Here’s a breakdown of our unique value proposition:
- Warm/Hot Climate – Climate affects the taste of wine. Cool climates (e.g., Oregon’s Willamette Valley and Monterey, CA) make wines with tart flavors. Warm/hot climates (e.g., Napa, Lodi and Paso Robles, CA) make wines with ripe flavors. The terroirs are noticeably different: Cool climate regions produce fine white wines with higher acidity. Cooler growing regions are found in latitudinal zones closer to the poles, higher elevation areas, and areas affected by cooling breezes. Warm/hot climate regions produce red and white wines with moderate to high acidity. Hot climate regions produce bolder red wines with moderate to low acidity.
- Small Batch – Our wines are produced in small batches – sometimes only four barrels (25 cases per barrel max). Every bottle is numbered. ‘Boutique’ wines refer to high-quality wines from small vineyards, produced with craftsmanship and TLC. While nearly all wines in stores and restaurants come from wine factories, boutique wines come from small wineries. We don’t produce or sell any mass-produced, commercial, ‘recipe’ wines made according to a formula year-after-year. Such ‘bulk’ wines don’t emphasize terroir or craftsmanship. Think local craft beer vs. mass-produced commercial beer (e.g., Budweiser, Coors)... think small-town bakery pie vs. mass-produced grocery store pie (e.g., Sara Lee, Marie Callender)... think locally-owned restaurants and food trucks vs. restaurant chains (e.g., Applebee’s, Denny’s).
- Hand-Crafted – Our grape growers keep yields low, which guarantees a high concentration of flavors in each grape. The entire harvest is done by hand. Grapes are carefully selected to ensure that only healthy/ripe grapes are used for the wines. Our wines are barrel-aged for at least 18 months; they never touch a stainless steel tank. ‘Hand-crafted’ refers to wines made by boutique winemakers who enjoy a close, hands-on relationship with the wine throughout the winemaking process. Production is small, and we sell out of every wine, every year. Hand-crafted wines also differ in terms of consistency from year to year. Whereas a large producer is inclined to strive for a uniform product from each vintage, hand-crafted wines will vary from one vintage to the next because the wine reflects the idiosyncrasies of each vintage.
- Full-bodied and robust – Darker wines tend to be bolder with more mouth-coating density. That’s because a large portion of the flavor comes from the skins, and some grapes have thicker skins than others.
- Distinctive – In contrast to mass-produced, commercial, ‘recipe’ wines, boutique wines are individual wines - every boutique wine is distinctive. Our winemakers devote themselves to a careful and slow vinification of our wines. They balance traditional artisanal winemaking techniques with modern equipment. Instead of chemical methods to improve the taste of the wine, they trust the power of nature and their experience and skills to produce natural and outstanding wines.