Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

We produce a handful of wines under our own label, usually no more than 200 cases, and only when an interesting opportunity presents itself. This supple, fragrant Dornfelder was grown by Steve McIntyre and vinified for us by Byron Kosuge. Only 98 cases were made.

“Terzetto,” as in trio. Equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot in an elegant, complex blend that drinks well now. In our experience, however, Volker Eisele’s wines age beautifully as well, and the 2021 Terzetto promises the same. Volker Eisele is in its 50th year as a family-owned winery and, in 1974, became one of the first certified organic vineyards in the state. The property was part of the original Rancho Catacula land grant given to Joseph Ballinger Chiles in 1843 by the last Mexican governor of California. The family today farms 60 acres at elevations of 900 to 1,100 feet and, with frequent Pacific fog, is one of the cooler viticultural zones in greater Napa Valley.

We are always on the prowl for interesting wines that overdeliver at their price, and this one is a gem. Lacrima Christi (“Tear of Christ”) is a historic wine from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Campania, Italy, named after a legend that Christ’s tears of joy fell there, creating the vines. The 2024 CRATERE BIANCO Lacrima Christi del Vesuvio is a blend of organically farmed Caprettone and Falanghina grown on sandy volcanic soils around Vesuvius. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand; in the cellar, the berries underwent a short cold soak to extract varietal aromas and flavors without any harshness. Fermentation was in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats—no oak, no heavy tricks—just a cool, slow fermentation to keep things bright and citrusy.