Gnarly Head

A favorite wine from Zinfandel

The Gnarly Head story began with a wine. in 2004, the winemakers set out to make America's favorite wine from the Zinfandel grape. To do so, they sought out the best vineyards in the home of this gnarly grape, Lodi, California. The Zinfandel vines in the older vineyards are among the oldest in California and are raised using the freestanding gobelet method traditional to the region. They look like old gnarled heads. Over the years, they produce only small berries with exceptional concentration. These gnarled vines inspired the name of the wines, as these old vines produce dense, full-bodied and juicy wines.

A touch of knottiness

But it's not just Zinfandel that can be gnarly. So the winemakers selected the best grape varieties from Northern California vineyards to produce wines in the same style: easy to drink, easy to pair with food. Gnarly Head wines are

• dense
• sophisticated
• and possess a touch of gnarliness

Old Vine Zinfandel

Old Vine Zinfandel wines are made from grapes grown in the Kramer Vineyard, with vines dating back to the early years of the 20th century. The best vineyards are still farmed today by the descendants of the original Italian immigrant families, some of them fourth generation, who were the first to plant the Zinfandel vines here. The Old Zinfandel wines of Delicato Family Vineyards grow in these vineyards, and the collaboration began decades ago, sometimes sealed only by a handshake.

Lodi rules

In 1995, the Delicato Family acquired the vineyards of Clay Station Vineyards, formerly Old Borden Ranch, also in the Lodi, California region. It now encompasses 1300 acres of land (1 acre is approximately 4047 sq. ft.) that are farmed sustainably, according to the requirements of the so-called Lodi Rules.

Gnarly Head is a product line of Delicato Family Vineyards, whose roots go back to Italian immigrants to America. The wines are made from grapes grown in selected vineyards in Northern California, some of which are owned by the company, such as Clay Station Vineyards, which was acquired by the Delicato Family in 1995, and some of which are contracted from original Italian winemaking families who have been farming their vineyards for four generations to this day.