Who

Grapes farmed by Paul and Joni Rawson, wine raised by Herrmann York.

What

100% Fiano, stomped and pressed to make an aromatic, joyous wine full of tropical fruits and a delightful texture. Barrel-fermented and barrel aged for about 9 months, like a baby.

22 cases produced.

When

This wine was picked on September 1st, 2025.

Where

Paul and Joni have a great property almost as high up on the North Bench of Yucaipa as you can go. From their vineyard, you can see a complex of faults on the San Andreas, poking its craggy head out of a ridge uphill to the East. We met some years ago when they had already decided that they wanted to plant a vineyard, but they had not yet decided what to plant. When we suggested Fiano and Grenache, they didn’t bat an eye. Four years later, these very young vines are eagerly producing gobs of fruit out of some granite, gneiss, and schist soils.

Why

Years ago, we were researching appropriate varieties for the heat of southern California. We love white wine, so to find something that was drought and heat tolerant, could hold on to its acidity, and was white-skinned proved an elusive combination. We came across a study conducted in the Central Valley whose conclusion was that Fiano, a grape we didn’t recognize at the time, was a sun-loving, water sipping, white grape. Then we met Paul and Joni. They said yes, and we couldn’t be happier.

We’ve said to anyone patient enough to hear that Herrmann York is trying to rebuild a lost tradition of wine making in southern California by trying a bunch of new stuff. After all, a tradition is just an innovation that worked. Fiano (and high-elevation Fiano at that) may be one of those happy accidents that leads to a true benchmark for the Yucaipa Valley.