Frequently Asked Questions About Us...

Do you make any dessert wines?

Yes. We make one desert wine. It’s Port. We first introduced our Petite Sirah in 1993. The wine is fortified with clear wine spirits, stopping the fermentation process about half-way through—this gives it the sweetness from the Petite Sirah fruit, but an increased alcohol from the wine spirits. The Petite Sirah Port is usually about 17% alcohol. Our Port is a “vintage” style Port. By definition, this means that the fruit is from one year only and the wine barrels age for a limited amount of time (22 months). The wine is amazing now (lots of fruit) but develops into a rich, complex Port if cellar aged for many years.

I live out of state, can you ship wine to me?

We are constantly working to attain direct shipping licenses in as many states as possible. Unfortunately, not all states allow direct shipments or make it extremely costly to do so. As a result, some states that allow direct shipments require us to retain either a sales or excise tax to remit back to the state. The laws are constantly changing and as a result there may be new legislation that may result in new regulations on whether we can ship directly into your state. Please look at our order form for estimated shipping rates.

I’ve never heard of Petite Sirah. Is it the same as Syrah?

For many years, the origin and identification of Petite Sirah in California was controversial and uncertain. However, in recent years, there has been a great deal of progress in tracking the history of Petite Sirah. Petite Sirah and Syrah are actually two distinct grape varietals, however they are related. The varietal Petite Sirah is the result of a cross between Perloursin and Syrah, thus making Petite Sirah the “child” of Syrah. Although similar in some characteristics, Syrah and Petite Sirah are quite distinct and different and should not be confused with one another.

What are the differences between your Petite Sirahs?

There are specific differences between the Petite Sirahs. The original Petite Sirah is the wine that we are probably best known for and is a blend of several of our Petite Sirah vineyards. The Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah is, again, a blend of different Petite Sirah vineyards but this is our “reserve” blend, so we are looking for a combination of flavors and characteristics that will stand up to the additional aging in the barrel. The Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah spends three years in the barrel (as opposed to two years for the original) and has the enhancement of 2 rounds of new American Oak barrels. Our two vineyard designated wines, Rattlesnake Acres and Greenwood Ranch are each from individual vineyards. The Greenwood Ranch is from the old vines behind the winery. These are the first vines that Vince planted when he purchased the winery property. The Greenwood Ranch has more deep earthy flavors and rich dark chocolate flavors. Our Rattlesnake Acres Petite Sirah comes from a property across Hwy 29. These are old vines that produce rich, concentrated baked fruit flavors of blueberry and raspberry. This wine tends to have a bit more spice flavors of black pepper and cardamon. Finally, the Petite Sirah Port is produced from a blend of the different Petite Sirah vineyards so it has a complex mixture of deep fruit flavors and delicate oak.

What types of wines do you produce?

On an annual basis, we produce seventeen different wines. We focus mainly on red wines, however we do produce one white, a Chardonnay, and one dessert wine, a Port. We are best known for our Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon, but we also make several lighter style red blends as well as a Sangiovese, Merlot, Zinfandel and a dessert Port.

Where can I buy your wines?

From us!  We are winery direct only, meaning that we do not have any distribution. However, we would be happy to assist you with placing an order. You can call, email, fax or visit us.  We are here to help!

Where do your grapes come from?

We are often asked this question and we are very fortunate to grow all of our own fruit. Vince’s winemaking philosophy has always centered on starting with exceptional quality grapes. Because our grapes are Estate grown, we are able to ensure that we are working with the very best quality of fruit possible from year to year. We have approximately 80 acres planted in grapes that are located in very close proximity to the property on which the winery is located.