Wines that are “Just Right”

Anyone who has ever worked in a wine store knows the drill: someone comes in, mentioning that they will be at a dinner or party and a looking for a wine that everyone will like. And being on “the other side”, as someone that is hosting a party and wants everyone to enjoy themselves to the max, from the company, to food, music and drinks, making a choice of which wines to have at a party or get together can be a hard decision to make.

And for wine lovers especially, you want to offer your guests wines that they will enjoy and remember, and ideally, a wine that you cannot get at the stores where everyone else goes to buy their wines. It makes for great conversation and discovery amoung guests to try a wine they never had before.

It’s actually a tall order since wines are complex and have so many different taste profiles and characteristics. Likewise everyone has different palettes, so how do you find a wine that a lot of people will like.

How do you choose such crowd pleasing wines that fit all these criteria? In this article, we give you tips and recommendations to help you pick out of the ordinary crowd pleasing wines, what we call Goldilocks wines: wines that are “just right”.

Wines for a Party

What ever term you use, quaffable, glou glou, smooth wine, drinkable wine, these are all terms used to describe easy to drink wines that are wines that go down easy and don’t need food to pair with. These types of wines are often sought after for parties since in our culture, wine is often had on its own, perhaps just with some appetizers. Whether a casual gathering or a special occasion, these wines are great on their own, so just for sipping, without necessarily pairings foods to make the wines shine through.

Goldilocks wines are just right… for gatherings, gifts, and parties!

We like to refer to them as Goldilocks Wines. This is because, like Goldilocks looking for porridge not too hot, but not too cold, but rather just right, these wines are not too much, or not too little, but can be just right for a wide range of palates and preferences.

This type of wine is where balance is key. This is a term we talked about in this previous article on winetasting terminology, and it’s a must have criteria to a wine that will need to be a crowd pleaser. They are usually versatile, balanced, and, of course, easy to drink, without being too complex, tannic, overpowering, or acidic.

How do you go about finding wines like this? Let’s explore the characteristics of most people pleasing wines, and give you some examples of dry wines (and some sweet wines!) that can help get you started on finding that just right wine for your next winetasting.

How to Find a Goldilocks Wine

A Goldilocks wine appeals to a wide range of tastes and preferences, without being too bland or boring. They are wines that are easy to drink, versatile with food, and affordable. They are wines that make your guests happy and satisfied, without overwhelming them with complexity or boring them with simplicity. Here are some characteristics of crowd pleasing wines.

Choosing a drinkable wine can be a challenge, as there are so many options and factors to consider. However, there are some ways to simplify and narrow down your choices, such as looking for certain characteristics. Before we dive in, if there are any terms you want to refresh, check out our Wine Lingo Guide for some definitions. Now, some Goldilocks characteristics:

  • Fruit Forward: Look for a wine that is fruit forward, meaning that they have prominent fruit flavors and aromas. Fruit forward wines are more accessible for both experienced and beginner wine drinkers and can be easier drinking wines than others that are too dry, earthy, or oaky.

  • Medium Bodied: Not too full, not too weak… but just right. Medium bodied wines follow that middle-of-the-road mentality to help please a maximum number of people. This doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t serve a full bodied red wine or an oaked chardonnay at a certain point of the gathering when the time is right.

  • Smooth or Round Finish: Picking a wine with a smooth or round finish means looking for something that have a soft aftertaste. They do not have long lasting overly apparent notes of acidity or tannins, but rather are smooth, soft, and without any sharp edges.

  • Blended Wines: A blend is a great way to help find a little bit of the previous three points. Seeing as they can (when carefully crafted by an artisan winemaker) pull different wines, varieties, and flavors together, it is more likely that they can cover a wider base of preferences for wine drinkers.

  • Wine for Beer Drinkers: Check out our previous article for more on these wines, but picking wines like this can help beginner wine drinkers find their palate, or convert and satisfy beer lovers.

Lambruscos are great people pleaser wines: low in alcohol, fruity, bubbly.

Some Vero Goldilocks Wines

Ok, so now you have an idea of what types of things you can look out for in a wine to make sure it pleases the largest number of guests, let’s have a look at some examples of Goldilocks wines from the VeroShop.

