Tasting Notes

Randall Graham, the master of the odd-ball varietals, strikes again. This time with a big red hailing from Alba, Italy via Monterey, California. This Barbera has just enough fruit, red currant, plum, and blackberry to balance the earthier black tea and mocha flavors. Hints of haunting gardenia echo in the finish, with briar patch and cedar and it tends to turn a bit more floral as the flavors linger. This unique red has the acid to stand up to most tomato sauces, even your favorite pizza.

Winery Story

Bonny Doon Winery, named after a snippet of a town and vineyard clinging to the rocks along California's Highway 1, is the heart and passion of eclectic owner Randall Graham. Often seen strolling the streets of Santa Cruz without shoes and seldom shaven, this renowned winemaker pushes the envelope at every twist of the screw cap. Ever the advocate, Randall Graham's wines exhibit finesse, fun, and frivolity in the often too-serious wine world.

Ca' del Solo is Graham's Italianate side of his winery endeavors. Producing quintessential Italian varietals such as Charbono, Sangiovese, and Barbera, the Ca' del Solo line offers wine of great value and interest in an often creative label. Bonny Doon Winery has many different wines under its umbrella, most sourced from their own almost "experimental" vineyards. Farming roughly 145 acres in Soledad in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, Bonny Doon practices sustainable agriculture. While not completely organic, these practices emphasize natural techniques to encourage growth, pest control, and quality from the grapevines. Graham has a continuing philosophy to produce the best wines from the un-interfered with earth.