Kalin Cellars

The brilliantly idiosyncratic wines of Kalin’s Terry and Frances Leighton come about as close as any in California to our wine ideal; they are truly remarkable expressions of time, place and winemaker. With no tricks and no illusions, they are wines that demand and reward long aging. A biochemist, Terry retired from UC Berkeley in 2002, but he and Frances have been making wine since the 1970s. They call most modern winemaking “industrial,” arg...

Terry and Frances own no vines but find vineyards that produce wines of unique character. Just from Sonoma’s Long Vineyard they make three distinct Chardonnays: LV (“Long Vineyard”), LR (riverside cuvée) and LD (designated original section). The little-known Livermore and Potter Valleys have produced many great Kalin wines over the years. And from David Demostene’s vineyard in Alexander Valley comes the Cuvee DD Pinot Noir.

Terry and F...