On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, we had a chance to interview and get to know Melissa Paris. Melissa is the new winemaker for Alpha Omega Winery. We covered eight of her new 2022 vintage wines. All were Cabernet Sauvignon offerings except for a red blend from Spring Mountain. We previously interviewed Melissa’s predecessor Matt Brain back in December 2024. In our previous post with Matt we covered the 2021 vintage wines and more about the winery.
Before we get to the wine reviews, I thought I would share a few new tidbits we learned during the tasting with Melissa.
- Matt Brain was her first enology professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
- Melissa’s early experience was working with winemaking teams in Australia, New Zealand, and California
- Melissa joined Alpha Omega in September of 2020 as an assistant winemaker.
- She had a little crossover with Jean Hoefliger in 2020.
- Melissa quickly rose thru the ranks to Associate Winemaker in the beginning of 2023 and eventually rose to her current position of Winemaker in July 2024.
- She is continuing her education and currently pursuing a Global Wine Executive MBA degree from Sonoma State.
- Since we only covered the 2022 vintage, we discussed it in length. Some key points were.
- It was a drought year vintage and there was a heat event in September.
- The whites came in, in August, so they were good.
- They had to rush to bring in all their reds.
- AO made wine from 14 of the 16 AVA’s in 2022. Diamond Mountain didn’t make the cut and they did not have a source from Stags Leap.
- Unfortunately, the 2022 Howell Mountain wine was a one and done project. They no longer have access to the fruit.
- Angel’s Vista Vineyard is not on a map. AO created the name. It is managed by same growers of Sleeping Lady. It is near the Pritchard Hill area.
- AO does about 25,000 cases per year. They have a barrel cooper on staff year round.
- The 2023 and 2024 vintages were big vintages.
- Houyi Yineyard as bought so they only got fruit for the 2021 and 2022 vintages.
- They have had 4 rows at Beckstoffer’s To Kalon Vineyard for 15 years. They now into another block for a 8 years.
- Sleeping Lady is one of their last vineyards to be harvested.
- There will be a Beckstoffer’s Missouri Hopper wine in 2023 and 2024.
- There will be a Beckstoffer’s Bourn wine in 2023 and 2024.
- There was no Thomas Vineyard Cab in 2022. However, It’s back for the 2023 and 2024 vintages. In 2024 it will have a new name.
- There is a Tench 2023 and 2024 wine that we look forward to covering. This vineyard backs up to Screaming Eagle.
- Cordes touches the Stagecoach Vineyard on 3 sides. The 4th side is the highest elevation were you can plant.
- The 2022 ERA wine is made from grapes from Cordes, Stricker, Sleeping Lady, and Circle K.
- AOX is their top tier wine. Only 1 barrel is made.
Below is a summary of the wine offerings from Alpha Omega that we covered. The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find some of these wines via your favorite fine wine shop or on top quality wines lists. You can also purchase these wines on the Alpha Omega website.
1) Alpha Omega 2022 US Red “Proprietary Red Spring Mountain” $170 (KWGTP 93.5)
2) Alpha Omega 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Howell Mountain” $170 (KWGTP 93.5)
3) Alpha Omega 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Angel’s Vista Vineyard” (Napa Valley) $290 (KWGTP 96)
4) Alpha Omega 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Sleeping Lady Vineyard” (Yountville) $290 (KWGTP 95.5)
5) Alpha Omega 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Houyi Vineyard” (Napa Valley) $290 (KWGTP 96)
6) Alpha Omega 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard” (Oakville) $290 (KWGTP 97)
7) Alpha Omega 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Atlas Peak” $170 (KWGTP 95.5)
8) Alpha Omega 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “ERA” (Napa Valley) $330 (KWGTP 98)
Additional Wine Covered After Our Tasting With Melissa. (So Far)
9) Alpha Omega 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Marston Vineyard” (Spring Mountain) $290 (KWGTP 95)
You can find reviews of past and future Alpha Omega wines that we cover on the KWG Alpha Omega winery page on our website. We hope you enjoy these terrific wines as much as we did. Cheers! – Ken