Elkins Wines
Get the Dirt from winemaker Matt Elkins
“As a small winery, we have the ability to produce wines that fill gaps in the market with wines that may not appease the masses. This gives us the opportunity to produce unique varietals in special ways.”
What was your first vintage year? 2021.
How many cases do you make per vintage? About 200
Do you have a Tasting Room? Not at this time.
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
Riesling — specifically a bottle of 2003 Henschke Julius Riesling from the Eden Valley in Australia.
What varietals do you work with?
Currently working with Riesling and Syrah. We will be adding a few more red varietals this year.
What vineyards do you source from?
Perli Vineyard in the Mendocino Ridge AVA (Syrah) and Chileno Valley Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA (Riesling). Both vineyards meet my sustainability requirements and have a good track record for producing great wines.
What type of oak treatment do you use?
The Syrah ages in 100% neutral oak. The Riesling ages in 100% stainless steel barrels. Reason for both is that I feel it lets the varietal tell its story of terroir without outside influence.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
Climactically and geologically, both regions are unique. Mendocino Ridge is warm enough to ripen Syrah, but just barely. The coastal rains also allow the vineyard to be dry farmed. Petaluma Gap is a colder/windier region than most, keeping yields low and allowing acid retention during ripening.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
We chose to use our family name for our brand because in the end, we are making wines that accurately represent the vineyard, region, and year that the grapes were harvested, which we are quite proud of (perhaps not everyone will love the style, but we do).
The label has two important features. 1) Birds native to coastal CA. 2) The largest (and most important) words on the label are the AVA because we are making wines that showcase terroir.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
Don’t compare yourself to the success of other wine brands. Also, selling wine is hard.
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
As a small winery, we have the ability to produce wines that fill gaps in the market with wines that may not appease the masses. This gives us the opportunity to produce unique varietals in special ways.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
I think it is going to get harder and harder for us little brands to succeed but there will hopefully always be room for us in the market.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be? Barolo.
For more information about Elkins Wines, please visit their website or follow them on Instagram.