As the season shifts and comfort dishes return to the table, it's the perfect moment to reach for red wines that feel just as rooted and generous as fall itself. This curated selection of estate-grown reds reflects that transition beautifully.
Estate grown means the grapes, the decisions, and the wine all come from the same hands. These bottles carry the story of the year's work, and the people who farm the land with intention, season after season.
Terra Sávia-Petit Verdot - Mendocino
Petit Verdot is one of the deepest, most character‑driven red varieties grown in California, a grape known for color, structure, and intensity, yet capable of surprising elegance when farmed with care.
It’s traditionally a blending grape in Bordeaux, prized for its tannin and dark fruit. But in Mendocino, Lake County, and other Northern California regions, small‑lot and estate‑grown bottlings have shown how compelling Petit Verdot can be on its own.
This Petit Verdot offers soft, earthy notes of blueberry and dark plum. Complex flavors also include dark chocolate, violet, lavender and thyme. A focused, beautifully shaped bottling that underscores the nuance Petit Verdot achieves when thoughtfully grown.
Rivino - Sangiovese -Mendocino
Sangiovese is one of the most expressive, site‑driven red grapes in the world, bright, savory, and beautifully transparent to the land and the people who farm it. It’s the backbone of Tuscany, but in Northern California, especially Mendocino and Ukiah, it has found a quiet, compelling second home.
This Sangiovese is a light-bodied, full-flavored estate grown wine, an ideal example of the varietal. Bright cherry and plum with a touch of cranberry, crisp acidity and a bit of tobacco and spice. It is a wonderful wine for everyday sipping and food pairing.
Barra- Reserve Petite Sirah- Mendocino
Petite Sirah is one of California’s most distinctive heritage reds, inky, bold, deeply structured, and beloved by growers for its resilience and character. Though its origins trace back to France (where it was known as Durif), the grape has truly found its identity in California, especially in Mendocino, Redwood Valley, Ukiah, and other North Coast regions where small‑lot farming thrives.
This is an award-winning, bold, dark, Mendocino red made the family’s certified-organic vineyard, Bella Collina. It leads with an inky color and generous dark fruit. Aromatics, blackberry, blueberry, and ripe plum with hints of violet, cocoa and warm spice.
Nelson Family Vineyards - Zinfandel -Mendocino
Zinfandel is one of California’s most iconic heritage grapes, expressive, generous, and deeply tied to the families who have farmed it for generations. Though its genetic origins trace back to Croatia (as Crljenak Kaštelanski), Zinfandel found its identity in California, especially in Mendocino, Ukiah, Redwood Valley, Dry Creek, and other North Coast regions where old vines and small‑lot farming thrive.
This Zinfandel is bright, juicy, and quietly rustic, a classic Ukiah Valley expression. Aromas of black raspberry, cherry, and warm baking spice lead the way, with a subtle hint of dried herb that reflects the family’s hillside blocks. The palate is lively and fruit-forward, offering red-berry energy with soft tannins and a gentle, lightly spiced finish. It’s an easy, welcoming Zin that leans more fresh than jammy.
Peterson Winery - Cabernet Sauvignon - Dry Creek, Sonoma
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most recognized red varieties, structured, dark‑fruited, and deeply expressive of the land and the people who farm it. While its heritage is rooted in Bordeaux, Cabernet has become a defining grape of Northern California, especially in Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, Mendocino, and Lake County, where small‑lot and estate‑grown farming give it clarity and character.
This Cabernet Sauvignon is drawn from their Bradford Mountain estate-grown fruit, and carry the site’s dark berry, black cherry, and currant character with a thread of cedar, earth, and mountain minerality. Cabernet Franc adds lift and spice, while Merlot brings a supple mid-palate. Firm, balanced, and shaped by Peterson’s low-intervention approach, the wine shows clear fruit, mountain tension, and a long, steady finish.
These estate‑grown reds aren’t just delicious; they’re personal. They carry the fingerprint of families who farm with intention, who work side‑by‑side through the year, and who celebrate together when the work is finally done.
Fall is their season, and these wines are how they honor it. This is just a glimpse of what Renard Creek brings to the table. I hope you’ll explore them for yourself and let these bottles become part of the way you celebrate the months ahead.
