Reverie On Diamond Mountain

Reverie Winery, located near Calistoga, California, is one of Napa Valley's smallest estate wineries. The vineyard is nestled on a steep, 40 acre parcel high up in the Diamond Mountain appellation. It was once part of the Bonsell Property that is now divided into three vineyards - Reverie, Diamond Creek, and Von Strasser.

Norman Kiken, a New Jersey guy, is the owner and winemaker. He purchased the property in 1993 and specializes in producing ultra-premium Bordeaux style varietal blends that reflect the uniqueness of the terroir. Norman's consultant is his good friend and fellow winemaker, Ted Lemon, owner of Littorai. Ted began his career by studying Enology at the Universite de Bourgogne. He apprenticed at several famous estates in Burgundy: Domaines Dujac, De Villaine, Roumier, Parent, and Bruno Clair. He was the first American hired as a winemaker and vineyard manager of a major Burgundian estate, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault.

The following is Norm's version of how he became a "wine geek," or as a wine-making friend called him, a "cork dork."