Our Story

On a lovely Sunday afternoon in 2013, I was invited to join a group of friends for a tasting at a sprawling estate winery in Napa, California. We were presented a lengthy wine list and instructed by our host on a strict set of guidelines about what we should taste and how. As we were guided through the experience, I could feel the sense of pressure mounting, and the expectation that we had to get it right or else was at an all-time high. All I was thinking was: Wow, is this a test? And the enjoyment of the experience was totally lost. 

The thing is, what really made me love wine so many years ago was how it has this amazing way of triggering all of our senses and bringing people together. For me, wine is so much more than a simple glass of fermented grape juice. The awe and excitement of that very first sip, and how a simple grape can deliver an endless spectrum of scents and flavors, while at the same time, instantly connecting people to a place, to a moment in time, and to each other. 

This fascination drove me to want to learn more about wine and eventually start making my own small-batch wines. As a creative outlet with a scientific twist, this allowed me to experiment with different varietals and approaches to the wine-making process and create something inviting and unique for others to enjoy too.

I realized though that the more I learned, the less I was able to enjoy the experience of wine that I loved so much. I was totally in my head, analyzing the wine, breaking it down to figure out what made a wine “good” by some pre-defined standard and whether I was doing it “right”. 

In talking to other people about their hesitation with enjoying wine, I kept hearing the exact same story. They were feeling that same expectation that I felt that Sunday afternoon – that there is only one right way to appreciate wine. It just felt intimidating and stuffy, making it hard to get out of their heads and into simply enjoying their wine experience. 

That is exactly why I decided that I wanted to make wine that everyone can enjoy for how it makes them feel – no rules. I want to present wine that is inviting for people to discover while balancing that romantic and elevated experience that gives wine its charm. My hope is that every time you open a bottle of Amalgam wine to share around the dinner table, or sip in front of a warm fire, the occasion will be better, the moments a little more memorable. 

There’s no right or wrong way to drink Amalgam wine. In the end, a “good wine” is wine you truly enjoy.

—Ken Wallis