The Wine
A certificate such as the following is included with each magnum:
Barney's Backyard
2005
Petite Syrah
Magnum No. 1 of 18
The 91 vines planted in the year 2000 on the back corner of the St. Helena Public Library property are officially known as “Barney's Backyard.” With the blessing of the library trustees, the Napa Valley Wine Library Association (whose collection's home is the public library) undertook the project to enhance the library site and to honor the association's first president, Dr. Bernard L. Rhodes (1963).
Barney's Backyard's traditional “mixed black” composition (Petite Syrah with a smattering of Carignane and Zinfandel) matches the adjacent heritage vineyard planted between 1882 and 1945, which belongs to the city and is leased to renowned vintner Larry Turley.
Allen Price, the late Reg Oliver, and the late Bob Lamborn, the NVWLA directors responsible for Barney's Backyard, were delighted when winemaker Ehren Jordan agreed to include the tiny vineyard's yield in Turley's “Library Vineyard” Petite Syrah. For the fourth year, the NVWLA dedicates its “share” of this outstanding wine to assist in the fund-raising efforts of local organizations supporting education.
