POE Wines
About
POE produces traditional Champagne method sparkling wines, rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a nouveau from Pinot Noir. Each wine is made in very limited quantities, and sold directly from the winery and to high-end restaurants around the country.
Once a year, POE hosts a Nouveau Release and Celebration. The POE team partners with a celebrated local Chef and they prepare a meal for their customers and the local wine community. In keeping with the traditions of Beaujolais Nouveau, the celebration happens sometime around the third week of November.
In the spring of 2017, POE teamed up with Farella Vineyard and Forlorn Hope to open a collective tasting room in the heart of downtown Napa. Guests can enjoy glasses, bottles and flights of their favorite POE wines, as well as explore other dynamic selections from both Farella and Forlorn Hope.
About Our Winemaker
Samantha Sheehan grew up in Toluca Lake, in Los Angeles, right across from Universal Studios. In the 60’s they filmed a portion of the movie The Birds on the lot and released the ravens after filming. The ravens ended up making their new home in the neighborhood where Sam grew up. Sam moved to Napa when she began making wine in Anderson Valley. After finding dozens of ravens in vineyards she worked with, she began to feel they must be her spirit animal. Her love for Edgar Allan Poe and affinity for ravens led to the creation of her label POE.
Samantha Sheehan founded POE in 2009 after being inspired by the wines she tasted in Burgundy and Champagne. The goal is not to replicate Burgundy, but rather create alluring, vineyard specific, age-worthy wines that showcase the unique areas where she sources her grapes. Her van der Kamp Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are made from the oldest Pinot planting in California. Her Mendocino Ridge Pinot Noir and Chardonnay comes from vineyards at an elevation of 2,000 feet above the fog line. There is minimal intervention, judicious use of sulfur, and never any additives. POE produces traditional Champagne method sparkling wines, rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and a nouveau from Pinot Noir.
Samantha's Ultraviolet bottlings are an homage to the California climate where she grew up, and a pure expression of fruit ripened under the California sun. Ultraviolet began as a value-driven bottling of Cabernet hoping to offer a balanced expression of the California favorite without any additives other than a judicial amount of sulfur. Sam added a sparkling rosé to the Ultraviolet family with the same artisanal winemaking style and focus on value. Both wines are approachable, fun, and easy-drinking.
Sam developed Mommenpop as a less-sweet, dye-free alternative to Aperol and Campari – aperitifs that she loves, but that were giving her consistent hangovers. All bottlings of Mommenpop begin with a base wine made from organically farmed grapes, then fortified with brandy (high-proof liquor distilled from wine, usually consumed as an after-dinner drink), and flavored with organic fresh California citrus, whole spices, and organic sugar. Mommenpop d’Orange is made from a base of Chardonnay, flavored with Seville oranges and warming spices. The d’Sange is a blend of Moro blood oranges and red wine with bright, peppery flavors. The d’Pampe is a refreshing blend of grapefruit and rosé wine that is zesty and refreshing. Mommenpop can be easily sipped on its own – chilled, or over ice and garnished with whatever citrus you have on hand. Though it’s excellent by itself, Mommenpop can also be used as the base for classic cocktails like Negronis, Manhattans and Palomas.
Sam met Michael McDermott of Retifex in fall of 2009. Together they created the branding for POE, Ultraviolet and Mommenpop. Michael is one of the most successful label designers in the wine business and their collaboration has resulted in unique and modern packaging that has become recognizable among consumers and wine industry alike.
