Aratás Wine

Aratás Wine (pronounced era-toss) was founded by wife and husband Stephanie Douglas and John Chohany along with John’s brother Mickey. They produced several vintages starting in 2004 but their early wines were made for personal use. Their first commercial vintage was from 2008. The Chohany’s heritage is Hungarian; the name Aratas in Magyar (Hungarian) means “harvest of gold”. For reference, other Napa Valley wine brands or wineries with Hungarian family roots or connections to Hungary including Hertelendy, Kapcsándy Family Winery, Spelletich and Trifecta.

Stephanie is involved in wine on both the east and west coasts; she is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. Along with her role at Aratás, she also serves on the board of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation raises money for charity and has also raised money for the Napa Valley Vine Trail). Stephanie speaks reverently about Petite Sirah, a variety that is intriguing to her both for its history and for its varietal characteristics.

Petite Sirah’s roots are relatively recent; they date back to 1860 in Montepelier France when a nurseryman Francois Durif cross pollinated a Syrah with the little known Peloursin grape. For reference, the only Peloursin we know of growing in Napa Valley is at Aldo’s Vineyard in the city limits of Napa (Biale Vineyards) and planted on Howell Mountain at Dunn Vineyards and used by Retro Cellars. Petite Sirah was brought to California in the mid 1880s and was originally planted at the Linda Vista Vineyard at Mission San Jose. By the 1960s it was one of the most planted grape varieties in California.

The focus of Aratás’s Petite Sirah is on cool weather sites. But it is especially difficult to find single vineyards in Napa Valley planted to this variety in cooler regions; much of Napa Valley’s Petite Sirah grows in and around Calistoga. For several years they sourced grapes from a Petite Sirah Vineyard in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll District, a sub appellation located in the cooler and southern Napa Valley, known for its diversity of varieties. When this vineyard was sold, unfortunately the vines were replaced in favor of Cabernet Sauvignon. Subsequent vintages of Petite Sirah came from another cooler weather vineyard on the slopes of Mt. Veeder. As of our latest update to this profile, the Aratas Petite Sirah is sourced from Rutherford.

Select Wines
Whites/Rosé
The 2024 Aratás Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley is pale straw in color; this wine was harvested from a valley floor vineyard and barrel fermented in French oak barrels for 6 months with sur-lie aging. The bouquet features everything one wants from a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, carefully straddling the line between herbal and tropical. Playful, floral and zesty the expressive bouquet offers scents of pineapple, guava, passion fruit, star jasmine, citrus blossom, lime, white peach, freshly mowed lawn, lemon grass and a saline character. Minerally and citrusy but not overtly green, the delightful and refreshing palate offers flavors of grapefruit, lemon/lime, kumquat, green apple, honeydew melon, green tea and a note of tarragon on the finish. The supple and silky texture complements the whirling and mouth watering acidity. Bright and juicy. We would love to pair this with a view of the ocean and a Thai seafood dish of Pla Neung Manao (steamed fish with lime, garlic, and chili). This wine wants the company of spicy sea food or shellfish.

The 2023 Aratás Sauvignon Blanc, Oak Knoll District Napa Valley is pale straw in color; almost a mirror image of the bouquet on the 2024 Aratás Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, this wine reveals aromas of citrus blossom, star jasmine and plenty of citrus fruit influences including Meyer lemon, lime, guava, passion fruit, young kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass. Its profile is fresh, bright and filled with energy. An additional year in bottle has most certainly developed some additional layering and complexity, both on the bouquet and the palate. The palate isn’t quite as acid driven as the the 2024 Aratás Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc; this offers flavors of Golden delicious apple, Gravenstein apple, mandarin orange, kiwi, honeydew melon, not fully ripe Sierra Nevada gooseberry, passion fruit and chalk. The finish lingers with a note of dill or tarragon. We love the balanced here between flavor, acidity and texture – all these characteristics fit together as seamlessly as a perfectly aligned puzzle piece. This wine is highly enjoyable to drink by itself.

