It’s our final BerserkerDay —Not gonna lie, I’m sad. But y’all will cheer me up if you take advantage of these prices and stock up.
If you’re new to Virage, we produce long-aging Cab Franc-Merlot blends reminiscent of Right Bank Bordeaux. Great aromatics, smooth tannin structure, mineral-rich black cherry and plum.
Grown in a temperate climate in rolling hills of Carneros, these blends have a depth and complexity achieved over a long, slow ripening season. Three Virage vintages, all sisters with a common thread but their own personalities (and a mystery wine!) are offered here plus my fun—delicious—second label.
The Story
I’m Emily, CIA-trained cook, assistant to wine educator Karen MacNeil, and a Napa-based consultant who fell in love with an idea and a vineyard, abandoned all common sense . . . and set out with folks I met at Quintessa to produce an age-worthy California CabFranc/Merlot blend in the Right-Bank Bordeaux tradition.
I used to go to collectors homes, adding Virage to blind Bordeaux tastings to play “Guess the California wine.” I sold a lot of wine that way (and met great people like Berserker Paul Hiyake who invited me here!) Early on, I’d plead to open bottles a day before… or decant for hours … a wine built to age needs a lot of O2 exposure when young. Those days are over! You can now pop and pour, but there’s still evolution over the evening, and I can still drink a glass a day of 2010 over a 3-day weekend.
Where and Why
The idea of Virage–meaning a turn in the road–was inspired by a unique Carneros vineyard site we took over from Havens Wine Cellars, adding Merlot from nearby Hyde Vineyards. The start-up life isn’t for everyone; in no time I was on my own, taking courses at UCDavis and Napa Valley College. I discovered that a focused, caring owner outperforms a famous name you rarely see. And wearing a lot of hats lowers cost. I wanted a wine you can order by the case, a wine you drink, not a trophy on a shelf. Thankfully, critics responded well (thanks to Mora Cronin a smart PR advisor who knew her way around telling a wine story to the right audience) and word got around, also in part thanks to Berserkers!
Before the 2020 wildfire, I produced ten vintages and sold $1.3million in wine! Really not bad as I had never sold a single bottle before. Virage was offered at some of the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten in. A favorite memory is Andrew Carmellini’s The Dutch in NYC, eating his pork roast with sweet potatoes, Southern greens, and a 2007 Virage. It was epic. Virage wines are great with pork. I have a real foodie crush on Andrew Carmellini.
Why Virage blends taste like they do: It starts with the right grapes planted in the right place. For these varietals, slow maturation over a temperate growing season evenly ripens–aromatics, flavors, and tannins–without high sugar (and alcohol) from up-valley heat, which reduces natural acidity that supports long aging. Blending for balance is helpful too; that’s the Bordeaux tradition.
I discovered wine at age 35 in culinary school–to me, its purpose is to accompany food, so I want that mouthwatering finish…You can bring this versatile balanced wine to ANY occasion 
Here’s collected PROFESSIONAL PRESS
CELLARTRACKER NOTES
Thank you, because opinions mean more from you!
2010 Virage - Avg 92
1/1/2023 - DELUND LIKES THIS WINE : 93 points
Pulled out of the cellar, popped and poured, served about 60 F. Rich ruby color. Mint, cocoa, cherry on the nose. Rich dark fruits, green bell pepper and dusty tannins on the palate. Well integrated alcohol and acidity. Long finish. Lovely wine, but I think it still has years ahead. I am sure that this would have continued to evolve in the glass, but we polished it off in short time.
1/15/2024 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 93 Points
These are so satisfying. Time to re-up BerserkerDay!!!
2011 Virage - Avg 91.9
3/31/2023 - MAPHILL01 LIKES THIS WINE: NR
PNP. Beautiful bottle. Expressive nose and palate of rich cherry, black cherry, blackberry and plum. The vinous version of biting into chocolate covered raspberries. Ripe fruit, but fresh acidity and only 13.8% ABV make this perfectly balanced. Fully integrated tannins leave a silky mouthfeel on a very long finish. Bravo!
2012 Virage - Avg 92
10/17/2023 - ptaylor2112 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour and served at 60 degrees.
Hoo boy, this was really good. I loved how happy the Cab Franc played with the Merlot. Superb mouthfeel, opulent without being overdone. Darker fruit profile, minerals on the mid-palate, and a smooth, plush finish. Consumed over 4 hours. I agree with previous tasters that this is ready to drink now. It will probably stay at this peak for a couple more years.
2012 Bourriquot - Avg 89.4
2/25/23 - BENJ WROTE: 92 points
I wish I had a case of this stuff. Can’t stop drinking them. Perfectly mature, at-peak, gorgeously built Cab Franc with a big slug of Merlot. Amazing perfume. Almost at the level of the Virage bottlings but more accessibly priced. These days Napa is a circus. $100+ for monolithic reds up and down the valley. And here this sits. Aged to perfection and $44.
BD15 OFFERS
These are the biggest discounts in Berserker history. I want you to stock up,
Flat Rate Shipping of $30 (max) per box 
A box means 3pak, 4pak, 6pak, 12pak.
