Stolpman Vineyards 'Love You Bunches' Orange Santa Barbara County 2021

Stolpman Vineyards is considered the founding vineyard of the Ballard Canyon AVA within Santa Barbara, which was granted official status in 2013. "Love You Bunches" is a wine with  roots in a 2016 wedding attended by vigneron Pete Stolpman, where his carbonic sangiovese was served as the party wine. "Carbonic" is short for "carbonic maceration", a winemaking technique which brings forth the bright fruitfulness of grapes while also softening tannin, and "Love You Bunches" is a pun referring to the use of whole grape bunches during fermentation (without rupturing the grapes). This edition is the color of a California sunset, made from a unique blend of white grapes: 50% pinot gris, 23% orange muscat, 19% semillon, and 8% gewürztraminer. Grapes were destemmed, fermented whole cluster with native yeast in shallow stainless steel tanks, with seven days of whole grape skin contact, then gently pressed, and allowed to finish fermentation. Fermentation also takes place in stainless steel, and the wine is bottled without the addition of sulfur. This delivers a burst of savory spice on the nose, with layers of fleshy papaya and cantaloupe on a medium-bodied palate. Refreshing acidity leads into a lengthy finish with hints of pomelo pith and white pepper. An orange wine for rosé lovers, this pairs beautifully with pan-seared Arctic char, seafood paella, or farro-stuffed squash. Organically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.