Sold Out
Wavy Wines

California Piquette Red 2021

Price: $24.95
Enter your email address below to be notified when this product is back in stock.
Tasting notes

At 8.52% ABV, this piquette delivers real red fruit character — cranberry, tart cherry, light floral lift — with a surprising snap of acidity that keeps every sip refreshing. The multi-variety pomace base (seven grapes including Sagrantino and Freisa) gives it more textural complexity than most piquettes, even at this weight.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
CranberryTart CherryPomegranateWildflowers
  • Style: Light-bodied red piquette; 8.52% ABV; tart, juicy, lightly sparkling; crown cap; 750ml
  • Grapes & Terroir: Barbera, Freisa, Merlot, Mourvedre, Sagrantino, Cabernet Franc, Grenache pomace; practicing organic; San Benito County, Central Coast California; limestone and granite soils
  • Winemaking: Piquette: water added to red pomace post free-run drain; re-fermented with native yeast; unfined, unfiltered; 20ppm SO2; crown cap
  • Serving: Serve well-chilled at 45-50F; no decant needed; drink young
  • Pairing: Charcuterie, fresh cheese, tomato dishes, lentil salads, pizza, grain bowls
  • Similar To: For fans of low-ABV natural reds, Lambrusco, or anyone who wants a crushable red under 9% with real acidity

Piquette is an ancient technique: after free-run juice is drained from fermented grape skins, water is added back to the pomace and fermentation continues. For this 2021 red, Wavy Wines drained the tanks of their "Super Californian" co-fermentation — a blend of Barbera, Freisa, Merlot, Mourvedre, Sagrantino, Cabernet Franc, and Grenache sourced from San Benito County — then rehydrated the solids and let fermentation run a few more days before pressing. The result comes in at 8.52% ABV with a total acidity of 4.95 g/L and a pH of 3.67.

San Benito County sits within California's Central Coast AVA. The region's climate is moderated by Pacific Ocean breezes that flow through gaps in the Gabilan Mountains, and vineyards range from around 1,000 to over 2,200 feet in elevation. Soils shift from granite to limestone across short distances due to seismic activity along the San Andreas Fault. The grapes for this wine come from practicing organic vineyards in the county.

The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, under crown cap, with 20ppm added SO2. Fermentation used only native ambient yeast. The extended pomace contact during re-fermentation pulls additional tannin and acid from the skins, keeping the wine lively despite its low alcohol. It's a genuinely low-waste approach: the same grapes pull double duty across two wines.

Serve well-chilled alongside charcuterie boards, fresh cheeses, or simple tomato-based dishes. Its low alcohol and high acidity also make it a natural match for foods that would overwhelm a heavier red — think lentil salads, grain bowls with pickled vegetables, or a slice of pizza. It works as a standalone porch sipper on a warm afternoon.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Barbera, Freisa, Merlot, Mourvedre, Sagrantino, Cabernet Franc, Grenache
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2021
Alcohol:, 8.52%
Country:, United States
Region:, California
Appellation:, San Benito
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Wavy Wines

Wavy Wines is a Los Angeles-based natural wine project founded in 2019 by Jude Zasadzki and Eliot Kessel. The project started after a conversation between the two about making low-intervention, easy-drinking California wines in the style of vin de soif. Their first wines came from an organic Pinot Gris vineyard in Chico, California, combined with Chardonnay from Scribe Estate Vineyard in Sonoma.

Wavy sources organic grapes from vineyards across California and ferments exclusively with native ambient yeast. The California Wine Cooler Red piquette is made from the pomace of their "Super Californian" red, sourced from practicing organic vineyards in San Benito County. Wavy's approach to piquette is built into their production model from the start — the same grape solids are rehydrated and re-fermented rather than discarded, producing a second wine at a fraction of the alcohol of the primary release.

All Wavy wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. The red piquette is sealed under crown cap and carries 20ppm added SO2. Fermentation and aging take place in stainless steel tanks and neutral vessels, with no use of new oak.

Wine region

California, United States

San Benito County is part of California's Central Coast AVA, located inland from Monterey County. The climate is moderated by Pacific Ocean breezes that push through gaps in the Gabilan Range, keeping temperatures from climbing as high as the Central Valley. Vineyards across the county's seven AVAs — including San Benito, Cienega Valley, Lime Kiln Valley, Paicines, Mount Harlan, Chalone, and Pacheco Pass — sit between roughly 1,000 and 2,200 feet in elevation, with significant diurnal temperature swings that preserve natural acidity in the grapes.

The San Andreas Fault runs through the region, producing a patchwork of soils: limestone and granite on the west side of the valley, granite and sandstone to the east. Limestone soils hold moisture effectively and support dry farming in what is an otherwise dry county averaging around 12 inches of annual rainfall. This geologic complexity, combined with a moderate maritime climate, supports a wide range of varieties, including the Italian and Rhone grapes that Wavy Wines sources from practicing organic growers here.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

This collection features our best selling natural wine from all around the world. It's the best place to start you natural wine journey! Browse one of the largest selections of natural wine available online in the United States.

Primal Wine Natural Wine Club is the best way to discover natural wine. Let us do the heavy-lifting, sit back, and relax. We will send you an ever-changing selection of natural wine made by top producers from around the world.

Our customers love Primal

I'm just copying and pasting from the hundreds messages we received, no pseudo reviews!
Erin C.

We love our membership so far and can't wait until our next shipment.

Jennifer B.

A note to say that we are loving the tasting notes sheet you’re sending!

James S.

I'm really happy to find Primal – your selections are terrific. 

Samuel M.

Love your company, always a great wine selection. 

Chelsea V.

I love what you guys do!

What Is | Primal Wine

What is natural wine?

Natural wine is a type of wine made in small batches from organic or biodynamic grapes with minimal intervention.
What Is Biodynamic Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is Biodynamics?

Biodynamic wine is wine made from grapes farmed biodynamically. Biodynamic farming is a holistic approach.
What Is Organic Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is organic wine?

Organic wine is made with grapes farmed organically. Organic farming is an alternative to conventional farming.
What Is Vegan Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is vegan wine?

Vegan wine is wine made without using animal products during the fining phase of the clarification process.