Perluca - 'Solaria' - Malvasia - Ballard Canyon, Santa Barbara County, CA - 2022

Solaria is made using the Italian technique of Ramato in the winery. Vino Ramato derives its name from the word "Rame", or Copper, due to its copper like color that are a result of extended skin contact. Using this technique, I took Malvasia Bianca fruit, and re-hydrated it with water. It was fermented on the skin, similarly to a red wine. The result is a low alcohol and refreshing orange wine. Solaria is smooth and has flavors of iced oranges and grapefruit.

Drink Now: No need to decant

My name is Massimo Barbieri, the winemaker for Perluca Wines. Perluca means "For Luca" in Italian. Luca was my uncle's name. When he passed away, I was young and didn't know much about him. But as I grew older, I came to know and admire him through my father's stories. It changed the way I look at life. A mindset of what matters most, and how to stay on the right path.

I grew up in a small town called Boulder City in Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas. Not exactly the ideal environment for vineyards or wine making. Yet at ten years old in our garage, I watched my dad produce his first vintage. He shipped over a small amount of Syrah fruit from a vineyard here in Santa Barbara County. After fermentation, using a small vertical press, he hooked up our garden hose to inflate a small bag inside. This presses the grapes against a metal screen, releasing the juice inside. A tedious task of filling, pressing, emptying, and refilling. He used gravity to drain the pressed wine into a small bucket to transfer to barrel for aging. The barrels were kept in the garage which had been insulated from the intense Vegas heat. In the end, the wines were delicious. I had no idea what was happening, but from that moment I learned something ill never forget. Do what you love, no matter how difficult or comfortable things may seem.

Over the last 5 years, I had the honor of working with my dad and stepmom, owners of Barbieri & Kempe Wines. They showed me how to run a business, tasting room, and winery. And most importantly, the 6,000+ year old art of making wine.

Perluca's mission is to improve year after year. Learn from other winemakers and work with the best vineyards in California. And to take risks in the winery, because without risk, great wine wouldn't exist.

Perluca's goal is to improve your experience. To make good times better, and bad times, a little easier to get through. Could be as simple as improving a bowl of pasta all' amatriciana. In any case, I hope to succeed...