The Story Behind Carnala : Organically Farmed Carignan
“Success is not for the lazy, it is for those willing to put in the effort, sacrifice, and endure the pain of the process.”
As we farm our young vineyard, peddle our new wines and parent two teenaged daughters this quote says it all. We got into the wine world long before we stumbled into parenting, and we’ve found them to be equally challenging, definitely painful in the process, and incredibly rewarding.
How Do You Name A Wine Label?
The name and label have everything to do with our daughters, two impressive humans we’ve poured our heart and soul into and delighted in watching them mature and grow. Our girls share many common interests and talents; Honestly, we raised bi-lingual mermaids. They both attended a local Spanish immersion school, they surf, swim and play water polo and if ever they’re dragged too far from water they’re gills dry out. Best of all, they’re friends, and the wine’s name “Carnala” has Spanish/Latin roots as a slang term meaning “sister” or “girlfriend”. Carignan originated in Spain but has long been associated with France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region. While traveling through Spain and the Canary Islands when the girls were little, they fell in love with two brightly colored Flamenco costumes for dancing, complete with big Spanish fans. We snapped a picture of them posing in their outfits in Spain and put it on the 2011 holiday card and promptly forgot about it until this year. The original picture (shown here) was re-designed by my own sister, our graphic design artist, Chelsea Smith, with gold metallic ink.
The challenging rewards of Carignan
The Carnala is significant to us because it required intense dedication and it represents our family in many ways. When we selected the grapes for the vineyard, Josh planted a small block of Carignan because of his fondness for the bright red-fruit characteristics, punchy tannins, acid and the versatility of these grapes in the bottle. Known for producing a vigorous canopy, Carignan vines are susceptible to pests and mildew and require careful monitoring and constant hands-on care. Much like our own children, the vines were raised on organic products, shielded from harmful chemicals, and showered in attention and meticulous guidance. In the fall of 2021, Josh masterfully shepherded the first vintage from Thibido Vineyard to harvest for this very bottle.
2022: We produced 55 cases of Carnala for this vintage and changed the composition of the blend to 52% Carignan, 23% Syrah, 13% Mourvèdre, and 12% Grenache with organically farmed fruit.
2021: We produced 55 cases of this wine comprised of 83% Carignan, 10% Syrah and 7% Mourvèdre all organically farmed and grown on the Thibido Vineyard.
Carnala is a reflection of our family, our vineyard, our creativity, and our children all poured into a bottle of beautiful wine for you to enjoy.
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