Which would be your winery for life?

[Jenise]

Just say you were being sent to a desert island and could only take the products of one winery with you--or have them shipped to you from time to time, I'll allow that. Presume you'll have reasonable storage options available but no wine-related companionship--IOW there's no one to sell to or trade with, so resale value should not be a factor in your decision. This is strictly about you and what you like to drink.

Which winery would it be?

Much as I love Bordeaux, there is no Bordeaux producer who makes the variety I believe I'd want/need in this scenario. So I'm heading south with my choice: Chapoutier.

Assuming there are lobsters, oysters and fish in the waters surrounding my little island it would be
Krug, Brut Blanc de Blancs, Champagne Clos du Mesnil.

A similar question elsewhere recently (except "what one winemaker's wines") led to my answer being Jacques Lardiere of Jadot- about 4 decades of good wines (now he's retiring). I could make arguments for Mayacamas, Penfolds, Giacosa (white, red, and bubbly!), Drouhin, Haut-Brion, Trimbach, DDC, etc- but I think I'll still go with Jadot. A friend recently drank some excellent 19th century Jadots, so no issue that I like aged wines, The deciding factor for me is the lack of boredom- I can have red and white wines ranging in weight from light to full, try an almost endless variety of terroirs (not just Cote d'Or, but Macon and Beaujolais too), drink wines from 1 to 150 years old. Though I'd regret lack of rose, dessert, and bubbly, I don't think there's many meals one could come up with that I couldn't find a decent match from Jadot. They're not my favorite winery, but favorite winery with such a huge range.

I would have to go with Ch. St. Jean in California. They produce a very fine Cinq Cepages red Meritage, a nice Zin, some very fine Chardonnays and the best Pinot Blanc (probably) in Ca. aong with a fine Gewerztraminer. Their dessert wines are also wonderful and a nice addition to a desert situation

One that immediately comes to mind is Chateau des Charmes in Niagara, Ontario, for the diversity. Everything from bubblies, ice wine, Cab Franc, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chard, Riesling, etc. While I've had better versions of some individual wines from other producers, I've never had one of their wines that didn't please. I just may stop there on Saturday, as I have to go over the bridge to buy some Merlot must.

I'm tempted to say Latour or Margaux. I'd die a happy man getting bored with either of those.

Desert island says 'seafood' to me. Perhaps it would be a good versatile white wine producer like Huet or Baumard. Or someone who makes a variety of whites and reds like Guigal or Muga.

I'll have to think about this one some more. Good topic.

Donnhoff.

Whole bunch of great terroirs and different expressions, styles ranging from freaking amazing trockens/GGs to freaking amazing sweet wines, plus there's very little that wouldn't pair with those wines.

CARM from Portugal. Great whites with the seafood, lovely reds to match up with the slaughtered lambs and goats I originally bought with me!!

Jean-Louis Chave. Red & white Hermitage, St-Joseph. Yum.

I would have to say Charles Joguet in Chinon or Vieux Telegraphe in Chateauneuf du Papes.

You may all think I'm crazy, but never having considered this specific question before, and not wishing to live without Tuscany, I came up with a surprising answer: Banfi. Not because they are the greatest of Tuscan wineries, but because their range of wines is extremely broad, and the general level of quality very reliable, if not stellar. And here and there in an excellent vintage, they do produce some exceptional Brunelli and Super-Tuscans.

Other choices might be Guigal or Jaboulet.

And here's another crazy one: B&G. Quality usual acceptable, sometimes excellent, and most of the major French regions represented.

Since fish would be the major food, I'll choose Knapp for their variety. It the island had cattle on it, I'd choose Tobin James. No surprises, eh?

Chateau de Beaucastel

[Robin Garr]

I am remarkably poor at answering questions like this. I think I'll jump on Dale's island, though. Under the specific circumstances outlined here, Jadot offers consistent quality across a sufficiently broad mix of reds and whites, a few truly great options, versatile food matches, and ample variety to satisfy every mood for a long time.

Domaine Bellviere in Lhomme, France (Jasnieres AOC). Of the many wineries we visited in the Loire last month, Eric Nicolas' Dom. Bellviere stood out. At my advanced age, I'd even consider nominating it with few regrets as my winery for life and the Jasnieres region as the one I'd like to explore further. The Chenin at Bellviere was a revelation. Long lasting delicate honey with hints of tropical fruits, all at an average price of about 9 euros. Bellviere was also exceptional in welcoming a couple of uncredentialled visitors during the vendage. I could tell you of many other name producers in the Loire who were less than enthusiastic to see us even apart from the vendage. Our rule of thumb soon became that the more highly praised a winery was in the books the harder it would to find and the less you would feel welcome. But take me back to old Jasnieres! Being off the beaten track might account for the customer friendliness. What accounts for the wine is something else.

