Cabernet Sauvignon may be the King of Napa Valley, but other varieties are faring very well, and more and more wineries are bringing lesser-known grapes to life in Sonoma and Napa terroir, including some that are almost extinct in their native land. Some local wineries excel at growing rare foreign grapes and producing remarkable California vino.

 

THE GRAPE: CARRICANTE | THE WINERY: AERIS WINE

Aeris Wine owner Kevin Harvey was on a quest to find obscure grapes that could thrive and produce superior wine in California when he found Carricante. It is a white grape variety native to Sicily that rarely grows outside the island; even on the island, it is primarily found on the still-active volcano Mount Etna. Carricante is the primary grape used to make Etna Bianco Superiore, and in Sicily, it must make up at least 80 percent of the blend to use the moniker. The Aeris team took a two-sided approach to produce the best Carricante—they partnered with Sicilian winemaker Salvo Foti. They planted it on the eastern slope of Mount Etna, and then Aeris planted it on Centennial Mountain in California. Harvey was not looking to replicate Etna’s Carricante; he wanted it to grow to its best expression on American soil. To accomplish that, he brought Sicilian oenologists specializing in Carricante to California to help select the best terroir for the Carricante vineyards. Today, Aeris produces two single-variety Carricante wines to express the variety at its full glorious potential on two continents. // www.aeriswines.com

 

THE GRAPE: GRIGNOLINO | THE WINERY: BRENDEL/HEITZ CELLAR/BRENDEL

The Napa Valley Grignolino story is a complex one. Grignolino is a white variety native to Italy’s Piedmont region. Leon Brendel, a native of Alsace, Frace, planted Grignolino vines in the 1940s at his Brendel Winery, which was at the current site of Heitz Cellars—making him a true pioneer for obscure grapes in the Napa Valley. He eventually sold the vines and winery to Heitz on the condition that the Grignolino vines remained. Heitz released its first vintage of Grignolino in 1963, finally making both Grignolino and Grignolino Rosé for almost 60 years. In 2018, Lawrence Wine Estates, which owns Brendel Wines, purchased Heitz Cellars, and today, the Grignolino is back in Brendel’s hands, and they are producing a sparkling version—Brendel Young Leon Frizzante Grignolino Rosé. // www.heitzcellar.com

 

THE GRAPE: SCHIOPPETTINO | THE WINERY: ORSI FAMILY VINEYARDS

Bernie Orsi began his foray into obscure varietals about a decade ago with Montepulciano and has gone on to include Biancolella, Aglianico, Fiano, Sagrantino, Negroamara, and Schioppettino in the Orsi portfolio grown in Dry Creek Valley. Schioppettino is one of his favorites, partly because it is so obscure. “You can’t find Schioppettino at any nursery in California. If you want it, you have to take your cuttings and propagate it yourself,” Orsi said. It is not much easier to find in Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, the variety’s birthplace. Although Schioppettino roots trace to the 13th century, most Schippettino vines were uprooted after the phylloxera invasion in the mid-1800s. By the 1960s, less than 100 Schioppettino vines remained. Schioppettino means “little gunshot,” which hints at its mysterious allure and flavorful tapestry of exotic spice, red berries, and white pepper that hits the palate; some say it is like a little gunshot. // www.orsifamilyvineyards.com

 

THE GRAPE: VALDIGUIÉ | THE WINERY: BATTUELLO VINEYARDS

Valdiguié is indigenous to the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France. It was known as Napa Gamay for many years because it was believed to come from the Gamay Noir of the Beaujolais region. Still, DNA studies have identified it as different from Gamay Noir, and it is now known as Valdiguié. In St. Helena, it has been a Battuello Vineyards staple for 90 years. Because it can handle heat without drastically reducing acidity or becoming over-sweet, it grows well in the California climate. // www.battuello.com

 

THE GRAPE: ERBALUCE | THE WINERY: IDLEWILD

Erbaluce is a crisp Italian grape variety documented in Piedmont since 1606. To date, Erbaluce is not known to have a genetic link. It is said to be named after the goddess Albaluce, born on a hilltop in Caluso and whose tears created Erbaluce vines. Less than 188 hectares remain there, yet Healdsburg’s Idlewild has given it new life on California soil. Erbaluce is often used in dry and sparkling wine due to its flowery aromas and fresh and crisp acidity. // www.idlewildwines.com

 

THE GRAPE: TOCAI FRIULANO AND RIBOLLA GIALLA | THE WINERY: MASSICAN

Winemaker Dan Petroski has become a cult figure since he started Massican 10 years ago. He boldly made only Mediterranean-style white wines in a sea of Cabernet Sauvignons and Zinfandels. One of those whites is Tocai Friulano, also known as Sauvignonasse, Friulano, or Sauvignon Vert, originating from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Northeast Italy. His California-grown Tocai Friulano comes from vines planted in 1947. Petroski also grows Ribolla Gialla, another ancient Italian variety from Friuli Venezia Giulia. He cultivates both grape varieties in small vineyards throughout Napa Valley and crafts them together to produce Massican Annia. // www.massican.com

 

THE GRAPE: TROUSSEAU GRIS | THE WINERY: JOLIE-LAIDE

While “gris” is misleading, Trousseau Gris is a French grape varietal used to make white wine. Peter Fanucchi’s father, Arcangelo, planted the Fanucchi-Wood Road Trousseau Gris vineyard in the Russian River Valley in 1981, and still today, it is the only significant planting of the grape in the United States. Jolie-Laide makes its Trousseau Gris from these near-extinct vines and crushes the grapes in the most natural way possible: by foot. Crisp and clean with floral aromatics, Trousseau Gris originates from France’s Jura region, and it is a color mutation of Trousseau Noir. Jolie-Laide crafts another rarely-seen wine in the US— Aligoté—in its first vintage. // www.jolielaidewines.com

 

THE GRAPE: FALANGHINA | THE WINERY: ARNOT-ROBERTS

Falanghina is a rare white grape variety that originated in the Campania region of Italy, situated just north of Naples, and its history can be traced back to the seventh century BC. Although very little is planted outside Italy, Arnot-Roberts grows it in the Mediterranean climate of the Dry Creek Valley. The region’s warm growing season and complex volcanic soils provide the ideal conditions for the growth of this ancient grape variety. Arnot-Roberts crafts wine from other rare grapes, including Ribolla Gialla and Trousseau. // www.arnotroberts.com