The California wine scene has changed a lot recently, with far less emphasis on trophy wines, and far more on wines that are just fun to drink. Trends don’t just happen by themselves. It is... Read More

The California wine scene has changed a lot recently, with far less emphasis on trophy wines, and far more on wines that are just fun to drink. Trends don’t just happen by themselves. It is people like Laura Brennan that are changing California.

Some people start making wine after making a fortune in investment banking or high tech. That’s usually where you end up with the trophy wines. Laura was a tattoo artist. Perhaps it’s no surprise that things turned out a little different.

When she decided to get into wine she had very little going for her other than an impressive tattoo on her shoulder and an embellished CV, which she used to land an internship at Unti. After Unti she landed a position with Matthiasson, the trailblazer who continues to make deliciously drinkable wines.

Next stop was Inconnu, her own winery, and the goal of making Californian vin de soif — wines for drinking, not for showing off. Many of the Californians who have to come to this approach have focused on less traditional Californian varieties, like Valdigue, but Laura focuses on many of the same noble grapes that you find in those trophies, like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. But there is also Chenin Blanc, which is just fine with us.