2020 ThereAfter 'Fizzy Spell' Riesling Pet'Nat CANS 250ml 2pk

Region: Fountaingrove AVA and Contra Costa County AVA < CA

Grape: Riesling

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; old, dry-farmed vines on sandy, clay soils; fermented in stainless steel then aged in old neutral oak; canned under nitrogen, unfined/unfiltered, with no added So2; zero-zero; 11.2% ABV; 25 cases

Winemakers: James Allen & Lorenza

Thereafter is the passion project of a lovely young couple, James and Lorenza, who both work day jobs for other wineries but with Thereafter are focused on regenerative viticulture and super low intervention winemaking.  Their philosophy is that the land, vines, and wine will exist far longer than we can imagine. They say, "With this in mind, being good stewards of the vineyards and the ecosystems within them is our top priority. Everything else falls into place more easily afterwards."

We're big fans of the restrained, refreshing wines of Thereafter, along with their focus on next-level farming, both unusual things for the Napa/Sonoma regions where they work and source grapes.  This fun Riesling Pet'nat is their first canned project, and they made the wise decision to shrink the can size to 250ml so that bubbles stay present through the whole drinking experience.  Also brilliant because you can reasonably drink a full can yourself, vs most canned wines in the 375ml format, which fool you into thinking you can and should consume the whole thing and then you realize it's a half bottle of wine.  Oops!

James tells us how the cans came about: "The vineyards are the same as for our high-end Riesling (Fountaingrove AVA) and SB (Contra Costa County AVA). The only difference is that we aged it a few months longer and added nitrogen to it to give it those fiiiine bubbles!  The overall inspiration came from our love for crisp, high acid wine. We just wanted to make a fun version that could be sipped in lots of settings where bottles are inconvenient. I've also been wanting to can a wine with nitrogen since I made a nitro rosé on tap in 2016. The nitro effect is beautiful with vibrant, citrusy wines because it softens the acidity and lengthens the finish."

Bone dry and subtly aromatic, these are the crisp, playful bubbles you need for summer.  Backpack ready, they'll take you from park to pool to playdate, anywhere discreet boozy refreshment is needed.