WE ARE SO THRILLED TO PRESENT THE WONDERFUL WINES OF MARTHA STOUMEN. This is the ode to Italian red with a Cali twist, the Mendocino Benchlands in solos, trios and a six pack - as always, deals when you bundle . :)

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Martha Stoumen, ‘Mendocino Benchlands’, Petite Sirah & Zinfandel & Nero d’Avola, Mendocino County, CA Lighter than previous vintages in body, mind AND spirit, this breezy summer red is your chillable poolside angel, adultified CapriSun, the switched-on lovechild of a blue freezie & can of Beach Plum Lacroix. All three grapes in the blend were fermented separately in small batches (whole cluster for the Zin and Petite, destemmed for the Nero), then pressed & barrel-aged for 6 months off lees. Accounting for 40% of the blend, Petite Sirah is the star of the show here, carbonically-macerated and replete with maximum blueberry energy, though not without a moody dash of black pepper like a well-placed slow jam in a sea of summer bangers. Zin is always here for a good time, bringing juicy bright fruit like a cannonball swimming pool splash, with worldly Nero d’Avola adding a touch of sophistication to the blend. The Mendocino Benchlands red is inspired by the Italian farming tradition of grapes being planted on the poorer, uplifted soils of a given valley, with the rich valley floor soils reserved for vegetables— all the vineyards in this blend planted on those uplifted benchlands. This is a wine that feels very easy to coexist with— throw a bottle in your favourite tote bag, kick your shoes off, be like, “the only rule of today is that THERE ARE NO RULES” & see where Mendocino Benchlands takes you!

PRODUCTION & DRINKING

After apprenticing in hot, sunshine-filled places like Sicily’s famed COS, Martha Stoumen returned home to California with a mission: to grow balanced, organic wine she wanted to drink. She started with the Italian grapes she came to know and love that flourish in the sunny and dry climate of Sebastapol. Forget Napa Cabs and try her Nero d’Avola and Zinfandel. All wines organically or biodynamically farmed, hand picked and made without additions.