As the revitalization of downtown Napa continues to evolve, members of the wine industry are betting on the viability of attracting locals and visitors alike to its growing inventory of attractions.

Putting their money where newly drawn business plans have taken them are a couple of winemaking ventures with a “common vision.”

Shortly after the partners at Mahoney Vineyards and Waterstone joined forces in new downtown offices, Francis and Kathy Mahoney, along with Brent Shortridge and Philip Zorn. teamed up to open Taste at Oxbow, a spacious “green” tasting room within spitting distance of Copia.

Francis Mahoney pioneered New World pinot noir some 36 years ago when he recognized Carneros was the ideal terroir for the prized grape of Burgundy. Not only did he launch extensive clonal trials over a period of three decades, but he and his wife built a small winery along Dealy Lane and launched the respected Carneros Creek brand.

Shortridge and Zorn came to Napa Valley a decade after the releases of Mahoney’s first wines. Shortridge served as vice president of marketing for Buena Vista Winery until 1996 when he was lured away to head up a marketing effort by the local trade association, Napa Valley Vintners. American-born, German-trained Zorn made wine for several California operations — Sunny St. Helena, Paraiso, Gauer Estate as well as Tria, a brand he helped launch — before he connected with Shortridge.

“Our business plan (for Waterstone) was written on  a lunch napkin because we both share a passion for lunch,” Shortridge admitted the other day during a late afternoon tasting at his new First Street lounge and retail outlet (located in the new Oxbow district across from soon-to-open Taylor’s Refresher).

In 2000, when Shortridge and Zorn were sourcing fruit for their new brand, they met with Mahoney. Not only did they wind up with some grapes, they also were able to rent cellar and office space not used by the Carneros Creek operation.

“We worked side by side for a couple of years and became quite close,” Shortridge said of Mahoney. “We had common goals and philosophies.”

When Mahoney sold his Dealy Lane property to Michael Mondavi’s Folio project — intensifying his focus on grapegrowing — the two wine operations had to relocate. They wound up sharing first floor offices in the stately Victorian York House at First and Jefferson streets.

As their respective brands developed, the principals at Mahoney and Waterstone started checking out locations for a tasting room. When the lease opened up on the property at First and McKinstry, they grabbed it.

Mahoney’s dedication

San Francisco native Francis Mahoney left college to travel in Europe. It was there that he fell in love with red Burgundies, honing his palate when he joined an import firm back home.

Mahoney said of this passion that he was attracted to the “silkiness” of Burgundies. “They’re not big or forceful, just totally balanced and elegant,” he enthused.

That love of wine prompted him to pursue a formal education in winemaking and viticulture at UC Davis. Once his studies were completed, he accepted a job offer from Bob Travers at Mayacamas Vineyards. The desire to pursue his love of pinot noir led Mahoney and his wife, Kathy, to purchase property along Carneros Creek in the early ’70s and to build a winery there.

It was then that he began his lengthy clonal trials, working with UC Davis to test nearly two dozen different selections of pinot noir vines in the cool nurturing climate of Carneros. Those trials dictated how he planted the Mahoney Ranch, and, later, on the Sonoma side of Carneros, the 100-acre Las Brisas Vineyard. For example, more than 80 acres of Las Brisas are planted with more than a dozen selections of pinot noir on a half-dozen rootstocks.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Mahoney has planted syrah on the Mahoney Ranch and a trio of Italian and Spanish varietals on Las Brisas. The latter include:

• Montepulciano, a vigorous red variety planted over much of Central Italy, in particular in the Abruzzi, where it is responsible for often excellent value Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, as well as in Marche.

• Vermentino, an aromatic white grape grown extensively in Sardinia, Sicily and Liguria and to an increasing extent in Languedoc-Roussillon where it is permitted in many appellations, including white Cotes du Roussillon.

• Tempranillo, Spain’s answer to cabernet sauvignon, is the grape that gives backbone to most of Spain’s red wines, particularly those produced in Rioja. It produces deep-colored, long-lasting wines that are not notably high in alcohol.

‘Affordable luxury’

Combining their previously established relationships with Napa Valley growers and vintners, Brent Shortridge and Berlin-educated Philip Zorn set out in their new venture to develop “balanced wines of varietal character through intelligent sourcing.”

Preferring to focus on the wine rather than the accumulation of land and facilities, the partners own no vineyards themselves, nor do they own the facility where their wines are made.

“Dedicated winemaking (by Zorn, with Shortridge adding his two cents during blending), strong relationships with top growers and long-term grape contracts are the keys to our quality and success,” Shortridge notes. He says the firm’s goal is “to create affordable luxury.”

At present, Waterstone wines are available in 42 states, with 25 percent of the annual production exported to Canada, Asia and Europe.

Also produced by the partnership is a Central Coast brand, Mandolin, with prices in the $10-$12 range; single vineyard zinfandels under the Z-52 brand (there are four wines offered at present); and Ceviche, a crisp sauvignon blanc designed to pair with seafood. Occasionly poured at the new tasting room, these wines are always available for purchase.

The wines at Taste

The Taste at Oxbow lounge was crafted with green components in mind, said Shortridge. “The fixtures are energy efficient, paints and lacquers contain no harmful chemicals and many resource-efficient products from recycled and renewable materials were used in its design.” For example, the marble-like Vetrazzo bar is a composite of recycled wine and olive oil bottles.

Even the artwork on display (which is also available for purchase) by noted Napa Valley artist Gordon Huether is made from recycled material.

