We spent the 1990’s fully immersed in the viticulture and enology of the Napa Valley. There we learned that the winegrape vitis vinifera was both highly diverse and highly mutable. Grapevines are particularly sensitive to mutations from ultra-violet radiation. Growing a grapevine outside of the narrow climate zone it evolved in can have marked effect on the wine’s expression. Grapevines, like people, wear their emotions on their sleeves. Varietal expression is maximized when grapes are grown in climates that most closely resemble their native habitat. 

As vintners, we believe that our job is to use subtle winemaking techniques to make sure that this varietal character stays true throughout the fermentation and aging process. The easiest way to do that is to grow grapes in climates reflective of their European origins.

McKinley Springs Vineyard

Wine: Shy Chenin Chenin Blanc

Home of our Chenin Blanc, McKinley Springs Vineyard is in the Horse Heaven Hills of Washington. We have been making Chenin Blanc from this vineyard exclusively since our inception in 2006.

Drabkin Family Vineyard

Wine: Reversal Pinot Noir

Planted to Dijon Clone Pinot Noir, all of our Pinot Noirs have been sourced from this vineyard in the Dundee Hills of Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Sams Valley Vineyard

Wines: Moodlite Merlot, Reversal Syrah, Shy Chenin Sparkling Syrah

Nestled in the Rogue Valley, this is the home vineyard for all our bigger reds. We have been making Syrah from this vineyard since our inaugural vintage in 2006, and added Merlot with the 2017 vintage.

The wines that inspire us have their origins in a narrow band of latitude between the 43rd and 47th parallels. As avid Terroir-ists, we believe a vineyard’s microclimate is crucial to the grapes quality, and the more that microclimate resembles the grapes origins the better the resulting wine.
The 45th parallel zone holds legendary status among the elite wines of the world. We strive to find grapes grown in soils and climates that closely resemble their genetic lineage. We believe this helps to insure the optimal expression of a grapes uniqueness.