“God made Cabernet.
The Devil made Pinot Noir”
~ André Tchelistcheff (1901-1994), early pioneer, innovator and evangelist for California wine, on the challenges inherent in making Pinot Noir. We all owe a debt of gratitude to André, a tireless mentor to young talent, many of whom are now pillars of our contemporary wine industry. Were it not for André, and a handful of others, California wines would have wallowed in the shadows of Prohibition for decades longer than they did!