Markham Vineyards
Encyclopedia
Napa Valley AVA
Napa Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Napa County, California, United States. Napa Valley is considered one of the top wine regions in the United States...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in 1874. Markham has operated continuously since its founding (though under different names), making it the fourth oldest continuously operating winery in Napa County
Napa County, California
Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....
.
History
Markham Vineyards was founded by Jean Laurent, an immigrant from the BordeauxBordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, who arrived in California in 1852 as part of the population influx that resulted from the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. Recognizing that suitability of the Napa Valley land for winemaking, he founded his winemaking operation in 1874. Laurent and his vineyards rose to prominence during the 1880s, when wines produced in California began distribution to major population centers on the United States’ East Coast.
Jean Laurent died in 1890, after which his winery continued to operate successfully under a succession of owners until 1978. That year, vintner Bruce Markham purchased Laurent’s winery and – combining it with vineyards in nearby Yountville
Yountville, California
Yountville is an incorporated town in Napa County, California, United States. It is in the North Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 2,933 at the 2010 census. Almost one third of the town's population lives on the grounds of the Veterans Home of California.The town's name...
, Oak Knoll
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA
The Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA at the southern end of valley floor. The appellation's close proximity to San Pablo Bay results in a climate that is cooler and more moderate than any region in Napa Valley other than the Los...
and Calistoga
Calistoga, California
Calistoga is a city in Napa County, California, United States. The population was 5,155 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , 99.30% of it land and 0.70% of it water.-Climate:...
, California – founded Markham Vineyards. Markham’s purchase drove annual production of the Laurent vineyard from 3,500 cases to roughly 20,000 cases over the following decade.
In 1988, the former Laurent Winery was sold to Japanese wine and spirits producer Mercian Corporation
Mercian Corporation
Mercian Corporation is a Japan-based company primarily engaged in the liquor manufacturing....
, who commenced a four-year, multi-million dollar renovation, expansion and vineyard replanting program on the Markham properties. These efforts more than doubled the capacity of Markham Vineyards.
Vineyards
Markham’s Napa Valley properties encompass 350 acres of vineyard that are located in several of the area’s most fertile growing regions, most notably the areas that border Mt. St. Helena around the Calistoga, Yountville and Oak Knoll communities. The brand has consistently engaged the counsel of industry experts to maximize the potential of its locations, an effort that has led to the incorporation of myriad grape varietals that thrive in the area’s diverse microclimates.Wines
Markham Vineyards produces wines in the MerlotMerlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
and Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
families. It has historically been known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, though its Merlot, introduced in 1980, has subsequently become the brand’s flagship varietal.
Awards and recognition
Markham Vineyards wines have received numerous industry-sanctioned awards and designations, including three number-one rated wines from California as judged by the editorial staff of Wine SpectatorWine Spectator
Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...
magazine: The Markham 1991 Sauvignon Blanc, the Markham 1990 Merlot and the Markham 1989 Chardonnay.
Additional recognition includes the following designations:
- Markham 2006 The Philanthropist - 93pts Wine EnthusiastWine Enthusiast MagazineWine Enthusiast Magazine is a lifestyle magazine covering wine, food, spirits, travel and entertaining topics. It was founded in 1988 by Adam and Sybil Strum and reaches 680,000 readers. Its wine ratings, conducted by reviewers in major wine-producing areas of the world, comprise a large section of...
, June 2010 - Markham 2006 The Altruist - 93pts Wine Enthusiast, June 2010
- Markham 2006 The Altruist Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - 90pts Wine Spectator, May 2010
- Markham Merlot - #21 Most Popular Wine by the glass - Wine & Spirits 21st Annual Restaurant Poll, April 2010
- Markham Cabernet Sauvignon – #7 Most Popular Cabernet Sauvignon - Wine & Spirits 21st Annual Restaurant Poll, April 2010
- Markham Vineyards - #24 Best Selling Winery - Wine & Spirits 21st Annual Restaurant Poll, April 2010
- Markham Vineyards - #30 Best Selling Winery – Wine & Spirits 20th Annual Restaurant Poll, April 2009
- Markham 2006 Merlot - “Wine of the Week” St. Helena Star
- Markham 2005 Merlot - 91pts NatDecants.com, May 2009
- Markham 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon – “New Napa Cabernet’s Worth Seeking…the kind of wine you should consider buying by the case.” Wine Spectator Online, June 2008
- Markham 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon - 90pts Wine & Spirits, February 2006
- Markham Merlot - #4 Most Popular Merlot - Wine & Spirits 20th Annual Restaurant Poll, April 2009
The Markham Mark of Distinction Grant Initiative
In 2008, Markham Vineyards created the Mark of Distinction, a charitable effort that awards two $25,000 grants per year to organizations or individuals that work to cultivate positive change in American communities. To complement the grant program, Markham annually produces two single-vineyard, limited production Estate Cabernet Sauvignon wines – The Philanthropist and The Altruist – in honor of the grant recipients. These wines feature labels that highlight each grant recipient’s work.Recent Mark of Distinction Grant recipients have included Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
Sled Hockey, a sled hockey program for physically and mentally handicapped athletes; the Paul Ruby Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in Geneva, Illinois
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
; and the Bartlett Arboretum
Bartlett Arboretum (Kansas)
The Bartlett Arboretum is a historic, nonprofit arboretum located in Belle Plaine, Kansas, United States. It is privately owned, and open to the public only upon special request....
in Belle Plaine, Kansas
Belle Plaine, Kansas
Belle Plaine is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,681.-Geography:Belle Plaine is located at...
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