Words by Amber Turpin
Those who appreciate the supple spice and cherry-berry notes of a good pinot noir are probably well aware of Rhys Vineyards. They can now rejoice that, for the first time in 25 years, the winery is open for private, by-appointment tastings. If you are lucky enough to step foot on the Rhys Vineyard estate on Skyline Boulevard in Los Gatos, you will immediately sense something special. Not only is the property stunning and meticulously farmed, with vibrant vines and captivating vistas as far as the eye can see, it is also geologically mesmerizing.
For Woodside resident and software entrepreneur Kevin Harvey, this special location was the guiding light leading him to create Rhys Vineyards. A devotee of France’s Burgundy pinot noirs, Kevin was already steeped in the winemakers’ concept of “terroir.” These distinctive characteristics expressed by vineyard sites depend on the nuances of soil composition, climate, chemistry and geology.
With high standards inspired by Grand Cru sites in Burgundy, Kevin became intrigued by the idea that California could produce similarly special wines. Born in Sunnyvale and raised in Texas, he returned to the Bay Area in the late 1980s to sell his Houston-based software company, StyleWare, to Claris Corporation. He decided to stay. Settling in California with his new wife led to more Silicon Valley projects (Kevin is also co-founder and general partner of Benchmark Capital), as well as the eventual launch of Rhys Vineyards.
“I love Woodside!” Kevin says. “It’s an opportunity to live in a rural, beautiful setting and still be really close to civilization. It’s a rare combination.” Another rarity? The distinctive growing conditions found in Santa Cruz Mountains communities like Woodside, where seismic activity along the San Andreas Fault has pushed an ancient seabed up to the earth’s surface. “Woodside has a history of growing wine that’s at least 130 years old,” Kevin observes enthusiastically.
Encouraged by the fertile land, Kevin planted a few rows of vines in his backyard in 1995 and made a barrel of pinot noir in his garage for fun. When he realized the potential of this small but promising plot, fondly called the Home Vineyard, he started searching for available land to plant more grapes. He found one close to home in 2002. “Our other Woodside vineyard, Family Farm, was the result of that search,” says Jeff Brinkman, a longtime Rhys winemaker. To create it, three families collaborated to convert an old Christmas tree farm into a prime place for pinot.
“The quality of the Home Vineyard showed right away, and validated the hope that we could grow really great pinot noir in the Santa Cruz Mountains,” reflects Kevin.
He didn’t stop there. As Kevin scouted more locations to plant vines and eventually build a winery, the Santa Cruz Mountains emerged as one of the best places in the state to grow the terroir-driven “old world” wines that he was most passionate about. “It was a gradual process as I became more and more obsessed with growing pinot noir,” explains Kevin. “The key concept you study, particularly in France, is that pinot noir quality is driven entirely by the site and the soil that it’s grown in.”
When he’s not out among the vines, Kevin can be found taking in some of the other breathtaking benefits of the local geography. “My wife and I enjoy hiking Windy Hill, the area around our home which has some beautiful trails,” he shares.
The 2004 harvest was the first vintage released under the Rhys label. The wines were quickly recognized as remarkable and became sought-after. Twenty years later, it’s safe to say that Kevin’s hunch about making California soil-driven, distinctive wines in our mountains was a good one. Consistently earning high ratings and awards, Rhys wines are graceful and captivating. Vinous Media named Rhys its 2023 Winery of the Year. As a recent Wine Advocate article by Matthew Luczy summarizes, “Rhys is proof-positive that any perceived chasm between Burgundy, California or elsewhere is as much about meticulous planning and obsessive attention to detail as raw materials and potential. In this regard, they are leading the way in closing the gap and should be a benchmark for winemakers on both sides of the Atlantic to constantly examine and push their methods and perspectives.”
Today, there are six vineyards that make up the Rhys estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains, plus one in Anderson Valley. In 2010, the winery completed a 30,000-foot cave in keeping with a very hands-off philosophy of winemaking and organic and biodynamic viticulture. Booking a private tasting may allow for a peek inside the cave, a chilly, serpentine-shaped marvel, where freshly harvested grapes are transformed into coveted bottles of wine.
No longer just a pinot producer, Rhys’ steady expansion explores more unusual varieties, like Chenin Blanc. Rhys has also partnered with Rodolphe Peters, a well-known winemaker from France’s Champagne region, to create a pinot noir- and chardonnay-based sparkling wine program.
So how do you get your hands on a bottle or two? The winery’s distribution remains predominantly mailing list-based, though some wines are available at retail stores such as K&L in Redwood City and private wine-tasting appointments are available weekly, Wednesday through Sunday. We’ll drink to that!