What We Grow
Barbera
The eastern hillside top is planted with 3 acres of Barbera. The scion wood was harvested from decades-old Shenandoah Valley vines. They are trained in a vertical cordon, and head-trained in the old Italian tradition to produce a small crop of very high quality grapes.
Verdelho
One and a half acres of hillside on the north edge of the property is planted with this Portuguese varietal. It thrives in the summer heat and can produce white wines in a variety of styles.
Viognier
The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Most experts agree that Viognier is an ancient grape that may have originated in Dalmatia and was brought to Rhône by the Romans.
Brunello
Brunello, roughly translated as "nice dark one" in the local Tuscany dialect, is the unofficial name of the clone of Sangiovese (also known as Sangiovese).
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is planted in the northwest block to the left of the driveway. It is the main grape in Chianti and we produce it as an unblended wine and also blended with Zinfandel to make our Brayzin Hussy Red.
Zinfandel
When Zinfandel arrived in California around the time of the Gold Rush it was grown on head trained vines. We continue in that tradition and harvest our grapes by hand to ensure quality.
Primitivo
The predominant theory is that the common ancestor to both Zinfandel and Primitivo is Crljenak originating in Croatia. The wine is rustic, deeply-colored, and highly extracted, with jammy, brambly black fruit flavors offset by aromas of rose petals and chocolate.
Petite Sirah
This rich, dark Rhone varietal makes a dark, full-bodied, flavorful wine on its own, or it can be blended with other wines to add depth and richness and color.
Alicante Bouschet
This grape is one of the few red wine grapes that has red juice. Historically used to add color and depth to other wines, occasionally it is made into a varietal wine with its own unique character.
Tempranillo
A Spanish red grape, planted along the terraced contours below the winery. It is a classic, quality grape variety and is responsible for making some of Spain’s finest wines.
Souzao, Tinto cão, Tinto Roriz,
Touriga Nacional, Alvarelhão
These Portuguese red varietals go into our Vinho Tinto blend. Typically used in Portuguese winemaking to create Port, they also make flavorful, deep, aromatic, and uniquely flavored dry red wines.
Black Muscat
This intense, aromatic grape makes a fruity, musky, perfumed wine. The Muscat family of grapes is perhaps one of the earliest grapes to be identified and cultivated. The 2008 vintage is our last. We will use the few rows left to make Angelica - coming soon.
Grenache, Mataro
Recent additions to our vineyard, Grenache and Mataro (also known by the name Mourvedre) love the summer heat and produce unique, flavorful wines alone or blended with other wines such as Syrah and Viognier.
Syrah
Planted on the hillside below the Barbera, it is trained on a single wire with a VSP trellis. Often made into a big, full-bodied, deeply colored wine, we also use it in our Port blend.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Planted in the terraces directly behind the winery, the rows are planted to maintain an even sun exposure. Canes are trained to shade the fruit with a canopy of leaves, which helps to maintain the true Cabernet character in the finished wine.