Over the last several decades, Howell Mountain Vineyards has been led by notable winemakers including James Hall (Patz & Hall), Ted Lemon (Littorai), and Dave Phinney, known for his wine The Prisoner (Orin Swift). Howell Mountain Vineyards is currently led by up and coming winemaker Bryan Kane who, over the last ten years, has worked out of several notable wineries like Copain and Nicholson Ranch, and is currently the winemaker for San Francisco’s largest urban winery, The Winery SF.

Ultimately striving for balance with regards to alcohol, pH, and oak treatments, Bryan employs a minimal interventionist philosophy, taking full advantage of the terroir and the natural superiority of the land. He uses only fine French oak barrels, opting against racy American oak, or heavy use of any one cooperage. Utilizing a barrel by barrel approach, Bryan embraces proven, old-world wine-making methods, using native yeast, natural secondary fermentation, and minimal racking with no fining or filtering. Recently recognized as one of the “Next Generation Cult Winemakers” by Sommelier Journal, Bryan’s non-interventionist technique has defined him as one of the pioneers in the “natural wine” movement. Bryan’s accomplishments were recognized by Wine Enthusiast where he was named one of the Top 100 Winemakers of the World and received the highest rating for any Zinfandel by having our 2015 Zinfandel named #40 of the Top 100 Wines of the Year.

Bryan is not a stranger to Howell Mountain fruit and the Beatty Ranch. Under another winery, Bryan has been making wine from Beatty Ranch for nearly a decade and currently assists at a couple of other Howell Mountain wineries. His passion for mountain fruit has even led him to develop his own estate vineyard in the Mayacamas Mountains. With his dedication to mountain grapes and years of experience making wine with Howell Mountain Vineyards fruit, Bryan was a natural choice to lead our wine-making in the future.