Grenache 2023, Corteza Vineyards

In the quiet Delta town of Knightsen, where warm days meet cool coastal breezes, Corteza Vineyards is turning local soil into something extraordinary. Their 2023 Grenache reflects the unique balance of this place—sun-drenched ripeness met with refreshing lift.

The vines grow in rich delta loam, a mix of sand, silt, and clay that fosters deep roots and natural resilience. Abundant minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium give the fruit brightness and structure, while the cooling winds of the Carquinez Strait preserve elegance and clarity.

The wine opens with aromas of crushed raspberry, pomegranate, and wild thyme, followed by notes of pink peppercorn, rose, and warm earth. On the palate, it’s supple and medium-bodied, gliding between juicy cherry and cranberry with fine, talc-like tannins and a whisper of minerality. The finish lingers long and pure—a perfect snapshot of Knightsen’s quiet terroir.

After years of selling their fruit to other producers, the Corteza family has begun bottling under their own name, collaborating with Sebastian Erggelet of Erggelet Brothers to bring their first estate wines to life. The result is a Grenache that feels grounded, graceful, and confidently Californian—proof that the Delta still has untold stories in its soil.

About the Winery

Tucked into the quiet delta town of Knightsen, Corteza Vineyards is a family-run estate rooted in the belief that great wine begins beneath the surface. Founded as a premium grape-growing operation, for years the family sold their fruit to other producers. In recent seasons, however, they’ve begun bottling under their own name — and embarked on partnering with noted Contra Costa winemaker Sebastian Erggelet of Erggelet Brothers Wine to shape the style and production of their estate wines.

Their name — “Corteza,” meaning “bark” or “outer layer” in Spanish — nods to both vine-skin and the deep connection between healthy soil and expressive fruit. The home terrain is rich delta loam, a mix of sand, silt, and clay that balances moisture and nutrients while encouraging deep root systems. This soil, shaped over centuries by the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, is infused with minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium — the quiet architects of flavor, structure and longevity in wine.

At Corteza, sustainable and organic farming isn’t a marketing phrase — it’s a philosophy. The team tends their vineyards with biodiversity in mind, avoiding synthetic chemicals and nurturing the living ecosystem beneath each row. This harmony between soil, vine and climate yields wines that speak clearly of place: bright yet structured, bold yet balanced.

From the sun-drenched Grenache 2023 to their aromatic whites, every bottle reflects Knightsen’s distinct terroir — a meeting of delta air, coastal breeze and loamy depth. It’s proof that in this humble corner of Contra Costa County, the earth still has stories worth telling — one sip at a time.