Ryme Cellars is a wife and husband collaboration focused on old world wine making techniques and rare or unusual varietals and how these things play out in California’s terroir and particular sunny climate.  Ryan and Megan Glaab met in Australia working as seasonal cellar hands at Torbreck Winery fell in love and moved back to the states to pursue wine making. Between them, they have worked at Pax Wine Cellars, Peay Vineyards, Sine Qua Non, and Marcassin. Ryme wines are produced at the Wind Gap winery, where Ryan is the Assistant Winemaker for Pax and Pam Mahle’s newest project.

They started with 1 ton of Aglianico in 2007 and they still focus mainly on Italian varieties  - producing wines they want to drink and showing the potential of and expanding the market for more esoteric varietals. Currently they make two Vermentinos, Ribolla Gialla, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and an Aglianico  All grapes come from conscientiously farmed organic or sustainable vineyards. They are produced according to simple methods.  Each wine/varietal is chosen based on it’s potential for success on individual sites.

Occasionally the team has different interpretations of a wine’s true identity. They knew that Vermentino was perfect for the cool foggy Las Brisas Vineyard on the Sonoma side of Carneros AVA. Situated on sandy silt and gravel at the end of the Petaluma Wind Gap and just off San Pablo Bay, it’s perfect for late ripening verietals. Megan wanted to create a bright, clean, aromatic wine reminiscent of the Ligurian coast; Ryan being an orange wine fanatic with a love for producers like Dettori and Massa Vecchia, wanted to make a compliment to Ribolla Gialla. They compromised by having separate projects, “His” and “Hers”. “Hers” is harvested for freshness and energy, whole cluster pressed, settled clean, and fermented without inoculation in a combination of old neutral barrels and stainless steel. The wine underwent a spontaneous partial malolactic fermentation. No cultured yeast, no temperature control, no enzymes or other adulterants. No fine or filter and aged in used French oak barriques between 2 and 10 years old.

‘Hers’ is refreshing, bright with lightly floral and citrusy aromatics of jasmine, quince and lemon zest. Slightly salty finish, zippy acidity, rounded out with good medium bodied weight and texture.