Winemaker Notes
Suisun Valley is a little known AVA only a few miles southeast of Napa Valley. Entering the valley is like stepping back in time. In this bucolic setting it is difficult to imagine that Interstate 80 is so close you can almost hear it. The valley is generally warm but it is so close to the San Pablo Bay and Carquinez Strait that is has a number of cooler microclimates. Suisun Valley can ripen almost everything—forget about Pinot Noir and Riesling, but just about anything else you can imagine does well here. Petite Sirah thrives in Suisun Valley, and will probably emerge as its signature varietal.
With its deep color, firm tannins and bold flavors, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. The variety, originally known as Durif in the Rhône, took on its more popular moniker after being imported to California in the early 1880s. Quintessentially recognized today as a grape of the Golden State, Petite Sirah works well blended with Zinfandel and finds success as a single varietal wine in the state’s warmer districts. Somm Secret—Petite Sirah is not a smaller version of Syrah but it is an offspring of Syrah and the now nearly extinct French Alpine variety called Peloursin.
An off the beaten path wine country destination, Suisun Valley is just east of Napa Valley in the California Coast Ranges. The valley boasts plentiful agricultural products as well as wine.