Clean, smooth and true to varietal: A recent tasting of Quintessential Wines revealed a portfolio straight to the point in what it was trying to accomplish.
Founded in 2002 by the Kreps family, Quintessential traces its industry roots back to the ‘70s. Today, the company imports, produces, markets and distributes numerous wines and spirits. Quintessential typically hosts tastings in NYC for wines they import. Last week, however, Steve Kreps Jr., VP Business Development, was in town to sample his family’s collection of California brands at Heritage Grand Bakery.
Beginning with Princesca Cava Brut. Named for his niece, who wished to be a princess when she grew up, this was a fine palate tuneup. Fresh green fruit and floral notes combined with sprightly bubbles and balanced acidity for a wonderful pour. Prosecco drives most bubbly sales these days, but cava remains a strong second, Kreps said.
Next we sampled Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (SRP: $19.99). Sourced from several California vineyards, this was smooth and crisp in style, with lovely white fruits throughout.
Two Angels Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($19.99) was the first of this style pf wine that the Kreps ever produced. Straw and fresh white fruits on the nose led to a palate of similar flavors, crisp and rich, balanced with restrained acidity. Subtle and easy drinking, this pared perfectly with our fried calamari appetizer.
Geyser Peak Chardonnay 2024 ($19.99) is positioned as a value California chard. Fruit in this blend includes grapes from Alexander Valley, unusual at that price point. Barrel aging adds your usual oak influences — buttery, creamy vanillins, and a rounder mouthfeel — but far from overpowering. Much the opposite, this was again on the subtle, easy-drinking side.
As was Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.99). “This is your Tuesday night wine,” Kreps said. “It’s meant to taste like the varietal it is. It’s clean, with a little bit of backbone, from Petite Sirah from Lake County.”
“Retailers want something that competes with the big names” in California Cab Sauv, he added, “and outside of the higher price points. Retailers want to be able to say to a customer, ‘Try this instead of the big-name brand’.” To his point, discovery and experimentation remains key with today’s consumers. Especially when value is involved.
Walking Tree Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($29.99) is named for an oak tree that “walked” down a hill on a mudslide, landing upright in a parking lot. Sourced from Alexander Valley, and aged 20 months in French oak, the result is what you would expect: rich dark fruits balanced by smooth tannins. But again, not overpowering. As with the whole portfolio, the focus remains on drinkability: a lineup of extremely food-friendly wines. This paired properly with my chicken and avocado BLT.
XYZIN Old Vines Zinfandel 2023 ($49.99) rolls out in just 800 cases. With dark fruit and cocoa throughout, you can taste the Dry Creek Valley sourcing. “Zinfandel has bottomed out, and is starting to come back,” Kreps said. “People are getting away from bigger zins and moving to lighter zins.” To wit: the mellower mouthfeel of this wine.
We finished with a trio of Atlast Peak wines, showcasing the Napa Valley vineyard.
The American Super Tuscan Blend 2020 ($29.99) combines 40% cab sauv, 33% sangiovese and 27% merlot. Rich red berries and cherries defined this Italian-inspired wine. Fresh oak flavors emerged from 30 months in French barrels.
Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 ($49.99) was a cherry-forward pour, balanced medium acidity and tannins. Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($79.99) contained darker cherries and a touch of chocolate. Silky tannins rounded everything together.
Much conversation during the tasting centered on why Millennials and (especially) Gen Z do not drink wine as much as older generations. I continued to argue that it’s about education and money. Millennials feel intimidated and underinformed about this diverse category, while Gen Z is still financially recovering from the pandemic slowdown.
Which is why I think simple, value, true-to-varietal wines like much of the Kreps portfolio are so important right now. They provide an easy-to-understand entry into the category at an affordable price. A tasting of these brands revealed what wine should look and taste like for the modern consumer.
Kyle Swartz is editor of Beverage Dynamics. Reach him at kswartz@epgacceleration.com. Read his recent piece, How to Sell Allocated Whiskeys.
