Richvale 'I Love Pizza' Red Blend, Central Coast, California

Juicy black cherry, plum skin, and bright spice introduce 2022 Richvale “I Love Pizza” Red Blend, Central Coast, California, a playful yet thoughtfully made red built for pure drinking pleasure. Created by Curt Schalchlin as part of Richvale Wine Co., this wine draws on organically farmed and sustainably grown fruit from favored Central Coast sites and channels a deliberately youthful, minimal-intervention style. Named for Richvale Drive in East Los Angeles, where Schalchlin grew up, the wine carries a sense of easygoing nostalgia while showing the care and conviction of a winemaker deeply connected to his fruit and craft.

Product Details:

• Winemaker & Owner: Curt Schalchlin
• Grapes: 59% Dolcetto, 26% Mataro, 15% Counoise
• ABV: 13%
• TA: 6.2
• Farming: Organic or sustainable fruit, including organically farmed Dolcetto from the Mosby family and dry-farmed, organically grown Mataro and Counoise from Potrero Vineyard
• Harvest: Hand-harvested at night into half-ton bins
• Vinification: Dolcetto destemmed and fermented in open-top fermenters with hand punchdowns; Mataro and Counoise fermented whole cluster carbonically in a sealed tank, all with native yeasts
• Aging: 12 months in 10-year-old-plus neutral barrels
• Fining & Filtration: Bottled without fining or filtration
• Production Philosophy: Minimal intervention with minimal SO2 additions

Sensory Description:

2022 Richvale “I Love Pizza” Red Blend, Central Coast, California opens with aromas of black cherry, wild plum, crushed berries, and dried herbs, followed by subtle floral lift and a snap of peppery spice. The palate is lively and medium-bodied, with Dolcetto bringing juicy dark fruit, Mataro adding earthy depth and savory structure, and Counoise lending brightness and lifted red-toned freshness. Carbonic fermentation on part of the blend contributes an energetic, crunchier fruit profile, while the neutral barrel aging keeps the wine supple without obscuring its freshness. The overall impression is vibrant, unforced, and deliberately youthful, with enough texture to satisfy and enough lift to keep the wine moving.

Winemaker’s Background:

Richvale Wine Co. is the whimsical project of Curt Schalchlin, best known for Sans Liege, and is rooted in a more personal, informal side of his winemaking identity. According to the tech sheet, the brand takes its name from Richvale Drive in East Los Angeles, the street where he grew up, and is intended to evoke carefree memories of neighborhood life, swimming pools, block parties, and beach-bound afternoons. That spirit carries into the wines themselves, which are made not for scores or solemnity but for genuine enjoyment. Even with that playful framing, the winemaking is serious in intent, relying on carefully chosen organic or sustainable fruit, native fermentations, minimal intervention, and bottling that preserves youthful exuberance.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve lightly cool, around 58 to 62°F, in a standard red wine glass to highlight the wine’s freshness and aromatic lift. Its juicy fruit, modest tannin, and lively acidity make it an ideal partner for pizza, red-sauce pasta, meatballs, grilled sausage, burgers, and casual shared meals. It is best enjoyed in its youth, when its bright fruit, crunchy energy, and unfussy charm are most expressive.