Patz N Hall Tasting with Special Guest Winemaker James Hall

"Drink a glass of wine after your soup and you steal a ruble from the doctor."  Russian Proverb

That may be the  best advice we ever got from Russia! 

This time of the year we have a lot of people coming to South Florida as we have the best weather in the country right now.  Even though it is supposed to get very cold this weekend, we only get 1 or 2 days like this a year! 

So, when I heard from our good friend David Mocha that James Hall from Patz & Hall winery was coming to town I immediately booked a date on the calendar to break bread with James.  I met James a long time ago and he and his partner who started this label Donald Patz.  They were making their wines at Honig Winery and I just happed to be staying in their guest house- that was 30+ years ago now. 

They sold the wine label and although Donald is no longer involved with the Patz and Hall Brand James is winemaker emeritus and he is still working the markets to help promote and sell some of Califronia’s best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made from select vineyard sites from Northern California. 

We are excited to have James at the Wine Bar for a special evening of new releases and we have a few older vintages to show just how well these wines age.  The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $195 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 

Patz N Hall California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Wine Tasting

with Special Guest Winemaker James Hall

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

7:30 PM

2022 Patz N Hall Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2023 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

2020 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

2022 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard

2021 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2022 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard Sonoma

2018 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard Sonoma

2021 Patz N Hall Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard

2017 Patz N Hall Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard

2022 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard

2021 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Chenoweth Ranch Russian River

2016 Patz & Hall Jenkins Ranch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Menu

Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie

Sea Scallop Carpaccio with Candied Citrus and Lavender Aioli

Hong Shao Rou Chinese Braised Pork Belly over Creamy Florida Grits

White Chocolate Mousse Pie with Oreo Cookie Pie Crust and Raspberry Coulis

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $195 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you. 

A bit about Patz N Hall Winery:

The seeds for Patz & Hall were planted in the 1980s when assistant winemaker James Hall and national sales manager Donald Patz struck up a close friendship while working together at Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards.  The two discovered a mutual enthusiasm for a rich and compelling style of wine made by applying traditional winemaking techniques to fruit from elite, small vineyards.  Inspired to combine their winemaking and sales talents, James and Donald joined with partners Anne Moses and Heather Patz, to establish Patz & Hall in 1988.

To achieve their goal of crafting exceptional limited-production wines, the four founders have each focused their specialized knowledge, expertise and daily attention to different areas of the winery's operations.  This integrated, hands-on approach, along with a commitment to developing close personal relationships with a handful of California 's finest growers, has become the cornerstone of the winery's success—allowing Patz & Hall to continually realize the highest levels of quality and consistency.

As national sales director, and one of four founding partners, Donald Patz has spent nearly 20 years building Patz & Hall's reputation for quality, consistency and excellence. A dedicated and visionary individual, Donald brings a comprehensive understanding of Patz & Hall to his role, having gained extensive hands-on expertise in every aspect of the winery's operations. This depth of knowledge, coupled with Donald's belief in developing long-term, mutually rewarding relationships, has helped to earn a place for Patz & Hall on many of the world's great wine lists.

Donald first discovered his passion for wine when he stumbled upon a copy of Hugh Johnson's "World Atlas of Wine," while earning a degree in biology at the University of Oregon in Eugene in the late 1970s.  Fascinated by the book's central idea that wine is intrinsically tied to individual regions and vineyards, Donald began actively exploring different wines from around the world.  A regular face at local wine shops, Donald was soon asked to become the director of the local Les Amis du Vin wine group, setting up tastings and winemaker dinners.  Eager to immerse himself in California's emerging wine scene, Donald moved to Santa Rosa in 1983 and spent two years as a sales manager for a large wine wholesaler, handling key restaurant accounts throughout Northern California.

For two decades, founder and winemaker James Hall has guided the Patz & Hall winemaking program, instilling it with his own boldness, imagination and trademark perfectionism. Combining a belief in great viticulture, traditional winemaking practices, and the judicious use of innovative techniques, James has earned a reputation for crafting dramatic benchmark Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that balance vibrant power with vineyard-inspired depth and sophistication.

The son of an English professor, who was also a wine enthusiast, James developed an early appreciation for fine wine during travels with his family to Europe in the late 1960s. While studying liberal arts at the University of California, Santa Cruz, James met Anne Moses, and together the two began exploring their shared interest in wine.  Although it was not part of his curriculum, James started studying winemaking textbooks in his spare time.  Inspired, he transferred to the University of California, Davis, to study viticulture and enology.  Eager to experience the hands-on work of winemaking, James took his first winery job at Felton-Empire in 1981, where he was able to learn from renowned winemakers Leo McCloskey and Patrick Mahaney. "Leo was the scientist, obsessed with unraveling the mysteries of wine, Pat was the craftsman, meticulously working with the raw materials.  It was a remarkable experience learning these complementary approaches."

In 1983, James joined Napa Valley's Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards as assistant winemaker.  There, he spent four years developing his expertise crafting barrel-fermented, small-lot Chardonnays.  While at Flora Springs, James struck up a close friendship with sales manager Donald Patz, and the two soon discovered that they shared a similar philosophical approach to wine and winemaking.  In the spring of 1988, while working as the winemaker and estate manager for Honig Winery, James teamed up with Donald and Heather Patz, and Anne Moses to make and release Patz & Hall's inaugural Napa Valley Chardonnay.

As Patz & Hall's winemaker for nearly 20 years, James has built lasting relationships with such renowned growers as Larry Hyde, Charlie and Bud Chenoweth, Gary Pisoni and Lee Martinelli to create an acclaimed portfolio of single-vineyard wines.  At the same time, he has designed and implemented cutting-edge equipment and procedures, including a custom punch-over device, in an effort to constantly enhance quality.  A master of his craft, and a widely respected veteran winemaker, James is regularly asked to speak about artisan winemaking.

