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Please note, all wines from this newsletter are only available in California. If you are looking for the California October 2021 Newsletter, please click here. 

NEW This October at Serendipity

October marks a time for transformation: grapes are finally turning into wine, the heat has finally given way to cooler weather, and the days are turning in a little earlier than we’re all used to. It’s the perfect time to sink into a glass of red wine and wait for those 2021 harvest reports to start rolling in! This month we’re revisiting compelling California brands while welcoming new faces to the fold.

What’s Inside: ✨New: Farella | October Feature: Ampelos Harvest Q & A | Harvest Updates | Meet the Team | Spooky Wines | Press

Welcome, Farella!

Located in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley, Farella created the first varietally labelled Cabernet Sauvignon in the AVA. Their story began when Frank Farella founded Farella-Park Vineyards in 1985 in a small, 400 square foot winery next to his house in Napa. His long-sought goal to grow fine wine grapes from a modest, depression-era background was a story that unfolded slowly and steadily. While the first 5 vintages were produced by Frank Farella (with Tom’s help), Tom took over in 1991 and led the winemaking until the end of 2018. Ryan Pass, also a UC Davis Viticulture and Enology graduate, was then promoted to Winemaker. His passion and skill set have dovetailed perfectly for the winemaking goals and he and Tom continue to work together as the sole labor and expertise for production of Farella wines. We’re so pleased to have you in the Serendipity family, Farella!

October 2021 Feature:

Ampelos Harvest Q & A

We checked in with our friends at Ampelos Cellars in the Santa Rita Hills appellation to see how their harvest was progressing on October 11th. Check out the Q & A below for updates on their biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Viognier and Riesling.

Q: How are your 2021 yields?

A: Really nice – a little above average.

Q: It seems like many California growers are wrapping up harvest earlier than usual this year. How long will your harvest last?

A: Due to the cold weather in the spring and early summer our harvest actually started relatively late this year. And we just finished picking Pinot Noir last week – unusual that it goes into October. Now we have Syrah and Grenache left and since it is cooling down and the days are getting shorter we see a slower ripening of them. I expect us to be finished picking at the end of the month. And then we still have another month of winery work before we can wrap up.

Q: Did you face any challenges this year specific to biodynamic farming?

A: Not at all. The flavors and structure are already showing well in the Pinot Noir and the low pH we are seeing tells us that the acid levels will be really good.

Q: Are there any grapes that you’re particularly excited about this year?

A: We love the flavors and dark color we’re seeing in the Pinot Noir. We are also excited about our new projects: orange wine from Albariño, Piquette for the second year and Clairette for the first time.

The Serendipity Team is Growing…

All across California, we’re excited to get to know these talented, passionate new additions to the Serendipity family! Cheers to Fred, Daisy, & Michael!

Daisy Fleming recently joined Serendipity as our California Sales & Operations Manager. As a big fan of white wines, she is most excited right now about our Kawakawa Sauvignon Blanc. In Daisy’s downtime you can find her treasure hunting with her fiancé at thrift & antique stores, playing backgammon & spending time with her cat, Marigold.

Fred Burrell is the newest addition to our arsenal of Bay Area sales representatives. He comes to us as an accomplished restaurant and events manager with extensive food and beverage knowledge and 20+ years experience in the local & sustainable foods field. He is excited by Serendipity’s “litany of wonderful offerings” and glad to be joining at this time of growth for the company.

Originally from Orange County, CA, Michael Smelich is our latest sales representative covering LA and surrounding beach cities. His favorite wine these days is our Plozza Rosso Valtellina! He enjoys surfing with his 14-year-old daughter and is a devoted soccer dad on the weekends.

Trick-or-treat yourself to these bold reds with seasonally spooky label art:

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