One day Dave Phinney went to Florence for a semester, where he fell in love with wine. Upon his return back to California, he worked in the vineyards and at the Robert Mondavi winery. In 1998, his own winery, Orin Swift, named for his father's middle name and his mother's maiden name, saw the light of day. Dave himself says his first wine sucked, the second was better and the rest is history. Today, you can taste Dave's wines in our tasting package and see for yourself that the exact opposite is true today, and Dave's wines are among California's top productions.

Writer's Block is a red blend primarily based on Syrah and Petite Sirah varieties. The wine has a dark ruby color. Both on the nose and on the palate, the wine is very aromatic with notes of blackcurrant, raspberry, pomegranate, graphite, chocolate, and crushed stone. The wine has firm tannins, spicy acidity, and a very long and layered finish.

The wine has a deep ruby colour with purple highlights. Aromas of dark berries, violets, vanilla and dried herbs dominate the nose and taste. The wine is full-bodied with soft tannins, juicy acidity and a very long finish.