Varietal(s): 78% Carignan, 22% Mouvedre
Vineyard Management: Practicing organic, dry-farmed
Winemaking: native yeast fermentation, partial stem inclusion, neutral vessel, sulfur additions permitted, Unfined/Unfiltered
Vegan: Yes
Typicity: Typical
Bio: Birichino was founded in 2008 by Alex Krause and John Locke in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The pair met while working for Randall Graham at Bonny Doon in the 90's. The original goal was to make Malvasia from the smattering of vines that remained in pockets throughout the region. they've since branched out to other varietals and always seem to strike a balance between making bleeding edge glou glou and classic California style.
Their philosophy strongly echoes Graham's perspective: native yeast fermentations and the use of sulfur when necessary, but they eschew other additives. Vineyard sites are usually small parcels of older vines farmed by families for generations.
