Evan Frazier’s project, Ferdinand Wines, was established in 2010. Evan dipped his toes into wine making in 2006, participating in a harvest in Maury in the south of France. There, he worked heavily with Grenache/Garnacha and Carignan/Mazuelo, varieties that are important on both sides of the Pyrenees in France and Spain, which greatly influenced the wines he makes now. After his time spent in Maury, Evan apprenticed under Abe Schoener of the illustrious Scholium Project, which led to a job with Kongsgaard, where he has worked the past decade. If this isn’t an impressive resume, we don’t know what is!

Under the Ferdinand label, Evan originally made only Albarino in tiny quantities. He still focuses on Spanish varieties grown in California. The grapes are farmed organically, with attention to both sustainability and excellent quality. Evan uses traditional wine making techniques; fermentation occurs naturally and the wines are made to show the fresh, vibrant characteristics inherent to the varieties. We have three delicious Ferdinand wines on our shelves right now. You should definitely check them out.

POCO TINTO 2019 – $39
This wine is 100% Graciano. The Graciano undergoes whole cluster carbonic fermentation. This creates a light, juicy wine that is popping with mouthwatering acidity. Pale ruby in colour, this wine toes the line between rosé and red. It is reminiscent of a bowl of fresh plucked raspberries off the bush, the height of sour cherry season, and that lovely floral aroma of a warm July day. It is basically a summer’s day captured in a crunchy, refreshing bottle of wine. Chill this a little and experience pure refreshment. Definitely drink this outside (weather permitting).

GRACIANO 2019 – $43
Another 100% Graciano, this wine is made in essentially the same way as the Poco Tinto, but is a heck of a lot darker in colour and has a little more structural oomph. While it offers plenty of refreshment through the well balanced acidity, this wine has a spicy side that we just can’t get enough of. The raspberry quality of this wine is a bit more ripe than the Poco Tinto and it has flavours of black cherry, fragrant violet, and cracked black pepper. It has the perfect marriage of flavour density and vibrancy. Yum!

GARNACHA BLANCA 2018 – $43
Garnacha Blanca is a gorgeous grape variety that doesn’t get as much shelf space as it deserves. The 2018 Ferdinand Garnacha Blanca is silky. The texture of this wine is gorgeous. It is mouth filling and feels luxurious with every sip. The grape is prone to booziness when picked too ripe, but Evan’s timing turned out perfectly; by harvesting when the grapes hadn’t developed an excess of sugar, the wine has a moderate alcohol content and lovely acidity and to balance all of the body this wine has to offer. It has flavours of delicate white peach, creamy lemon curd, and a touch of fennel seed. It is such a treat.