After months of speculation, Kathryn Hall of HALL Winery along with Jennifer Brown, Director, and Winemaker Alison Frichtl Hollister have declassified their top-secret wine project previously known only as “Classified Wines.” The clandestine project had its own social media presence with cryptic posts of a bottling line, beakers, and a video showing the outlines of a bottle and label. On May 5, the cat was finally out of the bag with the unveiling of BACA Wines.
BACA, the Latin word for berry, is a group of hand-crafted, AVA-specific Zinfandels including “I Spy” from Howell Mountain, Napa Valley; “Cat’s Cradle” from Rockpile, Sonoma County; “Tug O’ War” from Russian River, Sonoma County, Maffei Vineyard; and “Double Dutch” from Paso Robles, Dusi Vineyard. Each wine showcases the terroir, the unique elements of a vineyard that gives the wine its personality.
The brand has a playful side with each wine is named after a childhood game. However, don’t let that fool you. The winemaking and vineyards that are part of the BACA portfolio are very serious, even if they inspire the taster to be playful and have fun.
BACA is available at HALL St. Helena for a $30.00 tasting fee. Each wine retails for $50.00 (3 Bottle Limit). In addition to tastings, HALL St. Helena has an outdoor BACA Lounge complete with bottle service and lawn games, set up on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in May, June, and July.