All the Patz & Hall wines in the store on SALE!!

2022 Patz N Hall Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Price: $45.00               Your Price: $39.60                    Quantity in Stock: 23

Aromas of smoky, toasty oak, fresh buttered toast opulent tropical fruit and mineral highlights on the nose. Lush and fruity on the palate with just the right touch of toasty oak, balanced acidity leading to a long complex finish. Finish 40+ EXCELLENT +

2023 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

Price: $37.50               Your Price: $33.00                    Quantity in Stock: 24

(93 Points) The 2023 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch has bright aromas of poached pears, apricot, panna cotta, oystershell and well-integrated spice from its 17-month maturation in 29% new French oak. The full-bodied palate has a silky texture and pure, concentrated stone fruit flavors. It’s balanced by bright, refreshing acidity and has a long, elegant finish.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2022 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard

Price: $67.50               Your Price: $59.40                    Quantity in Stock: 12

This Chardonnay is from blocks planted for Patz & Hall in 1997 and 1999 using the famous “Hyde Wente” selection of Chardonnay. The 2022 Hyde Chardonnay demonstrates why this vineyard has been a three-star, acclaimed Patz & Hall offering for over 30 years. The just ripe pomaceous fruit mingles seamlessly with the vanilla spice from careful new French oak ageing. Evidence of lees contact show by richness of palate and a nuance of toast and flint.  This wine has wonderfully fresh acidity that is contrasted by startling deep, rich textures, a seeming contradiction, found in only the greatest Chardonnays.

2022 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard Sonoma

Price: $75.00                             Your Price: $66.00

This extremely high altitude vineyard site has a very perfumed bouquet of dark raspberry fruit, pretty violet floral notes and hints of ginger snapes to the nose. This wine has the most rich decadent fruit, black raspberry coulis and an array of pretty violet floral notes and that ginger snap spice through the finish, a big Pinot Noir but still has nice balance and freshness at the end. Finish 50+ Most Excellent +

2021 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Price: $35.50                             Your Price: $31.24                           Quantity in Stock: 24

(93 Points) This deep and delicious “regular” bottling from Patz & Hall is fragrant in black cherries, pine needles and ground cloves before blackberries, black tea and hints of cinnamon and cedar play across the palate. At once full-bodied and well-balanced, the wine offers abundant fruits and spices on a moderately tannic texture. *Editors' Choice* (JG) Wine Enthusiast Review Date: 04/2024

2021 Patz N Hall Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard

Price: $82.50                             Your Price: $72.60                           Quantity in Stock: 6

(94 Points) The 2021 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard is an ultra-ripe, characterful behemoth sizzling with macerated cherry, sweet pipe tobacco, toasted vanilla and sagebrush. Boisterous and brawny but neither heavy nor cloying, this wine has no qualms about strutting its stuff. Lively acidity is absolutely salivating, lending a cooling sensation to the undeniable pop of ethanol heat on the finish. Super-fine tannins knit it all together. The 2021's balance is well calibrated, which is saying something considering how amplified all the elements are. - Vinous

2021 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Chenoweth Ranch Russian River

Price: $75.00                             Your Price: $66.00                           Quantity in Stock: 6

(97 Points) Floral aromas, black fruit flavors and a broad but lively texture make this full-bodied wine impressive and delicious. Rose petals, violets, black cherries and ground cloves all play a role in the flavors, while moderate tannins and good acidity add a palate-cleansing quality. (JG)  Wine Enthusiast, Review Date: N/A

2019 Patz & Hall Moses-Hall Vineyard Pinot Noir Carneros

Price: $70.00                             Sale Price: $55.00                           Quantity in Stock: 3

(94 Points) Possessing the earthy funk of the appellation, this wine offers buzzy acidity that boosts the full-bodied core of rich red fruit, citrus and mushroom. It has broad-shouldered intensity and supple tannins accented in oak and baking spice. — Virginie Boone

As the name implies, Moses-Hall Vineyard is owned by two of the Patz & Hall cofounders: Anne Moses and James Hall. Anne and James purchased the property (which is located between Hudson and Hyde vineyards in the southern part of Carneros) in 1999.  One of the coolest areas of Carneros, close to San Pablo Bay where the chilly pacific winds roll over the vineyard from two directions, the vineyard is situated on an uplifted knoll with well-draining gravelly soils.  The vineyard was planted to James and Anne’s specifications to five selections of Pinot Noir: 777, Swan, Calera, 828 and 115. With 19 years of vine age, the vineyard consistently yields grapes that produce lovely layers of red fruit, as well as darker, more

2018 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard

Price: $70.50                             Your Price: $62.04                           Quantity in Stock: 4

This iconic site consistently delivers some of the most elegant and refined Pinots from Patz & Hall. This Pinot provides bright red fruits, freshness, elegant tannins and vibrant acidity. The nose is filled with the signature dried rose petal and cinnamon character of Hyde Vineyard. Well-integrated and refined tannins are knit together with strawberry, raspberry and spice flavors. The mid-palate is rich but delicate, showing the elegance that is classic Hyde.

2016 Patz & Hall Jenkins Ranch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Price: $85.00                             Sale Price: $69.00                           Quantity in Stock: 2

(93 Points)  This is a heck of a deal for the quality: an appellation wine with juicy intensity and a rich layering of red and blue fruit. With plenty of tannic power beneath its integrated texture are secondary notes of forest, clove and black tea that complement the fruit beautifully. *Editors’ Choice* (VB)   Review Date: 12/2018 Wine Enthusiast