While making the
wines for Jerry Lohr in the early 1990s, I was introduced to a delightful red
grape variety called Napa Gamay. The
authorities didn’t like that it had a prestigious appellation as part of its
name and made us change the name to Valdiguié.
The wine was delicious. Loaded
with Beaujolais like fruit and minimal tannins.
It was a terrific warm weather wine to chill and enjoy with the
sunshine. From the inception of Jeff Runquist Wines in 1995, I have always
wanted wine like Napa Gamay (or Valdiguié) in our portfolio. In 1997 and 1998, I tried to emulate the
style and character of the Lohr wines and was woefully unsuccessful. After confessing my failure to fellow vintner
Thomas Coyne, he suggested that I try Grenache.
He even recommended a grower, Ron Silva.
It worked. The wines were soft
and easy drinking with mild tannins that didn’t overwhelm the delicate fruit.
In 2016 Margie and
I were able to purchase the twelve-acre parcel directly north of the
winery. Along with a beautiful home that
we offer as a short-term vacation rental the property has ten acres of
grapes. Included in the ten acres is
just over one acre of Grenache. At first
there was a winery interested in the grapes and made a terrific Rose from
them. Then a local winery purchased the
grapes and made a red wine. As a result, it took us almost a decade to produce
a wine from these grapes. In 2022 Jose Rameriz,
our Enologist, wanted to make some Grenache for himself and his family and
friends. We provided him with some of
the Estate Grenache grapes and the wine he made was so good we followed his
lead and started to produce an Estate Grenache for ourselves. Like the wine from Ron Silva’s grapes, it is
light and refreshing with soft tannins and luscious red fruit aromas and
flavors.
