Outward El Sendero Luminoso Red Blend
Pairs with: Rosemary-and-garlic rubbed grilled lamb chops, slow-roasted duck breast with a tart cherry glaze, wood-fired wild mushroom and thyme risotto, herb-crusted pork tenderloin, or a rustic platter of roasted eggplant, grilled Mediterranean vegetables, and aged goat cheese.
Good for: Captivating fans of Northern and Southern Rhône reds who want a wild, boundary-pushing American twist; introducing geeky wine crowds to an ultra-rare, near-extinct grape variety (Vaccarèse); or throwing a serious curveball into a dinner party with a fresh, energetic, and completely low-intervention conversation piece.
Grape: 60% Syrah, 30% Vaccarèse, 10% Mourvèdre.
I am from: Central Coast, California, USA (A thoughtful, cool-climate mosaic weaving together estate-farmed Syrah from Starfire Vineyard, rare Vaccarèse from Old Oak Vineyard, and structural Mourvèdre from Rancho Arroyo Grande).
The Story: Outward Wines is the adventurous, minimal-intervention brainchild of winemakers and avid rock climbers Natalie Siddique and Ryan Pace. This small-production project is entirely driven by a spirit of discovery, focusing on responsibly farmed vineyards that hug the rugged, wind-swept California coastline. The wine’s name, "El Sendero Luminoso" (The Shining Path), is named after a legendary, near-vertical limestone rock climb in El Potrero Chico, Mexico, which the duo famously scaled themselves. That same sense of high-wire adrenaline and boundary-pushing exploration is bottled right here.
While the blend mimics a classic Southern Rhône framework, Natalie and Ryan completely reinvent the style by swapping out traditional Grenache for Vaccarèse—one of the rarest permitted grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, planted in only two select vineyards across all of North America. In the cellar, the fruit is treated with artisan precision to maximize structural tension and raw varietal character: the Syrah utilizes a mix of destemmed fruit and whole-berry carbonic maceration to boost juicy fruit tones, while the Vaccarèse and Mourvèdre undergo spontaneous native-yeast fermentations with significant whole-cluster inclusion (50% and 30% respectively) to lock in an earthy, alpine complexity. The components are gently matured for just 6 months in neutral French oak barrels before being bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with a bare minimum of sulfur. The result is a luminous, high-energy red that completely breaks the mold of classic California blends.
Why You'll Love Me: It is a spectacular collision of wild, crunchy cool-climate fruit and deeply savory grit—a light-to-medium-bodied red that proudly rejects heavy, over-extracted weight in favor of high-toned perfume and athletic agility. In the glass, it pours a vibrant, translucent ruby with bright violet highlights catching the light. The nose is incredibly expressive and atmospheric, instantly erupting with a bouquet of wild raspberries, tart blackberries, and freshly crushed violets, beautifully layered with complex, savory top notes of smoked bacon fat, cracked black pepper, and rubbed Herbs de Provence. On the palate, it delivers a beautifully chiseled, upright structural ride; a succulent core of dark forest berries is effortlessly framed by fine, supple whole-cluster tannins and a driving beam of ocean-born acidity. It glides with weightless energy across the tongue, sailing into a long, bone-dry finish highlighted by a trailing touch of wild sage, tobacco leaf, and a persistent, gravelly mineral snap.
