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MISCHIEF | 2023 | TRADITIONAL ESTATE GRENACHE NOIR
MISCHIEF
(the Story)
There is nothing easy about choosing discipline.
Discipline isn't exciting.
It doesn't make headlines.
It doesn't get millions of views.
Nobody applauds the alarm clock.
Nobody celebrates the extra hour.
Nobody notices the thousands of ordinary decisions that quietly become extraordinary over time.
But that's how greatness has always been built.
One choice. One repetition. One day at a time.
That's Brady.
My nephew has never needed to be the loudest person in the room.
He's never chased attention. He's chased mastery.
While some people are fascinated by what's new...
Brady is fascinated by what lasts.
The fundamentals. The traditions.
The timeless pursuit of doing something just a little better today than he did yesterday.
There is a quiet confidence in people like that.
Not because they think they've arrived...
But because they know they'll never stop learning.
That's the beauty of traditional winemaking.
It isn't about resisting change.
It's about respecting what time has already proven.
Generations of winemakers have searched for shortcuts.
For easier ways. For faster ways.
Yet they continue coming back to the same principles.
Patience. Craftsmanship. Precision. Restraint.
Because excellence has never been accidental.
It has always been intentional.
Every great swing. Every great vineyard.
Every great bottle. Every great life.
Built the same way.
One disciplined decision after another.
That's why this wine bears Brady's photograph.
Not because he plays golf.
Because golf is one of the purest expressions of discipline I've ever seen.
It doesn't reward power. It rewards precision.
It doesn't reward emotion. It rewards consistency.
It doesn't ask if you're talented. It asks if you'll do the same thing...
The right way... Over and over again... Long after it stops being fun.
When I watch Brady play... I don't see a golfer.
I see a young man who understands something many adults never do.
That there is nothing easy about choosing discipline.
But there is incredible beauty...
...in what discipline becomes.
The kind of young man who understands that the pursuit of excellence isn't glamorous.
It's repetitive. It's ordinary. Until one day...
It becomes extraordinary.
That's why this photograph is on this bottle.
Because when I look at it...
I don't see golf. I see a young man who reminds me that elegance will always outlast noise. That craftsmanship will always outlast shortcuts. That quiet confidence will always outlast loud talent.
And that tradition... When it's carried by the right hands... Never goes out of style.
It Becomes LEGENDARY
MISCHIEF
(the Wine)
Some kids need the stability of home.
Some kids wander into the wilderness...
It's Our Job to Know the Difference.
WHY TRADITIONAL?
Some kids need the stability of home.
Some kids wander into the wilderness...
It's our job to know the difference.
People ask me all the time...
"If carbonic fermentation is so special... why do you still make wine the traditional way?"
Because not everything needs to be reinvented.
Some things have survived for thousands of years for one very simple reason.
They work.
Traditional fermentation isn't exciting because it's new.
It's exciting because generation after generation has tried to improve it...
...and keeps coming back to it. There is something deeply humbling about that.
Every winemaker eventually realizes they aren't inventing wine.
They're borrowing it. For a little while. Then passing it to the next generation.
Traditional fermentation asks something completely different from the winemaker than carbonic does.
Carbonic asks...
"Did you farm well enough to let go?"
Traditional asks...
"Do you love it enough to stay?"
Because now your work is just beginning.
You taste. You walk the tanks. You check temperatures.
You punch down. You smell. You listen. You wait. Then you come back tomorrow...
...and do it again.
Every single day. Sometimes for weeks. The wine isn't asking you to control it.
It's asking you to pay attention. That might be the hardest discipline there is.
And every time I make this wine...
I think about Brady.
While Cash was chasing the next wave...
Brady was perfecting the fundamentals.
Some kids find freedom in the unknown. Others find peace in the familiar.
Brady has always understood that excellence isn't discovered.
It's practiced. The first one there. The last one to leave. Never looking for attention.
Just trying to get a little better today than he was yesterday.
He's the kind of kid coaches trust. Teachers appreciate. Teammates count on.
Not because he's loud... Because he's dependable.
There's an old saying... "Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast."
That's Brady.
There are no shortcuts. No tricks. No gimmicks. Just repetition.
Until excellence becomes instinct.
That's what this wine is. Traditional doesn't mean old.
