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Vinum Cellars is a collaboration of winemakers Richard Bruno and Chris Condos, who first became friends while they were students at UC Davis. They share a long standing passion for Chenin Blanc and fondness for the more obscure grape varieties.
After graduation, Chris went to work for Pine Ridge as Enologist, and Richard went to Bonny Doon as their distiller. Shortly after, their friendship was solidified over Chenin Blanc with the creation of their first "Pointe Blanc". Currently, the Vinum Cellars team is working with over 14 grape varieties from El Dorado and San Benito counties to Napa Valley.
Their first winemaking philosophy is to work with great grape growers to develop the best fruit in the vineyard. We pick the grapes at optimal ripeness and gently process the fruit. They are very experimental with yeast strains and use different cultures for each variety. Their whites are barrel fermented slowly and aged sur lies in small French oak barrels. With their reds, skin contact is optimized by the use of small open top fermentors, hand punch downs and extended maceration before pressing. Their belief in the use of older French oak barrels allows the varietal fruit of their wines to be expressed. They are committed to experimenting and learning new winemaking methods while preserving an old world approach.
We are now carrying Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir.
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