We are a
small family-owned winery, located in the Napa Valley, which produces
two very different proprietary red wine blends. Our primary
wine is
called ‘Bacio Divino’, and is a Cabernet Sauvignon blend,
incorporating smaller amounts of Sangiovese and Petit Sirah. A recent
addition has been ‘Pazzo’, focusing more on Sangiovese, blended
intimately with other varietals. Both wines are Napa Valley
appellations.
Bacio Divino - Divine Kiss
Although I am cresting the long tide of middle age, I find
my memory still serves me well. Let me reflect on how Bacio
Divino began….'Crush'
in 1993 was both novel and spectacular. I was a relative newcomer
in the Valley, so all I had to show for myself were a few tons
of
Sangiovese I had contracted from an Oakville hillside near Maya.
But I was a proud man nevertheless! Years earlier, I was introduced
to a
very unique French wine, produced near the small town of Les Baux.
Domaine de Trevallon is a wine blended from Cabernet Sauvignon
and
Syrah. Because both varietals were uncommon in that part of France
at that time, the winemaker (Eloi Durrbach) created a wine
completely
atypical of local or even international standards. Generally partial
to contrary behavior, wine critics raved over the wine; and
Domaine de
Trevallon has consequently generated a loyal following. So I began
with my own experimentations. I blended my precious Sangiovese
with
everything from Cabernet to Gamay, but a certain magic happened when
I concentrated on the Cabernet. You cannot 'up' the structure
of Napa
Cabernet, so I quickly determined that the focus of the wine should
be Cabernet Sauvignon. Adding both the Sangiovese and Petit
Sirah gave
this Cabernet a twist in terms of complexity. I was like an artist
working with putty; I added some of this, took away that, and
eventually came away with something I really, really liked.
The whole
concept of creating a wine through a blending process was as rewarding
to me as anything I'd ever accomplished. I believed I had created
a
wine whose whole was better than its individual parts.
Pazzo – call me crazy….
Now, after two years of further trials, I've developed another unique
blend. A mosaic of distinct flavors, Pazzo focuses on Sangiovese while
incorporating Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah. All
varietals are Napa Valley appellation, and each could produce an
outstanding wine in its own right. However, I am convinced that the
blend of the above is far more pleasurable to drink.
Vagabond… a blend to let your heart wonder
With the introduction of Vagabond, we’ve come full circle.
In creating our first wine, Bacio Divino, I was inspired by the pioneering
spirit of Eloi
Durrbach of Domaine Trevallon . He was the first in that appellation to bring
Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon together. I chose to try a unique blend of Cabernet
Sauvignon and Sangiovese.
Now, Kirk Venge and I have created our own version of a
Cabernet and Syrah blend. We call it Vagabond, a composition
of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from the finest
vineyards in the Napa Valley. A spirit with his own compass. Singular, agile, vaguely mysterious.
A combination of the familiar and the exotic. Vagabond… a blend to let your heart wonder.
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