Winemaker Notes
NEW! This little recyclable barrel is a great bargain because it contains 4 bottles of the top-selling Red Truck Red Wine! Same great wine, but in our new eco-friendly packaging. And yes, the wine is included!!!
Medium-bodied and complex, flavors of chocolate, berries, cherries and licorice abound. The black pepper finish settles with smooth tannins.
Our Syrah grapes come from the Central Coast areas of Paso Robles and Shandon, areas known for dark, rich wines. Our Cabernet Franc is from a hillside vineyard planted on rocky, red soil made of decomposed granite. This vineyard is managed using "deficit irrigation" to control vigorous growth and increase flavor and color intensity. The Petite Sirah vineyard is on its "sixth leaf" and grows at the base of the foothills in the southeast corner of Sacramento County. It's cooled by the Sacramento Delta breezes and the grapes are dark and flavorful.
Blend: Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Mourvedre.
The Mini-Barrel by Red Truck is far more environmentally friendly than glass. Less and lighter packaging means significantly less landfill waste and greenhouse gases in the production and transport.
California is a winemaking colossus; by itself it is the fourth largest producer in the world. Red wine accounts for 56% of the total by volume, and red grapes 63% of total acres planted. In addition, a number of California red wines are heralded as being among the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.
While the state’s incredibly diverse geography, soils and microclimates allow for a wide array of styles, the key factor unifying California red wine is the abundance of sunshine and a long, consistent growing season. This leads to well-developed fruit marked both by impressive ripeness and balancing acidity.
The state’s most famous red wine region, of course, is Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as king. But California boasts a wealth of other impressive appellations. The much larger and climatically varied Sonoma County also produces world class California Cabernet, along with wonderful examples of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Fine versions of Cabernet and Zinfandel hail from Paso Robles as well, which is also gaining fame with Rhone varietals like Syrah and Grenache. As for Pinot Noir, terrific examples can be found from AVA’s such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills. Wineries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are making wonderful Syrahs, and the Sierra Foothill appellations are proving to be an experimental hotbed, with Italian and Spanish varietals employed to great effect.
This of course is a mere sketch. The subject of California red wine is as deep and broad as an ocean, and absolutely a joy to explore!