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A variety widely cultivated throughout the south of France, Cinsaut is little known and generally relegated to a subordinate role as a red blending grape, such as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. However, we think its best and highest use is for producing Rosé - whether as a mono cépage or with a little help from its friends. Dating back to the mid 1880's, our original source may be the oldest planting of this variety on the planet. We co-ferment it with some Vermentino (aka: Rolle) because as a white grape, it has an impact on preserving Cinsaut's relatively fragile pale pink pigmentation, avoiding too much of a salmon-orange hue. Pair it with just about anything you’d want to eat through the spring, summer, and fall seasons (and we’ve even been known to enjoy it during the winter!)

Harvest occurred mid Sept, followed by several days of cold maceration, after which we inoculated with a fruit enhancing yeast strain. Immediately following primary fermentation and pressing, it was filled into neutral barrels for a malo-lactic conversion. While only minimally handled, in late spring it was racked and we blended in a small percentage of Barbera to enhance its expression and achieve greater complexity. Aging continued for another three months in neutral oak cooperage prior to bottling. Fruity and engaging; with aromas of blueberry and raspberry, plus floral notes of violet; flavors of cherry and raspberry; with a nutmeg spice note leading to a long, supple finish.

We nailed the Vermentino harvest in 2016. Not bragging, just a fact. We picked our grapes when the fruit flavors were in balance with the acidity, the result being an elegant wine with a most reasonable (for California, at least) alcohol level of only 12%. Jim Gordon in the Wine Enthusiast called it “a light-bodied, crisp and appetizing wine...It's a perfect summer-to-fall drink." Blue Apron wrote: "It’s as if the classic, light Italian Vermentino’s flavor and aroma knobs were dialed as high as they could go.” What other wine have you heard of that 100% of the critics (all two of them) who’ve reviewed the wine actually like it?

Elegant and intriguing; spicy and toasty oak aromas, mingling with the aromas and flavors of black cherry and blackberry, plus a hint of vanilla; with a focused attack; very complete and nuanced, having a long finish.

Moscato Giallo (in English, Yellow Muscat) is rarely vinified as an off-dry wine in Italy. However since Americans have a sweet tooth, we thought why not? It offers a hint of decadence with nary a trace of guilt. Perfect with a date stuffed with gorgonzola or a grilled fig wrapped in prosciutto. Or on its own. "This fascinating, sweet but light wine wraps lemongrass and thyme flavors around lemon and peach for interesting layers of complexity. The sweetness helps to round the texture and carries everything into a long finish.” 91 points in the Wine Enthusiast, 100 points in our hearts.

This is a grape that asks the question what does it take to be Italian? Probably more than just a name, in this case Moscato Giallo. Because that is not what they call it in Austria, Germany or Slovenia. In any event Yellow Muscat reaches glorious aromatic heights in Italy's Alto Adige. Considered the most elegantly perfumed of all the Muscats, we aim to capture this opulence from Lodi. Perfect with expressive island cuisine, from conch fritters and jerked chicken to poke and kalua pig.

As we traverse the highways and byways of the wine world, the number-one question we encounter is “are Primitivo and Zinfandel really the same wine?” Well, yes and no. After years of genetic research, ampelographers discovered both are clones of a Croatian grape called Crljenak Kaštelanski (aka: Tribidrag). This means they’re not exactly the same (but oh so very close). It’s lively and fruity, generally offering a brighter expression than typical Zin (think fresh blueberries, not blackberry preserves). Neither Croatian or Pugliese, ours is a perfect complement with America's farm-to-table cuisine.

Bright, fruity and engaging; with strawberry guava, passion fruit and blood orange aromas and flavors.

Since we began planting Vermentino in Lodi (back in 2003 and four of its sub AVAs) we have a new favorite site. This block grows in light silty and sandy soil, allowing the grapes to achieve very concentrated flavors. We continually experiment with our harvest maturity levels and feel this vintage’s mid Sept pick was well timed, resulting in wine without excessive alcohol but with ample fruit. The free-run juice was cool fermented using a fruit enhancing yeast selection and was without a malo-lactic conversion. Great wine with seafood!

We could have taken an easier path by just making a Pinot Grigio varietal bottling, but why, when there is fun to be had? We source our Pinot Grigio from two small vineyard plots in Carneros, the most southerly and coolest part of Napa Valley. Just to make things more interesting (and more challenging) we added Traminer and Moscato Giallo, both adding pizzazz and a panoply of other flavors. Zelo Bianco is inspired by the white blends from Italy's northeast (like Alto Adige and Friuli), and the Wine Enthusiast calls it “lilting and bright.” We call it broad, soft and lush on the palate (with more than a dash of exoticness). Try it with all your favorite southeast Asian dishes. Or simply on its own.

This is our take on traditional California Zinfandel. We get this fruit from older own-rooted vines (radix vinea = vine root) growing high in the Sierra Foothills, with the goal of offering an elegant expression of drinkable and food-friendly Zinfandel. We use a limited amount of new Hungarian oak barrels during its aging for a subtle contribution of spice, resulting in a Zinfandel that's aromatic and exuberantly fruity. Taking inspiration from the Zin pioneers of the 1960's, it is an homage to a style that was prevalent in California back when we first got into this business. Sometimes the good ol’ days really were better (especially since the only reasonable food pairing for modern-style Zin these days seems to be bbq'd ribs).

An oft misunderstood and vastly underappreciated grape variety, Barbera posseses charms just awaiting discovery. Consigned to life in Piedmont as the second banana to the more glamorous, special-occasion Nebbiolo that goes into Barolo and Barbaresco, Barbera is what the locals drink daily. Its low tannins and higher acidity amplify its fruit while supporting the grape’s savory nature. While here in California it should be so lucky to have this level of prominence, ours is full, flavorful and firm. It has aromas of vanilla, toasty oak and heady dark fruits, all becoming more evident on the palate with a small burst of flavor. Its inherent complexity allows it to pair with just about anything you’re cooking, Mediterranean or not.

