Monte Rio Sauvignon Blanc 2021

100% Sauvignon Blanc. Monte Rio Cellars is a collaboration between longtime friends Patrick Cappiello and Pax Mahle. Following a successful career as a sommelier and restaurant owner in New York City, Patrick set his sights on the West Coast to make wine.

As a restaurant buyer and young consumer Patrick was always frustrated by the lack of affordable, honest wines from California. He launched Monte Rio Cellars with the help of his buddy and highly-respected winemaker, Pax, to change this. Patrick and Pax’s philosophy is to make hand-crafted wines in the spirit of old California. With this idea in mind, they work with family-owned, organically farmed vineyards and keep the winemaking simple. Spontaneous fermentation takes place with whole cluster grapes in stainless steel and concrete, and aging takes place in neutral oak barrels. The goal is to make moderate alcohol, higher acid, fresh wines, naturally. This Sauvignon Blanc from the Lodi wine region (an area between Sacramento and Stockton) is from 30-year-old vines and organically farmed, fermented with natural yeasts in steel, and aged for five months in old barrels. It is a beautiful Sauv Blanc that gives you warmer weather flavors without being too tropical and too high in alcohol. Still refreshing and full of acidity. Only 100 cases produced, so there ain’t much to go around! Try this fantastic, new-ish producer today.