Bedrock Wine Co.
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Country of Origin: USA
Location: Sonoma Valley
People: Morgan Twain-Peterson & Chris Cottrell, Owners & Winemakers
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
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Bedrock Wine Co. was founded in 2007 by Morgan Twain-Peterson in a 550 square-foot, former chicken coop with ceilings eight feet high and no fermentation space. After six years of Bedrock being a one-man-show, Morgan was able to talk his best friend, Chris Cottrell, into moving to California from New York to join him. They now happily have a little more space to move around in but share the same objectives that guided the winery at the start.
Bedrock Wine Co. is fundamentally about making wines that are hopefully a soulful expression of a vineyard and a year. Too often though, the critical link that binds a site to the winery is forgotten- the grower. It has been said a thousand times. It does not make it any less true. Great wine is made in the field. Please look through the constellation of viticulture riches that allows Bedrock Wine Co. to craft its diverse range of wines.
About Morgan Twain-Peterson: Morgan Twain-Peterson was born at home in Sonoma, Ca. On January 6th, 1981 to Joel Peterson and Kate Twain. Raised at his father’s Ravenswood Winery, Morgan was exposed to wine and wine tasting at an early age. In David Darlington’s Angel’s Visits, it is noted that, “Morgan, at the age of five, could distinguish between Merlot and Zinfandel.” Morgan began making small lots of Pinot Noir at 5 from fruit given to him by the Sangiacomo family. Motivated by the best wines of Domaine Dujac, he began experimenting with whole cluster fermentation, different types of French oak, and various ripeness points. Vino Bambino Pinot Noir, as the wine came to be known, was made from 1986 to 2001 and has been featured on the wine lists of Craft, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Hill (which featured the original 1986), Delmonico’s, Aureole, and Mesa Grill.
While doing undergraduate work at Vassar (whose founder was a brewer of all things), and graduate work at Columbia University, Morgan worked as a wine buyer and salesperson for Arlington Wines and Liquors in Poughkeepsie, and Chelsea Wine Vault and Pet Wines in Manhattan.
Morgan returned home to Sonoma in 2005 to work harvest at Ravenswood. From there he spent time as a visiting winemaker at Hardy’s Tintara in McLaren Vale (where he also spent a few highly educational days with Drew and Rae Noon at Noon Winery), and in the fall of 2006 was a visiting winemaker at Chateau Lynch-Bages in Pauillac. When not working for Bedrock Wine Co., Morgan is a manager of his family’s Bedrock Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, and is a member of Sunbreak Vineyard Services L.L.C, a vineyard management company run by Diane Kenworthy and Robert Burney. He has also passed the prestigious Master of Wine exam and upon successful completion of the dissertation will become one of the (less than thirty) American Master of Wine.
Morgan Twain-Peterson Philosophy: “Though I consider the winemaking at Bedrock to be very rudimentary there are several core principles that define the general philosophy. By using incredible sites and maintaining impeccable farming throughout the growing season I can do the bare minimum in the winery. By bare minimum I mean handling fruit gently, in many cases using whole-clusters, and fermenting exclusively with the microflora that comes in with the grapes or is already present in the winery. I use a little new, excellent, French oak and rack as infrequently as possible. I strongly feel that picking the moment the flavors are there is the best way to express site. Thus, I tend to pick earlier than most. I have found that late picking generally occludes terroir but fruit from still vigorous vines brings clarity to site. I generally eschew sorting except in “worst-case scenario” situations. I feel that bringing in the entire range of fruit from a given site results in the truest expression of site with a broader patina of flavors. Though I have the great opportunity to make a wonderful range of wines, these rules tend to govern my decision making in almost all situations.”
Media Links
I'll Drink to That: Episode 236 - Morgan Twain-Peterson
SFGate: Bedrock Wine Co. - Where past heralds the future
Vineyard 360: Bedrock Vineyard - Sonoma Valley
San Francisco Chronicle: Bedrock Wine Co. takes over Contra Costa's Old-Vine Evangelho Vineyard