Birichino

About

Owners & winemakers: Alex Krause & John Locke
Vineyards: Sourcing from 14 different vineyards planted between 1886 and 1978
Vineyard management: Own-rooted vines, sustainably or organically farmed, mostly non-irrigated
Soils: Varied by site, including sand, limestone, granite, schist, shale, loam, and more
Grapes grown: Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignane, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Canelli, Riesling, Semillon

Quick facts:

• Alex and John purchase fruit from 3rd and 4th generation growers farming own-rooted vines planted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to make wines that express a uniquely Californian terroir.
• Bechthold Vineyard, the oldest vineyard they work with, was planted in 1886–the ungrafted Cinsault vines are now over 130 years old.

Drawing on a combined four decades making wine in California, France, Italy, and beyond, Alex Krause and John Locke focus on attaining the perfect balance of “perfume, poise, and puckishness,” as they put it. The duo met in 1992 while working for Randall Graham at Bonny Doon. The Birichino project eventually came about when Randall sold his big production wines and downsized his operation. As a result, they were no longer producing a Malvasia that had been very popular in Quebec. Together Alex and John were able to step into the Malvasia void that Bonny Doon’s downsizing had created. During their first two years, they made only Malvasia and sold it only to Quebec. From there they slowly added distribution to other countries, starting with England, and branched out into producing wine from other varieties.

Alex and John do not own any of their own vineyards. Instead, they partner with a number of 3rd and 4th generation growers, who together own some of the most interesting old vineyard plots in California. Sourcing from a number of carefully farmed, family-owned, own-rooted 19th and early 20th century vineyards (along with some more recent acquisitions) planted in mostly moderate, marine-influenced climates, their philosophy is to highlight the quality and uniqueness of their raw materials. The company is based in California’s Central Coast in Santa Cruz, but they work with growers and vineyards as far away as Mendocino. Winemaking is minimalist, with native fermentations, stainless steel or neutral barrels, and little to no fining and filtration. As they put it, their goal is to “make delicious wines that give pleasure, revitalize, and revive.”