The Story

Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.
— Martha Graham

To the wine dancers out there:

It is in great people’s footsteps that we follow, and if we’re very lucky, we can trail our own paths using the sage advice of those before us. And although I am not a dancer (really, trust me), I am a winemaker who shares these same principles with Ms. Graham.

I’ve been in this business for 29 years, and those who know me well can say I am a bit obsessive and passionate about what I do – and what I do is make Pinot Noir & Chardonnay.  I do it for the sheer love of the grape. I am committed to it. I am practicing what I try to teach my daughters, and that is follow – and trust – your gut. It is with the understanding that although I am a simple man, my desires run deep, and I simply want to keep exploring the depth and breadth of these varietals. It’s this visceral desire that inspired me to embark on this leg of our Pinot & Chardonnay-journey. This is not an arrogant expression of mastery, as I am the forever-student with the grape as MY teacher.

You may never master whatever it is you’re doing (hopefully), and always being curious – and forever desiring results from that creative spark – will give you experience and knowledge.

So, in 2012, and in the organic nature of how things happen, it was curiosity and desire that led me to my new creative outlet: “Tongue Dancer Wines”.

I’m  sure you’re wondering about the name we chose. Why “Tongue Dancer Wines”? Well, what better way to give you an image of our wine’s taste and texture? You know me and my wines, and you know I like them to have a great “mouthfeel”. We wanted to create an image of TASTE, and as hard as that is sometimes, we think this labels captures what we’re trying to convey.   In short – we make wine that dances on your tongue!

Always something interesting, James and Kerry MacPhail

PS: Tongue Dancer Wine will stay intimate on scale and scope. We only have so many hours in the day.

” Tongue Dancer Wines is the creation of James and Kerry MacPhail. If you are a California Pinot Noir lover you likely know James’ previous work with MacPhail Family Wines. James knows how to make amazing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and James knows a lot of people who grow spectacular Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We have been reviewing the wines from Tongue Dancer for the better part of a decade and we have never seen a Tongue Dancer Wine fail to earn Four-Stars or better. Tongue Dancer is constantly innovating, releasing new wines every year while never missing a beat. Last year they surprised us with the release of a great, dry cider! This is a winery to watch. The wines are always in short supply so be swift. Visit their website and join their mailing list to get direct access to their wines.” ~ Sean Ludford, BevX