How to select your varietals
Winemaking begins during the months of September, October, and November. Our grapes are carefully selected from the best AVA's California has to offer - from the ultra premium hillsides of Napa, the widely recognized and lush Santa Cruz Mountains, the extraordinary Amador County (where our own Estate Primitivo and Syrah are grown), and more. We offer a diverse array of carefully handpicked grapes for you to choose from - recognizable standards like Cabernet Sauvignon, alluring varietals like Pinot Noir, and Cal-Italia varietals like Barbera and Primitivo. Or, you can choose the best of both worlds and create your own delicious blend. Unsure which varietal to pick? Join us for one of three tasting opportunities to learn more about our varietals and wine: a wine tasting in our tasting room, our Annual Bacchus Harvest Party, or a direct consultation over phone or email.
Pricing
YOUR OPTIONS:
You have the option of making :
Half Barrel = (12 cases/144 bottles)
Full Barrel = (24 cases/288 bottles)
We often suggest partnering up with friends, family, or fellow BWC members and sharing the costs and wine.
Remember when making your selection: “A full barrel isn’t even a bottle a day!”
“A barrel of wine can produce more miracles than a church full of saints.” —Italian Proverb
GRAPES sourced from:
Amador County | Lodi | Tracy Hills
Full: $4750 • Half: $2375
($16.49 per bottle)
WHITES:
(Barrel Fermented or Stainless Fermented)
Chardonnay | Tracy Hills
Pinot Grigio| Lodi
Sauvignon Blanc | Lodi
REDS:
Barbera | Lodi
Cabernet Franc | Lodi
Cabernet Sauvignon | Lodi
Grenache
Merlot
Mourvèdre
Old Vine Zinfandel | Lodi
Petite Sirah | Lodi
Primitivo | Amador County – Estate Grown
Sangiovese | Lodi
Syrah | Amador County – Estate Grown
GRAPES sourced from:
Santa Cruz Mountains
Full: $6250 • Half: $3125
($21.70 per bottle) Chardonnay | Santa Cruz Mountains (Barrel Fermented or Stainless Fermented) Pinot Noir | Santa Cruz Mountains
Napa Valley
Full: $7450 • Half: $3725
($25.87 per bottle) Cabernet Sauvignon | Oak Knoll
INCLUDED:
Full Barrels Include:
Complimentary Analysis: pH, Titratable Acidity (TA), Alcohol % (ABV), Residual Sugar (RS) – Complimentary French oak staves – Complimentary Blending Trial up to two varietal additions – up to 2 opportunities to barrel taste your own wines during aging – Bottles, Corks & PVC Capsules
Half Barrels Include:
Complimentary Analysis: Alcohol % (ABV) – up to 2 opportunities to barrel taste your own wines during aging – Bottles, Corks & PVC Capsules
WHITES:
Chardonnay: This premier California varietal grape yields a full-bodied, moderately acidic, dry austere wine that is magnificent with “light” foods, including rich cream sauces, or with fruit or cheese.
Pinot Grigio: French for “gray”, refers to grayish hue of the grape. Styles vary from crisp, light and dry, to rich, fat and honeyed. From France’s Alsace Region. Expect a crisp, light, dry wine.
Sauvignon Blanc: Originated in the Loire Valley of France. Sassy & vibrant in style; aromatic personality; high acidity and crisp, clean taste. A wide range of flavors from herbal to veggie, from grass to hay, and mineral tones to a citrus and tropical flavor mix.
REDS:
Barbera: A dark-skinned wine grape variety found in several Italian wine regions, including its native Piedmonti; naturally high in acidity, with a very deep ruby color, and full-body. For years it played a secret, supporting role in the production of Barolo. Flavors of dark cherry, dried strawberry, plum and blackberry.
Cabernet Franc: Generally blended with Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot as a Bordeaux Meritage. Generally lighter in color than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Originally from the Bordeaux region of France. The jewel in California’s Crown! This varietal grape produces a dry red wine.
Grenache: A Rhône varietal that produces wines with high concentrations of fruit, tannin, and acids. Its flavors are most typically currant, cherry, and raisin, and its aromas are of black pepper, menthol, and licorice; intensely fruity and fat.
Merlot: In French it means “young black bird”. It produces wines generally softer, with higher alcohol content, rounded and more supple than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Mourvèdre: A Rhône varietal that is a wonderful blending component; its structure and mid-palate richness complement the openness, warmth and brighter acids of Grenache and the mineral, spice and tannin of Syrah; aromas of red fruit, chocolate/mocha.
Old Vine Zinfandel: 25 – 90+ year old vines. Zinfandel is a chameleon, offering a range of styles. It can show bright fruit flavors like cherry and strawberry, earthy characteristics with mineral notes, and rich spices of clove, nutmeg and allspice. It can be hearty with robust tannins, depth and complexity, or have jammy blackberry and mocha flavors with layers of spice. This fruit-forward wine is ideal for long aging.
Petite Sirah: A varietal grape that produces dry, full-bodied tannin red wines, excellent with big, well-seasoned meals. Good for color & firmness in blends.
Pinot Noir: Famous red grape originating from France’s Burgundy region. When young exhibits fruity characteristics of cherries, plums, raspberries and strawberries.
Primitivo: Domenico Estate Grown DNA analysis has revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kaštelanski. The grapes have been grown in Croatia longer than anywhere else. Primitivo is now thought to have been introduced as a distinct clone into the Apulia region of Italy in the 18th century. Known as the twin brother or godfather of California’s Zinfandel. Deeply colored, rich, and concentrated with flavors of zesty cherry, clove, wild blackberry, raspberry and spice, round, full-bodied and jammy in flavor.
Sangiovese: Dominant grape in Chianti. Italy’s most well-known and widely planted red grape variety. A dry, medium-bodied red wine that tips towards higher levels of mouth-watering acidity and tighter tannins. The rich flavors range from rustic to fruity. Expect red cherry, smoke and earthy herbaceousness, spicy oak-induced nuances and peppery tones and even streaks of sweet tobacco. Ideally blended with Cabernet, Merlot or Zinfandel to create a “Super Tuscan” blend.
Syrah: Domenico Estate Grown Clonal cousin of Petite Sirah, makes a full-bodied tannin red wine. Make it straight or use it in any blend. Syrah produces deeply colored and concentrated, rich, red wines with the ability to age and evolve for years or multiple decades in the best cases. Typical scents and flavors include blackberries, plums, black cherries, flowers, spice, earth, chocolate, licorice, blueberry, pepper and truffles.

Tasting at the Winery
Join us for a tasting in our brand new tasting room Wednesday-Sunday, located on the street corner of the winery.

Bacchus Harvest party
Celebrate the harvest and sample 15+ wines from previous Bacchus Wine making Club members. This is the primary way to make your varietal selection!

Consultation
Still not sure what to choose? Give us a call at (650) 592-2335 ext 114 or shoot us an email at [email protected] and we're happy to help you pick the perfect varietal(s).