2019 Pennrose Greco Silettò Vineyard

Region: San Benito County > California

Grapes: Greco di Tufo

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: organically farmed, gravelly loam soil, 20 year old vines, .62 acre planting, only one pallet made of 2019

Winemakers: Mike Penn + Ria Diversa

You know how we heart Italy and Italian wine, but that doesn’t necessarily (read: almost never) apply to wine produced from Italian grape varieties in other regions of the world. But, there are always exceptions to the rule and we found a gem with the Greco di Tufo from Pennrose Wine! Originally from Campania in southern Italy, Greco di Tufo is a white grape that does exceedingly well in hot, dry growing conditions and sandy soil. Which makes it an ideal candidate for success in California’s Mediterranean climate. It can hang on the vine a long time, still developing phenolics, all the while retaining acidity. Grown by the Siletto family in their eponymous vineyard, it was specifically sought out for these characteristics. With just over a half acre planted to Greco di Tufo the Silettos are clearly doing something right and it’s just the farming ethos sought out by Pennrose owners and winemakers Mike Penn and Ria Diversa (husband and wife).

The two met while studying viticulture and hold down day jobs as the winemaker for Green + Red (Mike) and farming manager for McEvoy Ranch (Ria). Pennrose is their passion project, committed to responsible farming, and small production wines that show the diversity of California terroir. Classically Greco di Tufo has thicker skins than other white grapes producing a wine with yellow-gold color and we love to see that the Pennrose version does as well. Typical Greco flavors of stone fruit, yellow flowers and lemon curd also abound. Mike and Ria call out pairings with oysters, crab and fish and we couldn’t agree more!