Massican Winery, Gemina 2022, Napa Valley,  CA

This bright and vibrant blend of Greco and Falanghina has aromas of citrus, stone fruit, blossoms, and sea spray. With racy acidity and minerality, it’s perfect for those who love those salty Italian whites. 

COUNTRY: USA

STATE: California

APPELLATION (AVA): California

REGION(S): Dunnigan Hills; Russian River Valley; Lodi

VINEYARD(S): Greco: M Three Ranch vineyard in Yolo (Dunnigan Hills AVA) and Bowland vineyard in Sonoma (Russian River Valley AVA). Falanghina: Lost Slough vineyard in Lodi AVA.

VINTAGE: 2022

GRAPES: 64% Greco, 38% Falanghina

PRACTICE: Organic

VINIFICATION: Whole cluster pressed and left to settle overnight. 40% fermented in 300L used French oak & 60% in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. Organic nutrients were added to aid fermentation. No adjustments were made to the must. Aged for 6 months in a combination of 300L used French oak & stainless steel. No malolactic fermentation occurred. Bottled unfined & filtered on 03.03.23 in Napa, California.

STYLE: Still

COLOR: Light gold

BODY: Light to medium bodied

TASTE: Dry

PRIMARY AROMAS: Ginger, citrus, sea salt, lemon, blossom, white peach

FLAVOR: Lemon, lime, fig, ginger, bright acidity, minerality

FORMAT: 750ml

ALCOHOL: 12.1%

SERVICE AND FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTION: Serve chilled. In the same vein as other salty Italian whites, pair with seafood and fresh vegetables prepared with a light hand.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Massican Wines

Massican Wines is the winery of Dan Petroski, the former winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards. He founded Massican in 2009, and specializes in Mediterranean-style wines made from Italian grape varieties that are still somewhat uncommon in California. In 2017 the San Francisco Chronicle named him Chronicle’s “Winemaker of the Year”. He is an outspoken advocate for a move towards sustainability in the face of climate change, and has also “pushed the boundaries of wine marketing, launching an Instagram magazine, an NFT and a white wine emoji to engage the younger consumers whom wineries are desperate to attract.” (SF Chronicle)

ABOUT THE LABEL: “Gemina is the name of an ancient Roman grape planted in the region around the Massican hills of southern Italy. This grape variety originated from Greece, dating back to the first century when it was first called Aminea Gemina. Gemina is a unique white wine blend combining grapes originally from the south of Italy and now planted here in California. This blend balances our winery’s familial history in the south of Italy with our passion for the fresh white wines of the Mediterranean.” (massican.com)