Winemaker Notes
Roots Run Deep Winery began in 2005 when founder Mark Albrecht set out to answer a simple question: could great Napa Valley wine be both exceptional and accessible? After decades in the wine retail business, Mark saw that too many great bottles were priced or positioned out of reach for everyday drinkers—so he sold his house and everything in it to fund the winery's first vintage and prove otherwise. There was no inherited estate or outside investors behind the project; friends and family who believed in the vision helped turn that leap into a working winery.
That first wine, Educated Guess Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon, became the foundation of the brand. Roots Run Deep believes great wine lives at the intersection of science and craft—combining vineyard data, chemistry, and instinct with a bit of educated guesswork to create wines that are thoughtful, expressive, and approachable. The idea worked: over the years Educated Guess has earned Best Buy, Best of Class honors, and is consistently one of the top selling Napa Valley Cabernets under $50.
More than twenty years later, that same philosophy shapes everything the winery makes. Roots Run Deep still sources fruit primarily from Napa Valley vineyards, while also working with exceptional growers in Sonoma and other regions across California—and the portfolio has grown beyond that first bottle to include a range of small-production wines defined by site, style, and discovery. The name reflects what has always mattered here: strong foundations, deep vineyard relationships, and the belief that great wine should feel both special and approachable.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.