement’ accelerated the popularity and plantings of vines throughout California that the modern era of wine in the state now had the attention of the world.

I was lucky to be able to meet and discuss wine with Steven Spurrier at the Decanter World Wine Awards, a few years ago now, even then his wisdom about wine could silence a room as he spoke.

The California Wines entity are a focused team bringing the modern stories of California wines and the goal of a resiliant future through showcasing what is happening in the state through a series of tours and tastings. The tour of April 2026 included a group of media from around the world including one from Aotearoa New Zealand, me.

A rather big thank you to Kate Venugopal, Ceci De La Montanya, Paula Orescovich, Hiro Tejima, and many more. You all played a part in the organisation and delivery of this Resiliant Future wine immersion media trip through some beautiful and enlightening parts of northern California. Thank you also to the drivers at Pure Luxury for keeping is safe on the roads.

The night before

The tour really began the night before when all the invited media guests met at the Number 1 Hotel on the corner of Mission and the Embarcadero right near the San Francisco Bay and Bay bridge. Our hosts Ceci, Kate, Paula and for one evening only - Elaine Brown. Elaine is a highly respected wine writer and author, an authority of California wine and speaker. Elaine presented the overview of California through the lens of a few wines over dinner, answering myriad questions that drove the conversation and set the scene for the next few days. One of the themes that was woven into the dialogue for the forthcoming days was not just resilience, it also included sustainability and a wine industry under immense pressure from global forces and a time when drinking wine is not as popular as it once was. That depends too on who to talk to. Thank you Elaine.

One of the themes also key to this trip is sustainability and the future of the wine sector in the state. The title of this tour included the idea of resilience in an industry which, at the time of writing, is under immense pressure from global forces, not the least of which was a downward trend in wine consumption, a world where Gen Y , Z and more than a few Millennials are considering every beverage they might consume very carefully. For a significant number no alcohol at all, for others it is engagement with wine and alcohol when they choose, how often and without the pressures of parents, some trends, wine scores and fancy labels. The influences from social media are playing a role in some of this decision making. Another key global pressure currently is the crisis of war(s).

Day 1

Camus Suisun Winery. Dry farmed. Started in 1972, planted cereal grains, walnuts, and grapes sold to existing wineries, late 1960s started a winery, named Camus. First vintage 1972 @ $4.00 a bottle. Fast-forward nearly almost all planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. Became an AVA in 1983 named Suisun. We took an off-road trip ( 1.5 minute drive) to their experimental vineyard planted with ‘Cabernet Sauvignon Volos’ see pics below. Crown pruning style. Camus Suisun are also experimenting with Assyrtiko, Nero D'Avola, and Negro Armaro. PDR Pierces Disease Resistant vines also planted along with Petit Syrah and many other varieties including Sauvignon Kretos, a hybrid from Sauvignon Blanc.

Cover crops are used with mustard and legumes, tilled in to allow and promote dry farming.

Overall production volume - 24 wines, most are distributed within the USA, with 'Bonanza' the largest production, a non-vintage wine, lot 11 about to be released - 550K cases. Bottling twice a year based on demand. Held in tank. Conundrum white and red also made.

Winery production capped at 5 million gallons red wine. 250K gallons of white wine at the other winery.

Formal tasting:
First: CS Volos - A barrel sample, decent colour with a CS bouquet of dark berries and sweet red fruit scents, ripe. Floral with a violet note then clay silty soil suggestions, some oak. Dry touching the palate, dusty tannins, medium++ acidity. Warm, fruity, somewhat simple though tasty, some fresh reductive youthful ideas. 89 Points Solid

Second: The Walking Fool 2024, red blend from Zinfandel, Petit Sirah . A distinctive bouquet packed with violets and red berries, lots of black cherry and raspberry, clay, wood and wood spices of dusty clove and vanilla pod. Plenty of fine polished tannins, fruity and very fresh style. Well made, balanced and drinking well now, Some core fruit sweetness. 90 Points VG

Third: Nouveau 2025, dessert wine style. Made with Touriga Nacional. A bouquet of leather and boot polish, dark berries, boysenberry and lots of fruit spice, raisin and plum. 80% S-Steel, aged for 2 months in oak. Abv %, grape spirit from own wine distilled. Warm with noted abv, medium+ acidity. Balanced and sweet, drinking nicely now. 90 Points.

Brands under the Camus Suisun brand include - see image

Second visit. Signorello winery (see pics)
Began outdoors with some introduction, lunch and casual tasting - then a seated more formal tasting and panel discussion; some questions from the travelling media.

Cakebread Cellars 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley - Varietal with a green melon and some gooseberry, a layer of grapefruit and whisper of sage and bell-pepper. Dry, fruity, balanced, siple yet tasty and salivating. 89 Points well made in a drink now expression.

Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2025, North Coast (Screwcap - yay!). Varietal with some power and drive. Varietal and fresh, salivating and dry. Flavours of golden kiwi and citrus, cape gooseberry and white fleshed orchard fruits. Dry, plenty of acidity and freshness, touch of salinity. Floral and fresh, balanced and well made. 90 Points - a Premium expression

Signorello Estate 'Hope's Cuvee' Chardonnay '24. Varietal and classic with, big and bold. 14.4% abv with a bouquet and palate of apple and peach, some quince then fruit and barrel spices, vanilla and clove. Some dusty tannins from the wood, medium+ acid line. Well made then a little warm from the abv. Lengthy, crisp and drinking well now. 90 Points.