[Jenise]

The deciding factor for me is the lack of boredom- I can have red and white wines ranging in weight from light to full.

That was my thinking in choosing Chapoutier, though I was unsure if there were enough acidic whites to please me. I had actually wondered to myself about a Burgundian producer instead, and neither the names Jadot nor Drouhin occurred to me. But now that you mention it, both would be good (and I lean toward Drouhin).

For white, Huet; for red, if affordability were not an issue, DRC.

What a sad question!!!

It would be without a doubt someone that makes both red and white and with lots of variation. As such, even though my first loves are Burgundy and Bordeaux, it won't be from there (so no DRC, no Roumier). For a winery to be a full range, it will most likely be New World, probably California which has a rather enthusiastic spirit to trying new varietals. It would probably be a winery like

(1) Heitz
(2) V. Sattui (are you kidding me??? they have so many versions, from dry whites to madera it will take weeks to try everything....)
(3) Freemark Abbey

I think I may have to go with AXA=Millesimes.

That would give me access to Pichon Baron, Petit Village, and Pibran in Bordeaux, l'Arlot in Burgundy. Some Languedoc property. There is Sudiraut and Quinta do Noval and a Tokaji property for some sweet wines. I think I could reasonably expect some Lynch Bages as well. Plus who knows what else they'll acquire in the future.

I guess I'd consider Constellations brands because you get some beer and spirits in there too, but I don't love their properties.

What? That's not allowed? Now who's being naive...

I think that I'd take Drouhin (by a nose) over Jadot, though one could question whether either truly qualifies as a winery, being instead recoltant-negociant outfits with multiple winemaking facilities (AFAIK).

Mark Lipton

I think that I'd take Drouhin (by a nose) over Jadot, though one could question whether either truly qualifies as a winery, being instead recoltant-negociant outfits with multiple winemaking facilities (AFAIK).

The main Jadot facility meets pretty much every definition of a winery I've ever heard- all of (at least) the main Cote d'Or wines are vinified there (I think it's possible that the basic Bourgogne rouge is purchased wine). I was counting the Macon, Beaujolais, Chablis, and Chalonaise wines, but could do without them in a pinch. While I own more Drouhin that any other red wine, I've never thought Drouhin near as strong on whites (though I'm not turning down a glass of Laguiche Montrachet) as Jadot, and the sheer number of bottlings Jadot does gives variety (yet I think more of Jadot's wines are estate than Drouhin).

I understand the point re different varietals, but one actually needs to like most of the wines....

Jenise, I have to confess I've had few Chapoutier wines from the last 2 decades that I've liked (reds seem so manipulated), so out of the running for me, but I seldom like Rhone whites to start with, that's why I went with Burgundy.

Ryan, not to be snarky, but while I've met a few acceptable ones, I'm still searching for that exceptional B& G

Salil, I love Donnhoff, but I have to have reds (for the wild boar and game birds on the island)

What a sad question!!!

It would be without a doubt someone that makes both red and white and with lots of variation. As such, even though my first loves are Burgundy and Bordeaux, it won't be from there (so no DRC, no Roumier). For a winery to be a full range, it will most likely be New World, probably California which has a rather enthusiastic spirit to trying new varietals. It would probably be a winery like

(1) Heitz
(2) V. Sattui (are you kidding me??? they have so many versions, from dry whites to madera it will take weeks to try everything....)
(3) Freemark Abbey

Michael, what you've picked is ok, we can do better here in the valley for white and red. I'll not list them all, I live here and try not to hurt anyone's feelings. Some of the board members can chime in.

Interesting question. I'd have to go to a winery with both red & white wines, so maybe Puffeney or Chave or Gonon or a Friulian winery that makes a range of wines like i Clivi or a Campanian one like Mastrobearadino.

I used to ask myself this question years ago when my wine horizon didn't extend beyond Australia, and I used to answer with names like McWilliams, Petaluma, Seppelt who make a wide variety of good quality wines. Nowadays with a more global outlook - but with a penchant for Pinot Noir and Riesling:

Pyramid Valley (New Zealand)
Pegasus Bay (New Zealand)
DeBortoli (Australia)
Bouchard (do I get William Fevre and Henriot as well??)
Jadot

cheers

Andrew