Each of our regular WRO contributors has selected a Wine of the Year and a Wine Producer of the Year for 2007. We will feature one of their write-ups each day in this space through the end of the year, and if you’d like to nominate a wine or winery , email your choices to [email protected] —Ed.
Producer of the Year: There are countless wineries whose stories have captured my heart this year (and whose wines, 
needless to say, have captured my palate). I’ve been impressed by the way certain venerable wineries all over the world (some of them family-owned for generations) have had the courage to remain relevant by making viticultural and winemaking changes without compromising the overall tradition and integrity of their wine. I’ve been awed by established wineries that have taken the huge leap into biodynamic viticulture. I’ve been likewise impressed by individual wineries which continue to turn out fabulous wines year after year despite changes in ownership, corporate direction and the vagaries of climate changes and consumer volatility.
But I’ve decided that my choice for Winery of the Year is not 
going to go to one of these much esteemed wineries with an impressive proven track record, but rather to a newcomer. I’ve selected this young winery out of admiration for the way it has entered the fray with an ambitious vision, good planning, and stunning winemaking success. Edward Sellers, a new producer in Paso Robles, California, shot out of the starting gate very recently (I think his first vintage was 2004) and is charging ahead with a bevy of luscious, gorgeously balanced Rhône-inspired wines. Among the Edward Sellers wines I’ve been fortunate enough to sample are Roussanne, Viognier, Blanc du Rhône (Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier), Grenache, ‘Cognito’ (a red Rhône blend with a jolt of Zinfandel), and Cuvée des Cinq, a powerful and complex blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, and Cinsault. Sellers’ grapes are sourced from the best vineyards on the limestone hills on the west side of Paso Robles, and are all handpicked. Not every wine is perfect, but Sellers’ winemaker Amy Butler knows how to coax the sunny, boisterous personality out of these Rhône grapes, and she also understands that this fruit is capable of showing considerable elegance. I’m looking forward to enjoying Edward Sellers wines for many years to come.
Wine of the year: I might have chosen some of the fantastic bubbles I’ve been privileged to drink this year since fizz is always my favorite. I considered, too, choosing one of the surprisingly food-friendly big Zinfandels I’ve encountered in 2007, or one of the sensational white Burgundies I imbibed in France last summer. 
But when I look back over all my Wine Review Online reviews for 2007 I see that the highest number of points I gave was to Quinta do Noval ‘Nacional’ 2003, on which I bestowed 96 points. A bottle of this gorgeous Port costs $600 however, and since it is virtually unobtainable anyway as only 2000 or so bottles of it were produced, I feel obliged remove it from my roster of candidates. The second highest rating I doled out in 2007 out was 95 points for–surprise!–another Quinta do Noval wine, the 2004 Vintage Port. At $100 it’s not exactly a steal either, but taken in context $100 is hardly an inflated price for a superior 
bottle of dessert wine, especially when you consider all the hands-on work that went into producing it, and for that matter foots-on work too. After the grapes are harvested by hand they are crushed by human feet in the time-honored (but rapidly disappearing) method of extracting juice from grapes as gently and efficiently as possible. Quinta do Noval’s memorable 2004 Vintage Port is an extraordinarily rich and intense elixir that is seductive, powerful, elegant, and deeply, deeply satisfying.
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