Squaw Valley-Miramonte - Wine Region of the Day

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The Squaw Valley-Miramonte AVA is 44,690 acres located 40 miles east of Fresno, California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The region is rural with rugged hills covered with boulders and oak woodlands with elevations between 1,600-3,500 feet above sea level.  The slopes of the vineyards range from 15% to 40% which requires virtually all work to be done by hand.  The elevation and slopes allow cool evening temperatures to drain into the valley below which helps grapes growing in the region to produce more sugar and higher anthocyanins (red wine pigments).  Grapes grown in the AVA include: Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmènere, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Syrah and Zinfandel.

San Francisco Bay - Wine Region of the Day

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The San Francisco Bay received its AVA designation in 1999. Sitting on over 1,566,713 acres, San Francisco Bay is a large AVA containing the sub-appellations of Livermore Valley, Pacheco Pass, San Ysidro District, and Santa Clara Valley. A small number of wineries are located in and around the San Francisco Bay, including on Treasure Island and the Former Alameda Naval Air Station. Due to its size, there are multiple temperature zones contained within the AVA, ranging from cold, windy, and foggy, to hot and sunny. The region is known for producing Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah, and Zinfandel.

2010 Coruce Syrah - Wine of the Day

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2010 Coruce Syrah

$24.95

2010 Coruce Syrah: This wine is comprised of 90% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Zinfandel and 3% Viognier. The grapes were hand harvested and table sorted and co-fermented for 14 days and pressed off into 3 & 4 year old French Oak barrels.

This wine has aromas and flavors of dark cherries, plum & lavender and blueberries with a lush jammy finish.

Open and decant for 30 minutes prior to serving.

San Antonio Valley - Wine Region of the Day

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San Antonio Valley by David Toomey for Qorkz.

The San Antonio Valley received its designation as an AVA in 2006. The San Antonio Valley is located in Monterey County and is bordered to the west by the Santa Lucia Mountains. The soil is primarily gravely loam and clay. The climate is typically warm and dry but benefits from the cooling breezes of nearby Lake San Antonio and the Pacific Ocean. The region is known for its production of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Zinfandel.

Creston District - Wine Region of the Day

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Creston District by David Toomey for Qorkz.

One of the eleven Paso Robles sub-appellations, the Creston DIstrict is located in the southern portion of its parent.  It is an eroded plane at the base of the La Panza Range.  The soils are made from the alluvial terraces and fans from the three branches of the Huerhuero Creek and are a mix of granites and sedimentary rocks. The region has elevations of 1,000-2,000 feet about sea level and averages 11.5 inches of rain per year.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Zinfandel are the most commonly planted grapes.

Calistoga - Wine Region of the Day

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Calistoga by David Toomey for Qorkz.

Calistoga received its AVA status in 2010 and is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA located on in the northern portion of the Napa Valley. Calistoga's soil is almost exclusively volcanic, providing a consistency throughout the region. The daily high temperatures up to 100 degrees and cool nightly breezes from the Russian River cause the highest diurnal temperature variation in the Napa Valley. This temperature fluctuation along with the volcanic soil creates wines with big bright flavors and deep complexity and well-balanced acid. The region is known for its Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Zinfandel.

2012 Oak Cliff Amber View Petite Sirah - Wine of the Day

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2012 Oak Cliff Amber View Petite Sirah

$38

A new release of the Petite Sirah varietal - this one from Northern Lake County. Deep purple in color with big nose of lavender, bacon and chocolate, this blockbuster offers a mouthful of boysenberries, blueberries and blackberries.  Stands up well to pork, game or beef, but soft enough to pair with chocolate or mixed berries.  This is a beautiful wine with lamb, wild boar, venison or virtually any savory game, Moroccan lamb tagine, chicken mole', strong cheese like stilton or camembert and even dark chocolates. 

Dunnigan Hills - Wine Region of the Day

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DUNNIGAN HILLS

Photo of the Dunnigan Hills by David Toomey for Qorkz.

Dunnigan Hills received its designation as an AVA in 1993. Situated across 89,000 acres, Dunnigan Hills is located in the northwest portion of Yolo County. The terrain of Dunnigan Hills features rolling hills with elevations between 200 and 500 feet above sea level. The soils of the region vary from gravelly loams and sandy loams over sandstone to silt. The climate of the region is recognized for its warm days and cool nights, offering a diurnal temperature swing of up to twenty degrees. This change between day and nighttime temperatures allow for a longer growing season and allow the fruit time to develop their tannin structure and acidity. The region is known for its production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Viognier.

South Coast - Wine Region of the Day

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SOUTH COAST

Image of the South Coast Wine Region by David Toomey for Qorkz. 

The South Coast received its designation as an AVA in 1985. Situated over 2,237,503 acres, the South Coast includes sub-appellations Cucamonga Valley, Malibu-Newton Canyon, Ramona Valley, Saddle Rock-Malibu, San Pasqual Valley, and Temecula Valley. There is an array of soil types and microclimates across the South Coast, allowing the region to show its diversity in the production of many different varietals. The region produces Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, Trebbiano, Viognier, and Zinfandel.

2012 Oak Cliff Amber View Petite Sirah - Wine of the Day

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2012 Oak Cliff Amber View Petite Sirah

$38

A new release of the Petite Sirah varietal - this one from Northern Lake County. Deep purple in color with big nose of lavender, bacon and chocolate, this blockbuster offers a mouthful of boysenberries, blueberries and blackberries.  Stands up well to pork, game or beef, but soft enough to pair with chocolate or mixed berries.  This is a beautiful wine with lamb, wild boar, venison or virtually any savory game, Moroccan lamb tagine, chicken molé, strong cheese like stilton or camembert and even dark chocolates. 

