Ann Colgin’s Art In A Bottle
Pictured: Ann Colgin at the Colgin Estate in St. Helena, California
Ann Colgin is a vintner and the founder of Colgin Cellars, in St. Helena, California.
Describe your background — How did you get started in the wine industry?
My first passion was actually art, which inspired my foray into the wine industry. I grew up in Waco, Texas, and was fortunate enough to go to boarding school in Dallas where I took my first art history class and was immediately hooked. I majored in art history at Vanderbilt University and then studied at Sotheby’s in London.
While in London, I attended my first formal wine tasting and I discovered a new passion. A few years later, while continuing a career in the auction world, I created my own handcrafted red wine under the Colgin label in Napa Valley, using inspirations from many of the incredible Bordeaux blends I was able to enjoy during my time in London.
Now, over 25 years later, our incredible winemaking team continues to create Cabernet Sauvignon–based wines and Syrah that emphasize perfume, minerality, and freshness while celebrating the luscious fruit of Napa Valley. Each wine celebrates one of our distinctive hillside vineyards.
Do think your background in art informed your approach to winemaking?
We take a handcrafted approach to making all of our wines, allowing nature to shine through all aspects of the winemaking process to showcase every aspect our various hillside terroirs have to offer. Like a great work of art, a truly exceptional wine has the power to evoke emotion and create lasting memories.
What’s next for Colgin Cellars?
Our goal has always been to introduce people around the world to the wines of Napa Valley while being good stewards of the land and continuing to give back to our community. Looking to the future of Napa Valley means acknowledging and nurturing the next generation of winemakers while enjoying every moment of the process and, of course, enjoying incredible wines!
We engaged in a partnership with LVMH in 2017 with an eye toward the future of Colgin Cellars. LVMH has given us the opportunity to work with a small group of wineries operating at the highest levels in the industry. We are part of their Vins d’Exception portfolio, which includes Château Cheval Blanc, Château d’Yquem and Clos des Lambrays.
What is a fall entrée-and-wine pairing that you enjoy serving?
Our chef, Brandon Benelli, makes a delicious Portuguese marinated quail with chickpeas and spinach that pairs beautifully with the 2007 Colgin IX Estate red wine.
Where is your favorite place to spend time in the Hamptons?
My husband, Joe Wender, and I are very fortunate to have dear friends with a fantastic home in Water Mill. They host a bring-your-best-bottle wine dinner with a theme, and this year it was vintages that end in 9, including rare wines from the 1949 Bordeaux vintage.