In 2002, winegrower Dan Rinke moved from his home state of Wisconsin to pursue a bachelors degree in viticulture from California State University in Fresno. After earning his degree, he focused his attention on apprenticing in making wine, so he accepted a position as Assistant Winemaker at Domaine Alfred, a non-certified vineyard close to San Luis Obispo, California. It was there that Dan learned the basics of how to run a cellar, to care for the wines in barrel, and how to grow grapes using biodynamic farming methods.
After Domaine Alfred, he headed to the Santa Cruz Mountains to work for the Pinot Noir producer Rhys Vineyards. At Rhys, Dan absorbed as much as he could and learned to farm at the highest degree while still respecting the Earth and how to craft wines with respect for terroir.
In spring of 2007, Dan became the winegrower (vineyard manager/winemaker) at Johan Vineyards. Using what he had learned in the cellar at Rhys, all fermentations are un-inoculated and, apart from minimal amounts of sulfites and the occasional tartaric addition, the wines are free of other additives.
