Rugged and remote vineyards producing wines of intense character
Ian Brand does not make it easy. Even when we beg him to! Situated in the Salinas Valley in Central California, the sites he works with are far flung. The soils are hard, depleted, and the intense sunlight is tempered only by the coastal breeze. Ian is invested in the local farmers and his community, creating wines that have a sense of place entirely unique to the unusual and often desolate sites he works with. Affordable, not overly polished, and unquestionably delicious. It is no surprise that all of this work was highlighted by the San Francisco Chronicle awarding him Winemaker of the Year in 2018. Ian has three labels. Paysan in homage to the Rhône Valley, La Marea for the Iberian Peninsula, and I Brand as the pinnacle. Showcasing the best these lonely vineyards have to offer.
