ORIN SWIFT

Dave Phinney pretty much stumbled into the wine business after taking a friend up on an offer and travelling to Florence on a whim. In Italy, of course, he was always going to collide with the joyful marriage of food and wine. Predictably, Dave fell in love, and in his words, 'the die was cast.' He returned to the United States, graduated from university and four days later had moved to the Napa Valley. Having sent his resume to 50 wineries, he received back just the one reply. It was from Robert Mondavi. Says Dave: 'I showed up to my temporary harvest position interview wearing a suit and tie. They literally laughed at me, gave me a very basic math exam and asked if I could pass a drug test. A few weeks later I was hired.' As much as he loved his new job, and he did, Dave Phinney decided that if he was going to work this hard, it would eventually have to be for himself. The very next year, he started Orin Swift. His winemaking philosophy is the same as it was at the beginning: find the very best fruit from the very best vineyards, 'farm it right, harvest it right, bring it into the winery and don't screw it up.' Orin Swift is a brand known as much for the evocative artistic expressions on its labels as it is for the bold, finessed styling within. Says Dave Phinney: 'There’s a soul to this business; that soul isn’t just from the people who make wine, it’s from everyone who loves wines that make them feel something.'

Dave Phinney

Dave Phinney pretty much stumbled into the wine business after taking a friend up on an offer and travelling to Florence on a whim. In Italy, of course, he was always going to collide with the joyful marriage of food and wine. Predictably, Dave fell in love, and in his words, 'the die was cast.' He returned to the United States, graduated from university and four days later had moved to the Napa Valley. Having sent his resume to 50 wineries, he received back just the one reply. It was from Robert Mondavi. Says Dave: 'I showed up to my temporary harvest position interview wearing a suit and tie. They literally laughed at me, gave me a very basic math exam and asked if I could pass a drug test. A few weeks later I was hired.' As much as he loved his new job, and he did, Dave Phinney decided that if he was going to work this hard, it would eventually have to be for himself. The very next year, he started Orin Swift. His winemaking philosophy is the same as it was at the beginning: find the very best fruit from the very best vineyards, 'farm it right, harvest it right, bring it into the winery and don't screw it up.'