Taste of Vail Featured Winery: Souverain

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With a revamped brand, Souverain begins 2014 with a fresh look that brings out its rich history. The new label depicts a crown, a cluster of grapes, the California golden bear and the thistle of Scotland, a tribute to winery founder Lee Stewart’s heritage. Historically known as a reliable, value-oriented Sonoma producer, the Souverain label not only begins the year with a reinvigorated look, but also a new range of North Coast wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.

Those wines will join the Souverain classics such as the Winemaker’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley and Winemaker’s Reserve Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley for the first time at the 24^th Annual Taste of Vail food and wine festival.

The history of Souverain began in the Napa Valley in 1944 when J. Leland “Lee” Stewart harvested his first crop of wine grapes from his Howell Mountain property in the northern part of the valley.

At the suggestion of his young daughter, Stewart named his winery “Souverain” (taken from the French word for “sovereign” or “supreme”), and his Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings from the 1960s were considered by many to be just that.

The winery moved to the Alexander Valley when Stewart sold it in 1973. Stewart stayed on throughout the construction of the new facility and by 1981, Stewart had retired from winemaking.

In 2006, Souverain built a winemaking facility surrounded by the 120-year-old Souverain Estate Vineyards in the Alexander Valley. Winemaker Ed Killian has long been sourcing the grapes for his award-winning Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.

While the name, faces and location of the winery have changed over the years, the tradition of fine wine production continues at Souverain. Just as Lee Stewart began, Ed Killian consistently produces outstanding wines that represent the best of the region.

Taste some of Souverain’s finest varietals at the 24th Annual Taste of Vail on April 2-5. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.

Categorised in: What's New, Winery

This post was written by Taste Of Vail