Welcome to our Featured Wine series! Each month we will profile a Doffo wine, giving you a little bit of back story about the winemaking process, what to expect when you taste it, and what kinds of foods to pair it with. We hope you enjoy and visit us in Temecula soon to learn more about our handcrafted wines! Our Featured Wines of the Month for December are our dessert wines: Doffo Port, Los Nietos, Tiago, Fiori and Lucca. This month’s post is written by Samantha Doffo.
Los Nietos – Late Harvest Syrah (available in the Tasting Room only)
In 2005 when my father decided to dedicate a dessert wine to the first grandchild, what should have been an incredibly special moment turned into heartache for the entire family. Many in our wine club family know the story of how our Los Nietos dessert wine came to be.
I like to tell it in my words. As the eldest child, it was a blessing to bring the first grandchild into our family. The day we found out she wasn’t going to make it was devastating, but also filled with gratitude and the understanding that life is precious. And so we move forward. The dedication of that special wine and thoughtfulness on the part of my father to honor her with the label was healing and very special for our family.
Los Nietos is a late harvest Syrah that is only released every few years, and a limited supply is available in the Tasting Room only. This special wine was to be the benchmark and inspiration for the creation of dessert wines honoring Marcelo’s grandkids, on earth as it is in heaven.
Tiago, our tawny port first released in 2004, is dedicated to the firstborn male grandchild. Tiago is my son and as his mother I am honored that we put his name on such a unique dessert wine. Tiago has a very sweet and kind personality. He is a humanitarian and a self-proclaimed environmentalist, always taking the extra step to help reduce his carbon footprint. I will admit, this was probably my influence. I would like to think that as he grows into an amazing human that he will always be aware of the world around him.
Our Tiago tawny port has a richness about it without being overly indulgent. You can definitely enjoy a glass on its own, but my favorite way to indulge is with a salted caramel dessert.
Fiorella, which means “little flower” in Italian, is my sister Brigitte’s eldest daughter. She is a firecracker with a heart of gold. Fiori is the true embodiment of everything we are as a family. She goes through life giving 100% of her soul and is passionate in her interests. When things get rough she just keeps moving forward. Fiorella has a tenderness about her that shows when she is attending to her baby sister Mila.
These characteristics inspired Fiori the wine, a late harvest Semillon. It is as sweet as summer fruit with a touch of honey. The bottle and label only add to the delicate nature of this wine, and it’s best enjoyed chilled on a beautiful sunny day with a fruit tart.
Lucca, the first born to our brother and winemaker Damian, was the first to carry the Doffo last name. It was only appropriate that we honor him with a wine as wonderful as he. Lucca and I have a special relationship because I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with him during his first year with us. He is sweet and loving one minute, and the next he’s crabby and can’t be bothered to do anything other than what he wants. I love that about him because he is very much like me and the family seems to agree! If you see him cruising the winery on his bike don’t try to stop him, he’ll find a way to get around you faster than you can imagine.
Lucca, our late harvest Malbec, is a very unique wine in the valley and the first of its kind. When Damian and my Dad set out to make this special wine it was an undertaking that they put their full hearts into. The result shows the love and dedication to creating something so exclusive. This wine is excellent as a standalone, however, it’s also great with some fine dark chocolate.
Ask around Temecula Valley for people’s favorite Port and you’ll likely hear “Doffo” mentioned time and again. Our original Doffo Port is made Solera-style, which uses a fractional blending technique. This means that our current bottle of Port has elements of 7 different vintages, creating an intense aromatic profile and luxurious taste on the palate.
As the family grows we are inspired to make wines to honor the younger grandkids as well. Be on the lookout for a few wines in honor of Lailah, Mila and Marco coming soon!