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Sarah Boone
 
February 7, 2023 | Sarah Boone

Varinder's First True Love: Syrah

This month, love is in the air. After all, Valentine’s Day and National Syrah Day are just around the corner!

If you’ve been following us, you’ll remember the tale of Anita and Varinder’s first date. It’s our favorite story to share, especially around this time of year. 

Today, we’re rewinding to a time before that fateful first date in 2015. We’re going way back to talk about Varinder’s first true love: SYRAH.

Bold, sexy, dramatic, full-bodied, spicy. It’s all the things one could hope for in a first love. 

For Copia, Syrah is much more than a varietal. It is a calling. For Varinder, a twin-sign Gemini through and through, Syrah’s dichotemy, it’s dual nature, is what makes it a muse for him. It’s a wine that punches with power and spicy boldness, and flirts with fruit and florality all at once. This is the varietal that spoke to Anita and Varinder when they first visited Paso Robles Wine Country in 2015. It’s the varietal that continues to be the source of their inspiration, particularly in our flagship wine, The Source. Their love of Syrah inspired them to seek out the best vineyards to produce a collection of singular 100% Syrah wines. Learn more.

MORE ON SYRAH
Originating in the Rhone Valley of France, Syrah brings with it a rich, sometimes meaty expression. It is the most widely planted varietal in Australia where they call it Shiraz. Here in Paso Robles, Syrah has been crowned the king, and for good reason. The calcareous soil types in Paso Robles are rare in the rest of California — especially the limestone containing ancient seabeds found in our own Willow Creek and Adelaida Estates. While the soil stresses the vines (in a good way), the breeze off of the Pacific Ocean work to moderate our daytime heat. Cool mornings and nights (diurnal temperature shift) allow for the grapes to hang onto their acidity and aromatics. Our long growing season coupled with all of these growing conditions make for some of the finest examples of Syrah in the world. We feel lucky and proud to be stewards of a land that can reflect such a unique sense of place for our Syrah.

Syrah’s broody black color in the glass only foreshadows all of its complexity and nuance.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SYRAH

FRUIT
“Black and blue.” Juicy blackberry and blueberry aroma on the nose.

FLORAL AND HERB
Herbes de Provence (fennel, lavender, thyme), violet.

SAVORY, SPICE AND MORE
Black olive, peppercorn (green and black), clove, bacon fat, chocolate, smoke, tobacco.

TEXTURE
One of the most full-bodied red wines in the world, it coats the palate and has a beautiful silky mouthfeel.

FOOD PAIRING
Syrah pairs well with bold foods like grilled lamb chops, goat curry, game meat and prawn paella, a peppery barbeque or a cheeseburger. Try pairing it with dishes that contain Herbes de Provence, or aged cheeses like a 5-year Gouda.

Time Posted: Feb 7, 2023 at 9:41 AM Permalink to Varinder's First True Love: Syrah Permalink
Anita and Varinder Sahi
 
January 7, 2023 | Anita and Varinder Sahi

Happy New Year, Copia Family!

2022, where did you go!? As we turn the corner and welcome 2023, we think of all that happened in the last year. Starting with a promising growing season and ending with a fast and furious harvest, 2022 was remarkable in its peaks and valleys. The ebb and flow of every year always seems dramatic at its close. With that said, 2022 was truly an incomparable year for all of us at Copia Vineyards! Read on for a few of the highlights and be sure to catch our January blog post: Copia's Love Affair with Cheese.
 
 
Club Party + Pre-release of 2020s
Do we love a good party or what?
 
We enjoyed every minute of getting to meet our members, host an afternoon filled with great food and music all while previewing the 2020 wines.
 
Each wine was paired with delectable creations from local Chef Alex Martin, followed by a whole roasted suckling pig and a selection of favorites from Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ.
 
We met many members in person for the first time and jammed poolside with amazing tunes by The Vibesetters! 
 