When working with 100 year-old Grenache vines like these (hence ‘antichi viti’), the winemaker’s duty is to stay out of their way and gently guide the fruit in a direction you want the resulting wine to take. An extremely minimalist approach was the right path this vintage: less was more. At not even13% alcohol, it is lithe, lively and engaging, and the intrinsic clarity and lightness of Grenache predominates. Immediately charming, you'll want to stick your face in the glass to fully enjoy the aromas and flavors of various red fruits, but there’s a lot of nuance lurking, should you wish to seek it out. Brilliant with grilled meat, vegetable kebabs or a pizza.

Bright, fruity and engaging; with citrusy blood orange and tropical passion fruit aromas and flavors.

Pinot Grigio? Been there, done that! We planted and produced Carneros' first Pinot Grigio ~25 years ago, so think of this as our new millennium update. Based on Pinot Grigio (70%), we added Traminer (15%, also from Carneros), and some Moscato Giallo (15%, from Lodi). Both contributed perfume and spice. The wine has an intriguing and hauntingly familiar expression, though with a hint of exoticism (and no small amount of 'wow factor') derived from the grapes' interplay. With a core of flavors enveloped by its lushness, it easy to enjoy solo, but it has a serious side when paired with delicate seafood like sand dabs, scampi, or scallops.

Exuberantly fruity; with aromas and flavors of blueberry and blackberry, plus a hint of mocha; bold, full and intense; with a rich, supple finish.

Fruity and engaging; with aromas and flavors of woodland strawberry and morello cherry, along with a hint of spice; nuanced, it has a subtle, elegant and slightly stony finish.

Our descriptors: very perfumed; flavors of tropical fruits, along with stone fruits like apricot, nectarine and peach; on the palate it is lush and velvety, yet not at all cloying.

Fresh and broad on the palate with tutti-frutti (oh-rooti) aromas, supported by hints of minerals and green melon, salted pippin apple and stone fruit flavors. A wop bop a loo bop, a lop bam boom indeed...

Broad and lush; with floral aromas of honeysuckle and freesia, plus a hint of spice; fruit flavors of meyer lemon and bosc pear; a long, supple finish.

Bold, dense and intriguing; spicy and toasty oak aromas, mingling with the aromas and flavors of black cherry and damson plum, plus a hint of an almond bitterness; concentrated yet nuanced; with a full, intense finish.

Rich, deep and structured; with fruity aromas and flavors, a hint of vanilla, notes of berries and ripe stone fruits like cherries and plums; with a clean, well delineated and complex finish

Our descriptors: perfumed and intriguing; lively flavors of candied ginger and ripe tropical fruits like mango, papaya and star fruit.

Lush and round; exotic tropical and floral aromas (gardenia, jasmine and rose); a fresh melon flavor combined with ginger, citrus and subtle tropical fruit (meyer lemon and papaya).

Fruity and engaging; a briary aroma of raspberry, flavors of blackberry and black cherry, hints of spice like anise and cardamom; supple and nuanced, with an elegant, dry finish.

Supple and vibrant; with aromas and flavors of ripe woodland strawberry and tart cherry, along with a briary and slightly herbal aspect; it possess a fresh and vibrant attack, followed by a palate renewing, clean finish.

Our descriptors: engaging and intriguing, with hibiscus and plum aromas; along with an array of fruit flavors like guava and strawberry.

Fresh and broad; with tutti-frutti aromas, along with a mineral hint and flavors of green melon, salted pippin apple and stone fruits.

Our descriptors: perfumed and intriguing; lively flavors of candied ginger and ripe tropical fruits like mango, papaya and star fruit.

Fruity, soft and supple; it possesses aromas and flavors of black cherry and boysenberry, along with subtle hints of anise and vanilla; nuanced and offering an elegant, dry finish.

Supple and layered; with subtle aromas and flavors of dark fruits (cherry & plum), along with hints of spice (pepper & clove); with a rich, lingering, complex finish.

Fresh, crisp and lively: with aromas of lime, quince and pear (along with a mineral hint of oyster shells); with flavors of green melon, salted green apple and other stone fruits.

Rich, deep and structured; with subtle berry aromas and flavors, a hint of chocolate, plus those of ripe stone fruits like cherries and plums; with a lingering, complex finish.

Lush and round; exotic citrus and floral aromas (mandarin, jasmine and rose); a fresh cantaloupe flavor combined with ginger; citrus, stone fruit and subtle tropical fruit (meyer lemon, nectarine and papaya).

Fruity, soft and supple; possessing aromas and flavors of black cherry and boysenberry, along with hints of anise and vanilla; it is nuanced and possesses an elegant, dry finish.

Our descriptors: aromatic, fresh and lively; offering an array of flavors including guava and strawberry.

Rich, deep and structured; with subtle berry aromas and flavors, a hint of chocolate, plus those of ripe stone fruits like cherries and plums; with a lingering, complex finish.

Our descriptors: rich and round; lively mandarin and cantaloupe aromas; flavors of melon mixed with exotic tropical fruits like mango, papaya and star fruit.

Our descriptors: fruity, soft and supple; bright aromas and flavors of currants, pomegranate and red raspberry; underscored by a warm spice note from the oak aging, resulting in a subtly nuanced wine.

Our descriptors: fresh and supple; lively yet subtle lime, quince and pear aromas; flavors of melon and stone fruits.

Our descriptors: rich and structured; bright berry aromas and flavors, plus stone fruit flavors of cherries and plums; which is followed by a lively, fruity and clean finish.