2024 · Saint Georges Pinot Noir

Birichino is a Santa Cruz, California winery founded in 2008 by co-owners and winemakers Alex Krause and John Locke. Drawing on decades of experience, they focus on wines from historic California vineyards, many family-owned, old-vine, organically farmed, and dry-farmed, including notable sites in Cienega Valley, Chalone, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Lodi, and Contra Costa. Their approach is low-intervention: native fermentations, stainless steel or neutral barrels, minimal racking and fining, and no filtration when possible. Across sites such as Enz, Gimelli, Bechthold, Wirz, and Peter Martin Ray, Birichino emphasizes distinctive soils, marine-influenced climates, and preservation of California’s viticultural heritage while aiming for wines of perfume, vibrancy, and balance.