CEOs turned vintners

Coombsville, Calif.

Owner
Former AOL CEO Barry Schuler named his winery after one of his early tech ventures, Medior, a multimedia development firm that he co-founded with his wife, Tracy. Meteor Vineyard (which is unlikely to follow the path of its predecessor and fold into AOL) only recently started issuing its first wines, but the endeavor's cabernet sauvignons are already winning rave reviews.

Recent hit
Schuler's initial release is a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon; the winery is also releasing four barrels of a special reserve blend ($275), a red composed of "voluptuous, upfront, ripe cherry aromas and flavors." Vinography, a wine blog, gave the blend a score of 9-9.5/10, comparing it to a "leisurely backstroke in a placid pool."

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