A Lively Sparkling Wine

Everyone loves bubbles right? Besides being great options to cater to the Wine for Beer Drinkers category, a wine like Prosecco is the number one produced wine in Italy by volume for a reason… it’s a people pleaser. But what if you are looking for a sparkling wine with a little more fun to it? Try a pet nat wine! A pet nat prosecco bottled ‘col fondo’ or on the lees will satisfy any Prosecco lover, but also since they are dry wines they don’t have any residual sugars. As an added bonus, since they are unfiltered, natural wine drinkers will love them! This goes too for wines like Lambruscos. Made with red grapes, they have a touch of fun tannin off set by great fruit and lively bubbles and that natty col fondo flavor. Great Goldilocks wines… a little bit of everything.

Try: Zanon Pet Nat Prosecco Colfondo Natural Sparkling Wine and Col del Balt Codola Pet Nat Prosecco - Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Organic Sparkling Natural Wine - Frignano Scurone Pet Nat Lambrusco Organic Sparkling Natural Wine

Fruity White Wines

There are some white wines that embody another of our suggestions: fruit forward wines. White wines can sometimes be a bit more people pleasing because of their lack of tannins, but you need to be careful that they are not too acidic. So, it helps if you search out those white wines that are super fruity flavored. These can be mono-varietal white wines like the Klassik Sauvignon Blanc from Austrian winery Michi Lorenz, or the Minutolo Ti Esti from Domus Hortae in Puglia. Or a blend of indigenous varieties like the oaked Richenza from woman owned Vigna Petrussa. As well, if you really liked oaked chardonnay or even steel aged chardonnay, try the Lugana or Lugana Garde from Zamichele on Lake Garda. These wines are great people pleasers because

Try: Michi Lorenz Sauvignon Blanc Klassik Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic - Domus Hortae Ti Esti Minutolo White Wine - Vigna Petrussa Richenza Oak Aged White Wine Blend Biodynamic - Zamichele Lugana Biodynamic White Wine - Zamichele Lugana Garde Biodynamic White Wine

Reds Ready to Throw Back

If white wines aren’t your thing, or you want to have a red wine to go alongside it, try pouring a quaffable red wine for your guests. These are red wines that have a touch of tannins, but are balanced by some wood aging and body to help create a balanced drinkable wine. These are red wines that you want to keep sipping, they are just flat out pleasant, delicious, and delectable. Between the fruity flavors, medium bodies, and balanced tannins they are great wines that have no sharp edges and people just keep loving. Bonus tip, try a rosé wine too, the light wine will have almost no tannins and normally they are fruity and fresh.

Try Quaffable Reds: Aldo Clerico Barbera d'Alba - Thaya Saint Laurent Natural Red Wine Organic Late Harvest Single Vineyard - Canalino Rosso di Toscana Tuscan Sangiovese Organic Biodynamic Natural Wine - Domus Hortae Kiaros Nero di Troia Rose Wine

A great easy red wine like an award-winning California Dolcetto has a natural balance of acidity and light tannins.

An Easy Red Wine

Tannins are a funny thing… in certain cases and for certain people, those rough tactile tannins are a holy grail. But for others, especially newbie wine lovers, they can be off-putting. When picking for a crowd, try wines that have a little less tannins. Now, to find red wines with lower levels of tannins you can either look for long-oak-aged reds (like the Piovano Piedmont Barbera), or a wine that maybe is only steel aged but naturally have less tannins (like the RiNera Unoaked Schioppettino). As well, a wine like the California Dolcetto from Ojai Pacific View covers a lot of these: dolcetto is naturally lower in tannins, it is oak aged for close to two years, and additionally it also has a nice acidity and fruit to help balance everything.

Try Easy Reds: Piovano Piedmont Barbera Natural Red Wine Organic - Vigna Petrussa RiNera Unoaked Schioppettino Red Wine Biodynamic - Ojai Pacific View Dolcetto California Red Wine

Bold Reds to Finish Off the Evening

Our last category of reds are bold. They are the ones that are sumptuous and decadant; that fill your mouth and are velvety. Here, you can go for either a blend to help create those sensations, or you can go with a riserva style wine (like a Nizza) that has undergone oak aging to bring about the same effect. Just pick a wine that is well balanced: you want even fruits, acidity, and tannins. No “peaks” of any of the three, but equal levels that create a well-rounded experience.

