L’usine

L’usine Wines - unapologetically expressive Pinot Noir: 12 May 2022.

In January 2020 David Phinney released his Andy Warhol-inspired range of wine bottles. Californian winemaker Dave Phinney, who was behind the wine ‘The Prisoner’ - which quickly achieved a cult following, then went on to establish Orin Swift Wines. His a new label called L’usine - French for ‘The Factory’ - it pays homage to Andy Warhol’s ‘The Factory’, his New York City studio that became a hangout for artists and other creative types.
In choosing such a name, Warhol was ‘tongue-in-cheek’ making fun of the art world in all its loftiness and embracing the idea that art is something that requires hard work. And Dave says, so it goes with wine, he also adds: “Like with art, for every good or great wine that is made there have been thousands of failures.” - thankfully there have been few failures with his avantgarde wines.
Though it must be said that L’usine does not aim to be an everyday wine. The label’s focus is on Pinot Noir, with grapes sourced from what Dave calls some of California’s most desirable vineyard plots, including the Annapolis Ridge Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast area. Adding to the artsy aspect of the wine, is the artwork on the bottles, which feature women photographed in a highly stylized way that Phinney says was inspired by Warhol.
David has always been a master at marketing and packaging - and it no doubt explains why he has been able to sell his previous wine brands to large multi-national wine companies for millions of dollars. But he is also a serious winemaker: These three L’usine Pinot Noir’s offer a great deal of expression.
L’usine might be seen as an alter ego to Orin Swift or inspired by - (a brand no longer owned by Dave, though he remains as consultant / winemaker). Like myself, early in my career I worked in fine wine retail - as did Dave for a stint, and quickly learnt, as I. That it is a fact that more than half of wine customers will buy a bottle if they pick it up. So how do you get them to pick up the bottle? - so Dave has designed labels you want to explore.
Dave designs and art-directs all of his labels with the help of some iconic artists and brilliant modern-day photographers - like Caitlin Mitchell, and seeks to create a relationship between consumer and wine that is indelible yet still full of mystery with each successive release. The wines themselves definitely deliver. They are unapologetically expressive, yet with a backbone of varietal typicity that holds them in place. Dave is not afraid to mix vineyards and appellations to create the desired alchemy for each and every wine. Despite his success and the broad visibility of his wines, Dave continues to maintain a discreet profile. He lives with his wife Kim and their two children in St. Helena, California, and is a generous supporter of several local charities.

I recently had the opportunity to open the following vintages, now available in New Zealand - short notes to tempt your taste buds.