We shared a bottle of wine and he told our new friend Shaena Engle stories of life, love and his vision. There are no two ways about it, Papa is charming and engaging and it's my hope that someday you get the chance to meet this extraordinary man.
"I take great pride in making wine that sells in the single digits or low to mid teens that people like. I want people to drink wine. I don't want it to be a secret club where you need to know a certain handshake to get in."
Phil likes making a wine that he will enjoying drinking, and thinks that winemakers who cater to their clientele do them a disservice. A good gauge of how well he is making wine is that he drinks a lot more of his own wine now than he used to.
"What we're trying to do here is something at the highest level in the Napa Valley. I can guarantee that." It's his hope that people leave with a sense of what it takes to make his wines.