I come from a long line of winemakers so my degree in Agricultural Engineering naturally destined me to continuing in the family’s footsteps. But the thirst for discovery, the desire for independence and freedom, and the need for challenges, led me to try my luck in the U.S. Excited by the positive work attitude and having found my soul mate, I stayed in the U.S. for ten years. That experience had a profound impact on me. I learned to see the opportunity instead of the problem, the potential instead of the limitations, and that in your daily work it is better to have dreams. My return to the vineyards was inevitable. My wife, Cristina, and I had longingly prepared for it. Not to go back to the cocoon of family comfort, but rather to create our own path making truly unique wines.

My Mission

I want to make honest wines, wines with strong personalities that fully express their terroirs and the dreams of their winegrower. I hope that they will evoke in you some of the emotions and sensations of my Mediterranean childhood: the warm caress of the wind laden with the opulent scent of parasol pines, the glimpse of a darting lizard amidst the rolled pebbles of the vineyards...

Sharing these emotions around a table creates intense exchanges, experiences that are increasingly rare in this era of standardisation and uniform thinking. With the dumbing down of humanity through big brand globalisation and the relentless mechanization of the human condition, I believe more than ever that what’s important in life is our relationship with the land and with others. To me there is a transcendental fulfilment in a sincere handshake, a relaxed meal with friends and family, or an animated conversation around a great bottle of wine.

Daily, I live this passion intensely and it’s not by accident that my wines resemble me. I hope that you will enjoy them, and I’m sure they won’t leave you indifferent

My Convictions

Today the world of wine is chocked full of stifling clichés. Those little sound bites of information that have been repeated so often that they almost become “absolute truths” are obstacles to creativity and individuality. In the face of all this retrenchment to older times, I’ve chosen to follow my deeply held convictions, at the risk of being “politically incorrect”.

How many times have we heard: “A terroir speaks for itself?”

To make “terroir” driven wines, the wine grower must have an intimate familiarity with each parcel of land, of its idiosyncrasies and its microclimate. This knowledge only comes with long years of observation and understanding. In addition, difficult decisions must be made. Not every parcel has something grand and original to express. But once those parcels have been set aside, the wine made carries the unique and durable imprint of its terroir and the authenticity of its roots.

Or how about: “The only interesting wines are terroir wines”?

I believe that a wine starts as a dream in the wine grower’s mind who then chooses the vineyards and the techniques to make it a reality. The quest to make an ideal wine crafted by the wine grower continues to be a noble mission for me, but only if it’s done with all his soul. His wine then reflects his spirit and it will be as unique as its creator….

And don’t forget: “Organic is the only environmentally responsible way to farm”?

A little known fact about organic farming is that it allows the use of heavy metals such as copper and carcinogens such as nicotine. Though the organic movement was fundamental in that it forced farmers to come to terms with their share of responsibility for the stewardship of our Earth, it is not by blindly using the outmoded products of our ancestors that we are going to improve the condition of our planet. My logic is preventive rather than curative. I struggle to give my lands a stable equilibrium: harvest without maxing yields, cultivating the vines without overfeeding them, using integrative disease treatment without wiping out populations. We must give our land all of its biological richness and favour reduced yields.

In my vineyards, this equilibrium begins with a soil that is alive and plants that are fed a healthy, balanced diet. I use horse manure because it feeds the vines slowly and continuously as it is decomposed by microorganisms.

The natural prairie that interweaves itself throughout my vineyards limits the vines’ growth and makes them hardier, all the while offering a favourable habitat to natural predators of harmful insects. Debudding, deleafing and green harvesting, all contribute to restraining the vines’ vigour and expose the grapes to the sun, both of which assure healthy, ripe fruit at harvest time. Spraying is avoided at all costs, and only used when absolutely necessary. With integrated pest management, the product used is a compromise between efficacy and minimizing its impact on the biological equilibrium of the vineyards’ ecosystem.