Source & Sink Petite Sirah 2018
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Rande Feldman and Aaron Cherny, headed west after growing up in the Windy City and met serendipitously during the 2017 Sonoma grape harvest. Their desire was to develop a new winery to bring their love of Sonoma wines back to their hometown of Chicago. The two are a perfect team with Rande skilled in the Vineyards and Aaron’s knowledge of business. Rande brings in a deep understanding of the wine world from his time in France, New Zealand, Napa, and Western Australia. Aaron was a banker who left his finance life in Chicago for the 2017 harvest and never looked back. Sounce & Sink functions on the principle that there is a direct positive flow of energy created by the vine's sources (photosynthesis through the leaves) that is later translocated to the vine's point of interest (roots, trunk and ultimately fruit) known as sinks. With connections to legendary vineyard sources Rande and Aaron wanted to pay homage to the rich grape growing and winemaking history while showcasing the bright future of Sonoma Valley. Bounded by the Mayacamas and Sonoma Mountains, Sonoma valley is one of America’s first viticultral havens. First planted by the Franciscan’s in the 1800’s, Sonoma Valley is a unique terroirs driven by the cool influences of the Pacific and San Pablo bay. As it rose to fame, the valley piques the interest of Agoston Haraszthy, the father of American winemaking. Rande and Aaron continue the legacy of the region through the historic sites of Liquid Amber, Hooley Vineyard, Hunter Ranch, and Dunbar Ranch.
With its deep color, firm tannins and bold flavors, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. The variety, originally known as Durif in the Rhône, took on its more popular moniker after being imported to California in the early 1880s. Quintessentially recognized today as a grape of the Golden State, Petite Sirah works well blended with Zinfandel and finds success as a single varietal wine in the state’s warmer districts. Somm Secret—Petite Sirah is not a smaller version of Syrah but it is an offspring of Syrah and the now nearly extinct French Alpine variety called Peloursin.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.