It means proven. It means honoring those who came before us...
...while preparing the way for those yet to come.
It means believing discipline will always outlast hype.
That craftsmanship never goes out of style.
That patience is still one of the greatest ingredients in great wine...
...and in great people.
Look at the label. There's confidence there. Not because he's trying to be noticed.
Because he knows exactly who he is. The vineyard doesn't rush. The seasons don't rush.
Neither does Brady.
Some of the greatest things in life... ...can't be hurried.
They have to be earned. One day. One decision. One harvest. At a time.
That's Brady. That's Tradition. That's Mischief.
I will probably never get to play this golf course again. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I shouldn't even be talking about it. But it gave me a memory I'll never forget.
I didn't start playing golf because I loved the game—I started because my brother did. He's incredibly good, and I simply wanted more time with him, so I picked up a set of clubs.
This photograph was taken the first time all of us played together, but that's not what makes it special.
What you're looking at is the realization of every father's goal.
This was the day Brady, my nephew, beat the man who taught him how to play the game.
As an uncle, I wasn't watching a golf match. I was watching a father witness years of patience, discipline, and love come full circle.
That's why this moment belongs on this bottle. It isn't about golf. It's about tradition. It's about perseverance. It's about preparing the way for those yet to come
—and then having the humility and joy to watch them surpass you.
TASTING NOTES
Grenache has a way of surprising people.
It doesn't try to be the biggest wine in the room.
It tries to be the bottle that's empty first.
Mischief is bright.
Fresh.
Elegant.
The kind of wine that makes you smile after the first sip...
...and reach for the second before you've even put the glass down.
THE FIRST THING YOU'LL NOTICE
Fresh cherries.
Wild raspberries.
A little blood orange.
A handful of strawberries.
Some dried herbs.
A little baking spice.
Maybe even a few rose petals if you slow down long enough.
Nothing jumps out.
Everything works together.
TAKE A SIP
Bright red fruit.
A little cranberry.
A little orange peel.
A touch of cracked pepper.
Just enough earth to remind you this came from Ballard Canyon.
The tannins are soft.
The acidity keeps everything fresh.
It has enough structure to age...
But absolutely no reason to wait.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT?
Traditional winemaking.
No tricks.
No shortcuts.
Just patience.
Every day.
Every decision.
Every punch down.
Every tasting.
Done with one goal...
To let Grenache taste like Grenache.
THE SIMPLE RULE
If you like wines that are heavy...
This probably isn't your bottle.
If you like wines that make dinner better...
Conversation longer...
And somehow disappear before anyone notices...
You're going to love Mischief.
It isn't trying to impress you.
It's trying to invite you back for another glass.
And another.
Because that's what great Grenache has always done.
Quietly.
Beautifully.
One sip at a time.
FOOD PAIRING
Grenache has always been the wine of the people.
It isn't fussy.
It doesn't need a special occasion.
It just wants good food and good company.
Honestly...
If you're asking yourself, "Will this go with Mischief?"
The answer is probably yes.
This is one of the most food-friendly wines on earth.
OFF THE GRILL
Burgers
Tri-tip
Steak
Chicken thighs
Pork chops
Bratwursts
If there's smoke coming off the grill...
Pour a glass.
PIZZA NIGHT
Pepperoni
Sausage
Margherita
Mushroom
Wood-fired.
Delivery.
Leftovers.
Grenache doesn't judge.
TACO TUESDAY
Carne Asada
Chicken tacos
Carnitas
Grilled shrimp
Street corn
This wine absolutely loves Mexican food.
PASTA
Spaghetti and meatballs
Lasagna
Baked ziti
Bolognese
Even simple buttered noodles with Parmesan.
Comfort food is Grenache's happy place.
CHEESE BOARD
Cheddar
Gouda
Manchego
Parmesan
Salami.
Prosciutto.
A loaf of fresh bread.
Call a few friends.
THE SIMPLE RULE
If you'd cook it for your family...
Mischief will probably love it.
This isn't a wine that's trying to impress anyone.
It's trying to be opened.
Around a fire.
At a backyard barbecue.
With pizza on movie night.
Or on a Wednesday when nobody felt like cooking.
Because that's what Grenache has always been.
A wine made for people.
Not perfection.
Just life.
