Winemaker Insists He Does Nothing, Proceeds To List 46 Things He Does

Waving off a compliment with practiced humility during a barrel tasting Wednesday, winemaker Anton Reyes explained that he does essentially nothing and simply lets the fruit express itself, then described in unbroken detail 46 discrete interventions he had personally made, sources confirmed. “Honestly? I stay out of the way. The vineyard does the work,” said Reyes, before covering his pick decisions by block, three separate sorting passes, a cold soak he timed to the hour, a yeast trial, two saignées, a co-ferment, barrel selection by cooper and forest, a toast level he had specified in writing, and a racking schedule he described as “instinctive.” “I mean, you can’t force it. If you force it, it dies. I don’t touch it.” Reyes concluded by noting that the wine had, in a very real sense, made itself.