Sparrow Hawk Wines have a cork with a beautiful little silhouette of the bird.
Also called the American Kestrel these days, this species (Falco sparverius), is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. How did it get the name “sparrow hawk”? Does it hunt sparrows, or is it a “sparrow-sized” raptor? I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer! In any event, it’s about the size of a big Bluejay or a small dove; the females are usually a little larger. And it DOES eat sparrows now and then. It’s a really wide-ranging bird in many habitats from Canada down through South America. I recognize its “excitement” call of KLEE-KLEE-KLEE-KLEE, and it always makes me smile. It’s such a pretty bird, with its huge dark eyes.
Now, as for the wines, they are sourced from vineyards in Sonoma and Napa Valleys in California. They get high marks for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. I believe that this 2014 cork is from a Chardonnay of that year. https://sparrowhawkwinery.com/
I can’t remember if there is a picture on the cork, but there is a domain Perdrix in Burgundy. I also recall reading that cantemerle was originally chante merle, which translates as song of the blackbird.
Thank you, Paul! I found this perdrix (French for partridge). I hope to find out if it has the lovely bird on the label ON THE CORK before I invest in the wine )since I am poor, unfortunately). Sometimes I have even gone so far as to write the winemakers. Sometimes they reply; usually not! In any event, I’m on the trail.
Cantemerle… chante merle… song of the blackbird. Do you have a blackbird wine in mind, please?
Thanks again, Paul. Wow, what an amazing brand and history.Learn about Chateau Cantemerle Haut Medoc Bordeaux, Complete Guide
The estate can be traced back to the 12th century, and wine-making has roots back to the 16th century. What a fascinating story. The wine’s a little pricey for me, but I have many ways of getting corks. Is there a bird on the corks? Not sure, YET, but this is on my research list. Exciting!
Meanwhile…
Lone Canary
The site says “Lone Canary wines combine the wonderful expressiveness of Washington State grapes with the depth and elegance of wines made in the Old World style. Because of this, Lone Canary offers seven red varietals: two Italian, three French, reflective of different region styles, as well as limited production specialties and blends.” lonecanary.com
They had a tasting Room and a membership club (“Birdwatchers”). Yes… HAD. The winery closed in 2014, with the facilities being consumed by other local vintners. It was a respected brand, going back to about 1990.
So… why “Lone Canary”? I couldn’t find a clue! But I guess it combined a certain American entrepreneur’s independent spirit (Lone) with an Old World parlor pet’s decorum (Canary). Am I stretching it? Probably. Probably a lot!
But I think it’s lovely. I’m sad that this bird is no more. Spokane Valley, WA
Giovanni Chiappini - Bolgheri
What’s this bird? A falcon, I think. I took a quick online tour of Italian falcons and raptors, but I’m still not prepared to make a more specific guess. Beautiful stylized raptor though, isn’t it?
Bolgheri is a relatively young yet prestigious Italian appellation located in the Maremma on the Tuscan coast just to the south of Livorno, and named after a town in the north of the region. It is known mainly for deeply coloured, supple yet ageworthy red wines, usually based on the Bordeaux grape varieties. First mentioned in 1075, in a papal bull by Pope Gregory VII, its name derives from Bulgari (Italian for “Bulgarians”), due to the presence of a military camp of Bulgarians, allies of the Lombards.
As for this winery, their site says “The story of our family is deeply connected to the story of Bolgheri, and it sinks its roots in the very first 1950s, when my parents got here from the Marche region, attracted by the possibility to buy and work the land of this part of Tuscany”.
They currently receive very good reviews, in particular, for ‘Guado de’ Gemoli’ and ‘Liena Cabernet Franc Toscana’.
Black Diamond Winery
This winery is closed, since approximately 2015. I couldn’t find details. My search was complicated by the fact that there are a couple more “Black Diamond” wines with confused/confusing backgrounds.
But regardless… I love the pretty profile in a marsh-y setting. This little heron deserves a memorial. http://home.wavecable.com/~bdwinery/
Sylvester Estate Winery
Well, an old California family had a big orchard of apples and pears; then somewhere around 2000, a winery was established. It moved under the umbrella of the Levigne wines at some point… identical label! https://www.levignewinery.com/labels/labels-sylvester.html
Not sure about the circumstances there. I find some Silvester wines (very same label again) dating to the mid 1990s… confused, confusing. It was very hard to find consistent reviews, but I ran across this. A rather mysterious rancher named Sylvester Feichtinger reportedly converted the winery into his own, circa 1980, which became Sylvester Wines (yep, identical label!). Now throw in a famous television show Chef Filippini (apparently now the owner), a connection with Dino de Laurentis, and an on-grounds restaurant famous for wine-food pairings and tastings, and…
At this point I began to feel as I did back in school when trying to assemble a timeline of Mexican Mestizo history for a term paper. Enough already. Let’s look at the birds!