Try: Ivaldi 1613 Nizza Barbera Biodynamic Natural Red Wine - Case Corini Barla Barbera Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic

A Touch of Residual Sugar

Lastly, selecting a wine with some residual sugars can be a great way to find a Goldilocks wine for even the most beginner unexperienced wine drinker. These sweeter wines can be easier for the uninitiated to sip and seem less harsh than dry wines. The trick is, however, you want more than just sweet sugars. As VinePair said in their article 13 of the Best Sweet Wines for 2023, “The key is balance. Residual sugar in wine (the natural sugars remaining post-fermentation) only works if it is offset by good acidity.” Reading that, it is no wonder that they picked as one of these top 13 sweet wines Ivaldi’s Susbel Brachetto d’Acqui. We love as well, always from Ivaldi in the Monferrato, the Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti. Both wines display great structure and sapidity to match the sweetness, making sure that they are not cloying.

And of VinePair’s 13 Best Sweet Wines for 2023, the one with the highest points, at 96, is women-made Vigna Petrussa Picolit. VinePair’s review says: “Run, don’t walk to find and grab this bottle. It is a prime example of the harmony and complexity this style of wine is capable of expressing.” The harmony they refer to is balance, the key criteria for finding a people pleaser wine. This one for sure is a winner!

Sweet wines without this become tiring to drink after some time, wearing out the palate. Just be sure to pick a sweet wine that has good structure, acidity, and sapidity to balance everything out, or you can rely on us to do that!

Try: Ivaldi Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti Sweet Sparkling Wine Biodynamic - Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d'Acqui Sweet Sparkling Red Wine Biodynamic - Vigna Petrussa Picolit Dessert Wine

Serve some Goldilocks wines at your next winetasting like the Susbel Brachetto d'Acqui, RiNera Unoaked Schioppettino, and Rosso di Toscana.

Find Unique Goldilocks Wines

It can be difficult to find “one wine to rule them all”, but we hope that with our suggestions and tips your next party will be a breeze! From Christmas wine gifts to holiday wine, Goldilocks wines are just right, especially if you don’t necessarily know what someone loves to drink. Alternatively, if you do know their wine taste preference, check out our Holiday Gift Guide for more ideas on wine gifts.

For those of you that know our curation style, you know that we love to support small producers and bring you unique fun wines. And you can enjoy these curations by trying a selection of different wines and different winegrowers from our portfolio. We sell to both businesses and consumers across the US:

  • We are enlarging our network of distributors around the country. Reach out to us if you are interested in distributing our wines.

  • We sell to wine stores and restaurants in certain states - contact us if you would like more info.

  • We do corporate gifts and sommelier guided wine tastings. Email us and we’ll tailor unique and sustainable corporate gift ideas.

  • If our farm crafted wines and olive oils are not in your local shop or restaurant buy wine online here and we’ll ship it to you, including wine gift for Christmas, and we ship to most states.

  • We also have a wine club for true wine explorers seeking to discover a unique and authentic small production wine they never had - plus, it has won an award for Best Wine Club!

Let us know in the comments below your favorite Goldilocks wine!

Col del Balt Codola Pet Nat Prosecco Col del Balt Codola Pet Nat Prosecco
Quick View
Col del Balt Codola Pet Nat Prosecco
$19.99

Before this 'modern era' of Proseccos made with the Charmat method, Prosecco was made with the ancestral method, like this wine, Codolà, where fermentation takes place in the bottle, and it is not disgorged. This means that the wine is unfiltered since it is on its lees. In Italy it is also called a Col Fondo sparkling wine and in the US, we use the French term ‘Pet Nat’ to describe this wine. This results in a white sparkling wine whose aromas and flavors continue to evolve while they are in the bottle. This Col del Balt white sparkling wine made by the Sanzovo brothers has a straw yellow color with lots of fine bubbles and green herb and pear aromas with a hint of lemon zest. It has 0 residual sugar and it tastes dry and clean, with a slightly bitter, lemon rind tasting, finish.

