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Vin de California

Zed 2020

Price: $33.95
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Tasting notes

This co-fermentation of Barbera and Tempranillo from the historic 1971-planted Ibarra-Young Vineyard delivers a wine with genuine structure and snap: tart red cherry from the Barbera locks onto the earthy, tobacco-edged depth of the Tempranillo suitcase clone. At only 22ppm added sulfites, it drinks fresh and lively without losing grip.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
CherryPlumTobaccoEarth
  • Style: Dry, medium-full bodied red; co-fermented Barbera and Tempranillo; bright acidity; minimal sulfites (22ppm); Los Olivos District, Santa Barbara
  • Grapes & Terroir: 50% Barbera, 50% Tempranillo (suitcase clone); Ibarra-Young Vineyard, Los Olivos District AVA; sandy alluvial soils; vines planted 1971 and late 1990s
  • Winemaking: Co-fermented; spontaneous native yeast fermentation; 22ppm SO2 added post-malolactic fermentation only; no other additions
  • Serving: Serve at 60-64F; light chill acceptable; 20-30 min open before serving
  • Pairing: Lamb ragu, tomato-braised meats, Spanish chorizo, aged hard cheese, roast chicken
  • Similar To: For fans of Barbera d'Asti or lighter-style Rioja who want a California natural wine with structure and energy

Zed 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.

Fermentation 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.

The 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.

Vin 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.

The wine's acidity and moderate tannin make it a natural match for tomato-braised meats like osso buco or lamb ragu. It works well alongside hard aged cheeses, charcuterie boards with cured Spanish chorizo, or a simple roast chicken with herbs. Avoid very heavy, fatty dishes that would flatten the wine's brightness.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Barbera, Tempranillo
Farming:, Sustainable
Vintage:, 2020
Alcohol:, N/A
Country:, USA
Region:, Santa Barbara
Appellation:, Los Olivos District AVA
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.


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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

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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

Vin de California

Vin de California was founded in 2016 in Los Angeles by Kate and Adam Vourvoulis. Adam spent 15 years working as a sommelier before starting the winery. The couple relocated to Pasadena, where they built out a small production facility on Foothill Boulevard in a neighborhood historically zoned for winemaking. The winery and Good Luck Wine Shop, Kate's natural wine retail boutique, operate out of the same East Pasadena building.

VDC sources grapes exclusively from small Central Coast vineyards, prioritizing farmers who use ethical, low-input vineyard management. Annual production is small, around 600 cases, with grapes drawn from multiple vineyard sites between the Central Coast and Los Olivos. Adam Vourvoulis makes all wines without commercial yeasts, fining agents, or significant sulfur additions, working across a range of varieties he calls heritage grapes with a California connection.

Wine region

Santa Barbara, USA

The Los Olivos District is a sub-AVA within the Santa Ynez Valley, sitting on a broad, nearly flat alluvial terrace above the Santa Ynez River in Santa Barbara County. Soils are predominantly sandy and clay loam, well-drained with good nutrient retention. The AVA covers approximately 1,120 planted acres across 47 vineyards and was officially established in 2016. Its topography is more uniform than neighboring Ballard Canyon or Sta. Rita Hills, making it one of the most consistent growing environments in the county.

The climate of the Los Olivos District is moderately warm, cooled by coastal fog that funnels east through the transverse mountain ranges from the Pacific Ocean. This marine influence moderates the wide day-night temperature swings typical of inland valleys, allowing grapes to reach full physiological maturity at lower sugar levels. Alongside its established Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Rhone varieties, the district has a notable presence of Spanish and Italian varietals, including Tempranillo, which find good homes in its warm-days, cool-nights climate.

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.

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