A sneak peak at the upcoming “Columbia Wine Collective” Wine Club 

presented by Columbia University Alumni Director Kenneth Catandella

Julie Johnson, is the winemaker and owner of Tres Sabores, a winery nestled into the western Rutherford bench land of the Napa Valley. Join us for an intimate tasting through her select portfolio of estate, single-vineyard wines, each accompanied by a special appetizer. Passionate about food, wine, and the land, for the last 30 years Julie has lived on a certified organic farm, growing wine grapes, pomegranates, lemons and olives, raising her children not to mention Golden Retrievers, Guinea Hens, and sheep. There will be plenty of entertaining tales and ranch products to share (including a tasting of her olive oil) with our group.

Wines for the evening will include her Double Gold Medal award winning estate 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford Estate Zinfandel (94pts), Farina Vineyard Sauvignon blanc, and Guarino Vineyard Petite Sirah.

A Cabernet selected from her aging cellar is sure to be a highlight. The evening will feature the east coast debut of her 2017 Rosé.

Let's celebrate the “three flavors” in each glass of wine: those of the vine, the terroir, and the spirit of the good company around the table. Hope to see you there.

Julie Johnson, CUNRSG79, is a native of California. she graduated from Columbia as a P.H.N. after receiving a B.A. from Bowdoin College. Relocating to the Napa Valley in 1980, she practiced nursing even as she founded Frog’s Leap Winery (with her first husband, John Williams and partner, Larry Turley) in 1981. In 1990 she joined with Michaela Rodeno, past CEO at St. Supery Winery, and founded “Women for Wine Sense, a vital national organization whose “vision is to support the appreciation for and responsible consumption of wine”. Julie started Tres Sabores in 1999 as a single vineyard estate and soon began making her own wine. She speaks and participates in seminars on the subject of Women in Wine for a variety of clients and at educational venues around the country. She is currently active in C.C.O.F (California Certified Organic Farms), Napa Green, and the Rutherford Dust Society. At the end of the day, she sleeps best if she feels that she has been a thoughtful and energetic steward of the land and has capped off the day with a good glass of wine!

Columbia Alumni winemakers Collective is a new Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) initiative aims to bring alumni together around one shared passion: wine. This endeavor is in its beginning stages, first hoping to finish identifying other alumni winemakers across the globe and build out their running list. From there, there are robust, broad-based plans for the group, including tasting events for alumni, featuring alumni-produced wines at CAA events, and making a master list of where alumni wines are sold to make it easier for any Columbian to purchase a bottle and show their support. (the above is an excerpt from The Low down article Here)