As wine collectors we enjoy being able to travel throughout the wine world anywhere our interest and palate might take us. Our inaugural trip began in the Russian River, Sonoma, in 1996 on a rainy Valentine's weekend. Despite unprecedented rain and flooding, we ventured up River Road and back down the West Side Road. With no map, we simply stopped at any winery that looked interesting. We sampled the offerings, meet instant friends, and happily acquiesced to a lifelong journey along the wine trail. After 15 years of being wine long weekender's and occasional crush cellar rats we started to think of what else we might be able to experience along the trail.

Wine is integrated into our lives. It determines where we travel, what we read, and who we invite into our home. But, it is the experience itself of being with the winemaker, owner, and the other people we have the good fortune to meet along the way that enriches us the most. Each person in his or her own way imparts their wine story, their love of winemaking, and what makes their wines unique. And, we too share in that experience, even in a small way, and fall in love with certain terroir, winemakers, and varietals. From that came the idea of Fion Wines. What if once a year we could make just one barrel, 288 bottles, from a specific winery, with a specific winemaker, and showcase that area of wine? No year would be the same blend. No year would we make wine at the same winery. Instead, we would want to showcase our favorite wineries, the different terroir at each, and the special talents of different consulting winemakers. The one constant would be Susan, our winemaker, and what she was looking for in each vintage.

The 2012 vintage was the inaugural undertaking of this project. It started at Caldwell Winery with the legendary John Caldwell. For those who do not know the Caldwell story, he is the greatest wine smuggler of all time. Although his smuggling days are long since over, luckily his work is far from done integrating new world terroir and winemaking style with old world vines. Tucked in the back hills of the Coombsville AVA, John and his winemaker, Marbue Marke, blend magic in a bottle. You will never be disappointed by this duo's effort. Caldwell also has been growing and selling fruit for 30 years to the best Napa Cabernet producers including Joseph Phelps Insignia, Pahlmeyer, Merus, Randy Dunn, Stephen Derencourt and Philippe Melka. Graciously, they provided Susan the opportunity to select and blend from anything grown that year on the Caldwell Estate and spent countless hours imparting their wisdom to her as she tasted her way to a final Fion blend. The Fion 2012 Siobhan's Smugglers Blend No. 57 is the result of that collaboration. It's made from the good Caldwell stuff.