Meet The...Winemaker
Romance, Fire and Passion

DISCOVER - MAY 19, 2009

Founder's Note: This is the first in a new, monthly series titled "Meet The..." in which we'll profile the winemakers, chefs, vintners and others that weave the rich tapestry of wine country culture.

Shakespeare would have coveted this saga of adventure, tragedy, love and triumph.

Michael Hirby, a young sommelier and intrepid adventurer, found himself unemployed and camping in a Napa Valley canyon. His bold attempt to learn wine making in France had ended before it began. Then good fortune smiled twice when the proprietors of Behrens and Hitchcock, a boutique Napa winery, offered him a job and its general manager, Schatzi Throckmorton, broke up with her boyfriend. Soon after, Michael proposed at the gates of the most prestigious estate in Burgundy, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The nuptials were performed under a trellis at the mountain top courtyard of Behrens and Hitchcock.

Under the label, Relic, the two set out to craft their own wine that "didn't just taste good with food but tasted good as food." All went well, until a warehouse fire destroyed their 2004 vintage and their life savings. After much soul searching, they renewed their resolve and began anew.

Today, Michael is consultant or winemaker at four, limited production Napa wineries, where he concentrates on Cabernet Sauvignon blends. With Relic, his combination of old-style Burgundian techniques (like whole cluster fermentation) together with modern technology has garnered top ratings from the top critics. Current releases include two Pinot Noirs and Syrahs, a Southern Rhone blend called Ritual and a Cabernet-based blend with a little Syrah called Artefact.

High up Spring Mountain inside a restored camper parked next to the site of their wedding, Michael and Schatzi enthusiastically shared their triumphs and heartbreaks with us. Red Relics lubricated lively discussions from plonk to stomping grapes with their feet to harvest workdays lasting 'til 4 AM.

Wine lovers are lucky that devotees like these are taking risks and expending energy to carry on ancient traditions of making hand-crafted wines.

Relic Wines
PO Box 327
St. Helena, CA 94574
Phone: 707 967-9380 (Tastings by appointment)
www.RelicWines.com

Our regular Meet The... series profiles the winemakers, chefs, vintners
and others that weave the rich tapestry of wine country culture.

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