The Piquette Project is a project from Patrick Cappiello, owner/winemaker of Monte Rio Cellars and Pax Mahle, cofounder and winemaker of Pax Wines. The aim of the project is to produce fun, fizzy, low-ABV wine-adjacent “pool juice,” using leftover fermented grape must from some of the best vineyards in Lodi, California. But don’t let the crushable flavor of these wines fool you, this is serious juice.

Cappiello got his start in restaurants, his wine career began in 2002 as a Sommelier at TriBeCa Grill. As time progressed his roles changed to Wine Director and restaurant owner over the next 15 years, with stops at Veritas, Gilt, and Pearl & Ash. Through connections with countless winemakers and after meeting Mahle, the transition to winemaker was a natural progression for Cappiello. Named "Sommelier of the Year 2014" by Food & Wine Magazine, "Wine Person of the Year 2014" by Imbibe Magazine, and "Sommelier of the Year 2015" by Eater National, Cappiello still serves as Wine Director of Walnut Street Café in Philadelphia, is Food & Wine host for Playboy and founding member of Winemakers & Sommeliers for California Wildfire Relief.