Mount Veeder - Wine Region of the Day

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MOUNT VEEDER

Photo of the Mount Veeder wine region by David Toomey for Qorkz. 

Mount Veeder received its designation as an AVA in 1993 and is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA. Located on 15,000 acres in the Mayacamas Mountains, the steep mountain face gives the vines the benefits of more direct sunlight and better drainage. Mount Veeder has high elevation and volcanic soil that imparts the region's distinctive flavor characteristics of eucalyptus, herbs, and florals. Given its proximity to the Los Carneros region, Mount Veeder benefits from the cool fog and ocean breezes off the San Pablo Bay. The cool and moderate climate on Mount Veeder extends the growing season and produced fruit that is well rounded and balanced in its acidity. The region is known for producing Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Viognier, and Zinfandel.

Fiddletown - Wine Region of the Day

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FIDDLETOWN

Photo of Fiddletown Wine Region by David Toomey for Qorkz

Fiddletown received its designation as an AVA in 1983. Situated on 12,044 acres, Fiddletown is a sub-appellation of the larger Sierra Foothills AVA and is located in Amador County. The terrain of Fiddletown is hilly with most vines situated between 1,500 and 2,500 feet above sea level. The soils are made up of decomposed granite and volcanic material, are well draining and not nutrient dense; leading to smaller yields in production, forcing the vines to put all their efforts into the fruit, developing deep rich flavors. Fiddletown doesn't receive the benefit of cooling Pacific Ocean breezes like many of its neighbors, but its high elevation results in a cooling effect in the evening to combat the dry, hot daily temperatures. This cooling results in a longer growing period and allows for the fruit to stay on the vine longer and develop the balance in sugar and acidity. The region is known for its old vine Zinfandel but also produces Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Barbera.

2012 Coruce Zinfandel - Wine of the Day

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 2012 Coruce Zinfandel

$24.99

This wine is comprised of 90% Zinfandel, 5% Syrah and 5% Petite Sirah.  The fruit was all hand harvested and table sorted followed by a 48 hour cold soak on the skins.  The fruit was fermented for 18 days and then pressed off the skins and racked off the solids into 3 and 4 year old American oak barrels and aged for 18 months.

This wine has flavors and aromas of wild blackberry and brambly raspberry fruits, cherry, cola and leather followed with a toasty finish.  Medium tannins

Counter Punch Petite Sirah - Product Of The Day

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This wine is not available in stores and is exclusively available to residents of California or those with a California based wine locker. 

COUNTER PUNCH 2013 PETITE SIRAH

$ 40.00

5% DISCOUNT ON PURCHASES OF 6-11 BOTTLES

10% DISCOUNT ON PURCHASES OF A CASE

HARVEST INFORMATION

The grapes for this Counter Punch Petite Sirah were hand-harvested on September 21, 2013 from the Paso Robles AVA at 26.0 Brix. The 2013 vintage was a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, so the grapes had the long hang time that was important to great vintages. The vineyard experienced a hot early summer, it cooled some midsummer, the heat returned for the end of summer and remained well into the early fall. The outcome of these ideal weather conditions was early brim accumulation with refreshing acidities. The deciding factor as to when to pick was based on the balance of acids and flavors rather than the numerical value of the sugar. 

WINEMAKING INFORMATION

The fruit arrived at the winery in 1/2 ton bins where destemming and hand-sorting occurred. Fermentation proceeded in a small tank for five days. The free-run was transferred directly into neutral barrels for settling. The young wine was racked from the neutral barrels into a combination of new and one-year old French and American oak barrels where it aged for an additional year. The wine was bottled unfined and unfettered in April 2015. 

Taste With Winemaker Steve Hare

Book Club

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We love book club. In fact, for us it is mostly a wine drinking social club where we not only talk about the book, but we also use the time to catch up with our friends. When it's our turn to select the book, we pick from one of the myriad of books about wine that are on the shelves today. In the Book Club feature, we will share some of our favorite wine based books that we have read here at Qorkz, and we hope you enjoy them as well. 

How To Love Wine: A Memoir And Manifesto

Wine fanatics, or those angling for entry to the world of wine, will find comfort in New York Times chief wine critic Asimov’s down-to-earth discussion of loving wine. His approach welcomes all, untangling the preposterous hype around wine scores, blind tastings, and memorizing grape varietals, aspects that supposedly separate the masters from the rest. But readers expecting some handy checklist should look elsewhere. Asimov wants to challenge readers. Answers do come, though, while he considers his own unlikely path from casual drinker to the powerful industry voice he has become. And while much of his story strays from wine, what’s really special here is that Asimov’s argument not only makes so much sense but that he doesn’t take the easy way out, letting wine drinkers off the hook to drink whatever simply tastes good. He values any opinion, as long as it comes with thoughtful reasoning. Moreover, what he argues is most essential for a relationship with wine, and what’s most refreshing to read, is an approach free of anxiety and open to love. --Casey Bayer

Wine Pairing For This Book 

Drink what tastes good? A novel idea in the world of wine. We are big fans of drinking what you enjoy, even if it goes against the mainstream thinking. Looking for a wine that just tastes great from a varietal that hasn't had its break out moment yet?  Try the Counter Punch Petite Sirah. Blueberries, rich tannin, and incredible mouth feel for $40 a bottle. We have a feeling author Eric Asimov would love it.  

Winemaker Steve Hare