Locations Wine has arrived at Wine Warehouse!

PHILOSOPHY

In the world of wine there are compelling Locations that exist where soil, climate and vines interact to produce grapes that uniquely express their Location through wine. Our love of wine recognizes the nuances of time and place that combine and interact to represent location. These Locations exist individually within appellations of the new and old world, but are seldom combined across appellation, in the art of blending due to laws and restrictions that make it near impossible to express true winemaking freedom.

In Champagne, across appellation blending is a time honored and respected tradition – a tried and true method for producing a premium and consistent wine that represents the best aspects of the Champagne region. Why can’t this concept be taken wider – across country? Why do the rules not allow this? Why are these rules accepted?

But what if it could be done. What if one could blend across all of the major appellations, to produce a wine that represented a country of origin? What if one could do this across all of the major wine producing regions of the world. What if there were no rules? What if one had complete freedom to express whatever one believed. Could it be done?

The question is – do you break the rules, and thousands of years of history and tradition, in pursuit of expressing freedom?

WE BELIEVE SO.
WELCOME TO LOCATIONS.

VISION “Locations Wine is the brainchild of one of this generation’s most innovative and forward thinking winemakers, Dave Phinney. Our vision: Travel the world, find great vineyards, great people and express complete winemaking freedom by blending across appellation from Locations of the world. And of course having a whole lot of fun while doing so.
Share in our journey of discovery of the world of wine through the lens of Dave Phinney.”

ABOUT Locations is a simple concept made complicated that ultimately became a great deal of fun. The simple: Make the best possible wine from a given country or Location. The complex: Going out and tracking down the vineyards which are capable of delivering the quality of wine needed.
The fun: Travelling the world to visit incredible sites and meeting amazing people that challenge each other to make the best wine possible.

HISTORY It was post-harvest in 2010 and my friend was dropping me off at Charles De Guille airport after a long vintage. I was early for the flight which never happens, so we ended up standing curb side at the airport discussing wine. My frustration was evident as we discussed labelling laws in regards to vintage and cross appellation blending. We then began to joke about possibilities. Imagining what if there were no rules. What if you could blend across appellation? What if you could produce a blend that represented France? What if you could do this across all of the major appellations of this great country. What if there were no rules and how fun would it be to travel this country to find great growers with old vines while experiencing the culture and people of this place. At that exact point a taxi pulled curb side as I said my final goodbyes. As it pulled in I turned and noticed the very distinctive ‘F’ sticker on the number plate of the taxi. My mind then exploded with thought and possibility.

What if I could take this idea and do this not only in France, but Italy, Spain, Portugal. Great wine is made all over the world. What if I could produce a range of wines across all of the major wine regions of the world. What if this could be done having a whole lot of fun and by pulling together a team of some of the best people in each of these countries to produce a wine that pays homage to their homeland without compromise and without boundaries. The concept of Locations was born.

Dave Phinney might be my “value winemaker of the year” candidate. P.S. It’s too expensive for this report, but I am including it as an homage to what Dave Phinney has achieved. If there are better wines for under $20 a bottle in the world today, please share that information with The Wine Advocate. These are all remarkable efforts. Kudos to Dave Phinney!”

LOCATIONS AR – ARGENTINIAN RED WINE
The unique climate of the Uco Valley in Mendoza produces Malbec with concentrated berries that reflect the brilliance, depth, and intensity of the neighboring Andes themselves. The Cabernet Sauvignon increases complexity and adds dimension, bringing the blend around full circle.
LOCATIONS CA – CALIFORNIA RED WINE
(90pts Wine Advocate) With a goal in mind to create a blend that showcases the best of the Golden State, we navigated the famed appellations of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and the Sierra Foothills for prized fruit. Inspired by our international projects, the same philosophy is applied to our State series.
LOCATIONS CA – CALIFORNIA WHITE WINE
Successfully having crafted a red wine that highlights the best of the golden state, we went back to our growers in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino and procured Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne that we had been intrigued by in our travels.
LOCATIONS CORSE – CORSICAN WHITE WINE
Capturing the distinct personality and spirit of Corsica in the bottle, Vermentino in it’s purest form.
LOCATIONS E – SPANISH RED WINE
(93pts Wine Advocate) Much like generations of craftsmen before us, we were intent to capture the nobility of Spain through its geographic diversity, Sourcing from low yielding old vines in the Priorat, Jumilla, Toro, Rioja, and Ribera del Duero.
LOCATIONS F – FRENCH RED WINE
(91pts Wine Advocate) We have again incorporated some of the best regions in France, drawing upon our network of growers from Rhone, Roussillon, and Bordeaux. Our commitment to quality and our hands-on approach has enabled us to secure fruit from some exceptional old vine blocks located in revered sub-appellations of this great country.

LOCATIONS F – FRENCH ROSE
We have sourced the fruit for our second release of French Rosé from a vineyard in the south of France, opting, this time, to produce a rose from 100% Grenache. Sourced from vineyard blocks that cling to granite and schist slopes; these 50-year-old dry farmed vines produce very low yields of perfectly concentrated fruit.
LOCATIONS I – ITALIAN RED WINE 
(90pts Wine Advocate)With over 2000 indigenous grape varieties to select and compose a blend, an exhaustive search was undertaken to pay homage to this historic region. Maintaining the integrity of the land was paramount while simultaneously considering the end result of a dynamic and innovative wine.
LOCATIONS OR – OREGON RED WINE
Naturally, our first endeavor in Oregon had to be Pinot Noir. With a climate and soil profile ideally suited to the notoriously fussy varietal, we sought out the best region – The Willamette Valley.
LOCATIONS P – PORTUGUESE RED WINE
A blend of Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, and Touriga Franca sourced primarily from the northern region of Douro, with the remainder coming from the Alentejo region to the south.
LOCATIONS WA – WASHINGTON RED WINE 
A sixth generation vintner and friend of Locations winemaker, Dave Phinney once said, “If I were twenty-one, single, and could make wine anywhere in the world, it would be Washington.” With that endorsement and incentive, we proudly offer our first wine from the Northwest.