Viano, Hillside White NV

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In 1920, the Viano family arrived in California from their native Piedmont and purchased a vineyard just outside the small town of Martinez, in what is now Contra Costa County AVA. The site they bought had been planted in 1888 and they became one of fifteen wineries that slaked the thirst of San Francisco in a thriving winemaking community. Today, Viano is the only winery left in these parts, refusing to bow to the urbanisation that has consumed the entire Bay Area and driven real estate prices sky high. Some of their vineyards are the original 1888 plantings, others are more recent, but all of them are dry farmed with no recourse to chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Their 25 hectares of beautiful hillside vineyards really are an oasis in this part of California and the wines that brothers John and David produce represent some of the best value in the U.S.A.