In his search, Francis Coppola came across Inglenook, a special estate in Rutherford, the part of Napa Valley where cabernet sauvignon thrives. He used cement barrels that he had built himself. Agostino Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola's grandfather, made wine in the basement of his New York apartment building. Wine making has been a tradition in the Coppola family for several generations. Actually, in 1975, Coppola was looking for a home for the summer months, where he could make some wine in the basement like his grandparents once did. For him, the decision to buy a wine company in the renowned Napa Valley wine region was a logical consequence of this passion for wine. Director Francis Ford Coppola, with great films to his name as Apocalypse Now, is a true wine lover. Where wine used to be the exclusive property of winegrowers, it has now also become the playground of celebrities with a passion for wine. The parent company of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery was named USA Wine Producer of the Year by the International Wine & Spirit Competition on November 16, 2011. The wines Coppola makes today are no longer the same as from the New York cellars, but they are made with the same philosophy.
Grandfather Coppola used to make wine from grapes specially brought over from California in the cellars of their New York apartment. In fact, Francis Ford Coppola has been making wine longer than he has been directing movies. Winemaking is a longstanding tradition within the Coppola family. In addition, Coppola also owns the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in the Sonoma Valley. That winery is now called the Rubicon Estate Winery. In 1975, he and his wife bought the estate of Finnish sea captain Gustave Niebaum in Rutherford, California (located in the famed Napa Valley wine region) and surrounding vineyards. In addition, Francis Ford Coppola has been active in viticulture and trade since the 1970s. Taste : A dry and smooth taste, with a little fat and butter, but above all delicious tropical fruit, a hint of caramel and vanilla, creamy and powerful.įrancis Ford Coppola (Detroit, April 7, 1939) is an American director, film producer and screenwriter known for The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now and is considered one of the most important directors of Hollywood. Smell : Nice citrus fruit in the smell, apple, ripe melon, wonderfully floral, some vanilla, smoky, nicely broad and seductive, wonderfully exotic. The result is a particularly tasty and at the same time uncomplicated Chardonnay, dry and intense, with good acidity. He achieves this by allowing half of the wine to ferment in barrel, using the subtler French oak. But a touch of wood gives it some extra complexity. The chardonnay for this Diamond Collection Chardonnay comes from this valley, and it is made on the fruit, by partially fermenting it in stainless steel. The fruit from this valley has a wonderfully ripe character, in addition to a nice freshness. Monterey, the picturesque coastal town south of San Francisco, has such a nice cool valley. The cool air of the Pacific flows into the valleys that run across the ocean in the afternoon and run deep inland. Combining well with the fruits of these selections (from the warmer valleys and cooler coasts) you get great and beautifully complex wines and this is certainly the reason that Coppola's Diamond Collection is one of the most popular range of wines. Come on, you think I’d make my sister a widow? I’m Godfather to your son.The Diamond Collection wines are made from grapes grown in California vineyards from both the coastal regions and inland valleys.
The only con I can find is that this wine is very addicting, you cant have just one glass. This wine is easy to find at most stores and it will not disappoint. I highly recommend eating with…well pretty much anything from pizza to a good steak or pork. This is likely one of the best blended wines you will every drink. This is an easy to drink heavy red with all the notes blended perfectly. The flavor notes are rich fruit forward with lots of tannins. The nose on this is very fragrant with hints of blackberry, vanilla, tobacco and nutty. Lets get to the taste shall we? With the ruby red color you know this is going to be good. Crafted as a Bordeaux-style blend, this popular wine reflects a diversity of vineyards whose soils contribute to its complexity.
Since its inception, Claret has been the crown jewel of the Diamond Collection. This wine comes from Coppola’s Diamond collection and per the site:ĭiamond Collection wines are made from grapes grown across California and are carefully combined to create wines perfect for all occasions – including those special just because ones. Anyone who knows me, knows this wine will get high marks from me and is appropriately a good start to my reviews of wine I have been drinking Coppola’s Claret for as long as I can remember, even before I could legally drink wine, and it is my favorite wine.