Only 47 available
Zanon Pet Nat Prosecco Colfondo Natural Sparkling Wine Zanon Pet Nat Prosecco Colfondo Natural Sparkling Wine
Quick View
Zanon Pet Nat Prosecco Colfondo Natural Sparkling Wine
$24.99

A 100% glera grape white sparkling wine made with native yeast fermentation, this natural wine vintage “prosecco” is from vineyards in the old part of Valdobbiadene, made also in the historic tradition of the ancestral style, or Pet Nat, as it is bottle fermented on the lees. A light color, giving an early hint to its bright acidity, the bouquet of citrus and lemon flowers bursts forth in the glass once it opens. When tasting this ancestral method natural wine, apricots and persistent bubbles create a sparkling wine that is enjoyable with brunch, aperitivos , get-togethers, you name it.

The circle and dot logo represents both the human existence and evolution, as well as winemaker Eros Zanon’s personal view of his vineyards, a dot of small-production boutique quality in the larger circle of large-production Proseccos.

Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Organic Sparkling Natural Wine Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Organic Sparkling Natural Wine Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Organic Sparkling Natural Wine
Quick View
Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Organic Sparkling Natural Wine
from $26.98

Made from the rare Uva Tosca grape, which grows in higher altitudes in Emilia and is believed to be a descendant of Schiava Grossa, the Alto Adige red grape. Technically a rose wine, it is more like a light red, which looks and tastes like drinking cranberry juice as a sparkling wine. Refreshing and quaffable, with strawberries on the nose and a saline finish, it is great on its own or with light fare. While this grape does not impart much color, 2021 was a dry year, producing more concentrated fruit and color. It is naturally fermented and sparkling 'col fondo' ancestral, or pet nat, style wine.

Frignano Scurone Pet Nat Lambrusco Organic Sparkling Natural Wine Frignano Scurone Pet Nat Lambrusco Organic Sparkling Natural Wine
Quick View
Frignano Scurone Pet Nat Lambrusco Organic Sparkling Natural Wine
$26.99

This is an ancestral method Lambrusco made primarily with the Lambrusco Grasparossa grape, and with some Malbo Gentile grape, which is local to the area of Frignano in Modena. It is a lighter red ruby color, light effervescence, a nose that has red fruit with hint of orange peel. It is fresh and fruity, with plum taste, and grippy tannins and noticeable texture.

Only 329 available
Michi Lorenz Sauvignon Blanc Klassik Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic Michi Lorenz Sauvignon Blanc Klassik Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic
Quick View
Michi Lorenz Sauvignon Blanc Klassik Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic
$29.99

Coming from an area known for some of the best Sauvignon Blancs in the world, in the Südsteiermark subzone of in the South Styria of Austria, at 400m altitude with hand picked harvesting, this lemon yellow color sauvignon blanc has an intense bouquet of lemon, lemongrass and flint. It has citrus and apple flavors with a hint of lemongrass. It has great acidity and a long, sapid finish. Soils are red schist and loam. After 24 hours of skin maceration, the fruit was fermented with native yeast and aged in stainless steel. Minimal sulfur additions.

Only 34 available
Domus Hortae Ti Esti Minutolo White Wine Domus Hortae Ti Esti Minutolo White Wine
Quick View
Domus Hortae Ti Esti Minutolo White Wine
$26.99

Ti estì means in the local Greek dialect 'what is this?' which gives you a clue about this wine. It is a monovarietal made by the Minutolo grape, which is an aromatic white grape grown in Puglia, Southern Italy, since 1200. Despite it being made in stainless steel, 'spicy' is a word to describe this white wine. The bouquet is intriguing, with white flowers, lemon and citrus candy and a hint of herbs. On the palette, tropical fruit flavors stand out, like lychee and banana.

Zamichele Lugana Biodynamic White Wine Zamichele Lugana Biodynamic White Wine
Quick View
Zamichele Lugana Biodynamic White Wine
$25.99

Made from 100% Turbiana (considered similar to Verdicchio), this unoaked white wine from the sought after Lugana wine region has a bright yellow color, a natural balance of acidity and fruit with a textured mouthfeel and a long finish. It has inviting aromas of honeysuckle, tropical fruits, caramel and a hint of basil. Think of it as an alternative to an unoaked Chardonnay, since turbiana is also a noble white grape. Plus Zamichele’s terrroir with the influence from nearby Lake Garda and mineral rich glacial alluvial soil provides the conditions for creating a complex and balanced white wine.

