Originally from West Los Angeles, Phinney fell in love with vines and wine while studying in Florence, Italy, for a semester during college. It didn’t take long for him to switch his focus to agriculture once he returned to the states. He would go on to plant experimental vineyards while still in school, and, after graduating, worked as a harvest intern at Robert Mondavi Winery and then Whitehall Lane, both in the Napa Valley.
After just one year in the field, in 1998, he launched his own brand, called Orin Swift Cellars, a combination of his father’s middle name and his mother’s maiden name. Devoted to blending across varieties, appellations and vintages, the company proudly uses the California appellation. It follows Phinney’s guiding philosophy that geographic diversity is the easiest and best way to create complexity.
The year that really changed everything, however, was 2000. That’s when Phinney unleashed another experiment to the world: An edgy, Francisco de Goya-labeled rich red blend called The Prisoner. It was to be among his boldest and most inventive claims to fame, a statement to the wine industry that quality and creativity can indeed be conjoined.
He ended up selling The Prisoner Wine Company to Huneeus Vintners in 2010 (Huneeus later sold it to Constellation Brands) and spun off Orin Swift to E. & J. Gallo Winery in 2016, though he would remain the brand’s winemaker. Department 66 is the name of his vineyards and winery in the Roussillon region of France, where he blends 80- to 100-year-old vines to make wines from Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre. He describes the vineyards as among the oldest and steepest he’s ever seen. Starting with 40 acres, he now has more than 300 under vine here.