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| Curiosity is one of history's great motivators. Amid speculation that the region would never amount to much for Rhône variety wines, the original vines for Io were planted in 1991 at the Nielson Vineyard, one of the region's oldest sites. Three grafted acres of Syrah, one of Mourvedre and one of Grenache provided results that were compelling enough to merit a Syrah clonal trial in 1995. Once again the results spoke volumes about the potential for Rhône varieties in the region, prompting the winery to begin sourcing Syrah from a select handful of the region's best vineyard designates. Since 1996, we have produced dense, striking Syrahs from a handful of mid-Californian coastal and inland sites. Our home is Santa Barbara County's famed Santa Maria Bench. It is a place of brisk winds, thick fog and cool temperatures. It is one of the world's great environments for Syrah and its Rhône cousins  Io is named after the mythological Argive princess who was also the daughter of an ancient river god. According to the myth, Zeus saw the beautiful maiden by the banks of the Inachus River. Overcome by desire for her, he shrouded the earth in a dark cloud to secretly meet with her and hide his exploits from his jealous wife Hera. Io's descendent, Hercules, plays a major role in Greek mythology. Io is an apt name for the wine that draws its fruit from the beautiful mist-shrouded valleys of the Central Coast to create a rich, sensuous wine |
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