Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Jim Binns, began his winemaking journey while attending classes at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Working with a number of small producers, Jim gained invaluable experience with vineyards throughout the Central Coast of California, as well as the diverse varietals grown in them. It was this exploration that lead to a love for Rhone Varietals, and the wines produced from them. Shortly after graduation, Jim was hired as the Cellar Master at the world-famous Sine Qua Non Winery, where he helped lead the winery team through twelve vintages. Jim’s time at Sine Qua Non allowed him to focus more completely on Rhone varietals, further refining his Rhone winemaking skills, while working under the guidance of Manfred Krankl.
With the 2012 vintage, Jim and his wife Rachel decided it was time to follow their dream in starting a wine project of their own. Naming it after their two children, Andrew and Emily, their brand Andremily was born. Andremily is committed to creating truly special handcrafted wines that capture not only the character of the varietal, from which they are produced, but also showcase what the California climate, from where they are made, has to offer.
In its short existence, Andremily has established a reputation for quality. Consistently garnering high praise from both the wine press and consumers alike. Focusing exclusively on Rhone Varieties, Andremily produces limited quantities of three wines each vintage. These offerings include their flag ship Syrah, a Mourvedre, as well as the more recent addition to their portfolio EABA, a Red Rhone Blend bottling. The Andremily wines have gained an enthusiastic following, finding their place on many of the most exclusive wine lists around the world. .
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.