A word from the founder & wine maker…

I’ve always been looking for a creative outlet since I was a kid. I played sports, hung around the cul-de-sac with my friends playing freeze tag, and joined clubs like ASB and turtoring. Normal “kid” things. I never played instruments very well, was never a prolific artist, but always desired some sort of creative bone in my body to exist. And then I found wine. 

 Being from Orange County, I don’t think I ever wore a pair of boots until I stepped foot on the central coast. I decided to Major in agriculture business at Calpoly in 2009, thanks to a recommendation from my stepmom. I’m pretty sure she was just telling me to do that so I would get into a decent college and knew Cal Poly was me “out kicking my coverage”. When it came time to decide how I wanted to use my degree, I was always told or at least thought the agriculture business meant farming corn or some other export crop, and living in the Midwest. How short sided. A close friend of mine explained to me that there were other outlets. He spoke to me about wine. 

 I’ve been fortunate enough to be given undeserved opportunities in this industry since I was 19 years old. Other than a short stent where I thought I would become a software salesman and make millions (boy was I nieve) I’ve spent the last 15 years dreaming about making an impact in the wine industry. More importantly in this local community my family and I now call Home and will for decades to come.

 I’ve covered plenty of ground. Imports and exports, the wholesale wine market, marketing and e-commerce and more than a few tasting room jobs. It wasn’t until I met my mentor, Aaron Jackson, in 2019 that I was truly given the opportunity to do something that I found was a legitimate path of the future. Fast-forward six years: Tons of experiences, more than a handful of mistakes, and a grip of patience from friends and family around me. Here I am. Rather here we are. 

This brand encompasses all of that and so much more. Most of the story is still untold, but one thing I do know is I want to be able to provide authentic, tasty, lively wines to my friends, family, and those that want to hop on to this ride. Initially when I asked a few friends “when you think of wine, which ones do you reach for first” I often got a pretty standardized answer. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Although I love each and every one of these varietals, I wanted to try and do something different. This was my chance to use my “unfound creative outlet” . I wanted to make Wines that fit the boundaries of what I envisioned as the “corners of the main stream market” but with a twist. I wanted to provide what I felt they were looking for through a different lense, or a different varietal if you will. 

I started with Gammay noir (my favorite wine grape still to this day) and Tempranillo, which I felt fulfilled that Cabernet Sauvignon full bodied, tannic red wine fix. And just this past year I embarked on making a wine I’ve always been so Infatuated by in Cabernet Franc , made in the style I love most in “Chinon” which originated in France from the loire Valley. The final piece will be a white wine (varietal still to be determined) to fill out the vision. 

Maybe this will be the core values of this wine brand. Maybe they will change. I think that’s the fun part about it, the best part about this whole thing that brings me back to the urge I had to be creative back when I was a young boy. For me, It’s not about being consistent in anything other than my ambition to make quality wines at an affordable price, and most importantly to make people I love happy. Let people smile at dinner tables, laugh in the park with their friends on a summer afternoon, or provide conviction when giving a gift to a loved one accompanied by a story they can tell when it’s being presented. 

I hope this explains where my sometimes crazy head is at, and you all would like to join this ride with me. If that’s the case, join the club (or as I’m calling it, a wine journey) or purchase a pick me up to send to someone you’ve been thinking about lately. 

Let’s see where this takes us.