Sheldon Wines | a micro-winery

After honeymooning among the cellars of New Zealand and France, Dylan and Tobe launched Sheldon Micro-Winery in 2003. With a history in organic farming, hospitality, and geology, it was an obvious move for the Sheldon’s to try their hand at winemaking. Many of their selections are just two barrel productions, made from one-acre vineyard blocks. When the grapes are optimally ripe with balanced sugars, acids and polyphenols; Dylan and Tobe begin hand harvesting. The grapes are gently crushed, and basket pressed. The resulting wines are racked in line with lunar cycles, and you can be sure that no new barrels were harmed in their winemaking. In their pursuit of vibrancy and finesse instead of weight and extraction, the wines display an essence of refined rebellion. Pour a glass and walk the line between elegance and hedonism. Bottled without fining or filtration because Dylan believes that sterile wines have no soul. Dylan’s winemaking philosophy: My goal has been to reveal the story that the vineyard wants to tell. To this end, I strive for wines that are streamlined and refined versus overripe and oaked. We typically pick at 22-24 brixs which results in a lower alcohol (12/13 percent) and bright acidity. We have historically used 40 percent new oak. However, I think this will migrate lower as we continue to experiment with whole cluster fermentations as a more natural way of gaining tannic structure