ANIKA Grenache, 2018

My greatest joy as a sommelier, winemaker, author, and collector, has been sharing the wines that excite me. But, it’s not just the wine itself that fascinates me – it’s also the process of how the wine was created. Every important wine has a strong sense of will behind it, and every serious winery shares a desire to find a deeper knowledge of their vineyards; to discover the beauty that lies within the balance between the grape, soil and microclimate. In my regular travels to the best wine regions of the world, I have also included forays into less well-known appellations. Tasting at both pedigreed domaines and modest cellars, has led me to appreciate, equally, wines meant for the well-heeled cellar as well as wines best drunk early and appreciated for their immediacy. I have discovered that what is consistent in all the wines I admire is the importance of minimal intervention: growing healthy, balanced grapes without the use of chemicals and making and bottling wines without manipulation. My work in California and Oregon has revealed to me, that here in my own backyard, we can produce wines that hold true to this philosophy with perhaps greater ease and success than anywhere else in the world. Last year I reached out to my friends and colleagues and managed to acquire grapes from some truly amazing vineyards. My goal is to produce wines that honor the tradition of their origins yet embrace the amazing terroirs we have in California and Oregon. With these wines, and those of Raj Parr Wines, Sandhi and Evening Land, my hope is to create a community that celebrates the diversity of wines styles, grape varieties, microclimates and soils we have here on the West Coast of the United States. The process of understanding what makes a wine compelling has rewarded me with amazing experiences and great friendships. This wine club is a way for me to share my knowledge and vision of wine from grape to bottle.