Garagiste - Yes, I confess, I am a garagiste.
What's a garagiste? The name originated with a group of innovative wine makers in the Bordeaux region who wanted to make a style of wine that was less traditional and didn't take as long to age, and their wine was referred to as garage wine, "vins de garage," and so the name garagiste was born.
Little Anthony was born when I started making wine in 2003 with the encouragement from my friend and mentor, Mike Bonaccorsi, and innovation aside, it's not easy making wine that is really drinkable, especially in the garage.
But by 2005, I'm happy to say, Little Anthony received a Gold Medal at the Orange County Fair.
The 2008 Chardonnay turned out great. The grapes are from the Herman Vineyard in Carneros, California. It's clean, light, crisp, and very sauvignon blanc in style. There's no oak and no secondary fermentation.
The '07 Syrah aged 18 months in French Oak, and these grapes were from the Larner Vineyard, up in Santa Ynez, California.
This vintage is intense, with spice and enough acid for a balanced finish.
Making wine at home is fun, rewarding and it's always great to give barrel samples to friends and family.
