Iruai Shasta Cascade White 2024

Ever wondered what wine from the California Alps would taste like? Iruai Winery was founded in 2013 by Chad and Michelle Westbrook Hinds, first as an urban winery in Berkeley, CA, before settling in Michelle’s hometown of Etna, CA in 2019. Scott Valley (not to be confused with Scotts Valley) in Siskiyou County lies in the Shasta-Cascade mountains, a place that feels more like a cross between Switzerland and Montana than anywhere in California. The ‘Shasta Cascade White’ is inspired by the white wines of Jura and Savoie in the French Alps, and is a truly unique blend of grapes (30% savagnin, 20% chardonnay, 20% chenin blanc, 20% savagnin rose musqué, and 10% grüner veltliner) from high elevation sites in the Shasta-Cascade regions of the Trinity Alps as well as Oregon’s Siskiyou Wilderness. Medium bodied, this unfurls layer after captivating layer: dried wildflowers, incense, freshly cut pineapple, fleshy peach, preserved lemon, hints of almond nuttiness, and dashes of vanilla Meyer lemon blossom, white pepper, and 5 spice. Briny, electric acidity elevates the creamy, spicy-meets-savory texture, while the finish goes on for days. So how does wine from the California Alps taste? We say it’s impossibly delicious! Low-intervention/natural wine.