Zamichele Lugana Garde Biodynamic White Wine Zamichele Lugana Garde Biodynamic White Wine
Quick View
Zamichele Lugana Garde Biodynamic White Wine
$30.99

Expand your horizons with this Italian wine made for Chardonnay lovers looking for an alternative. From Lake Garda, one of the Northern Italian lakes, this sustainably farmed white wine is a balancing act of acidity and fruit that pleasantly plays into a long finish. Plus it is super tasty. If you close your eyes and taste this wine, it is likened to having an apple crumb cake as a white wine. You initially get golden apple and then vanilla and spice.

Acidity and fruit harmonically combine with a salty minerality producing a sweet and salty taste sensation. Fruit bursts forth and taste envelopes the mouth, with some tropical fruit on the long finish.

This Lugana is an ageworthy oaked white wine, equivalent to a Lugana Riserva, made from the noble and native Italian grape, Turbiana, a grape which is likened to Verdicchio.

Overall pleasant and sippable yet complex, this is a great wine for California Chardonnay lovers looking for a change to surprise and delight them with a new white wine italian style.

Vigna Petrussa Richenza Oak Aged White Wine Blend Vigna Petrussa Richenza Oak Aged White Wine Blend
Quick View
Vigna Petrussa Richenza Oak Aged White Wine Blend
$31.99

Crafted as a blend of native white varieties from Friuli, all 3, Friulano, Malvasia and Picolit are vinified separately in french oak barrels for 18 months before assemblage and then further aging in bottle for 6 months. This is an age-worthy, complex and intense white wine with aromas of chamomile, tangerine, mango and jasmine and exotic fruit taste, oily richness and long finish, as one would expect from this highly crafted white wine blend from Friuli.

Author Linda Milk’s tasting notes: “When we poured it into our glasses, the rich golden color made us think this would be a very flavorful white wine. We tasted lots of apricot and felt a velvety sensation on our tongue.”

Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.

Only 10 available
Domus Hortae Kiaros Nero di Troia Rose Wine Domus Hortae Kiaros Nero di Troia Rose Wine
Quick View
Domus Hortae Kiaros Nero di Troia Rose Wine
$19.99

Kiaros, meaning 'just in time,' is a delightful expression of a rose wine, or rosato as they say in Italian, made from 100% Nero di Troia grapes. It has a strawberry-like citrus nose and ripe plum and rhubarb taste, this is a pleasant, fruity and balanced rose with a slight saline finish. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. From a small family estate in Northern Puglia in Southern Italy.

Vigna Petrussa RiNera Unoaked Schioppettino Red Wine Vigna Petrussa RiNera Unoaked Schioppettino Red Wine
Quick View
Vigna Petrussa RiNera Unoaked Schioppettino Red Wine
$29.99

This is an unoaked Schioppettino from a women owned winery who spearheaded the rebirth of Schioppettino in the 'birthplace' of the grape which is Prepotto, Fruili. Having a deep purple-garnet color, it has notes of black pepper and dark fruit. Its taste is tangy, fresh and juicy with a long clean finish. Pairs with many dishes from hamburgers to roast pork. World renowned wine critic, Ian D’Agata calls this Schioppettino a ‘very pretty wine’ and named it a 'Best Buy Italian Wine'.

Some fun facts about this wine:

  • Vigna Petrussa also calls this wine ‘RiNera’, or a nickname for ‘Ribolla Nera’, local term given to the wine.

  • The grapes actually come from Prepotto but since it is not aged in oak the winery is not 'allowed' to put Prepotto on the label.

Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.

Vigna Petrussa Picolit Dessert Wine
$69.99

Run, don’t walk to find and grab this bottle. It is a prime example of the harmony and complexity this style of wine is capable of expressing” is how VinePair describes this wine in their list of 13 of the Best Sweet Wines.

Fruity, spicy and balanced, this multiple award winning women-made dessert wine, Picolit, is the rarest and most treasured varietal in Friuli, the extreme North East of Italy.

It is made from hand-picked and air-dried picolit grapes that went through noble rot, as with the best dessert wines in the world. Fermented and then aged for 18 months in french oak barrique. Only 1200 bottles were made, and we have the last few available so be quick to grab this meditation wine to sip and savor.

Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.

Only 41 available
Canalino Rosso di Toscana Tuscan Sangiovese Canalino Rosso di Toscana Tuscan Sangiovese
Quick View
Canalino Rosso di Toscana Tuscan Sangiovese
$24.99

Made from sangiovese vineyards in Montalcino, this is an approachable, people pleaser for red wine lovers, the unoaked offering from the Brunello producer Canalino. It has notes of cherry, with hints of black pepper and toast. This wine is fresh, fruity and balanced with soft tannins and a pleasant clean finish.

