Collection: Orin Swift

There still exists a divide between Old and New World wine fanatics. Despite events such as the 1976 ‘Judgement of Paris’, some drinkers still opt time and time again for Old World classics. However, what the New World may lack in historical provenance, it more than makes up for with ingenuity and imagination. One wine-maker proving this exact point is David Swift Phinney, founder of Orin Swift Cellars.

In 1995, on a ‘study’ semester abroad in Florence, Phinney was exposed to the world of wine making for the first time. Before his trip had come to an end, he was hooked. It was here that Phinney’s passion was ignited, and after university he landed a job as a temporary harvest worker for Mondavi Winery in 1997. Now, as romantic as grape picking sounds, it is far from a glamorous job in reality. Working relentlessly long days, Phinney soon concluded that if he wanted to keep working this hard, he wanted it to be for himself, founding the Orin Swift brand in 1998.

Based in Napa Valley, it was their second wine that saw the Orin Swift brand find its feet – after a first wine that, as the brand itself put it, ‘sucks’. After perfecting their methods for two years, their first big hit came in 2000 with The Prisoner. With a 385-case production, it received a cult following and turned heads within the wine industry.

Since then, Orin Swift has opened a tasting room in St Helena that is just as moody and arresting as their labelling. It is this specific style of branding, as well as their phenomenally bold wines, that really sets Orin Swift apart. Each label tells a specific story, each of which is more captivating than the next. For their Mannequin Chardonnay, Phinney had gathered a photographer and two dozen mannequins in a warehouse, shooting all day, trying to get the perfect shot for the label. After an unsuccessful first day, the team decided to leave and try again in the morning. However, upon storing the mannequins in the corner of the room for the night, the photographer declared that this was the shot they had been looking for, snapping the final bottle image there and then.

I think it is fair to say that although a lot of what Orin Swift does resists following the conventions of the wine industry, the resulting products are undeniably powerful. In a recent ‘Masters vs. Mavericks’ tasting event held by Cult & Boutique, we pitted Orin Swift wines against other, more traditional Napa Valley brands. Needless to say, much like the ‘Judgement of Paris’ tasting, our guests were surprised to discover the complexity and flavour intensity of such a novel brand.

We are proud to offer a range of Orin Swift products here on Uncorked. To find your favourite, you can explore the wines below.