Reviews
 
This year's releases came with Copia’s highest ratings to date! Copia released 9 new wines and received beautiful scores for all of them, topping out with 96 pts for the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2019 The Pursuit - Bien Nacido Vineyard. The current vintage also received three Cellar Selection designations from Wine Enthusiast.
 
We’re proud to share these wines with you and enjoy your impressions as they continue to age in bottle.
 
Harvest 2022: Fast and Furious
 
What do you do when:
  • 75% of harvest happens in September (a FIRST for many),
  • You’re setting up a new crush line at the height of harvest and your cluster conveyor sends grapes flying everywhere, and
  • Your hoses are just a little too short and your days are just a little too long?
     
SMILE AND LAUGH THROUGH IT ALL.
Because, hey, it’s harvest. And harvest is fun.
 
Hosting You + A Growing Team
 
We welcomed a record number of guests to experience Copia’s hospitality in the tasting room and at our vineyard guest house. We are already booking up for the first half of 2023 and are excited to keep sharing the Copia story with you.
 
Our team has grown to include a couple more team members (hats and glasses encouraged, but optional). We share the language of hospitality and are all delighted to offer even more unique tasting experiences and events starting this Spring. Stay tuned!
Time Posted: Jan 7, 2023 at 10:30 AM Permalink to Happy New Year, Copia Family! Permalink
Sarah Boone
 
January 7, 2023 | Sarah Boone

Copia's Love Affair with Cheese

If you’ve visited us and experienced our lounge tasting, you’ll know we love to experience our wine with artisanal cheese. Cheese is incredibly delicious and enjoyable on its own, of course. But, there is a reason that wine and cheese are a match made in heaven.
 
Let's talk tannins! Tannins are an astringent compound abundantly found in nature. When it comes to wine, tannins are extracted from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak barrels. Think texture, structure and mouthfeel. Have you ever had the sensation of a the moisture leaving your palate after enjoying wine? That is the tannin in the wine.
 
What does this have to do with cheese? Cheese is composed of protein and fat and is rich on the palate. There is an interaction that happens when you combine wine tannins and the fat in cheese. A bite of cheese before a sip of wine smooths out the "rough edges" of some wine tannins. The perception of astringency in wine is reduced as it glides like silk over the palate. Studies have also shown that certain cheeses with certain wines can work to enhance fruit qualities and aromas.
 
At Copia, we take time as a team sampling several cheeses with each wine before presenting them to you. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it! Our goal is to always find a cheese match that doesn’t change or overpower the wine. We look for a pairing that puts the wine on a pedestal and simply lets it shine.
 
We’d love to see you in the tasting room soon and take you on this wine and cheese journey! You can also have fun with pairings at home. Check out your local grocery store, or find a cheese shop near you and get your hands on some of our favorites below.
 
BOOK THE WINE AND CHEESE EXPERIENCE
 
WINE SHOP
 

CURRENT RELEASE
PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS

2019 The Story (Grenache)
pairs with Ossau-Iraty

2019 The Cure (G-S-M)
pairs with Cave-Aged Gruyere

2019 The Source (Syrah)
pairs with 5-Year Aged Gouda, Artikaas

Time Posted: Jan 7, 2023 at 9:00 AM Permalink to Copia's Love Affair with Cheese Permalink
Anita and Varinder Sahi
 
July 4, 2022 | Anita and Varinder Sahi

Tandoori Shrimp | Recipe by Anita and Varinder Sahi

There is nothing quite as satifying as the traditional Indian method of cooking clay vessel called a Tandoor. What results are delectable, tangy morsels of meat and seafood or pillowy naan breads and rotis. Proteins are marinated (usually in yogurt) and cooked quickly at a very high temperature. In this recipe, we show you how to achieve a similar dish using jumbo shrimp and your BBQ grill. While yogurt and shrimp might seem like an unlikely pairing, it has a very specific role in this preparation. The yogurt is not only a great base for all the spices blended into it, but it also cooks down to a light crust on each shrimp when grilled. This is always a crowd pleaser at our dinner parties. We typically serve it as an appetizer, however, add a little basmati rice and you have a marvelous entrée.