Tastes Like: Crunchy, fresh cherries

Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regnerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Unfiltered | Organic | Natural Wine | Vegan

Thaya Saint Laurent Natural Red Wine Organic Late Harvest Single Vineyard Thaya Saint Laurent Natural Red Wine Organic Late Harvest Single Vineyard
Quick View
Thaya Saint Laurent Natural Red Wine Organic Late Harvest Single Vineyard
$28.99

From the Thaya estate winery in the Czech Republic, this single vineyard 100% Saint Laurent, which is called Svatovavřinecké in the Czech language and is a descendant of pinot noir, is from the U Chlupa vineyard with dusty loess and clay soils and which is in a national park. It has an inky deep purple color, a pretty nose, of violets, milk chocolate and spice. It is fresh with chaulky tannins, dark fruit taste, a harmonious and balanced wine. The wine was made naturally and fermented with native yeasts. It aged for 18 months in oak barrels of assorted sizes and types of toasting. It’s what’s called a “beefier Pinot Noir.”

Case Corini Barla Barbera Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic Case Corini Barla Barbera Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic Case Corini Barla Barbera Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic Case Corini Barla Barbera Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic Case Corini Barla Barbera Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic
Quick View
Case Corini Barla Barbera Natural Wine Organic Biodynamic
from $79.99

You never had a Barbera like this! Made from 95 year old Barbera vineyard, with some small percentage of other varieties planted over the years in the vineyard. This all natural wine has intense aromas of brandied cherries and a richly textured, delicious dark fruit taste with right balance of fruit, acidity and tannins. Barla is the antique name of the vineyard which used to be the land of an old convent. After a gentle crushing, fermentation starts with native yeast fermentation and wines are left with skin contact for 6-7 weeks, followed by about 36 months of aging in wooden barrels, housed under Lorenzo Corino's family home.

As with all of Case Corini wines, this is a 00 wine, nothing added, nothing removed, no yeast, no sulphites added, organic, biodynamic, vegan. In other words, all natural wine.

Ivaldi 1613 Nizza Barbera Biodynamic Natural Red Wine Ivaldi 1613 Nizza Barbera Biodynamic Natural Red Wine
Quick View
Ivaldi 1613 Nizza Barbera Biodynamic Natural Red Wine
$31.99

Nizza is the Barolo of Barbera, made from the birthplace of Barbera, Nizza Monferrato, the home of the 4th generation winemaking family, Ivaldi, and place where this wine is grown and made. This Nizza Barbera is a delicious old world style red wine with a rich cherry taste and an incredible mouthfeel.

This Nizza DOCG is made only in the best years, always made with 100% Barbera grapes, but only the best of the best of the Barbera clusters goes into this wine, before it spends 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels then 2 years resting in the bottle.

Made with native yeast fermentation, on the skins for 15 days. it has a pretty ruby red color with garnet reflections. A fruity bouquet transforms into spicy notes as it opens, and on the palate this wine has nice tannins and acidity balanced by a robust body.

The name of this red wine, 1613, is a homage to the siege of Nizza Monferrato in 1613 by the Mantovan army, showing the strong roots the Ivaldi family has to their home town. The women gathered to pray all night, and after the siege was lifted and won by Nizza Monferrato, an oil lamp in the church spontaneously burst into flames, despite the lack of spark and oil. Known as the ‘Miracle of the Lamp’, this wine pays homage to that evening, bearing not only the year as a name, but the image of the oil lamp on the label.

A certified sustainable winery, Ivaldi Dario practices regenerative farming.

Ojai Pacific View Dolcetto California Red Wine Ojai Pacific View Dolcetto California Red Wine Ojai Pacific View Dolcetto California Red Wine
Quick View
Ojai Pacific View Dolcetto California Red Wine
from $29.98

This mother-daughter winery keep hitting home runs with their ‘experimental’ one acre vineyard of dolcetto on a mountaintop in upper Ojai, California, which started with an idea they brought back with them from Piedmont Italy over 10 years ago. Their super small production Dolcetto experiment is a success, backed up with back-to-back gold medals on their 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages, and then winning Double Gold and Best of Class in the International Womens Winemakers competition.