The 2018 Aratás “Surreptitious” Rosé is noticeably dark with a salmon orange reddish color in the glass; offers aromas of watermelon and wild strawberry with a flinty minerality note. Features a generous crispness on the palate with flavors of cranberry, citrus, watermelon pith and a lime zest. Very bright finish. Very food friendly. From personal experience, this wine is best paired with the Crab Piles at their Second Street Restaurant in Newport News, Virginia.

The 2015 Aratás Chardonnay was sourced from the Napa side of Carneros. This wine is noticeably dark golden in the glass. Aromatically rich, it reveals an intriguing and layered bouquet including dessert spices, notes of creme Brule, honeysuckle, dried straw and melon. Rich in flavor with good viscosity (somewhat creamy), the finish lingers for some time along with notes of vanilla.

Reds
The 2019 Aratás Petite Sirah is a blend of two selections, from Martini and Quixote from the Carpy Connolly Ranch in Rutherford. The grapes were cold-soaked for five days, prior to raising the temperature for the indigenous yeast to start their fermentation. It was then aged for 28 months in 30% new Hungarian oak barrels and 70% used. And then it was aged for another two years in bottle before it was released. This wine is deep purple and opaque; the bouquet is a bowlful of dark fruits including cherry, blackberry pie, boysenberry, mulberry and plum. Other layers include violets, lavender, a gamey character, tobacco spice, tar, old cedar box, toasted oak and dark chocolate. As it evolves further, it reveals notes of coffee grinds and espresso. The aromatic profile is well endowed and ample with plenty of curvaceousness. Juicy, layered, dark and bright, the palate reveals flavors of Satsuma plum, blackberry, Persian mulberry, dark cherry and boysenberry. A savory and a darker character completes the finish including of smoked sage, crushed pink peppercorn, dust, dark cocoa powder and toasted cedar. The tannins are tumbled with a gravelly and lightly grainy texture. Finishes bright and lively 6 years post vintage. This wine has loads of life ahead of it. Pair with a tri-tip covered in a dry rub of assorted herbs and spices and a BBQ.

The 2012 Aratás Veneration (70% Petite Sirah and 30% Syrah) is as dark in the glass as some magician’s inky black potion. Powerful aromatics built upon both floral and fruit – including violets, plum and blackberry. As the wine breathes it also reveals a black pepper spice component and hints of leather. Supple on the palate this wine offers intense flavors including dark plum, blackberry and boysenberry. This wine has depth and richness on the palate without muscular tannins that this variety is often known for. Big but balanced. Dusty and fairly well integrated tannins show on a finish filled with fruit. This is a seriously good wine. And in homage to the Chohany’s Hungarian roots, this wine was aged for 23 months in Hungarian oak, fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The 2010 Aratás Petite Sirah is deep, dark and opaque in the glass; its expressive fruit aromatics fall on the darker side of the spectrum with darker fruit aromatics including plum, blackberry and notes of black licorice and darker chocolate. The scents are also floral, opening to notes of violets as the wine evolves in the glass. This darkness of fruit on the bouquet continues onto the palate which is very well layered with an intensity of fruit flavors. Long lasting somewhat earthy tannins (somewhat polished by age) anchor a very long finish. A pleasure to consume, 7 years since it’s vintage date.

For several vintages only, Aratás also produced a Petite Sirah from the Shake Ridge Vineyard in Amador County. This beautiful site is owned and managed by respected viticulturist, Ann Kraemer. We have toured this property before with Ann who sells fruit to several other Napa Valley based producers, among others.

Their first big recognition for their Petite Sirah came from a Wine Spectator event. Marvin Shanken, the publisher of Wine Spectator and several other publications took notice of their wine and awarded it the highest rating given to a Petite Sirah by the Wine Spectator in more than 30 years.

