The 2023 vintage of Chevey comes from a new Lady of the Sunshine vineyard site, sourced from the Presqu'ile Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley. We are contracted to purchase 2 acres of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc that are farmed with practicing organic farming techniques for Lady of the Sunshine. This vineyard is 16 miles from the pacific coast and planted on sandy, well-draining soils.
This playful wine is inspired by a traditional blend from the Cheverny region, in the Loire Valley, where it's common to blend the 2 varieties together. The grapes were picked for natural acidity, foot tread and soaked on skins overnight before being whole bunch pressed, separately, the next day. The juice was fermented with native yeast & bacteria in neutral french oak barrels and aged on lees for 7 months before its first racking to blend before bottling, without filtration or fining, with minimal sufur used.
think orchard bloom, lemon grass, & green pineapple
456 cases made | 12.4% alcohol
gina giugni is a second generation biodynamic farmer and winemaker. gina started lady of the sunshine in 2017, with a focus on regenerative, organic, and biodynamic farming in pursuit of making natural wines that reflect the purity of the place they come from.
since 2018, gina has been farming the 6.5 acre chene vineyard, located in the edna valley appellation on the central coast. since her takeover, the vineyard earned demeter biodynamic certification in 2020 and lady of the sunshine earned winery demeter certification in 2021.
gina and her husband, mikey, run scar of the sea and lady of the sunshine together out of their winery in san luis obispo, ca.
- a love note -
all of the lady of the sunshine wines are farmed either by myself, my father at narrow gate vineyards, or our friends, with a deep respect for the land & the future of our planet at forefront.
all the wines are made with native yeast, no adjustments, all neutral french oak, and bottled unfined & unfiltered, always.
all the pieces of artwork for the labels are hand stitched embroideries inspired by an original 1950s pattern from @benjotaylor grandmother and brought to life with the help of my dear friend, @harvestgoodsco.
my mother’s handwriting is on the cork, mine is all other script & doodles. no capsules, light weight highly recyclable green glass, & natural cork are all intentional, along with an ingredients list so you know what you are putting into your body.
these wines are a compilation of many intentions, things i love, and layers of self evolution, all folded together over time. this line up will continue to take shape and change as i change, but it is a snapshot of who i want to be and where i want to keep going. it’s an honor to be able to share these wines with you. thank you for your support and continued belief in lady of the sunshine, we would not be on this journey of farming and making wine without it.
many thanks,
gina giugni, lady of the sunshine