The 2020 vintage produced only 23 cases and was aged for over a year in neutral oak. It is fresh and juicy with rich wild berry cassis-like taste. It's an approachable yet complex with a mineral-saline finish. And now, coming off of their wins in 2019 and 2020, Ojai Pacific View has now released the latest edition of their California Dolcetto, the 2021 vintage.

Overall, the wine is a dark purple color, the nose is complex with a mix of plum, herbs, flint and vanilla spice. The fruit and terroir of this old world new world dolcetto red wine that really stands out, thanks to the high altitude and marine fossil soil of this wine estate in upper Ojai.

Here is what other sommeliers are saying about this wine:

Sommelier Marc R. Kauffman:

Fine wine from Southern California! Italian varietals have been attempted in California with some successes and some not so good examples over the years. The 2019 California Dolcetto from Pacific View Vineyard and Winery is a stunning success! Darkly brooding in the glass, aromas of cedar, spice and vanilla offer a promise of seriously complex wine. Dark cherry and blackberry flavors mingle and dance in your mouth. The tannins are smoothly integrated, and the finish is so smooth I did not want it to end! Harmonious is the one word I would use to describe this wine. This is the third vintage from a very small plot of Dolcetto grapes growing high above the Pacific Ocean in a secluded spot north of Los Angeles. Available only in limited quantities direct to consumer or to a few select restaurants it is well worth the effort to search it out.”

Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d'Acqui Sweet Sparkling Red Wine Biodynamic Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d'Acqui Sweet Sparkling Red Wine Biodynamic Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d'Acqui Sweet Sparkling Red Wine Biodynamic
Quick View
Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d'Acqui Sweet Sparkling Red Wine Biodynamic
from $24.98

“Can we make Brachetto popular, please?” is how VinePair headlines why this artisanal, aromatic red sweet sparkling wine, just recently imported by us first time to the USA, made it to VinePair’s list of 13 Best Sweet Wines.

An aromatic grape, brachetto, creates a pleasantly slightly sparkling sweet red wine, with delicate rose flower and strawberry notes and strawberry and hibiscus taste. ‘Susbel’, in the local Piemontese dialect of Ivaldi in the Monferrato, refers to the location of the vineyard of this Brachetto d’Acqui, where the sun is bright and well exposed.

Left four days in contact with the skins and fermented with native yeast, this natural wine has a bright and clear light red color, dotted with fine effervescent bubbles. Sipping, the immediate impact is indeed sweet, yet with enough acidity and a hint of tannins to create a harmonious and balanced wine that keeps you coming back for more.

Wonderful to serve slightly chilled to sip with friends in the backyard on a hot summer day, or to serve with fruity desserts. Try pairing it with cheese, like with Humboldt Fog goat cheese - it goes incredibly well. It can also pair with charcuterie. Made with native yeast fermentation and has a residual sugar of 120 g/l.

A certified sustainable winery, Ivaldi Dario practices regenerative farming.

Ivaldi Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti Sweet Sparkling Wine Biodynamic Ivaldi Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti Sweet Sparkling Wine Biodynamic Ivaldi Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti Sweet Sparkling Wine Biodynamic Ivaldi Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti Sweet Sparkling Wine Biodynamic
Quick View
Ivaldi Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti Sweet Sparkling Wine Biodynamic
from $24.97

Who doesn’t like chamomile and honey? That’s what this wine reminds you of! It’s a Moscato d’Asti that appeals both to sweet wine lovers and dry wine drinkers wanting a moment with a touch of sweetness.

The name of this wine, Ros du Su, means ‘Rays of Sunlight’ in Piemontese dialect where this Moscato d’Asti comes from. Looking at its bright, golden-yellow color, it is easy to understand the inspiration for this name.

In the glass, the aromatic qualities of moscato are the first noticeable aromas, but underneath subtle and persistent notes of honey and acacia and chamomile flowers come forth creating a complex bouquet. Tasting, the sweetness of the residual sugars are well balanced with freshness and sapidity. A pleasant wine that keeps you sipping, it pairs well with desserts, but is every bit as enjoyable alone in contemplation.

A certified sustainable winery, Ivaldipractices regenerative farming.

Previous
Previous

Master Barolo Vintages

Next
Next

Farm to Glass Wine Cocktails