Nine (9) bottles for example, is two boxes.
OFFER 1: BERSERKER CHOICE
Shop and enjoy 30% off ANY available wines with COUPON CODE: BD15
- VIRAGE 2010/2011 ($68.00 -30% = $47.60 bottle)
- VIRAGE 2012 ($74.00 - 30% = 51.80 bottle)
- BOURRIQUOT 2012 ($30.80 per bottle)
RULES of SELF-BUNDLING:
- Please order INDIVIDUAL bottles, the code requires minimum Qty of 3
- Flat Rate shipping today is the same on 6 or 12 just sayin . . .
- Please order to total 3, 4, 6, or 12 for a full box
Click on “SHOP” here and scroll to see the details on each wine: VIRAGE NAPA VALLEY
OFFER 2: ONE-CLICK EASY BUNDLES
Get in. Get out. You’re busy today! My most popular pre-packed BUNDLES:
(A) 12Pak -Vintners Mix
35-40% discount, 2x each of the much-loved 2010, 2011, 2012 plus 4x delicious daily drinker BOURRIQUOT and, lastly, 2 mystery bottles of my choosing, depending on your behavior . . . Drink the 12 Virage first, then 10’s and 11’s. Bourriquot all day.
CLICK TO ORDER $452.40 average $37.70/bottle
(B) 6Pak - Virage Vertical
Always the most popular order, so as long as I have inventory, I keep repeating it!
2x each of the library 10-11-12s. Today’s price is seriously DEFLATIONARY at 40% off
CLICK TO ORDER $252 a steal at $42/bottle
NOTE to 9-bottle people: if you need a third vertical to reach a full 12pak, add the individual bottles please by OFFER 1 above.
(C) 6Pak - Bundle of Burros
Another repeat bundle, BOURRIQUOT is perfect for young buyers without big budgets! You’ll love these yummy wines. The 2012 bumper crop of Atlas Peak CabFranc made this vintage (and price) possible. We’ve only done the second label 3x (08,10,12). At bottling, it was so flavorful but painfully scratchy/tannic, so I didn’t send it for scores. We literally got 9 tons from the vineyard that typically yields 1-3. I was calling everyone I’d ever met in Napa Valley to find a tank to ferment it. Can’t sell it to retailers with no scores, so I still have inventory!
CLICK TO ORDER $180 that’s only $30/bottle
(D) For your convenience, here is an additional 3-pak case-topper!
BOURRIQUOT 3Pak
Sweet trio to top up a case $99
Cuz I can’t bear to ship 9 bottles in a 12Pak.
PAYMENT:
CREDIT CARD: There IS an input box for your 16-digit card# Hover your cursor a little above and left of where you expect, it will reveal itself like the door to Narnia. Volusion ecommerce runs a white box on white background for my “template.” 
ZELLE: I love Zelle 
If you choose payment method “Zelle” or “Check by Mail,” you can check out faster and Zelle your order total later to the VIRAGE bank directly,. Adding a contact is EASY:
- Personal or Business: Business
- Business Name: Virage
- Email: emily@viragenapavalley.com I will be eternally grateful. I save a fortune in cc fees and the new 1.25% “gateway management fee” plus reconciliation of receipts is so much easier, as your name appears right on my bank statement. I don’t need an order# or other unless your bank account name is dramatically different than your order name
PAPER CHECK: Sure, I can mobile deposit from anywhere. PM or email me for address.
SHIPPING:
Y’all know I’m maniacal with shipping. I can’t bear great wine to suffer heat or cold. My nightmare is your wine spends an afternoon trundling about on the local FedEx truck if your driver happens to arrive when you’re in the shower, taking out the trash or walking the dog… then FedEx decides to ship back to sender, to somewhere I may not be. It happens. Costs us $$ out, $$ back and $$ back out again.
Therefore, I WILL strong-arm you to ship to a business address or to "Hold at Location” at a FedEx pickup site! Not only do we eliminate the risk of missed delivery, but we save $5-$9 per BOX for the Residential Surcharge. And no porch pirates! If you don’t work at or have a buddy with a regular business open M-F for deliveries, let me know your favorite local FedEx OnSite, or I will email you the closest 3 locations when I create your FedEx label—they pop up for me. FedEx holds FIVE (5) days in temp-controlled comfort. It’s a hassle, I know, to drive the Ferrari to FedEx, and lug 36lb boxes home, but it’s worth it so your wines will taste their best!
I will ship most orders in March, weather permitting. I will always check in to make sure you’re around before shipping.
STATES:
The Virage website notes in more detail where we cannot ship - NY and NH, MI, TN, UT, the usual suspects. PM me with any questions. Remember, if you buy wine in California, and ship it to yourself from California after securing local CA storage, like 55 Degrees or Bodega Shipping in St. Helena, or Stagecoach in Napa, etc., you can do as you like with your wines, as I understand it. I’ll drop your wine there. PM me to discuss.
Have fun today!
PM or text questions anytime!
emily@viragenapavalley.com
(707) 480-9155
