Scythian Wine Co. Revolution Palomino Cucamonga Valley 2023

If we asked you to name the top winemaking regions in California, we’d venture to say you would name Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, and the Central Coast. If we asked you to point out historic areas for wine growing, you might add Lodi and Amador Counties to the mix. However, one area we wouldn’t expect you to mention is Los Angeles County. Yet, before Prohibition, Los Angeles was the center of California’s wine industry, with vineyards planted throughout the region on the sand-heavy soils and with esoteric varietals like Palomino, Mission, Garnacha, and Zinfandel. Famed sommelier Raj Parr (author of Secrets of the Sommeliers and proprietor of Sandhi and Evening Land Vineyards, among others) has teamed up with Abe Schoener of Scholium Wines and other financial supporters to create Scythian Wine Co. and bring to light Los Angeles winegrowing history.

Los Angeles’ historical roots shine brightest in the centuries-old vineyards that Raj and his team are highlighting with Scythian. Each of the properties is at least 100 years old, and all have remained naturally tended to without the use of pesticides, fungicides, sulfur, or copper. Most of the vineyards, including the Lopez Vineyard, where this 100% Palomino is sourced, rest on sandy, granitic soils, and that sand is one of the keys to disease resistance as the critters common to other regions are not able to thrive in the soil. These hidden gem vineyards can be found in unexpected places, tucked behind warehouses and highways, having outlasted the urban sprawl of the city. Lopez Vineyard is 113 years old, having been planted in 1912, and produces a minimal yield of about two pounds of fruit per vine. Through thoughtful care and innovative pruning techniques, Raj is working alongside the vineyard team to gently rehabilitate the vines and restore their potential yields.

With Spanish missionaries being the first to plant grapevines in California, it makes sense that southern California’s oldest vineyards would be home to traditional Spanish varietals like Palomino and Garnacha. Palomino is most famously known as the main grape variety planted in Jerez, Spain, where it accounts for 95% of vineyard plantings and is used in the production of the world’s finest Sherries. Outside of Jerez, few producers make dry, still Palominos, so the Scythian Palomino can certainly be categorized as rare. After hand-harvesting and pressing as whole clusters into neutral oak barrels, this Palomino underwent native fermentation and aging in the same vessel. The finished wine, bottled unfined and unfiltered, showcases exceptional salinity paired with citrus and almond aromas.