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Gearhead Wines

Acid Queen 2020

Price: $26.95
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Tasting notes

The pairing of high-acid Colombard with a small dose of old-vine Carignan — both done carbonic — results in a dry, electric pink wine that is tart, faintly tropical, and built for glassful after glassful. At 12.4% ABV and zero sulfites, it is one of those rare wines that tastes cleaner and more alive the more you drink it.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
GuavaGrapefruitWhite PeachWildflowers
  • Style: Dry rosé; electric pink; tart citrus and tropical fruit; high acid; 12.4% ABV; zero sulfites
  • Grapes & Terroir: 92% Colombard, 8% old-vine Carignan; organically farmed; Lacy Vineyard, Fairfield, Solano County, CA
  • Winemaking: Each variety fermented separately, carbonically, 14 days; no treading, no added CO2; blended, then bottled unfined and unfiltered with nothing added
  • Serving: Serve at 50-55°F; drink young; no decant needed
  • Pairing: Oysters, shrimp ceviche, fish tacos, goat cheese, grilled vegetables
  • Similar To: For fans of high-acid, dry Provençal rosé or pét-nat who want something Californian and sulfite-free

Acid Queen is a 92% Colombard and 8% old-vine Carignan rosé sourced from Lacy Vineyard in Fairfield, Solano County, California. Both varieties were fermented separately using carbonic maceration — no treading, no added CO2 — for 14 days each, then blended and bottled without fining, filtering, or any additions. Zero sulfites. Only 44 cases made.

The wine pours an electric pink. Colombard's structural role here is its famously high natural acidity and bright citrus-tropical character, while the old-vine Carignan contributes color and a bit of grip. Carbonic maceration on both varieties keeps the wine fresh, juicy, and low in harsh tannin.

Craig West makes wine at Noel Diaz's facility in Richmond, California, sourcing organic fruit from small growers across Northern California. He does not own any vineyards. Every wine in the Gearhead lineup is farmed organically, foot-tread or carbonically fermented, and made without added sulfur.

Serve well chilled — around 50 to 55°F — and drink young. This is a wine built for immediate pleasure, not the cellar.

Colombard's crisp acidity and tropical lift make this a natural with raw seafood — oysters, shrimp ceviche, or fish tacos. The wine's dry, light structure also works well alongside fresh goat cheese, light salads with citrus dressing, or grilled vegetables. Keep it cold and keep it casual.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Rose Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Colombard, Carignan
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2020
Alcohol:, 12.4%
Country:, United States
Region:, California
Appellation:, California
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Gearhead Wines

Craig West founded Gearhead Wines after a 2016 harvest encounter with Noel Diaz of Purity Wines in Richmond, California. Before wine, West worked as a commercial fisherman out of San Diego and as a baker for Acme Bread in the Bay Area. His first vintage was made in his garage that same year.

Gearhead does not own vineyards. West sources organically farmed fruit from small growers across Northern California, including Solano, Contra Costa, Mendocino, and Madera counties, seeking out CCOF-certified or otherwise organically managed sites. All wines are made at Noel Diaz's Richmond facility.

Every Gearhead wine is made with the same minimal-intervention approach: organic fruit, carbonic or whole-cluster fermentation, foot treading in some cases, no added sulfites, and bottling unfined and unfiltered. Production runs are small — many wines are made in fewer than 100 cases.

Wine region

California, United States

Solano County sits in the North Coast AVA, east of Napa Valley and directly west of Fairfield. The Suisun Valley AVA within Solano County is a small, three-mile-wide valley bordered by the Vaca Mountains to the east and the Howell Mountains to the west, with approximately 3,000 acres under vine. French Colombard has been planted in the Suisun Valley AVA since at least the 1980s and is listed among the valley's cultivated varieties alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Petite Sirah.

Solano County benefits from afternoon winds funneling in off San Francisco Bay, moderating temperatures in an otherwise warm inland climate. This cooling effect helps white and rosé grape varieties retain acidity through the growing season. The region does not carry the prestige of Napa or Sonoma, which is part of why independent natural winemakers like Craig West source fruit here — organically farmed grapes at prices that allow for small-production, zero-addition winemaking.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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