Once in a blue moon, the conditions are just right at harvest to plan for a Late Harvest Zinfandel. This means that grapes can hang on the vine long enough for their sugars to rise to optimal Brix and the dream of a heavenly dessert wine begins fermenting. But an early frost or a torrential rain can ruin even the best-laid plans by compromising the tender fruit.

The 2022 harvest was one of those lucky years, and we were able to bring a delectable dessert wine to fruition! It’s been 15 years since we last had a Late Harvest Zin vintage, and the time-lapse makes this new release all the more special.

The 2022 Organic Late Harvest Zinfandel is a lovely sipper: rich and viscous on the mid-palate with loads of cassis and blackberry, wrapped in smooth, velvety tannins. An apéritif glass of Late Harvest Zinfandel is the perfect pairing for squares of dark chocolate, a slice of Linzer torte, or some rich Stilton. We recommend enjoying this special wine by savoring each sip slowly.

The label takes its inspiration from the formidable Point Arena lighthouse on the rugged coast of Mendocino County. The Point Arena lighthouse has been assisting mariners in navigating the Mendocino coast for over 150 years, and its 115 foot tall beacon is visible through thick fog up to 14 miles away. Our graphic designer, Nicole Martenson is a resident of the Mendocino Coast, and she drew on her love of the area when creating the label for the Late Harvest Zin. The label’s graphics echo WPA-era posters promoting travel to U.S. National Parks, and the typography and thickly embossed 100% recycled paper stock pay homage to vintage book cover design.

While Frey Vineyards is located inland, we are only about 50 miles away from the Mendocino Coast as the crow flies. The Frey property in Redwood Valley is home to one of the most inland stands of Redwood trees in the area. We are so honored to be surrounded by the coastal redwood trees in fact, that we have put the forest areas into a protected Mendocino Land Trust to ensure that they will be there for generations to come! We also named our Pacific Redwood Organics line of wines after the towering and majestic trees that call Mendocino County home. Although our vineyards aren’t right on the coast, we have an incredible affinity for the Mendocino Coast ecosystems at Frey.

On any map of California, you can see that the Point Arena coastline area is remarkable in that it juts out as far West as possible. Starting at the bottom of California (or Southern America if you like) and going for hundreds of miles to the North, the coast creeps along a bit farther and farther West until it reaches Point Arena’s far Western extension.

Point Arena

According to history, in 1542, Spaniards arrived and named the headland Cabo de Fortunas (Cape of Fortune), in recognition of their difficult journey. The cape was renamed to Punta Delgado (“narrow point”) in 1775 and later the area was called Punta Barra de Arena (i.e. “sandbar point”) and finally Point Arena (literally “sand point”). At present, the Manchester-Point Arena band of Pomo Indians tribal office is located very close to the Point Arena lighthouse, and Pomo tribes are the indigenous people of both inland and coastal Mendocino County.

The Lighthouse

You can visit the famed Point Arena Light Station! The Manchester Beach and the Point Arena/Stornetta Unit of the California Coastal National Monument are open to the public daily. Visitors are allowed to go hiking around the 23 acre Outdoor Museum with its one-of-a-kind stone installations and art, native plant gardens, bluff-top hiking trails and beautiful viewing spots to look for migrating whales and seabirds.

For more information about visiting the lighthouse, you can check out the Point Arena Lighthouse Visitors Page. Or you can sip the Late Harvest Zin and contemplate this icon on the Mendocino Coast from the comfort of your own home. Cheers to our newest edition to the Frey wine offerings: a 2022 dessert wine!