Birdhorse Verdelho
Borden Ranch AVA > Contra Costa County > California, 2023
Founded in 2018, Birdhorse is proudly woman and LGBTQ owned and operated! That’s right - Lesbian wine! Corinne Rich and Katie Rouse met at UC Davis while both achieving their MS in Viticulture & Enology. The two fell in love, worked harvest in South Africa and returned to California to pursue their careers in winemaking. Birdhorse represents both their personalities and winemaking philosophy. Adventurous and fun, yet believers in great science and winemaking fundamentals. This year's iteration of the Verdelho emanates all the beauty of a warm spring time afternoon, if that afternoon was spent picnic-ing beneath some citrus trees.
Borden Ranch AVA > Contra Costa County > California, 2023
Founded in 2018, Birdhorse is proudly woman and LGBTQ owned and operated! That’s right - Lesbian wine! Corinne Rich and Katie Rouse met at UC Davis while both achieving their MS in Viticulture & Enology. The two fell in love, worked harvest in South Africa and returned to California to pursue their careers in winemaking. Birdhorse represents both their personalities and winemaking philosophy. Adventurous and fun, yet believers in great science and winemaking fundamentals. This year's iteration of the Verdelho emanates all the beauty of a warm spring time afternoon, if that afternoon was spent picnic-ing beneath some citrus trees.
Borden Ranch AVA > Contra Costa County > California, 2023
Founded in 2018, Birdhorse is proudly woman and LGBTQ owned and operated! That’s right - Lesbian wine! Corinne Rich and Katie Rouse met at UC Davis while both achieving their MS in Viticulture & Enology. The two fell in love, worked harvest in South Africa and returned to California to pursue their careers in winemaking. Birdhorse represents both their personalities and winemaking philosophy. Adventurous and fun, yet believers in great science and winemaking fundamentals. This year's iteration of the Verdelho emanates all the beauty of a warm spring time afternoon, if that afternoon was spent picnic-ing beneath some citrus trees.
Grape: 100% Verdelho
ABV: 12.3%
The Story: The Verdelho grapes reside in the town of Knightsen in Contra Costa County, just 2 miles from the San Joaquin Delta east of where the San Francisco Bay meets the central valley. Warm days help bring out the golden, aromatic tones of this variety but cool winds from the Delta help diminish nighttime temperatures and preserve its brilliant acidity. Planted in 2002, the Evina Vineyard sits on Sorrento silty clay loam soils, farmed organically by grower Tom Morgan. After whole-cluster pressing, the juice was put to stainless steel tank where the juice was pumped over and hyper-oxygenated for 4 days until spontaneous fermentation began. The juice was then transferred to two neutral 500L puncheons and two stainless steel drums where it fermented and aged 6 months until racking.
Personality: Like a grown-up Vinho Verde! Aromas of tangerine and meyer lemon play against a lean minerality and hint of pineapple upside-down cake creating sweet and balanced nose. On the palate, crunchy green apple meets a gravelly texture to lend a beautiful acidic tension to this wine, with flavors of lemon meringue and fresh pineapple that was picked just a smidge on the early side.
Harmony: This wine could certainly get better with a few years in the cellar, but its also entirely delightful now. Snack on tinned sardines atop buttered bread, sprawled out with your love or a good book in front of a fire.