Vineyard: Ricetti

AVA: Redwood Valley, Mendocino, CA

Farming: Organic, Dry Farmed

Harvest Date: 2 September and 22 September 2024

Bottling Date: 23 February 2026

Alc: 12%

Cases: 450

The 2025 pink lemonade is, as always, a blend of all the varieties planted at Ricetti Vineyard, picked on two dates.  The first of these picks is the earlier-ripening varieties at Ricetti – Abouriou and Zinfandel (which contribute tannin and color), as well as some Colombard (for acidity).  Picked on September 2nd, the fruit was crushed and left to ferment on skins for 8 days, with the goal of extracting a good portion of the tannins from the Abouriou skins.  The wine was then pressed to stainless steel to finish primary fermentation. Once sugar-dry, the wine was racked to neutral barriques to age for 6 months.

In 2025, the rain event in early September meant that the second pick was a full 3 weeks after the first (as compared to 2024, in which the hot and dry weather saw the two picks only a few days apart). This second pick is of the later-ripening varieties at Ricetti – Valdiguié, Carignan and Colombard.  This pick was partially crushed, with half of the fruit left intact on the bottom of the tank to undergo carbonic fermentation.  The goal with this style of fermentation was to extract much less tannin and produce a fruitier, lighter wine, as a counterbalance to the earlier, more tannic pick.  After 5 days carbonic in tank, the partially fermented fruit pressed to stainless steel to finish primary fermentation.  Once sugar-dry, the wine was racked to all neutral barriques to age for 5 months.

In late March, these two field blend components were racked out of their barriques and blended just before bottling, to create one comprehensive Ricetti field blend.

Indigenous yeast fermentation. SO2: 20 ppm total.  No other additions, unfined and unfiltered.

‘pink lemonade’ looks like electric pink lemonade during fermentation, and was named as such.