Boxed wine gets a bad rap. This famous Hawaiian restaurant convinced California wineries to make it anyway.

 

A famed Hawaiian restaurant chain has convinced a group of notable California wineries to try something quite controversial: Put their wine in a box. Merriman’s, the fine dining restaurant with locations on four Hawaiian islands, will replace several of its by-the-glass offerings with high-quality boxed wines. The initiative is part of Merriman’s plans to become carbon-neutral, with the goal of cutting its glass use by roughly 20,000 wine bottles this year. Thus far, the program includes six hip California wineries: Napa Valley’s Matthiasson, Frog’s Leap and Failla; Sonoma’s Obsidian Wine Co.; and Central Coast producers Linne Calodo and Melville.

By Jess Lander

SF Chronicle Named Obsidian Base Camp to the list of the top 9 Best New Tasting Rooms of 2024

Dennis Fraley, wine educator and writer of "The Bottle Talk," features Obsidian Wine Co. in his latest piece on Lake County for VINUM magazine for wine culture, the best-known wine medium in Switzerland. Photos and German-language article linked below are shared courtesy of VINUM magazine.

By Tina Caputo

Obsidian Wine Company’s new tasting room is set smack in the middle of the historic Sonoma Plaza, yet it somehow manages to convey an off-the-beaten-path vibe. That’s fitting for renegade vintners who pride themselves on operating outside the box — from planting a vineyard on a ridge of solid obsidian glass to coopering their own barrels in Hungary to creating unconventional wines to complement the classics.

Esther Mobley, Senior Wine Critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, named Obsidian Wine Co. one of the Top 25 Wineries to visit in 2024 just three months after we opened our doors on the Sonoma Square.

 

We are honored that our unconventional style at Obsidian Base Camp was noted alongside many of our favorites and some truly legendary locations.

The New York Times previews the new installation by Kara Walker at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). This ground-breaking work will be on exhibit free to the public for two years. 

"Fortuna and the Immortality Garden" is massive in scale, featuring eight robotic automatons across three raised platforms filled with black obsidian rocks from Obsidian Ridge Vineyard. (To learn more about our involvement, read our Adventure Journal here.)

For years, half of the Pinot Noir vines at the 10-acre Baytree Lane Vineyard in Sonoma seemed a little strange. Shortly before harvest began in 2023, the vineyard’s owners decided to have the vines genetically tested. Half the site’s “Pinot Noir” weren’t Pinot Noir. They were a different grape variety altogether: Gamay. SF Chronicle Senior Wine Critic Esther Mobley tells the story of how we happened to buy Gamay grapes for our experimental Rabbit Hole wine, Vin Chanmé.

Jess Lander, wine reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote an exclusive feature story on the opening of our new tasting room in downtown Sonoma, Obsidian Base Camp.

Wine Consumption is declining. So what is the wine industry doing about it? Obsidian co-founder Arpad Molnar sits down with Tina Caputo to answer the question.

Ray Isle explores the volcanic wine regions of the world, from Mt. Etna, the Canary Islands, Santorini, and Obsidian Ridge Vineyard.

Bloomberg Businessweek analysis of market trends ahead in 2022 includes a feature on "How Wine Will Change," highlighting Obsidian Wine Co. Pear Blanc in the trend of wines that go beyond the grape.

The Wall Street Journal obituary of Nicholas Molnar, founder of Poseidon Vineyard and the father of two of our founders, Peter & Arpad Molnar. 

Explore the top regions, the typical representations and discover the beautiful bounty of this versatile variety. Lake County, especially the Red Hills District, boasts high-elevation vineyards on volcanic soils. Editors of Wine Enthusiast give Obsidian Wine Co. Half Mile 94 points.

Consider, for a moment, the multiple factors that influence how the wine we sip eventually tastes. Next, consider the multiple factors influencing the aromas that emanate from an oak barrel. Finally, do the math. Although current trends favor wines that are less oaked in taste than a decade ago, demand for Hungarian barrels is increasing for wines that aim for longevity and complexity. András Kalydy, Managing Director of Kádár Hungary, explains.

Owners, winemakers and vineyard managers from four of the highest-rated estates in this Northern California region share how they tame the wild, unforgiving hills of Lake County and craft wonderful wines. Founding winemaker Michael Terrien and Winemaker Alex Beloz take Jim Gordon on a hike of Obsidian Ridge Vineyard at 2,640’.