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Baran Ziegler and Steve Dveris in the CWC studio.
We have two guests from the 2024 Healdsburg WFE – Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience – on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger.
Dan has brought a cellar wine for tasting, a Sauvignon Blanc that Steve calls “spectacular.” It’s a 2018 Benziger Estate Paradiso de Maria. Dan has been holding it for five years.
Steve Dveris is back, to describe the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience. And Baran Ziegler is here, he has Valkyrie Selections and Marine Layer Wines.
The 2024 Healdsburg WFE is a four-day event, between May 16-19, 2024. It is the favorite wine event on the calendar for many people who have attended. This is its third annual edition. There are still tickets available for the big tasting event on May 18 featuring 125 wineries and 30 chefs, plus beverages galore. Wine Enthusiast magazine voted the HWFE as one of the 10 best wine events in the country. That’s a great achievement for the event which is only on its third annual edition.
Baran worked in wine retail in college and has been in the industry for 25 years. His company Valkyrie Selections is an importer of wines from Spain and France. His first company was Banshee wines, which he started 20 years ago. Marine Layer is the name of his current winery. The weather in the western part of Sonoma County has a strong marine influence, which makes the area perfect for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Marine Layer tasting room is in downtown Healdsburg.
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Valkyrie Selections
Among the wines that Valkyrie Selections imports is an English producer of sparkling wine. On the southern coast, the chalky soils are the same soil formation present across the Channel in Champagne, France. Climate change has warmed England by 5-6 degrees which is enough to allow grapes to grow. 20-30 years ago it wasn’t possible. Valkyrie Selections imports 212 wines from 42 growers in Spain. They sell almost 500 wines, as a company.
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Most of their wine is sold direct to consumer on their website. In the future, some store distribution is a goal. They have a 3000-square-foot tasting room.