{"title":"Vin de California","description":"\u003cp\u003eAdam Vourvoulis spent fifteen years as a sommelier and wine director at some of Los Angeles's most significant restaurants before founding Vin de California in 2016. The project is everything his career in the dining room was not: small, independent, irreverent, and committed entirely to the kind of honest winemaking he spent years championing from the other side of the table. Pasadena's first commercial winery in nearly a century, Vin de California makes wine the way Adam talks about it: directly, without apology, and with a sense of humor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVin de California works with heritage and immigrant grape varieties grown in Santa Barbara County and the broader Central Coast. The wines are made with spontaneous fermentation using native yeasts, no fining, no filtration, and zero added sulfur dioxide. Organic farming practices, uncertified, guide the viticulture. The approach is consistent with the most demanding zero-zero standards in California natural wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore on how they farm and work in the cellar in our \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/natural-wine-producers-primal-wine\/vin-de-california\"\u003eVin de California producer profile\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"vdc-pinot-noir-vin-de-california-natural-wine-primal-wine","title":"Vin de California VDC Pinot Noir 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eVDC Pinot Noir is 100% organically grown Pinot Noir sourced from Bassi Vineyard in Avila Beach, located 1.2 miles from the Pacific Ocean within the San Luis Obispo Coast (SLO Coast) AVA. The vineyard sits on sandstone soils over marine bedrock, and the constant coastal fog and marine influence keep temperatures low, preserving acidity and producing wines of high energy and low alcohol.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWinemaker Adam Vourvoulis fermented the wine in an open-top wood foudre with native yeasts and no additions. The wine went through natural malolactic fermentation and was bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimum added SO2. No new oak was used, keeping the focus squarely on fruit and site.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a light, transparent Pinot Noir with notes of strawberry, watermelon, and cherry, backed by a subtle dusting of wet earth and faint spice. The SLO Coast's saline mineral finish carries through to the end. This is a wine built for the table, not the cellar — drink it with a slight chill.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32483234611293,"sku":"VDCAPINO19C","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-pinot-noir-natural-wine-primal-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129602"},{"product_id":"vdc-arrakis-vin-de-california-natural-wine","title":"Vin de California VDC Arrakis 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eArrakis is a 50\/50 blend of organically farmed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from Santa Barbara County, bottled under the Central Coast AVA. The two varieties are fermented separately with native yeasts, aged apart, then blended just before bottling. The wine is unfined and unfiltered.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe blend reads as a red wine but carries real tension from the Chardonnay component. Expect bright cherry and red berry fruit from the Pinot Noir alongside citrus and mineral notes contributed by the Chardonnay. Tannins are minimal, acidity is lively, and the whole thing is designed to be served with a chill on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a low-intervention bottling in the fullest sense: no additions, no fining agents, no filtration. The name references Frank Herbert's fictional desert planet from Dune, which fits the project's offbeat, pop-culture-inflected identity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":35679392596120,"sku":"VDCWARRA19C","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-arrakis-chardonnay-pinot-noir-primal-wine-natural-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129675"},{"product_id":"petillant-vin-de-california-natural-wine","title":"Vin de California Petillant 2020","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis pétillant naturel is a 50\/50 blend of organically farmed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from Contra Costa, California. Made by the méthode ancestrale: the wine is bottled before primary fermentation finishes, trapping CO2 naturally in the bottle. No added sulfites. No fining or filtration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eContra Costa sits at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, roughly 50 miles east of San Francisco. Vineyards in the region are planted in deep sandy alluvial soils and benefit from a pronounced diurnal temperature shift, with warm days followed by cool nights driven by marine influence off Suisun Bay. These conditions preserve acidity in the grapes while allowing full phenolic development.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a lightly sparkling wine with fine persistent bubbles, a creamy texture, and aromas of wild strawberry and custard. At low ABV and with no residual sweetness to speak of, it drinks fresh and lively from the first pour. Serve cold, ideally within a year or two of vintage.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40792931958983,"sku":"VDCAPETN20C","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-petillant-pet-nat-natural-wine-primal-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129598"},{"product_id":"queen-of-the-galaxy-vin-de-california-natural-wine","title":"Vin de California Queen of the Galaxy 2020","description":"\u003cp\u003eQueen of the Galaxy is 100% Barbera sourced from Contra Costa County, east of San Francisco Bay. The fruit comes from organically farmed vines grown in the region's signature deep, free-draining sandy soils, which force low yields and concentrate flavors without irrigation. Only 72 cases were produced in 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, fermentation was spontaneous using native yeast. A small addition of sulfites — 22ppm — was made after malolactic fermentation. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered, keeping it bright and lively in the glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe name is a direct nod to the 1968 cult sci-fi film Barbarella, marketed as Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy, starring Jane Fonda — a fitting reference for a wine made from a grape whose very name echoes the title. The wine is fruit-forward, high in acidity, and low in tannin, staying true to Barbera's character in a California context.