The life of a grape begins in the vineyard and ends at your table, but it’s not necessarily a straight shot from point A to point B. During the 2021 season, our favorite berry led us down a marvelous detour on the path from grape to glass.
We kicked off harvest earlier than expected so by the time our first fruits arrived at the winery in August, we were still waiting on compost bins to take away our pomace. With a big pile of grape skins and stems threatening to turn the winery into a fruit fly’s dream home, we knew it was time to repurpose like the Romans and produce a piquette.
We craft this refreshing, low ABV sparkler by adding warm water to the pomace and letting it ferment for about 48 hours in the Sebastopol sun—kind of like steeping a high quality sun tea. The result? Three prickly piquettes that range in flavor but remain constant in playfulness; easy summer sippers for hikes, park picnics, poolside lounging, and everything in between. While each is unique in character, all are little reminders to take a break from whatever’s going sideways and wander out into the sun.
Expect a whisper of carbonation to tantalize the tongue and tingle the nose. Due to the nature of these experimental, small batch fermentations, production amounts vary, so they won’t stick around for long. Drink piquette straight, split in two to share with a friend, or take with you on the go—whatever you do, drink it your way.
