Brendan Tracey
France
A former punk-rocker and DJ turned winemaker, Brendan Tracey’s wines combine his experiences playing in bands in 1970s California with the love he has for his mother’s native country, France. New Jersey born, Tracey moved to France in 1980 and started making his own wines in 2010. His irreverent and positive approach to winemaking is a reflection of the punk movement; he says The Ramones’ “Hey, ho, let’s go!” battle cry especially inspires him to buck the trend and do his own thing.
In both life and viticulture, he looks to push the boundaries of conventional practices regardless of what people might say. His style is low intervention and fully natural with an emphasis on maceration and carbonic fermentation; he uses native yeasts and minimal sulphur. The result is wines that are incredibly alive and instantly recognizable, like juicy drop Capitalisme Rouge.