Motto Wines Launches Debut Vintages

17 Jun 2015---Starting this June, people can enjoy Motto wines, a collection of distinct, dark, rich wines from California that deliver a definitively bold wine experience and flavors unlike any others.

Motto wines offer a new take on California winemaking from the perspective of the renowned winemaking team at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, known for producing some of the best-selling wines from Washington State. Motto wines are available in three varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Red Blend.

"We wanted to put a Washington spin on California wines, so we implemented the same approach we use for our Washington wines, but with California grapes," said Motto winemaker Reid Klei, who has worked in the Washington winemaking industry for Ste. Michelle Wines Estates for 10 years.

"I have been making wine in Washington for my entire career so I came into the Motto wines with no preconceived notions or ideas of how California wines should be made," continued Klei. "I entered it with a blank slate and was able to sit down, taste the wines and really focus on the wines and all their characteristics and put together blends and combinations of things I thought tasted well together. I think this makes the Motto wines a little different and gives them a unique spin."

Each of the three varietals boasts a distinct character – BACKBONE™, UNABASHED™ and GUNG HO™ – creating a bold experience with every sip.

• The 2013 Backbone Cabernet Sauvignon has a strong, determined flavor with dark, concentrated notes of red plum, caramel and bright raspberry that explode out of the glass for a lasting finish.
• The 2013 Unabashed Zinfandel boasts proud and striking scents of soft leather, revealing flavors of chocolate covered raspberries and a touch of spice.
• The 2013 Gung Ho Red Blend excites the palate quickly, full of zealous and enthusiastic fruitful flavors of blueberry, pomegranate and spice.

In addition to crafting unique blends, the Motto winemaking team has thought of different ways to defy ordinary by taking a new approach to making California wine, including:

• Keeping wine lots separate throughout fermentation and aging.
• Determining final blends right before bottling, once the wines have evolved to reveal all their true character and complexities.
• Fermenting at a higher temperature, 85 degrees Fahrenheit, for a shorter period of time of 6-7 days on skins. At this point the wine is moved off of the skins and the juice finishes fermenting without any skins present, therefore not extracting anything else. This helps the wines stay more balanced and lends a more elegant flavor profile.
• Oxygen is added at various points during fermentation to help create the fresh aromas and dark, rich color of Motto wines.

The Motto collection is now available nationwide and at www.MottoWines.com

About Motto

Motto is a collection of distinct, dark, rich wines from California that offers a new take on California wine. From keeping the wine lots separate throughout fermentation and aging, to determining the final blends right before bottling, the Motto winemaking team defies ordinary and makes it their motto. The resulting wines are dark and bold, yet fruit-forward. For more information visit www.MottoWines.com or "like" us at Facebook.com/MottoWines. #WhatsYourMotto