“Variety is our passion,” says Arthur “Art” White, who with partner Earl Brockelsby founded Arthur Earl Winery in 1996 (Art and Earl also own Alexander & Wayne, established in 1992, but the two wineries are separately bonded). “We started Arthur Earl,” explains Art, “because we wanted to make many of the up and coming California varieties and that resulted in more varietals than one winery could handle.” All Arthur Earl wines are produced in their own winery, where they also produce wine for growers, wholesalers and other wineries.

Arthur Earl wines are made from grapes grown on California’s Central Coast. This area provides an abundance of excellent growers who take advantage of each different climate and soil combination to grow varieties suitable for each vineyard. Art is the winemaker and produces small quantities of Rhône, Spanish and Northern Italian style wines as well as Zinfandel. Art’s red wines are big, full-bodied, and fruit forward, while his whites are fresh, with a lot of flavor, and easy to drink.

Pinot Grigio, Malvasia Bianca, Nebbiolo, Barbera, and a red-wine blend named “Il Re”—“The King” in Italian—comprise Arthur Earl’s Italian offerings. Rhône choices include Viognier, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and a red Rhone style blend called “A Genoux,” which in French means “on your knees”—the phrase comes from Alexander Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. The writer of swashbuckling adventures is said to have described his favorite wine as “so good that you should drink it on your knees with your hat off.” Arthur Earl recently added some Spanish style wines including Tempranillo and a Rioja style blend called Asevala.