2017 Massican Gemina

Massican is one of Napa Valley’s makers of “new white wines.” Along with some other younger, independent- minded winemakers, Massican’s founder Dan Petroski champions old world grapes ignored by new world producers. Massican is known for white wines inspired by the whites of Friuli in northeastern Italy, and Petroski uses Ribolla Gialla and Tocai Friulano, among other old world varietals. A native of Brooklyn, Petroski went to business school and worked in magazine publishing before consummating his love affair with Italian wines by traveling through Italy and working a grape harvest in Sicily. Back in the U.S. he moved to California and took jobs as a cellar rat and intern before rising to winemaker at Larkmead, where he remains part of the winemaking team and makes mostly red wines. In 2009 he was offered a rare harvest of California Ribolla Gialla, which became the basis of his debut release blend. The name Massican is a tribute to the Monte Massico mountain range in southern Italy, where his great grandfather grew up. Massican also makes widely admired Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, often in blends with the Italian varietals.