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20 W i n e s & V i n e s M AY 2 0 1 4 N apa, Calif.—Most of the winemakers pouring during a recent tasting hosted by the Carneros Wine Alliance agreed that the group—and the region to some extent—had lost its focus in recent years. "It had been dormant for so long," said winemaker Alison Crowe, who was joined by several other winemakers and winery staff at a March 25 tasting at the ZD Wines property on the Napa County side of the Carneros AVA. Crowe is a member of the Carneros Wine Alliance board and said the historic appellation is undergoing some- thing of a renaissance, with new leadership that's implementing a focused and aggressive approach to marketing the region. The alliance currently has 25 winery and grower members. A few feet away from Crowe, Larry Hyde and his sons Peter and Chris were showcasing their own Larry Hyde & Sons wines. Hyde, who was a founding member of the alliance, said the group lost its way after coming to be dominated by large wine companies. In 2010 Hyde grew so dissatisfied that he withdrew from the alli- ance and only rejoined this year. He said membership means more now that he's making wine under his own label, but he's also happy with the alliance's board and its new direction. The Hydes are starting construction on a winery on their prop- erty this year near the intersection of Highway 12/121 and Los Carneros Avenue. Once the winery is completed, the family plans to lease it to a winery client. T.J. Evans, president of the alliance board and the still winemaker at Domaine Carneros, also referred to a "Carneros renaissance." He said he and other Carneros winemakers aren't going to criticize other regions like Santa Barbara or Anderson Valley, or even claim Carneros is better. They want to regain a place on the short list of the top regions in California for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. "We want to be in the conversation, because we have something to offer consumers," he said. —Andrew Adams Carneros Wine Alliance Adopts New Focus Wineries and growers in Carneros region look to raise awareness of AVA Alison Crowe (right) pours wines from the Carneros appellation. M A Y N E W S