The Philosophy

“If I cannot dance, I shall die!”
~ Anna Pavlova

Pinot Noir is very much THE feminine grape. She can be delicate, complex, multi-faceted, intriguing, sensual and temperamental. She can be succulent, supple, round, firm, bold and quite alluring.

She will drive you crazy with her unpredictability, but it’s her complexity that will win you over. Her thin-skinned nature lends itself to the variety of tastes you get in each bottle. If you don’t handle her well, she’ll make regret that. But treat her right, and she’ll reward you vintage after vintage.

Ah.  Now where was I..?

In my 29 years of tinkering (yes, you could call it that) with wines (mostly Pinot Noir), I’ve come to love and appreciate the subtle nuances – such as texture, weight and movement – that the grape imparts in the glass and on the palate.  “Tongue Dancer Wines” came about as a result of this time spent, and to which I refer to as having great “mouthfeel”.  This, combined with Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast fruit from various well-known vineyards, has made something we think is pretty magical and easy to drink.

I don’t make that much (typically just a few barrels from each vineyard site), but what we DO get is lush and luxurious. And it is meant to be just a great bottle of wine.

If you’re into cooking, then we’d suggest pork, lamb, salmon or duck. This wine loves mushrooms, so throw some of those into the mix. And if you’re NOT cooking, but just going to a social gathering, bring Tongue Dancer along. She loves a good party.

“(This is) a new project from winemaker James MacPhail (of the eponymous MacPhail brand), whom I hold in very high regard. MacPhail’s wines do lean toward a ripe, bold style of Pinot Noir but they tend to be tidy and complex. ~ Tim Teichgraeber, Modern Wine