2004 Switchback Ridge Peterson Family Vineyard Petite Sirah

Switchback Ridge is in Calistoga. The 100-acre property near Dutch Henry Canyon has been in the Peterson Family since the early 20th century, though for much of that time it was primarily a farm and plum orchard. That changed in 1990 when the orchards were replanted to vineyards. Today there are nearly 18 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah. The estate is owned and operated by John and Joyce Peterson, and the winemaker is Robert Foley, who is well-known in Napa Valley for he has made wine for Pride Mountain Vineyards as well as his own label. Switchback is known for its Cabs and Merlots, and the estate’s wines have earned high compliments from Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

Despite its popularity, this grape is quite rare. Less than 10,000 acres are planted worldwide, with the bulk in California. In France, the grape is referred to as Durif. Not to be confused with Syrah, Petite Sirah is a cross of Syrah and Peloursin. The result is darker and fuller.