When it came time to select a new winemaker starting with the 2002 vintage, by resounding recommendations, Doug Stanton looked no further than wine industry "rising star" Dave Phinney of Orin Swift fame.
While an aspiring attorney in college, Phinney traveled to Italy and was so inspired by the vineyards, the wines, and the artistry of the process, that he decided his dream was to be a winemaker instead. Phinney got his start by working harvests at Robert Mondavi and Opus One. To continue his search for knowledge, Phinney went to work at Whitehall Lane where he trained under winemaker Dean Sylvester.
Phinney has since honed and applied his unique skills and understanding of how to nurture the most complex, aromatic, and full bodied wines to his own label, Orin Swift, which include such critically acclaimed, cult wines as The Prisoner, Mercury Head, and most recently, Papillon.
As Stanton Vineyards owner attests, "The strength of our wines comes through our vineyard ownership and farming techniques coupled perfectly with the strength of Dave Phinney’s winemaking talents."