Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
For many years you have seen Dwyane Wade play the game he loves at the highest levels of achievement. Now, Dwyane is able to share with you something personal and profound, his inaugural release from Wade Cellars.
Throughout his playing career and his life off the court, Wade has blazed his own path. In becoming one of the most celebrated athletes in the world, Wade has been exposed to the ultimate in living well, as well as some of the world’s greatest personalities. Dwyane’s love of the great wines of Napa Valley was fueled by the food and wine he enjoyed with his teammates Chris Bosh and Lebron James. Their friendship and mutual love of great wine sparked a passion in Dwyane. Two years ago, he decided to follow his heart and make a great wine of his own.
With the wine dream unshakably in his mind, he looked to his dear friend Jayson Pahlmeyer for guidance. For over 30 years Jayson Pahlmeyer has consistently produced iconic Napa Valley wines of power, finesse, and distinction. Jayson has been a leader in the world of fine wine and shares Wade’s bold and irrepressible spirit. Jayson invited Dwyane to witness harvest in the Napa Valley in 2014. Harvest is a very magical time in the Valley and sparked Dwayne's dream of Wade Cellars. The combination of that 2014 harvest trip with Jayson’s wine business knowledge and Dwyane’s enthusiasm and joie de vivre Wade Cellars was born.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Grape varieties are carefully selected to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
