Region:  North Coast, California

Varietal:  35% Grenache, 23% Zinfandel, 18% Carignan, and the balance Syrah and Petite Sirah

Tasting notes:  An up-front, undeniably delicious wine from this estate that has lots of kirsch and darker berry fruits to go with a round, supple, sexy texture, sweet tannins, no shortage of fruit, and notes of candied orange, spice, and flowers. It’s a fruit-bomb in the most deliciously, lip-smacking way!

Producer:  Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller started Kokomo Winery back in 2004, naming it after his beloved hometown of Kokomo, Indiana. Having grown up close to farm-land, though not fully immersed within it, Miller always felt a pull towards agriculture. Miller moved out to California immediately after graduating college and began working in a small winery. There, where was able to hone in the training and skills of becoming a winemaker, Miller was offered an excess of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit to work with. He made the decision then and there in 2004 to make his own wine and started Kokomo Winery with 500 cases of that Cabernet Sauvignon.  Kokomo Winery takes pride in being a family winery and the minute you walk into their tasting room it’s very apparent. The Kokomo team has created a place for visitors to enjoy a comfortable and laid-back wine tasting experience immersed in their cellar and surrounded by wine barrels. Erik’s taken his Hoosier hospitality and translated it into each bottling, each taste.

Vineyard and Winemaking:  The North Coast Cuvée is made up of Syrah, Grenache, Zinfandel, Carignan, and Petit Sirah, with a large portion coming from the Tollini Vineyard within the Redwood Valley AVA of Mendocino. The vineyard is 100% dry-farmed. The Syrah comes from a cool-climate vineyard within Bennett Valley. The wine ferments in tank/open-top fermentors before barrel aging for 11 months in 20% new oak.