Jarvis-Tomei Syrah The Sierra Foothills and Syrah have been becoming more and more synonymous with one another for the last 30 years, and for a good reason; they go great together.  As the winemakers of the region continue their search for the perfect grape to grow in this environment of warm days, cool nights and cool (but not terribly cold) winters, Syrah has proved to be one of the most likely candidates.  In fact, the majority of the wineries found in the region offer at least one Syrah in their portfolio.

There are many winemakers in the Foothills that are now concentrating the bulk of their efforts on Rhone varietals, and arguably the greatest of the Rhone reds is Syrah.  Many say the region has more in common with the Rhone Valley than the Napa Valley and are developing their vineyards accordingly.

We were introduced to the wine we chose to highlight, Jarvis Tomei Syrah, by one of the partners in the vineyard that produces the grapes, Sun Mountain Vineyards.  Although this is a wine that is primarily available only in restaurants, we felt its great expression of the Foothill growing environment made it a perfect candidate for out efforts to highlight the different growing regions of California.   Stay with us as we explore the vineyard growing conditions, the winemakers, the winery and finally the wine itself. 

The Vineyard: We chose to meet at the vineyard in the wine growing region of Apple Hill near the small town of Camino, located in the El Dorado AVA. When we arrived it was a beautiful sunny late winter day with temperatures in the high 60s.  It is just these types of days that make this area of California so special; located at about the 2800 foot elevation, it is above the fog that can plague the Central Valley during the winter, but only receives an occasional dusting of snow that never lasts more than a few weeks. Continued ...