Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Barbara 2021
My philosophy on making wine is that the fruit is EVERYTHING. What happens in the vineyard determines the quality of the wine - I can't make it better - I can only screw it up! That's why I'm extremely picky when choosing vineyards to buy grapes from. Not only am I looking for the right soil, micro-climate, and clones, I'm also looking for a grower with the same passion and dedication to producing great wine that I have. One of the most important decisions made in the vineyard is when to pick. Some people go by the numbers (brix, pH, TA, etc) and some go by taste. Once again, I trust the decision to the vineyard people. The day they pick the fruit for their wine is the day I'm there with a truck to pick mine. Given this approach, the wine that I produce is as much a reflection of the vineyard owner as it is of my winemaking skills. I figure that I'm extending the concept of terroir a bit to include the vineyard owner/manager... but it seems to make sense to me. The added benefit is that I'll be producing a wide variety of Pinots. It'd be boring if everything I made tasted the same. - Brian Loring