2014 Stolpman Syrah ‘Para Maria de los Tecolates’

Price: $24 Region: Santa Ynez Valley < CaliforniaGrapes: SyrahVineyard/Cellar Stats: Dry-farmed organic farming, limestone soil, <20ppm SO2, 15% carbonic fermentation, unfined/unfilteredWinemaker: Sashi Moorman Another wine from one of my favorite family operations in the Santa Ynez Valley. In addition to working organically since day one, and producing wine in a very low-intervention way, they do something really cool and unusual: employ their vineyard workers year-round and full-time, as well as offer profit sharing. Says Peter, “We strive not only to make the best wine possible – we are also committed to creating a healthy, stable work environment for fifteen families. Proud, fulfilled people make better wine!” For this lovely Syrah, Peter Stolpman and his vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano decided to partner to make a wine that paid tribute to the unsung hero of the vineyard: Maria, Ruben’s wife, and mother hen to the whole crew. Maria Solorzano grew up in the small Jaliscan v