2018 Qupé Reserve California Pinot Noir

Some are named after their location. Still other names are about marketing and how well the name “tests” with consumers. None of the above applies to Qupé, one of the iconic wineries of California’s Central Coast region.

The name "Qupé" was chosen to honor the Chumash, the indigenous people of the Central Coast and Channel Islands. In Chumash, "qupé" refers to the poppy, a flowering plant traditionally used for food and medicine. In 1903, the California poppy was officially designated the state flower, and every spring masses of the bright orange blossoms blanket local hills and back country.

Pictured on the winery's label, a stylized poppy stands amid a swirl of stems studded with leaves and seed pods. Inside the bottle, the 2018 Reserve Pinot Noir awakens the palate with its wonderful fruit flavors and mild spice notes — another iconic elixir from an iconic winery.