Origins

The history of Orin Swift Cellars dates back to 1995 (see timeline below) when on a lark, David Swift Phinney took a friend up on an offer and went to Florence, Italy to spend a semester “studying”. During that time, he was introduced to wine, how it was made, and got hooked. A few more years of university led to graduation and eventually a job at Robert Mondavi Winery in 1997 as a temporary harvest worker.

Deciding that if he was going to work this hard, it would eventually have to be for himself, he founded Orin Swift Cellars in 1998; Orin is his father’s middle name and Swift is his mother’s maiden name. With two tons of zinfandel and not much else, he spent the next decade making wine for others as well as himself and grew the brand to what it is today.

A Brief Timeline of Orin Swift

1996 — FLORENCE (ITALY)
+ Dave goes abroad for a semester.
+ Picks up smoking.
+ Meets wine—falls in love.

1996 — CALIFORNIA (USA)
+ Dave heads back to the States.
+ Quits smoking ( it’s cooler in Europe).
+ Works as an unpaid intern (before people realized that was a terrible idea), helps plant a vineyard.

1997 — NAPA CALIFORNIA (USA)
+ Dave graduates (barely).
+ Moves to Napa, is the only white guy in an all-Mexican cellar.
+ Learns defensive Spanish. Also: how to make wine.

1998
+ Founds Orin Swift Cellars
+ First wine: sucks.

1999
+ Second wine: much better.

2000
+ More attempts, more wine. Dave mixes a bunch of the good stuff together to produce his first big hit: The Prisoner.
+ Realizes it’s better to be lucky than good.

2001
+ Slaps a dime on a bottle of Cab (heads). Government said it was OK—have the fax to prove it.
+ Knot: tied it.

2007
+ New Release: Papillon. A “long story,” according to Dave—basically named by his daughter.

2010
+ New Releases: Abstract and Machete.

2014
+ Dave opens up an official Tasting Room in St. Helena.
+ Stops running illegal tastings out of the office.

2024
+ New Tasting Room opens in a historic bank building in downtown St. Helena, CA

Plans for Tomorrow
+ Knot: keep it tied.
+ Wine: keep punching and over-delivering at every level so Dave doesn’t have to go on the road.

The Experience

10 years ago Orin Swift first opened their doors and invited old and new friends to join them for a drink. This year, they are excited to invite you next door as they open an expanded and reimagined tasting experience building on all they’ve learned from the past decade.

In a historic bank building in downtown St. Helena, CA they’ve designed a space to bring you into their world. Thoughtful details and raw materials compliment four new tasting experiences: Rock, Paper, Scissors, and The Vault. From casual to curated, the new space is the perfect introduction to OSC, and the only place for ride-or-die fans to enjoy personalized deep dives. Book Your Tasting.

Featured Wines

Orin Swift 8 Years in the Desert 750ML 2022

Zinfandel holds a very special place in our hearts; it is one of California's signature grapes, easily associated with the state. Suited to the warm growing regions across the west coast, we focus on finding great vineyards that produce Zinfandel to our liking. There's a perfect window when picking Zin-pick it too early and you end up with a thin, "green" wine; pick it too late and you risk a stuck fermentation; pick it just right...well, that's our goal. Sourced from vineyards of pedigree, such as Stefani, Barrelli and Monte Rosso, the sixth iteration exudes the ethos of Eight Years in the Desert: a heart and body of Zinfandel with added nuance and complexity from Petite Sirah and Syrah-the quintessential California Red Wine. WINEMAKER'S NOTES At first glance, the 2022 Eight Years in the Desert looks to be almost black, but after closer inspection, a dark crimson starts to shine through with a tinge of purple on the rim. The nose is rife with notes of ripe blueberry, black plum, wild raspberry, espresso bean, sweet oak and a hint of crème de menthe and cedar. The entry is akin to walking through a tunnel of velvet walls with blackberry jam, reduced strawberry and a touch of rhubarb. Bright acidity throughout the palate, the wine closes with round, ripe tannins, fresh pluot and dark chocolate.

Orin Swift Mannequin 750ML 2021

The most widely planted white wine grape in California, Chardonnay is expressed in many different styles due to the state’s varied regions. Microclimates and unique soil types allow us to source Chardonnay that tell us about place, helping us achieve our goal of showing what California has to offer. Before everything is blended, each lot expresses where it comes from—some are acid-forward and mineral-focused, while others are robust, ripe and fruit-forward. But through blending trials, we’re able to bring them together and form a piece of liquid art. Sourced from the Russian River Valley, Atlas Peak, Santa Maria Valley and other prestigious AVAs across the state, Mannequin is our manifestation of California Chardonnay. WINEMAKER’S NOTES A blinding white gold and a chartreuse shimmer in the glass, the 2021 Mannequin opens with opulent, beguiling aromatics. Ripe golden apple, concentrated jasmine, citrus notes and a touch of cream and fresh brioche emerge. The entry is bright yet with a bit of weight; similar aromatic notes come through on the palate supplemented by rich honeydew and green apple. Tempered by a prominent vein of acidity, the wine closes at length with a seamless silk-like quality, finishing with pleasing minerality

Orin Swift Slander 750ML 2022

A focus on geographic diversity has been a principle of ours or many years. Sourcing grapes from across California gives us the flexibility to produce wines when some regions are affected by forces outside of our control. But when the entire state experiences a great vintage, the diversity can sometimes be a problem…a good problem. Extensive tastings of trial blends are difficult when each blend is great for specific reasons. But in the end, we all agreed on the blend in front of you, comprised of fruit from across California — Sonoma Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands, Sta. Rita Hills and many more. WINEMAKER’S NOTES Crisp crimson in the glass, the 2021 Slander opens with notes of wild strawberry, pomegranate, Bing cherry and cedar. Secondary aromatics abound, with hints of redwood grove underbrush, white pepper and earth. Delicate on entry, the palate is flooding with red plum, cherry cola, rhubarb and spices. A touch of cocoa powder on the finish, the wine closes with confident acidity and length.

View All Orin Swift Wines

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Origins

A Brief Timeline of Orin Swift

The Experience

Featured Wines