The cork shows a beautifully-drawn trio of flying ducks. Mallards? Canvasbacks? Mergansers? Or maybe simply a generic wild duck?
In any event, I love the feeling of active flight, and the nearest duck’s eye is looking right at us. Really nicely done portrait that invites a long contemplative look. However/wherever it started, I’m glad it’s still here.
Tomas Cusine Wines
This Spanish wine-maker owns several family-run brands; the one I’m presenting here is his personal project, begun in 2003. The grounds and buildings are the most beautiful and moving I’ve ever seen in pictures of the Spanish countryside. The site says he is “extremely proud of its rich heritage of traditional, rural architecture from the 18th and 19th century: huts and dry stone walls that have been catalogued by the experts.” There is a hotel, wine shop, and several destination historical locations within walking distance. As for the wines, particularly good reviews have been given to the Auzells White, the 2003 Geol Shiraz/Syrah, and the 2005 “Vilosell” Red.
Now as for the bird… what is it? It’s not an eagle (the Spanish national bird). I couldn’t find any local or cultural emblems that look similar. My best guess is that it’s a stylized dove. It resembles certain common vintage Kalevala (Finland) Manufacturer dove pendants and brooches, but I can’t figure a connection. In any event, I find it to be a very stylish and attractive design, and it is cleverly distributed on the labels of Tomas’ wines. https://www.tomascusine.com/en/celler/
Dakota Winery
Well, it’s closed as of 2016 due to “retirement”. It seems to have been well-received and positively-reviewed in its Washington state area. Locals praised their winery, the tasting room, the wine cellar, and the hospitality. I always have a pang of sadness when I research a cork only to find this sort of result. I always hope that the owners ended their venture happily and not in heartache. Yes, I’m so dramatic!
I was unable to find consistent professional reviews of their wines, and anyway, I doubt that any of their products are still available. Still, their logo is a delight, yes? It’s reminiscent of Golay’s early 1900s Art Nouveau birds. This drawing of a Great Blue Heron is attractive in its habitat, which can extend as far North as Alaska, and as far South as South America. The Arrowhead plant species suggests a Central/South American ecology, and the cat tails would fit in.
I collapsed a few photos so that you can appreciate the wrap-around design.
Eagle Harbor Wine Company
The winery was established circa 2004 on Bainbridge Island, which is a small city in western Washington state, connected to Seattle by ferry. It is an absolute GEM!
The winery couldn’t have a more beautiful, cozier, more quaint home.
Their site says “Our winemaking process sees wine for what it is—a living thing—and we consider it our job to tend to it, not control it. Starting with the selection of fruit from world-class growers in Washington’s most prestigious AVAs, followed by careful hand-sorting and destemming, attentive fermentation, and aging 24-36 months in barrel before bottling, every step of the process is designed to help the wine to achieve its full potential”. They get great reviews for their Cabernet Sauvignons, and the years 2008 and 2016 popped up a few times. Public reviewers on Facebook and such have praised their 2008 Raptor Cabernet.
And now, as for the bird art…
Moving from Art Nouveau (with the previous wine) to an Abstract Line Art style, look at this beauty! The graduating lines and the empty space that forms the raptor’s head are masterfully done. These few lines capture a lot of movement and majesty, giving us a very handsome mascot.
Il Falcon
One of the Rivera Labels Rivera SpA
A standout, according to several wine professionals’ reviews, is the ‘Rivera series of Il Falcone Riserva Red (Castel del Monte)’, celebrated for its ‘aromas of bright cherry, tobacco, black tea, cinnamon, clove, tomato leaf… dry, high acidity, medium tannin, medium body… palate of cherry, strawberry, clove…’. https://www.salentoincantina.it/en/wines-rivera/134-il-falcone-castel-del-monte-riserva-doc.html Il Falcone is one of the most prestigious red wines of Apulia whose name was chosen by Rivera to remem-ber Emperor Frederick II of Swabia who built the castle called Castel del Monte near Andria so that he could indulge his passion for falconry. The castle later gave its name to the surrounding area.
Now let’s take a closer look at the cork’s falcon. I’m in love. It’s a basic little drawing of a perching falcon. I’m guessing it’s a Peregrine. The pose is lovely, a bit coqquettish, coy. Very memorable. I love corks with personality, and I find plenty here. Welcome to the flock, little falcon.
