2006 California Veola— $34

A unique and balanced blend developed by Veola Cunninham is sure to please.

Winemaker’s Comments

Aromas and of ripe strawberries, dark plum and dry candied blackberries fire your taste buds up for a palate of dark fruit, cassis and toasted vanilla oak. The lingering finish of dark fruit, plum peel and powdery tannins makes this a unique and balanced wine. Pair it with duck ravioli in a pan-roasted jus with fresh tomato with an olive-pesto and Reggiano Parmesan.

The Story of Veola Cunningham

Zina’s son William had a beautiful daughter named Veola Cunningham. Veola, who was always enthusiastic about her father’s wine production, requested her father plant Petite Sirah in his Zinfandel Vineyard. William was more than happy at Veola’s participation in the family business. The Petite Sirah was fuller in body than Veola thought it would be. To calm the rampant tannins, Veola and William blended Zinfandel with the Petite Sirah. The family came to call this blend “Veola’s Wine.” Our 2006 Veola is our first vintage of our tribute to Veola Cunningham, making this is truly a rich blend in flavor and history. Like Veola originally did, we blended our Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. We used the 2006 Mendocino County Zinfandel and our 2006 Lake County Petite Sirah.

Zinfandel

Zinfandel was for many years somewhat of a mystery grape, as far as its origins are concerned. Recent research in Croatia and at the University of California at Davis, using DNA profiling, has proved Zinfandel is a clone of the Croatian variety Crljenak. Nearly as versatile as Chardonnay in the number of different styles of wine produced from it, it has only achieved widespread popularity in America since 1980, as a pink, slightly sweet wine. “White Zinfandel” was credited with saving the “Old Vine” Zinfandel vineyards throughout California.

Petite Sirah

Petite Sirah is the same as the French variety known as Durif, a cross of Peloursin, with the true Syrah. A French nurseryman, Dr. François Durif, propagated the grape trying for resistance to powdery mildew and named it after himself, in the 1870s. Petite Sirah has long been an important blending grape, prized primarily for its deep color and fairly intense tannin. It is the variety most often chosen to blend into Zinfandel for added color, complexity, body, and to tone down the tendency of Zins toward "jammy" fruit.

Preferred Pricing

1 - 2 cases: 10% off, 3 - 5 cases: 15% off, 6 + cases: 20% off (does not apply to Library & Reserve wines).
Mixed cases allowed. Wine club members are given an additional 5% off on all purchases.