After a number of years working in the software industry, Chicago native Dave Miner switched to the wine business in 1993 as President of Oakville Ranch Vineyards, owned by his late uncle. A few years later, he decided to launch his own label which was met with critical acclaim. Miner celebrated their 30th vintage in 2025.

Miner Family wines sources grapes from some of California's finest vineyards: for this vintage, Hyde, Genny's, and Giant Cedar Vineyards. Fruit is sourced only from those vineyards allowing complete farming control. This helps ensure quality and consistency from vine to wine and year to year.

“Wild yeast” means that the grapes are fermented using only indigenous cultures found on the skins of the grapes themselves, in the vineyards, and within the walls of their winery.

This Chardonnay is 100% barrel fermented and undergoes complete malolactic fermentation. When the 2022 vintage is uncorked, one gets a pretty good idea of why Miner's wines have been invited to White House dinners. There is a beautiful golden yellow hue to this wine. The showy eye-opening aromatics are big and lush with lively notes of vanilla bean, pear and butterscotch on the palate lightly drizzled with crème anglaise. Cinnamon roll dough dusted with baking spices are wrapped warmly in subdued, toasty oak on the finish. A real pleasure.

By Peter Pretzer