I am a full partner in John's wine co-op. Not only is the wine he produces fantastic, but it's also been a wonderful expedition of discovery and learning about both wine in general and focusing on what I particularly like and dislike in a wine. In Spring 2010, I cleared and planted approx 1/4 acre of Syrah / Shiraz in the Santa Cruz mountains, using varietal 877 on 420A rootstock from Vintage Nurseries (who I was extremely happy with) from pre-potted benchgrafts. John and I hope to make an Australian style Shiraz from the grapes, starting in approx 2012; he has kindly agreed to manage the vineyard and has been a huge help in its inception, including the initial planting. A brief list of some commercial wines that I've found interesting:
Mead |