We are excited to have an opportunity to share some more amazing wines, and a very cool Winemaker, with you on this episode of Virtual Wine Tasting at Steve’s. You may have tasted his always popular Trainwreck Cabernet Sauvignon served here at the bar. I respectfully tell people that it is Chris’ entry level wine, and it’s a damn good entry level wine. 😊
We will be discussing several wines during this tasting event and we have 5 of his many wines available for you to choose from for this event.
You can read more about each of these wines further down in this post.
All are available online at Steves Wine Bar Products and Merchandise for purchase today and pick on Friday.
Chris Dearden has been crafting fine wines in Napa Valley for over 25 years. Wine has been a part of his family life since childhood, where it was served regularly at dinner as a celebration of everyday meals. The third generation Californian was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley town of Porterville and always had an aptitude and love for agriculture and life sciences.
After several internships with wineries and research positions at UC Davis, he came directly to the Napa Valley and has never looked back. He held winemaking positions with William Hill, Madonna Estate, and Beaulieu Vineyard/Inglenook/Christian Brothers, and he spent three years at Seguin Moreau Cooperage where he credits learning more about winemaking than in the previous years as a day-to-day winemaker. Representing the company, he traveled to the finest winemaking regions in France, South America and California, Oregon and Washington State helping winemakers make better wines and learning how the best wines are made around the world.
He began a fourteen-year journey developing a Napa Valley winery from the ground up. He established the vineyard, brand, wine style and identity. During this period, he also developed the North American branch of the highly respected Gamba Cooperage, Costa Del Sol Consulting Company, luxury wine brands Chanticleer and Sleeping Giant, and a premium Pinot noir vineyard estate in the Carneros district of Napa Valley, which is a cornerstone of Chris’s great wines today.
2010 marked the beginning of a new chapter for Chris when he established the Dearden Wines Portfolio which today includes flagship Sleeping Giant Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir and Chardonnay; Little Giant Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay; Argus Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Rosato; One-Iron Red Blend; Two-Iron Cabernet Sauvignon; Three-Iron limited production Zinfandel; Train Wreck Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon blanc; and Costa del Sol Red Blend.
Dearden’s Carneros vineyard property, which is fondly referred to as “Las Amigas Partners,” is planted to five different clones of Pinot noir and a small amount of Chardonnay on an 11.6-acre parcel. The residence and an historic water tower were refurbished and are an outward sign of the Dearden family’s respect for the past and loyalty to the future. To round out the vineyard, residence and newly restored historic water tower, plans are in the works for development of a boutique winery that will include the renovation of an existing barn. The Dearden family invites you to share the experience of this beautiful setting with them.
Chris lives in the beautiful Napa Valley with his high-school sweetheart wife Paige and their two children, Sam and Addie.
The “Sleeping Giant” is the section of mountain range of the Mayacamas that runs from the Northern edge of Mount Veeder in Napa almost up to the Yountville Veterans Home. It becomes the focal point of conversation as the sun sets on the Western hills. Chris Dearden has lived and produced fine wines in Napa Valley since 1986. A trained enologist from UC Davis, with an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, Dearden has pursued single vineyard wines for Shibumi Knoll, V Madrone and Benessere in St. Helena and Chanticleer in Yountville. His Cabernets, Chardonnays and Italian varietals have garnered both critical and consumer acclaim since 1995.
A delicious, full-bodied Chardonnay with just the right amount of buttery, fresh notes of lemon, green apple, caramel custard and almond nuances.
94 pts. Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis
Rich, deeply fruity, silky and sweet-tart with notes of raspberry, clove-studded ham, dried oregano and cocoa powder.
Everyone has a ‘train wreck’ of a day once in a while. This wine is meant to get your day ‘back on track’ with its broad appeal and approachability. Even if your day is going smoothly you will enjoy savoring our Train Wreck wines with your favorite meal or just your favorite person. Keep your ‘train wrecks’ on the table and in the fridge!
Chris Dearden loves to play golf and is pretty good on any course, but he can’t hit his low irons no matter how hard he tries. In fact, not many people can! The Iron Series wines were created so anyone could enjoy the pleasure of swinging an iron with ease. This collection of wines includes varietals that are food friendly, delicious, and delightfully better to drink than to swing!
Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of red wines and the Napa Valley is world-famous for producing big, bold wines of outstanding character. Merlot was judiciously blended to produce a wine of structure, flavor and balance.
Meritage is a term used to describe wines made from the Bordeaux varietals in California. A full-bodied red wine with tantalizing notes of berries, sage, dark chocolate and cherry cola.