Wines are above all a great source of enjoyment.   Wine is fascinating to historian, agronomist, chef, geographer, scientist, and amateur each according to their own bend but all enjoy wine as an integral part of setting our tables and savoring the synergy wine brings to a meal.  Foods taste better and conversations carry.  The most moving wines remain a true reflection of the land on which they're grown; as they are not merely a beverage but a product of place with each sip a story of their source.  Our aim at Artisan Vineyards is to explore the small and beautiful from family held vineyards crafting site specific wines -both delicious and memorable.

In response to the score-crazy press, the renowned importer Terry Theise wrote a reflective piece amusingly titled, "POINTS: What's the point?" which is well worth a read and, like Terry, a growing number of us remain baffled by some writers' abilities to assign numeric scores to specific wines -even though the very act of enjoying wine remains sensually subjective and is in essence personal -daresay aesthetic.  Simply scoring a Barolo 93 points and a Champagne 93 points begs many questions not least "will these wines bring an equal amount of pleasure?"  From different climes, different grape varieties, different methods and different traditions -the very ingredients and styles of these two wines couldn't be farther apart and yet one might think they're equals when they both receive the A honor roll.  Not so to my friend who, god only knows why, doesn't care for any wine that sparkles.  Nor would any Barolo, with their mighty Nebbiolo tannins, suit my dear grandmother whose penchant favors the floral and gently sweet wines that seem to match her sunny disposition.   Does rating on a numeric scale really convey anything?>>>