Second Street Restaurant, Williamsburg
And John and Mickey are restaurateurs; both are from Williamsburg Virginia and in 1985 jointly took over operations at Second Street Restaurant in Williamsburg running this as a sports bar until converting it into an American bistro in 2007. The Aratás wines are served in both locations along with an excellent selection of other wines, including some from Napa Valley and several international bottlings. And both restaurants serve a wide diversity of items on both their lunch and dinner menus.

Slightly smaller than their Newport News location, this restaurant seems to cater to an older clientele. The drive between both restaurants is only about 20 minutes; parking is on the west side of the restaurant. Appropriately named for its location on 2nd Street (140 Second Street). Note the koi pond in front – next to a semi-outdoor dining space. Like their other location, this restaurant also features a well-stocked bar.

And for those in the area, a visit to the original western settlement (built in 1607) in Jamestown is a must-see historical attraction which is only about a 15-minute drive away from the restaurant. Maintained by the National Parks Service, visitors can walk within the original fort confines, visit the ancient church on site and explore the heritage of these early western settlers and the extreme challenges they faced when and after they arrived. A nearby museum contains intriguing relics discovered during various digs from the fort site.

Second Street Restaurant, Newport News
In 2013 the partners opened their second, Second Street Restaurant location in the Victory Crossing Shopping Center in Newport News at 115 Arthur Way (Kiln Creek). The feel of both restaurants is upscale yet simultaneously casual. During our visit to this location, we found the dining scene a bit hipper than their location in Williamsburg. Both indoor and semi-outdoor dining are available.

Their restaurants have been recognized for both the quality of the food and hospitality; in 2014 they received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. And over a span of several years, they were honored with the Wine Spectator magazine’s, Award of Excellence. In 2005 the Chohany brothers were recognized by the Senate of the Commonwealth of Virginia for contributions to the food and wine industry in Virginia. During our visits to both restaurants, we found the staff friendly, attentive and the service impeccable.

Be sure to order one of the Aratás wines: hint, their rosé pairs well with some of their seafood dishes. But they also serve a variety of cocktails, beer and martinis and offer Happy Hour specials during certain times of the day. A small garden on the side of this restaurant provides seasonal greens. Plenty of parking wraps around the restaurant; this location is also easily accessible from the 64 freeway.

Total production each year is just under 2,000 cases, with select distribution to several states including their primary markets of California and Virginia. For more information, to purchase current and library releases, to join their wine club, or schedule a visit with Stephanie in Calistoga, visit: www.arataswine.com

ARCHIVED NOTES
The Studio by Feast it Forward
NOTE: Aratás no longer has their wines available at the The Studio by Feast it Forward; we keep these notes here as historical reference. Aratás was one of up to sixteen vintners featured in the The Studio by Feast it Forward (opened in June 2018). This showroom is located directly across from the Oxbow Public Market and packs in numerous experiences in a small space. This two-story building houses an “experiential showroom” as founder Katie Hamilton Shaffer calls it with a focus on wine, food and music.

Each vintner represented offers several wines – several of the showroom’s sponsors have prominent placement including the Gibson Guitar Lounge. A Chocolate tasting is also offered and there is a vinyl station for playing a variety of old records. Upstairs features a demo kitchen – when shows are being filmed here, televisions downstairs will broadcast the live feed. This kitchen can also be used for guest chefs to offer culinary classes.

And visitor’s will want to stop by their bathroom – a television embedded in a mirror plays Feast it Forward culinary shows. The site can be used for a number of events – they have plenty of space in the back of the building. The Ultimate Airstream Film Lounge trailer is often be parked in the back – they use this trailer when they are on the road hosting unique lifestyle events. One such event at the showroom might be the “Terrible Tuesdays” in which bad films with cult like followings will be shown.

The second floor has a sizable surround building deck – and features swinging ‘beds’. This is an ideal perch to watch passersby going to Oxbow Public Market or those enjoying the park next to the Napa River. These are also some of the best seats in the area to watch live performances at the nearby green.