“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – William Shakespeare
Shakespeare may have meant that names do not matter in the case of Romeo and Juliet, but here at Doffo Winery, our names have meaning! We chatted with Zulma Doffo about how each Doffo Wine is named. She says that no one person is in charge of naming a particular varietal, though she admits she is often the one who starts the naming process. “I propose names and labels and it is usually about the moment and inspiration. For example, I thought that our late harvest wines should be named after the grand kids, because they are sweet and innocent, much like these wines.”
There is a story behind every bottle of wine, and in this case, every wine name. Take for example, the Paulina Sparkling Wine. Named in honor of Marcelo Doffo’s mother, the Paulina wine is “sweet just as she was,” explains Zulma, “and sparkling like her laughter.” This crisp and sparkling Chardonnay with a touch of Muscat is perfect for a hot summer day.
Armando, Marcelo, and Paulina at Doffo Winery in the early stages!
“I always regretted that Paulina never knew about the wine we named after her,” Zulma reveals. That is why they created the Don Armando wine, in honor of Marcelo’s father, to celebrate his life. “I am very happy that he got to taste the wine and that he enjoyed it,” shares Zulma. The Don Armando is an intense wine with a blend of 60% Merlot and 40 % Cabernet Sauvignon.
Damian and Marcelo are now working on Tiarella, a rich Cabernet Sauvignon that embodies the intensity and Zen-like characteristics of the Doffo grandchildren, after whom the wine was named. Zulma tells us this story: “Tiarella was created when Marcelo and I were flying back from Sacramento after a visit to daughters Samantha and Brigitte, who were living there at the time. The wine is a combination of the grandkids’ names, Tiago and Fiorella!”
Tiago and Fiorella pictured above with “Nono” (What they call Marcelo!)
Doffo Winery’s Tiago is a tawny style port wine. Marcelo dedicated this wine to his first grandson, Tiago, who like this late harvest red wine, is strong and sweet. Zulma revealed that the granddaughters will eventually have white late harvest wines named after them too. In December, Doffo Winery will be bottling the Fiori, named after granddaughter Fiorella.
