78 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM bottoms up rhysvineyards.com Today, there are six vineyards that make up the Rhys estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains, plus one in Anderson Valley. In 2010, the winery completed a 30,000-foot cave in keeping with a very hands-off philosophy of winemaking and organic and biodynamic viticulture. Booking a private tasting may allow for a peek inside the cave, a chilly, serpentine-shaped marvel, where freshly harvested grapes are transformed into coveted bottles of wine. No longer just a pinot producer, Rhys’ steady expansion explores more unusual varieties, like Chenin Blanc. Rhys has also partnered with Rodolphe Peters, a wellknown winemaker from France’s Champagne region, to create a pinot noir- and chardonnay-based sparkling wine program. So how do you get your hands on a bottle or two? The winery’s distribution remains predominantly mailing list-based, though some wines are available at retail stores such as K&L in Redwood City and private wine-tasting appointments are available weekly, Wednesday through Sunday. We’ll drink to that! {food coloring} When he’s not out among the vines, Kevin can be found taking in some of the other breathtaking benefits of the local geography. “My wife and I enjoy hiking Windy Hill, the area around our home which has some beautiful trails,” he shares. The 2004 harvest was the first vintage released under the Rhys label. The wines were quickly recognized as remarkable and became sought-after. Twenty years later, it’s safe to say that Kevin’s hunch about making California soil-driven, distinctive wines in our mountains was a good one. Consistently earning high ratings and awards, Rhys wines are graceful and captivating. Vinous Media named Rhys its 2023 Winery of the Year. As a recent Wine Advocate article by Matthew Luczy summarizes, “Rhys is proof-positive that any perceived chasm between Burgundy, California or elsewhere is as much about meticulous planning and obsessive attention to detail as raw materials and potential. In this regard, they are leading the way in closing the gap and should be a benchmark for winemakers on both sides of the Atlantic to constantly examine and push their methods and perspectives.” PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF RHYS VINEYARDS ABOVE (from left): Assistant winemaker Eric Prahl, Rhys Vineyards founder Kevin Harvey, head winemaker Jeff Brinkman and CFO/vineyard manager Javier Tapia.
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