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40792988451015,"sku":"VDCAGALA20C","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-galaxy-barbera-natural-wine-primal-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129889"},{"product_id":"zed-vin-de-california-natural-wine","title":"Vin de California Zed 2020","description":"\u003cp\u003eZed is a 50\/50 co-fermented blend of Barbera and Tempranillo sourced from the Ibarra-Young Vineyard in the Los Olivos District AVA of Santa Barbara County. The vineyard was first planted in 1971 by Charlotte Young and sits on sandy, alluvial soils on a broad flat terrace above the Santa Ynez River. The Tempranillo is a suitcase clone planted in the late 1990s by Bob Lindquist. The vineyard is farmed using organic methods and regenerative agriculture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFermentation is spontaneous with native yeast. Only 22ppm of sulfites were added after malolactic fermentation, placing this squarely in low-sulfite natural wine territory. No other additives are used. Adam Vourvoulis describes Zed as the bigger, more structured wine in the VDC lineup, with more tannin and body than the lighter reds in the range, while still carrying the bright fruit and high acidity both Barbera and Tempranillo are known for.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Los Olivos District is a moderately warm AVA moderated by coastal fog that rolls in through the east-west mountain corridors from the Pacific. This extended growing season allows grapes to reach full physiological ripeness at lower sugar levels, which supports the wine's balance of structure and freshness. Spanish and Italian varieties, including Tempranillo, are well-established here alongside Rhone and Bordeaux grapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVin de California is a small-production urban winery founded in 2016 by Adam and Kate Vourvoulis and based in Pasadena, California. Adam spent 15 years as a sommelier before turning to winemaking. VDC sources exclusively from Central Coast vineyards and works without added commercial yeasts, fining agents, or significant sulfur additions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40793059590343,"sku":"VDCAZEDR20C","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-zed-natural-wine-primal-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129582"},{"product_id":"radical-2-0-vin-de-california-natural-wine","title":"Vin de California Radical 2.0 2020","description":"\u003cp\u003eRadical 2.0 is a 50\/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel made by Vin de California (VDC), a Los Angeles-based natural wine project founded in 2016 by Adam and Kate Vourvoulis. The Pinot Noir comes from Topotero Vineyard, a 5-acre organically farmed site in Avila Beach in the Avila Valley, planted in 1998 on alluvial soils less than two miles from the Pacific Ocean. The wine underwent spontaneous fermentation with native yeast and was bottled with only 22ppm of sulfites added after malolactic fermentation — unfined and unfiltered.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe name is a direct nod to Adam's background as a skateboarder from Venice in the 1990s. The wine reflects that ethos: high-energy acidity, vivid fruit, and no pretense. Pinot Noir brings brightness and red-fruit lift; Zinfandel adds berry depth and a peppery, jammy core. The low sulfite addition keeps the wine lively and expressive without stripping character.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVDC operates out of Pasadena, in Lamanda Park — a neighborhood that was part of a 1,300-acre agricultural project called Sunny Slope Ranch over 100 years ago, which once included 90 acres of wine vines. Adam sources grapes from small farmers along California's Central Coast who use ethical vineyard management practices.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40793167528135,"sku":"VDCARADI20C","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-radical-natural-wine-primal-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129571"},{"product_id":"odyssee-zinfandel-vin-de-california-natural-wine","title":"Vin de California Odysseé Zinfandel 2020","description":"\u003cp\u003eVin de California (VDC) Odysseé Zinfandel is a red natural wine made from 100% Zinfandel farmed sustainably in Contra Costa County, California. Winemaker's notes: \"Zinfandel is a staple of VDC. The first wine we made and the only grape we have made every vintage. From our monolithic cement tank, Odyssée is super fruity, slightly tingly, very crushable. Keep stored in a cool place and serve cold. 22ppm total S02 added. 60 cases made.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42319640690904,"sku":"VDCAODYS20C","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-odyssee-natural-wine-primal-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129949"},{"product_id":"canyons-pinot-noir-vin-de-california-natural-wine","title":"Vin de California Canyons Pinot Noir 2020","description":"\u003cp\u003eVin de California (VDC) Canyons Pinot Noir is a red natural wine made from 100% biodynamic Pinot Noir from Topotero Vineyard, San Luis Obispo AVA, California. Winemaker's notes: \"Canyons is our attempt at an Alsatian style Pinot Noir. Fresh, bright with lots of acidity. Bright red fruit, Pop rocks, and cherry cola. 22ppm total S02 added. 60 Cases made.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42319649636568,"sku":"VDCACANY20C","price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-canyons-natural-wine-primal-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129882"},{"product_id":"harvest-vin-de-california-natural-wine","title":"Vin de California Harvest 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003eWinemaker's notes: \"'Harvest' is a blend of all of the grapes harvested this vintage (Riesling, Sauv B, Cab Sauv, Marsanne, Grenache, Zin, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo). The grapes are from vineyards throughout California which are either practicing organic, certified organic, or biodynamic practicing. This is a fun and lively snap shot of the 2021 vintage and wines to come. Zero S02 - 25 cases made.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vin de California","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42319656878296,"sku":"VDCAHARV21C","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/vin-de-california-harvest-natural-wine-primal-wine-natural-wine-primal-wine-copyright.png?v=1781129899"}],"url":"https:\/\/primalwine.com\/collections\/vin-de-california.oembed","provider":"Primal Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}