Verge Wine Cellars

Founded:

2006

Owners:

Mike Brunson & Jay Kell

Location:

Healdsburg, CA

Founded in 2006 by Mike Brunson & Jay Kell, VERGE Wine Cellars is dedicated to producing expressive Syrah from organic and biodynamic vineyards along the edges of the wild; unique plots they have deemed Fringe Vineyards. Their intention is to let Syrah shine by spotlighting fringe farmers who are leading the charge in organics, grow amazing Syrah and respect the wild ecosystems around them.

Winemaker, Mike Brunson has nearly twenty years of experience crafting California Syrah and is a leader in advocating organic viticulture in Sonoma County. Most recently, he led the charge to convert the 100-acre Michel-Schlumberger ranch to an organically farmed wine estate.

VERGE takes a minimalist approach in the cellar. Native yeasts contribute to what they have termed the Wild Stamp: a Fringe Vineyard’s ecological footprint present in the wine itself. The reds are only racked once prior to bottling, and filtering/fining are dependent on the vintage, but generally used only when absolutely necessary. The barrel regime is approximately 14-18 months of aging in a combination of new and used French Oak. The primary goal is to produce age-worthy Syrah that is expressive of site and evangelizes the greatness of California Syrah.