I originally was introduced to Cameron Hughes Wine two years prior during a tasting event at another location. Bill Erwin of Classic Wine Imports was pouring (I have seen and always enjoy speaking with  Bill  at  local wine events).  At the time I had the pleasure of tasting a Dry Creek Valley Merlot (Lot#61).  I was quite impressed by its quality and reasonable price.

It is with that background that I introduced myself to Cameron last evening. Like many people I have met in the wine industry, he was open, engaging, and passionate about his business. This was even more evident as we tasted through eight of his wines ( see more below). Cameron took the time to walk the attendees through details of each of the wines – origin, varietal, vinification methods, as well as answering more indepth questions about his company and each of the  wines. It was clear from the start that he is not only passionate about his wines, but also getting them introduced to new potential customers looking for quality wines at reasonable prices.

So what is a “négociant”? According to Wine Pros Archive (derived from the Oxford Companion to Wine), it is a “French term for a merchant  and one used particularly of wine merchants who buy in grapes, must, or wine, blend different lots of wine within an appellation, and bottle the result under their own label.”

From the Camerone Hughes Wine  website,  “Our focus is on buying at the high-end, small available ‘Lots’ of super premium wine. Because not all wine at the high-end is bottled, we rescue those ‘Lots’ do some stylistic blending and get it to you at a great price.

Our company produces and markets wine under Cameron Hughes Lot Series, Flying Winemaker, Hughes-Wellman, RockRidge, and Evergreen. We do not own vineyards or ferment wine. Our business model is built around what we call in the industry the “spot” market for super/ultra premium bulk wines. We use our own palates as guides to deliver delicious, super premium wine that is easily accessible price and style-wise.”

For this particular tasting, there were four varietals representing the Flying Winemaker series as well as an additional four wines from the Lot Series.

From the Flying Winemaker label (unlike the Lot Series that represent  limited quantities of wines purchased, bottled and offered only until they run out, these are varietal wines that are sourced from a particular winery on an on-going basis), we tasted a Chardonnay (Margaret River, Western Australia), a Tempranillo (Compo de Borja, Spain),  Cabernet Sauvignon (Maipo Valley, Chile), and a Zinfandel (Lodi, California). Each of these wines were meant to represent their origin and style.

From the Lot Series an additional four wines were offered including Lot 91 a Russian River Chardonnay, Lot 112 a Merlot from Napa Valley, Lot 102 a Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford, and Lot 74 another Cabernet Sauvignon from Oak Knoll in Napa Valley.

I also  had the pleasure of tasting one additional wine that is soon to be released: Lot 100 a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. This one is very typical of Stags Leap Cabernet and sure to please.

Considering the current recession and price pressure to find good value wines at reasonable prices, it is not surprising that Cameron Hughes Wine is growing fast (Cameron Hughes Wine was ranked #18 of the fastest growing privately-held companies in the US by Inc. Magazine), and based on the enthusiasm, skill  and passion of Cameron and his staff, I expect that growth to continue.

To learn more about Cameron Hughes Wine, vist them at their website, follow them on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or better still get on the Cameron Hughes Wine mailing list (scroll down on the left hand side).