Jardesca White California Aperitiva. From Sonoma, CA, Jardesca is essentially a fortified aromatized wine similar to products like vermouth, Lillet, and the like, but with a Cali touch.

So what does “fortified” and “aromatized” mean?

Fortification means to strengthen, and a fortified wine is just a wine that is strengthened by adding a stronger higher-ABV spirit, which helps to preserve the wine allowing it to last for several weeks up to a few months when kept in the fridge. The base of this is a blend of 3 white wines (Viognier), and it’s fortified with a grape eau-de-vie brandy.

Aromatized just means that it has added flavors from botanicals and herbs, and Jardesca White is accented by pink grapefruit, pink peppercorns, bay leaf, and 7 other botanicals. The end result is a lovely, fresh, refreshing wine-focused drink that is perfect on ice, with some bubbles, and also a fantastic addition to cocktails!