Tom Leonardini Sr., Whitehall Lane Winery

“I have a friend, David Arata, who has a 7-acre vineyard in Saratoga in the center of the Silicon Valley . . . . I had his ’97 Montallegro ‘Santa Cruz Mountains,’ which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is to die for. It’s very dark--you can’t see through it--it’s almost black. You assume it’s a big tannic monster. But it’s soft and velvety, almost feminine. But a powerhouse.”