SPOTLIGHT WINERY - Single Leaf Winery Turning 20

2013 is going to be a great year for Single Leaf Winery and Scott and Pam Miller. It is their tasting room's 20th Anniversary and will offer them a chance to celebrate with their friends, old and new alike!

If you are new to Single Leaf Winery, there is a rich history to celebrate, that includes Scott's journey from chemistry major at UNLV, to an amateur wine statistician, a Pinot Noir and Zinfandel fanatic, a public servant and finally a winery owner and wine maker. Scott and Pam's dream was to own and operate a winery and produce outstanding wines with a flavor profile that is unique and distinct. When they purchased their property in 1988 in Fair Play, the ATF had not yet officially recognized Fair Play as a distinct American Viticultural Area or AVA. It was not until 2001 that Fair Play became a federally recognized AVA, and by then, Single Leaf was only one of about 11 wineries operating in Fair Play. So they are part of this region's history as well!

Over time, Scott has been able to identify 5 distinct regions or "blocks" in his 9 acre vineyard and each of these blocks has a very defined flavor profile. Using these profiles is what enables Scott and Pam to offer some very unique and distinct Zinfandel wines that Scott had been looking to produce. The fact is, Single Leaf Winery has grown to be synonymous with Zinfandel, outstanding Zinfandel! However, Single Leaf Winery also offers many other varietals in their tasting room and all are produced with the same care and minimal intervention Scott and Pam have used the past 20 years.

Looking to the future, Single Leaf Winery is excited about the next chapter and it all begins with this "Spectacular 2012 harvest" as Scott describes it. As a whole, the wine growing regions of California have experienced some hard times the previous few years, but not 2012. With some of the best quality fruit he has seen, 2012 promises to be a great vintage. Looking forward, 2013 will also see some new releases such as the 2008 Estate Zinfandel, the 2009 Petite Sirah, the 2009 Cabernet Franc and the first tastes of 2011, the 2011 Viognier, which will be a wine unlike any that have come before because of the 2011 growing season. Soft and light in body, this wine will show off a delicate side of Fair Play, and do so in a very limited quantity, as not much Viognier survived the harsh 2011 growing season.

Look for more details of the various anniversary events planned by Single Leaf Winery at their website http://www.singleleaf.com/ or call 530-620-3545 for more information.