.png){kind=small}
Photo by Suzanne Becker Bronk
The Napa Valley might have a glossy sheen where it seems like wealth grows on vines, but beneath the luxurious surface are many inspiring stories where winery proprietors certainly weren’t handed the keys to a lavish estate at a young age. Sam Simon immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq at age 9; his family had just $200 when they arrived. His future wife, Nada Simon, left Iraq as a 13-year-old orphan to live with an uncle in Michigan. Several decades later, the couple founded one of the most exciting new labels in the Napa Valley wine universe and teamed up with star winemaker Maayan Koschitzky (Screaming Eagle, Atelier Melka).
Their debut cabernet sauvignon vintage — sourced from vineyards in Coombsville, Oakville and St. Helena — opens with aromas of lavender and green chile, then leads to a smooth body full of oomph with the flavors of bing cherry and rustic herbs. It’s a perfect wine for the first barbecue of the spring, perhaps paired with a juicy porterhouse steak and peak-season morel mushrooms.
Photo by Suzanne Becker Bronk
Comments