FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND

I read today that Havens Winery in Napa is being liquidated. Essentially, it is no more, thanks to its most recent owner, Billington Imports, going out of business. My wife and I, along with our LD CVG wine dude Alfonse, visited the winery in 2004, and had time to chat with then-owner, Michael Havens. Michael sold the winery in 2006 to Billington.

It’s a real shame – Havens was known for making some of Napa’s best Merlots, and were even one of the few to produce a California Albarino. Not sure what Michael is up to these days, but it is definitely a sad day. My wife and I had bought a bottle of Havens Bourriquot on our wedding night, at the now-defunct Mushroom Wine Store in Mt. Adams (Cincinnati). We drank it not too long ago to celebrate an anniversary, so Havens has always had a memorable place at the Keith household. It seems as though we are hearing more and more about mainstay wineries dying at the hands of the big investors that have been swallowing up brands over the past few years. Check out Vinography's article today.

R.I.P. Havens Winery.