Thanks for the pairing recommendations! After the wine had been opened for a while, it definitely became sweeter and I can totally see it with a nice stinky cheese (like my favorite in the world, mariolles). Although, when it was first opened it was a lot more acidic and oxidized, which might work well with salmon.

Thanks for the comments!

I like the combination of small production (like Dale mentioned) plus some kind of intangible (like Chez Us described) - like a family operation or wine with a story. BTW - I love Saxum wines too (never had Pipestone).

Sues - interesting question about striving to grow bigger. From a practical perspective, I think people pay a premium and are very loyal to hard to find, boutique wines... to get bigger and produce more bottles even if they had the money might end up backfiring on a small winery attempting to grow. But it's a great question... what do you think?