Makers' Stories
Russell Bevan
— Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.
What does "cultivating excellence" as a Napa Valley vintner mean to you?
With time, I'm becoming more and more sensitive to climate change and our need to manage viticulture differently than we have in the past. Cultivating excellence in the future is going to require more and more attention in the vineyard and less intervention in the winery.
What's your all-time favorite food and wine pairing?
A ribeye and Cabernet Sauvignon.
If you weren't a Napa Valley vintner, what would you be doing?
Training athletes.
How did you get started in the wine business?
When I was in college, I worked for Gallo doing sales. To this day, I'm incredibly impressed with their organization.
What's one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I have shaved either my head or my face every day for over 30 years, and have never missed a day.
If you could open a bottle of your wine and share it with any three people (living or not), who would they be?
Thomas Jefferson, Julia Child and Plato.
What is your favorite memory as a vintner working in Napa Valley?
Tasting my very first wine out of the bottle.
Name a Napa Valley vintner who has influenced you and briefly explain why.
Helen Turley and the wine she crafted in the early 90s set a new standard of excellence that many Napa Valley winemakers tried to emulate but didn't understand her amazing attention to detail and focus. Sanitation and hard work were what she started every day with, and it showed in her wines.
Tell us about your first Napa Valley harvest…
It was 2004, the growing season was spectacular and managing a fermentation for the first time, I was completely captivated by how different the fermentations from the same vineyard varied so much. It was absolutely magical.
What is your winemaking philosophy?
Clean more, think less.
Est. 2014
PerUs Wine
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The Makers