The Way We Make Wine

When it comes to Pinot Noir, our favorite wines always tend to be the least manipulated. We love the unique flavors that you often get with wild yeast fermentation, as the different strains battle it out for dominance until one rises above the rest. We prefer less than half new oak so the main aromas and flavors don't come from the barrel. And, the less you touch the wine between fermentation and bottling, the better.

It's no surprise, given the above paragraph, that we decided to make our own Pinot Noirs this way. Joe, my fiance, worked as an assistant winemaker (among other capacities) at Joseph Swan Vineyards in the Russian River Valley. If you want to taste truly natural wines nowadays, visit them (www.swanwinery.com). They are completely wild, unfined, unfiltered, with no additions. Even to the point where they won't stop fermentation on a late-harvest if it decided to go dry. After the grapes come in, it is what it is. Now, many winemakers say this is a crazy, chancey way to do things. Well, it is. However, if you don't take a little risk, what's your return?