VARIETALS: 79% Sangiovese, 16% Dolcetto, 5% Valdiguié Operating out of Paso Robles, California and paying close attention to the many expressions of wine that can be made from the differing terrains and vineyards in the region, Winemaker Andrew Jones is also not afraid to accomplish what he wants in the cellar. In this case, he was aiming specifically for a chillable red wine, and even named it as such: “Freddo” means “cold” in Italian, which is paying homage to the Italian grapes that feature in the blend, namely Sangiovese and Dolcetto. Both grape varietals produce naturally light- to medium-bodied wines with tannin, but Andrew took matters into his own hands to ensure a no-tannin wine by using carbonic maceration in the fermentation process. He sealed the grapes in stainless steel tanks under pressure of carbon dioxide for two weeks. He then pressed them for the juice and finished the fermentation with native yeast, removed the lees, and then he let the wine mature for 12 weeks in stainless steel. Andrew was not after a light-bodied wine, so he allowed malolactic fermentation to happen after both intercellular and yeast-induced fermentation, which added body to the wine for a medium-to-full-bodied alcohol level. Without the tannins, however, the wine remains juicy and chillable. He even designed the label so that when the bottle is chilled the letters that spell out FREDDO on the label turn from white to blue, which signifies that the wine is at the perfect temperature to drink. Pretty fun, right!? FOOD PAIRINGS: antipasto, bean soup, chicken dishes with herbs, spicy Mexican or Indian