Barraud - Marchiori Wines http://www.theartisancollection.us/marchiori-barraud-estate https://marchioribarraud.com/en/home/
MARCHIORI & BARRAUD - PERDRIEL, ARGENTINA
Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud come from families with long winemaking traditions. They met while studying winemaking in Mendoza and together they pursued advanced studies at UC Davis before returning to Argentina. Their Cabernet Sauvignon Sauvigon wines receive consistently good reviews.
And I present to you now… their little winged representative…
I couldn’t find a story about it, so I’ll have to guess that it’s a generic passerine. In any event, it’s all bird!
Chateau Barbanau http://www.chateau-barbanau.com/en/
What an exceptional story! From their site:
“Around 1889 Emile Bodin, my great grandfather chose to become a winemaker in Cassis and created the vineyard of Clos Val Bruyère. Our own story begins a hundred years later when my parents and I chose to completely change our lives and careers to take care of the few vines left by heritage by my grandfather. The same year, we bought Château Barbanau with its abandoned wine storehouse, built a brand new wine- cellar and created the first vintage in 1989. Since then the Château Barbanau brand has gone from strength to strength. Today, Didier, my husband, and I are in charge of Château Barbanau. This notion of respect led us towards Organic agriculture. We stopped using any pesticide or fungicide in 1995 and from the 2008 vintage, have been recognised as an organic certified producer”. They have received appreciative reviews for their Château Barbanau
L’Instant Côtes de Provence Rosé.
Their logo is a serene, stylized silhouette of a swimming swan. I couldn’t find any information about why it was chosen, but the Provence Coast estates invoke a very Old World, elegant mood that’s well-complemented by the swan.
Yellow Hawk Cellar
I’m lucky to have snagged this cork. Yellow Hawk Cellar was a producer of award-winning Italian-inspired wines in Walla Walla, Washington from 1999-2011.
They still enjoy celebrating some of their remaining stock with fans and friends. Redirecting...
The wine is named after nearby Yellow Hawk Creek, which in turn was named after Chief Petumromusmus, a Cayuse leader. The logo is a lone hawk feather. Farewell, Lone Hawk. WA
GraEagle
(Nicolas Cole Cellars) Another closed brand! Nicholas Cole Cellars’ tasting room got its start in a converted car dealership. It got a lot of attention for the cozy, quirky space, but more importantly, the wines. They were highly praised and roundly recognized by wine publications. The 2006 Cab Franc was a standout. Reportedly, family illness and related problems led to the closing in 2010. As for the name, Graeagle (a combination of Gray Eagle, a nearby creek) was the winning submission in a public contest to rename a former company town in the renowned Columbia Valley in Washington State.
The Murphys began a backyard esperiment in grapegrowing and winemaking in 1987. They incorporated in 1992, and began pursuit of a larger scale business, growing from a few hundred bottles to nearly 90,000 over the next 20 years or so. Their offerings include a tasting room, wedding/reception facilities, sustainability underpinnings.live events, and a wine club. Their Cabernet Sauvigon and Chardonnay varieties are their most well-received and appreciated.
Clos LaChance Winery takes its name from the small fenced-in area encompassing a vineyard (Clos) and from co-owner Brenda Murphy’s maiden name (LaChance). The Hummingbird was chosen as the winery’s symbol for both its aesthetic beauty and its ability to keep other birds away from the grapes. I did not know that!
Here’s the little fella now. Nice little silhouette in flight.
Pheasant Valley Winery
Their website wanted me to download some kind of exxtension toChrom, which I’m too paranoid to do, but there’s still lots of info about them online. For example - Pheasant Valley Winery | Oregon.com From this site:
“Locals love this family-owned and operated (by Scott and Gail Hagee) winery and estate vineyard in Oregon’s Hood River Valley. Known for sustainable farming practices, Pheasant Valley claims to be the first organic vineyard and winery. Before deciding to devote a portion of their property to growing wine grapes, the Hagees spent over 20 years as certified organic apple and pear orchardists. The vineyard is also available as a wedding venue!” Readers are encouraged to viit their site for a list of awards, but as I said above, I demurred. I did find some appreciative reviews for their Pinot Noirs.
Anywayyy, onwards to the logo. The cork is lavishly labeled and illustrated with a scenic feeling from the background mountain peak, the meandering stream, and the soaring pheasant. Here’s a collapsed set of photos to give you a good view. The full-color versions on their promotions and bottle labels are beautiful. OR
Eagle Haven Winery
Begun by hobbyists in 1968, the farm and winery have grown to a sucessful venture with an impressive array of community events (concerts, tastings, farmers’ market, and more.
The regular locals are very fond of their fruit wines, especially the 100% strawberry variety. More professional appraisers favor their Shiraz/Syrah called “Hawk Haven”, 2011 being an especially respected vintage.
The Eagle Haven logo features a small, simple soaring eagle next to the name. Puget Sound, WA
