Magazine of wine 

Duckhorn Winery celebrates it 50th Anniversary this year spending half a century as more than an enduring milestone, but an iconic symbol of noteworthy wines interpreting Bordeaux varietals through a California lens, with Merlot foremost among them. It’s founder Dan Duckhorn, an impassioned architect of Merlot, passed on March 25th at the age of 87, having been bestowed the title of “Mr Merlot by Frank Prial, journalist and wine columnist of The New York Times.

Dan completed his masters degree in business administration at UC Berkley before advancing in his career as president of a vineyard consulting company in 1971. It is here that Dan fine-tuned his expertise in vineyard management, realizing the importance of rootstock and site specific sites for grape growing. By 1973, he would move his family to Napa Valley and the narrative for Duckhorn Winery would begin. Dan and his wife Margaret, along with a few silent investors, founded Duckhorn Vineyards in 1976.