Birichino, which means “mischievous” in Italian, reflects the mischievous and innovative spirit of the founders.
Domaine Birichino, established in 2008 by Alex Krause and John Locke in Santa Cruz, California, is a benchmark for authentic and expressive wines. Their goal is to produce wines that combine fragrance, balance and finesse, while respecting the unique characteristics of each terroir.
Terroir
Birichino sources its grapes from parcels located primarily in the southern Santa Cruz Mountains. This region benefits from a climate influenced by cool sea breezes and cool nights, which is ideal for viticulture. The soils are varied, ranging from granitic soils to sandy-loamy soils, often from centuries-old non-irrigated vineyards. These unique conditions make it possible to produce wines with beautiful freshness and great aromatic complexity.
Appellations
Birichino works primarily with grapes from historic vineyards in the Santa Cruz region, but also sources from other areas of California, including Chalone and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This geographical diversity makes it possible to create wines representative of the best characteristics of each terroir.
History
Alex Krause and John Locke met in the cellar of Randall Grahm, the famous creator of Bonny Doon. John was cellar master for almost two decades, while Alex, after five years of winemaking experience with John, became export sales manager. Their shared passion for wine led them to found Birichino, combining their experiences acquired in France, Italy and even India.
Production
The Birichino estate favors a minimalist approach to winemaking. The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and concrete tanks. Aging takes place in neutral barrels and concrete vats for approximately 10 months. The wines are neither filtered nor fined, which allows all their purity and finesse to be preserved. Birichino produces a dozen wines, each highlighting the unique characteristics of the grape varieties and terroirs.
Fame
Birichino quickly gained notoriety thanks to the exceptional quality of its wines. They are present on the menus of many prestigious restaurants and are appreciated by wine lovers around the world for their freshness, balance and aromatic complexity. Birichino wines are recognized for their drinkability and ability to captivate the most discerning palates.
Special feature
A notable feature of Birichino is their method of using the "apassimento" technique for approximately 10% of their grapes. These grapes are left to dry for ten days after harvest, which gives them a more tannic and botanical expression. An interesting anecdote is that Birichino started with the production of Malvoisie, following the specific request of a Quebec buyer. This initiative allowed the founders to seize the opportunity to work with an Italian family owning one of the rare plots of Malvasia in California, thus giving birth to the estate.