Our guest this week did not set out to make the beautiful wines he does. He, and is incredible team, discovered great vineyards at the edge of sensible farming and decided to bring them to light. Learn more about Ian Brand here. The farther they looked, the more they found – remote, challenging vineyards, with hard depleted soils, and intense sunlight tempered only by the coastal breeze. Vineyards capable of producing only the most idiosyncratic wines. Their goal as winemakers is to lightly polish the roughest edges and leave the idiosyncrasy intact. It is here in the back country, filled with individual character, where wines like I. Brand & Family, La Marea, and Le P’tit Paysan comes to life. They are not in "wine country." They have no trophy wineries, nor posh tasting salons. Quite on the contrary. Their ideal is farm land, desolate hills, and solitude. What they do is simple, without artifice, and most of all, they enjoy it. Winemaker Ian Brand puts a lot of miles on his car searching out and spending time in vineyards while dreaming of a new flatbed truck. He likes dirt roads, 12" vinyl, point breaks and hiding in the barrel room.