Souzao is a relatively obscure Portuguese grape that we've been growing in our Amador County vineyard since 1980. It was one of the five original Portuguese varieties my dad sourced from UC Davis to plant in our vineyard for port-styled wines. It has consistently been a key but small component in our port blends, adding intense color and high natural acidity, but we had never produced it as a stand-alone table wine. In 2010, we had a few extra grapes, and decided to make a couple barrels as a table wine. The results were outstanding and the wine went on to win a Double Gold Medal and Best Other Variety at the California State Fair. It sold out quickly, and has since been one of our more unusual, but interesting wines that we make.