5-Course Wine Dinner
August 19 at 6:30 pm
$119 per person
+ tax & gratuity
Seating is limited. Please call us at (214)792-9944 to make a reservation.
Personal Journey: Hien Nguyen
Hien’s professional goals led him to Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, then across the Atlantic to complete a PhD in Mathematics at MIT, and finally to Montana where he joined the faculty of the University of Montana and later founded a software development company.
Pine Mountain was a revelation for Hien during his first visit. His attachment to the region has only deepened with time. Of particular excitement was the discovery that the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from a few selected blocks are truly special and capable of defining the highest quality standard for the new Pine Mountain – Cloverdale Peak AVA. Along with a dream team of experts, Hien has dedicated himself to taking the quality of the fruit grown on Pine Mountain Vineyards to its full potential and achieving the highest level of excellence in winemaking.
ARTISTRY AND EXCEPTIONAL TERROIR
Ampère late harvest, high-elevation wines convey the true expression of the Pine Mountain terroir, our high-elevation farming practices, and the artistry of winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. Our vineyard, located northeast of Cloverdale on the upper western flank of Pine Mountain, sits at an elevation of 2,200 to 2,800 feet and delivers fruit intense in color and flavor.
The Ampère Story
Like any real life story, Ampère wines owe their existence to a convergence of many independent threads. Here, we would like to mention the following two stories, which became intertwined through apparent serendipity and made possible the implausible story of Ampère wines, the stories of Pine Mountain Vineyards proprietor Hien Nguyen and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown…
The Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown
Thomas is one of the most celebrated winemakers in California, as evidenced by the extraordinary ratings, awards and accolades he has received from industry luminaries. The story that we would like to share is how Thomas came to be involved with a fledgling vineyard in an obscure locale, far from the usual prestigious wine regions of California. In Thomas’s own words:
“Pine Mountain Vineyards was one of the great revelations for harvest 2009. Every year, I take fruit from a few new vineyards to try and find something new and exciting for my various programs. After taking a ride to the edge of Alexander Valley, Pine Mountain looked like a vineyard with great potential. It was only after harvesting the fruit and midway through fermentation that we realized just how special this site is. Incredibly dark and super perfumey, the 2009 already exhibits great balance and structure to balance its red and black fruit core. The 2009 looks to be one of the stars of the vintage and I have no doubt we will do even better in the coming years.”
