2005 Summers Estate Charbono

Allegedly, Italian immigrants brought Charbono vines here in the late 1800s thinking they were Barbera. It was bottled as Barbera by Inglenood Winery and even won several medals as Barbera. Eventually, DNA testing done by Professor Carole Meredith of UC Davis proved that Charbono is the French vareity Corbeau, aka Charbonneau. Charbono wine is only produced in California, adding to its exclusive appeal. Now there are over 80 acres planted of Charbono, half of which are in Calistoga. Calistoga is a sweet spot for Charbono, and most of the older vineyards are there. Today only 16 wineries produce Charbono.