• One of the better vintages over the past years.  2021 was an appropriate time to produce our first Sonoma Valley Reserve Superior Barbera.  Harvested from a tiny block of Barbera in rich red-soil at the top of Moon Mountain.
• My Dad was always fond of a glass of good Barbera, and he did his part to promote the varietal in the early days of California winemaking.  A lot of wineries wouldn’t have bothered with the grape, since it has a reputation for being finicky, but we persisted.
• In the 1970s, we began experimenting with growing techniques, opening the lush Barbera vine so that more sun could reach the grapes.  The result was increased grape quality as the acid level dropped and the grapes’ flavor profile improved.  Amazingly, we had hit upon a technique that is being used today, both here and in Italy, to raise the quality of Barbera grapes.
• I have learned that by combining proper sun exposure with good red-soil, it is possible to produce exceedingly high-quality wines, much like the premium Barberas of Italy.  This wine exudes ripe currant flavors with just a hint of smokiness.
• I am still fond of Barbera after all these years, and I can’t help but think of my Dad whenever we pull excess leaves from a Barbera vine or pour a glass of the deep, full-bodied red wine so redolent of not only black cherries, but of history and tradition.   

This wine is in REMEMBRANCE™ of two 19th Century Italian immigrants to California Wine Country.