"Iruai's "Elphame" Savagnin from Trinity Lakes AVA is a vibrant and distinctive white wine made from 100% Savagnin grapes, a rare variety known for its role in the Jura region of France, prized for its bright acidity and nutty, citrusy character. Grown in high-elevation vineyards in the Shasta-Trinity region, this wine offers striking notes of summer peach, teasan (herbal tea), lemon bar, and a flinty minerality. It is fresh and electric, with a hint of herbal perfume and a savory, crisp f

At a Glance

• Origin: Etna, Sicily, Italy
• Varietal & Type: Savagnin
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• Vineyard Soil:
• USNW Classification: Natural

Tasting Notes & Pairing

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About the Winemaker

Iruai (pronounced "ear-oo-eye") is a natural wine project in the California Alps, located at 3,000 feet elevation in Etna, CA—named after the Shasta Indigenous word for Scott Valley in Siskiyou County.

Chad and Michelle Westbrook Hinds started making wine in 2013 as a nomadic natural wine project in Berkeley, originally called Méthode Sauvage. In 2019, they put down roots in Michelle's hometown of Etna in the mythical Shasta-Cascade mountains. Trading the urban winery hustle for the vigneron life, they now explore avant-garde vineyard planting using permaculture methods.

Farming & Cellar: Finding themselves in largely untested grape-growing territory with high elevations and a continental climate, Iruai celebrates esoteric alpine varieties that flourish in the European Alps. They employ no additives and remove no character, with a goal to let vines thrive as they would in the wild. One percent of sales supports the Shasta Indian Nation.