Taste at Oxbow also carries other green and natural products, including clothing made from organic cotton and bamboo, and is the only local retailer offering Fire and Light giftware made from recycled glass.

But it’s the wine that’s the primary focus here. Waterstone specializes in Napa Valley appellation varietals, including cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah. Eight Waterstone wines are available for tasting. Among their 10 wines offered, Mahoney Vineyards features Carneros pinot noir and syrah, as well as the Spanish and Italian varietals, all from estate vineyards.

Visitors to Taste at Oxbow will be able to select five wines from the list to try for a fee of $10. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with evening hours to be extended “when the neighborhood is alive and kicking,” says Shortridge.

As some of the wines were either sold out or close to being so, our tasting list does not include the entire Taste at Oxbow inventory. Here are our impressions of the choice wines offered:

Mahoney Vineyards 2006 Las Brisas Vermentino ($15): Beautifully balanced acid, fruit and alcohol are evident in this limited production white from veteran winemaker Ken Foster, who not only turns out choice pinot noirs for Mahoney. This is a floral sipper with crisp citrus notes and intoxicating peachy aroma and taste. It was made to quaff with or without shellfish.

Mahoney Vineyards 2005 Las Brisas Tempranillo ($18): Expressive of this wonderful varietal, this is a bright, fruit forward, full-bodied wine that offers a strawberry nose and ripe cherries on the palate. It’s a rich wine, underscoring the winemaker’s belief that tempranillo does indeed do well in Carneros. Nice texture and a lovely raspberry finish.

Mahoney Vineyards 2005 Las Brisas Montepulciano ($18): A big, juicy red with lots of spice and great mouthfeel, full of plums and a very pleasant Concord grape flavor on the mid-palate. Great acidity and ripe fruit combine for an exciting New World version of this noteworthy Italian varietal. Definitely worth a second glass.

Mahoney Vineyards 2005 Las Brisas Pinot Noir ($36): A benchmark pinot, this has a beautiful rose petal and cherry nose, a silky texture with just the right spice and a most appealing Bing cherry finish. This one’s fine to drink now, but sure to bring added joy if you lay it down for a few years.

Mahoney Vineyards 2005 Mahoney Ranch Pinot Noir ($36): Perfumy and lush, this is a pinot noir worthy of coveting (as in wishing for more of it and sharing only with those who swear not to tell). Aromas of allspice and ripe cherries give way to bright acids, ripe Bing cherries and pepper on the palate. Balanced and bordering on brawny, this pinot’s a supple beauty.

Mahoney Vineyards 2005 Mahoney Ranch Syrah ($22): The smell of blackberries coax the first sip of this medium-bodied inky syrah. Supple, ripe blackberries and spice fill the mouth as the silky tannins underscore the fact that you’re tasting a wine with lots of finesse. Delicious — and quite a good price for a Carneros syrah.

Waterstone 2006 Carneros Chardonnay ($18): Citrus and stone fruit are the distinguishing characteristics of this supple chardonnay that’s been given just a touch of oak (four months in 1- and 2-year-old French oak barrels). You’d never know this is a chard with 14.5 percent alcohol because it’s in balance with the fruit. Terrific Key lime finish.

Waterstone 2006 Napa Valley Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon ($12): As pretty as it is tasty, this summertime quaffer has great structure (after all, it’s cabernet isn’t it?), an inviting raspberry nose and lots of attractive strawberry on mid-palate and finish. It should pair well with spring and summer harvests from your vegetable garden. I’ll be drinking this one come spring. Great bang for the buck, too.

Waterstone 2005 Napa Valley Syrah ($22): Actually, this is a Carneros syrah, as all the fruit came from Tony Truchard’s vineyard. While this brand’s syrah was initiated by an oversupply of grapes, the principals were so pleased with the quality of the fruit that it’s become part of the program. Round, bright and a meaty mid-palate chock full of blackberries and pepper, with a smoky, peppery nose. An inviting syrah, sure to make you ask for a second glass. And the price is right, right?

Waterstone 2005 Napa Valley Merlot ($18): A blend of merlot from Carneros and Rutherford that spent about 15 months in French oak, the wine has a cherry/plum nose. Mature tannins and bright acid combine with the flavor of Santa Rosa plums — a soft, supple merlot that lingers on the palate. A fine example of what merlot is all about and a good value for such choice fruit. I’ll be adding this to my erstwhile cellar.

Waterstone 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($24): This is the wine that the brand hangs its hat on, accounting for more than half of the annual production at 12,570 cases. The fruit comes from hillside vineyards that stretch from Diamond Mountain to Coombsville. Expected currants and cedar on the nose are also evident on a palate that’s bursting with ripe cherries and a finish of chocolate. A fruit-forward wine that cries out to be paired with braised lamb shanks, roast pork shoulder and grilled ribeye. And what’s more, it’s a bargain for a Napa Valley cabernet. He may have been schooled in Germany  but one thing’s certain — Zorn knows cabernet.

Waterstone 2004 Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($75): A step up from the varietal offering, this just offers a lot more of what’s in the 2004 Napa Valley cab — in intensity. Perfumy, with plums, currants and cherries on both nose and palate, it has a bigger finish than the varietal offering and what you notice with the first sip is the silky texture. For cab devotees. Only 350 cases produced.

Waterstone 2002 Napa Valley Late Harvest Semillon ($35, 375ml): Not the big, cloying dessert wine of European fame. However, this does have an attractive tropical fruit nose (with a botrytis accent) and plenty of citrus and stone fruit in the ideal blend of tart and sweet.