2022 Monte Rio Cellars Pinot Grigio

100% Pinot Grigio from organically farmed 25-year old vines in Lodi. Whole clusters are hand harvested and direct pressed into stainless steel for fermentation with native yeasts. Aged for five months in stainless before bottling. Bottled unfined with extremely minimal SO2. 12.5% alcohol. 300 cases made.

Crisp, clean, and refreshing, with pure, tart green apple fruit and a round mouthfeel accented by smooth acidity. Too easy!

Pair this with grilled shrimp, a crab louie, or a goat cheese salad with arugula and a lemon vinaigrette.

Monte Rio Cellars is pretty much the one-man-show of Patrick Cappiello. Patrick got his start in the wine business in New York City in the 1990s, where he was the TriBeCa Grill’s first sommelier. He later ran the wine programs at Veritas and two Michelin-starredGILT before opening three restaurants of his own: Pearl & Ash, the Michelin-starred Rebelle and Walnut St Cafe. He was named "Sommelier of the Year 2014" by Food & Wine Magazine, "Wine Person of the Year 2014" by Imbibe Magazine, and "Sommelier of the Year 2015" by Eater National. He was also the Food & Wine host for the web series ‘Tasting Notes’ for seven seasons and founding member of Winemakers & Sommeliers for California Wildfire Relief.  He has been featured multiple times in the New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, Men's Journal, the New York Post, Forbes and Wine Spectator.

In 2017, Patrick moved to California and worked his first harvest with friend and winemaker Pax Mahle. He started Monte Rio Cellars with the 2018 harvest, making the wines at the Pax facility in Sebastopol.  The label is named after the town of Monte Rio, which is a small eccentric spot in Sonoma County that straddles the Russian River. The town was once a booming tourist destination, known for holding outdoor concerts and having a thriving summer cabin vacation layout with plenty of outdoor activities for tourists to enjoy. The town now is made up of mostly year round residents but remnants of this once beloved tourist destination remain, including the Monte Rio Theatre, which is the backdrop of the Monte Rio Cellars label. The name is two fold, the name itself pays homage to this historic town that thrived in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s; and is a bit of a nod to the “throwback” style of wines Patrick produces under the Monte Rio Label.