Orin Swift was born from a love of wine. In 1995 David Swift Phinney had an offer from a friend to spend part of his academic year in Florence. So off he went to Italy and, whilst “studying” , was introduced to wine and the methods of winemaking - and he got hooked. On returning home he switched his studies to agriculture, planting experimental vineyards while still at college and, after graduating in 1997, worked a harvest for Robert Mondavi and then Whitehall Lane, both in the Napa Valley. The following year David launched his own brand with just two tons of Zinfandel grapes, naming it in honour of his parents: his father's middle name is Orin and his mother's maiden name is Swift. David continued to work for other wineries whilst he grew his own business and in 2000 he crafted the wine which would propel him to stardom and put red blends on the map. The now legendary The Prisoner, an unusual blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah and Charbono, was produced under the California appellation, because David is dedicated to blending not just varieties, but across appellations and vintages. In 2016 David sold Orin Swift to E. & J. Gallo, but remained at the helm of the company he founded. David's unparalleled blending talents culminate in a portfolio of wittily named, incredibly creative and iconoclastic wines, and every label that David produces he designs himself, the bottles are as attention-grabbing and exciting as the wine they contain!
www.orinswift.com/