Haynes Vineyard 'Forgeron' Chardonnay '23. 12.5% abv. Great bouquet of ripe white fleshed tree fruits, citrus peel, touch of pith and positive reduction complexity. Inviting and new. A lovely wine built around texture and judicious winemaker inputs. Fine fruit tannins and backbone of acidity, fresh orchard fruits of grapefruit and red apple, some new barrel moments, a wine in a plush drinking window. Made in puncheons and fuders, around 20 months. 93 Points - an excellent wine.

Hudson 'Ladybug' Chardonnay '23, Carneros, Napa. Aromas of peach and nut, spice and burnt nut, some butter moments. Grapefruit and peach, apple and stony clay layers. Warm and spicy, plenty of oak and fruit. 14.8% abv. She's a warm wine. Overall though, some classic qualities, plenty of acidity and palate impact. Best with food. 90 Points - I like this wine for its completeness.

Tasting and discussion - red wines.

Introductions first and some comments about what they do and how they are preparing for the future of wine farming
Kelli White panel lead - what happens next, 'our industry is in a very interesting place'.
Jesscia from Cakebread Cellars. Regenerative farming, "building resilience through the vineyards"." soil is considered a living part of viticulture, measuring microbes". "Planting hedgerows and cover crops, a bio-stimulant already on the seeds that arrive for the cover crops. Tailoring cover crops to the specific land". "Sap analysis to measure brix and help inform understanding.

"If we are leaning into nature, we can start backing away from the inputs".

Peter Willmert from Hudson Wines (CEO) 800 Ha, also a livestock ranch. "Employee retention VIP, the immigration policy of the USA remains unresolved. Buying some houses for our employees helps a lot, helping them into a retirement plan. Things like this help inform us and future plan." Fire mitigation: "build places impervious to fire, goats and sheep to graze down the tinder material, vineyard workers in slow times of the year working on clearing potential fire areas".

Shiloh from Duckhorn "how do we evolve with the consumer, I share a lot with the industry, understanding generational and cultural differences, I'm balancing realism with optimism. We like to talk about what it is now, not so much anymore about longevity. Capturing the wine curious."

Tasting
First: Hudson Syrah '23. Opaque, very dark reds through the wine, pink at the rim, lots of stains in the tears. Ripe and tense, a heady bouquet with concentrated black raspberries and Doris plums, lots of blue fruits, noticeable oak with clove and baking spices. Some reductive moments. Complex and new. Intense as the wine strikes the palate, warmth and spices then immediately earthy and fruity with tautness from tannins and a backbone of acidity. The fruit flavours reflect the bouquet with concentration and impact. Long and persistent. 93 Points VVG.

Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot '23 . Deep red, almost opaque, some magenta and ruby hues. Some colour staining of the tears. Ripe and fruity with some distinctive wood and lees impacts, the fruits of plum and boysenberry then some black cherry moments. Dry, some tension with acidity and gently warming alcohol frame flavours of dark plum and blue fruits, boysenberry and spices of clove and Tahitian vanilla pod, a touch of boot polish then a violet quality. Balanced and well made, drinking well now and foe the next 10+ years. 93 Points. VG.

Heitz Cellars Cabernet '21, Napa. Dark red, purple and ruby hues with a pink rim and colour staining in the tears. Blackberry with some blackcurrant then boysenberry and violets, some smoky oak and baking spies from wood qualities. Floral moments expand as the wine is swirled and released. Lovely weight and impacts on the palate driven by a concentration of fruit leaning more towards red and blue then black, tannins are distinctive and in abundance accentuated by the acid line. Persistent flavours, balanced alcohol, harmonious yet youthfully taut. Some poise and lots of style. A wine suited to food, for me, well made with a lengthy finish. VG. 93 Points.

Cakebread Cellars Viewfinder Cabernet Sauvignon '23. Opaque and very dark red at the core persistent to the rim where it changes to red with a touch of pink. Concentrated bouquet of dark red fruits of black and blueberry, violets and dark plums, chocolate and dark baking spices, new and fresh. Taut and dry with firm tannins, plenty of polish and style with a backbone of acidity leading to a lengthy finish, Balanced and well made, a wine to drink or keep. 94 Points - Buy!

Signorello Estate Cabernet 20** . Completely opaque, very dark red black at the core persistent through to the rim where it changes to pink and ruby. Dark fruited and perfumed with blackberry and currant, a core of violets and wood smoke, earth and tilled soils, chocolate and cacao, a touch of soy and new leather. Dry, a lovely mouthfeel and texture with an abundance of fine tannins and an acid line that adds both freshness and enhances the fruit flavour impacts. Persistent and repeats with each taste. Lengthy and well made with a generous complexity. 94 Points - a lovely example.

California Wine Resilience Napa Sonoma and Anderson Valley Wines in review