Newsletter:

2005 Animae Release

I Just Make It.

The qualities of a good winemaker are akin to those of a successful tightrope walker : an abiding passion for the task, courage(see insanity) to go out on a limb, and impeccable balance. I had these thoughts during a meeting with some marketers. They explained to me in no uncertain terms that the greatest winemaker in American history had never made a bottle of wine. He was a salesman by trade, not a winemaker. They wanted something catchy from me, something they could use to help sell the wine. I told them every vineyard has a soul, and each bottle of wine has a sense of place, that’s why I named the wine Animae, which is latin for soul. To boring they said. I said that being a small batch winemaker each barrel was important to me, that I sought to make the perfect wine if there was such a thing. More boring they uttered. I stood up and said that the wine had deep complex fruit, with fine sweet tannins from a great vintage! They looked up at me and asked if I had a jingle. As I stood up to leave and told them I would no longer need their services, I said to them that the guy who sold the millions of bottles of wine would most likely hate my sales skills, but he’d love my wine. One of them shouted “that’s it” as I walked out the door. Marketer’s Just don’t get it .

Order a bottle or two of Branch Cellars (Animae) small production Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. It’s wine winemakers drink!