Starfield Vineyards

Starfield Vineyards

2750 Jacquier Road, Placerville, CA 95667
starfieldvineyards.com

Region: El Dorado

Owner: Tom Sinton & Rob Sinton

Winemaker: Rob Sinton

About: Starfield Vineyards is an estate vineyard and winery in El Dorado, halfway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe — on the Highway 50 corridor near Placerville. Starfield Vineyards is known for its high elevation mountain vineyards in El Dorado and the fresh wines from rare varieties that exhibit the characteristic Sierra Spice from growing grapes in the pine forests of California.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Cinsaut is my personal favorite. It was hard to find varietal examples of it before we planted it and it looks almost like a table grape, but it produces a light red wine with vibrant strawberry notes and a hint of leafy-bramble. It’s great straight from the fridge on hot California summer days.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? I always felt like I gravitated toward lesser known grapes so it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment. I remember going through Cabernet Franc and Assyrtiko phases before I’d ever made it to my Cab Sauv, Pinot, and Chardonnay phase.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? It’s still a rare day when I open a bottle of a variety that isn’t considered an “undiscovered grape”. These varieties offer new drinkers a rare opportunity to discover their own opinions about varieties without the vast input of decades of publications and critics so I think it’s easier to find your own wine-tasting voice when drinking these wines and played an important role in shaping my winemaking (and wine-drinking) preferences.