Donkey & Goat IF / THEN Red Blend 2021 (750 ml)

10% off 3 cases using discount code 3CASE

Creating our IF / THEN blends each vintage is a creative journey that often results in more blending trials than any other wine we make! A true labor of love.   We take great pride in our blending muscles and Tracey has preached from her soapbox for two decades about the most powerful tool in her natural wine chest being her ability to blend. Need more texture? How about a splash of that extra barrel of skin ferment Roussanne (Stone Crusher)? Need more acid? Why not taste a 5% addition of that juicy, bright and delicious Grenache Gris?  

Our wines rarely boast 100% of the varietal labeled and the powers that regulate allow for splashes and more depending on specificity of labeling. You might notice our IF / THEN White is non vintage California. That is because the final blend was closer to a solera with 2018 - 2021 thanks to Tracey & Connor not allowing labeling to define their creative blending. Our IF / THEN Red is 2021. Both are California Appellation due to our blending juice from vineyards found across multiple appellations (El Dorado + Anderson Valley = Delicious). The moment we blend two appellations the regulators and protectors of terroir (which we appreciate) drive a broader category to capture both areas and not confuse consumers thinking El Dorado tastes like our blend of El Dorado + Anderson Valley for example. All good things we feel but this can confuse our customers as to why we call it California. In fact, it is because it boasts wines from multiple amazing vineyards and appellations we collaborate with. It’s not less. It’s more.

We call these wines IF / THEN due to the rubber hitting the road truth of all winemaking and natural winemaking in particular. Just like a chef has to pivot based on what they found at the market that morning, winemakers pivot every vintage based on what mother nature delivers. IF a late set and rains coming THEN we pick prior to perfect everything and still make delicious wine after blending, perhaps stirring the lees, maybe an extended maceration or a “skinny dip” style. Everyday Tracey & Connor face IF / THEN scenarios. Tracey also has a tech background from the last century (1990’s dot coms) which rests upon IF THEN statements for algorithms. And IF THEN statements speak to her ethos of always problem solving with a positivity lens.  IF a roadblock appears, THEN find a joyful route full of creativity while taking care of our world and our humans, that ultimately produces a lip smacking delicious wine of character. That about sums up our philosophy at Donkey & Goat and you can taste it in these bottles.