Hawkes

Back when this sunny valley held the dubious honor of being America's prune-producing capital, rebel farmer Stephen Hawkes started growing cabernet grapes instead. Fast-forward about 50 years, and Hawkes' big, bold, estate-grown cabs firmly established Alexander Valley as premier cab country. Second-generation winemaker Jake Hawkes upholds the family's deliciously contrarian streak with prismatic, mind-bending merlots, and a supernova cab/merlot rosé that sells out before it's bottled – taste it here, and you can score "futures" before it's released (bottles $28 to $75).