VIEW RECIPE

 

 

Time Posted: Jul 4, 2022 at 10:15 AM Permalink to Tandoori Shrimp | Recipe by Anita and Varinder Sahi Permalink
Anita and Varinder Sahi
 
January 12, 2022 | Anita and Varinder Sahi

Game Meat and Prawn Paella | Recipe by Chef Rachel Ponce

We always love to introduce each new Copia vintage alongside inspired food. The release of our 2019 vintage wines was no different. The theme was tapas and Spanish cuisine and we tasked local Paso Robles wine country Chef Rachel Ponce with coming up with the perfect pairing for each wine. Every bite she created was absolutely delectable, but it was Chef Rachel’s Game Meat and Prawn Paella that became the stuff of Copia legend! She had created a perfectly rich and multilayered dish that paired beautifully with our Source Syrah. It is an unctuous and embarrasingly luxurious one-pan-meal that hides its true elegance in its humble plating. As with everything that Chef Rachel does, she used our wine as the perfect inspiration for a dish that we find ourselves cooking again and again. Enjoy this recipe that is sure to impress anyone you serve it to.

View Recipe

Time Posted: Jan 12, 2022 at 8:59 AM Permalink to Game Meat and Prawn Paella | Recipe by Chef Rachel Ponce Permalink
Anita Sahi
 
October 21, 2021 | Anita Sahi

Fall 2021 | Wine Club Party

 What a blast we had with these very special people: Copia Vineyards club members. Your support and passion for our wine allows us to do what we love every day. And just look at all of your flamenco moves 😍 THANK YOU. 
 

Time Posted: Oct 21, 2021 at 1:10 PM Permalink to Fall 2021 | Wine Club Party Permalink
Anita Sahi
 
September 27, 2021 | Anita Sahi

Bordeaux Pick

Today’s pick is Copia Vineyard's estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot! It’s the first of our estate Bordeaux varietals and we’re excited beyond belief. 

Time Posted: Sep 27, 2021 at 1:09 PM Permalink to Bordeaux Pick Permalink
Anita Sahi
 
September 20, 2021 | Anita Sahi

Estate Grenache

Time Posted: Sep 20, 2021 at 1:07 PM Permalink to Estate Grenache Permalink
Anita Sahi
 
September 9, 2021 | Anita Sahi

Indian Women in Wine Blaze a Trail in California

Local Journalist Mira Advani Honeycutt meets six women of Indian descent who are making a mark in an industry dominated by men. We're honored to have our own Anita Sahi profiled among such a distinguished group of female trailblazers!

Anita Sahi and husband, Varinder pictured among the vines at Copia Vineyards

Excerpt: "ANITA SAHI, Proprietor/General Manager, Copia Vineyards, Paso Robles 

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Anita Kothari was drawn to all things culinary at a young age. From her stints in television and with public relations firms, she transitioned to the restaurant industry working with such luminaries as New ork’s restaurateur Drew Nierporent where her true wine education began, helping her to develop a sophisticated palate. “To be able to orchestrate dinners using a Wine Spectator Grand Award winning wine cellar that is 20,000-plus bottles deep was a privilege,” recalled Anita."

Read Full Article

 

Visit Sommelier India Magazine.

Time Posted: Sep 9, 2021 at 10:30 AM Permalink to Indian Women in Wine Blaze a Trail in California Permalink
Sarah Boone
 
September 8, 2021 | Sarah Boone

Estate Syrah

Copia’s First Estate Harvest Ever! Syrah blocks came off the vine today. Culmination of a longtime dream and a lot of hard work. 

Time Posted: Sep 8, 2021 at 1:06 PM Permalink to Estate Syrah Permalink
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