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John McKay brings 30 years of winemaking experience to Volker Eisele Family Estate. For many years he has been at the forefront of his profession, implementing new winemaking techniques that were heretofore unknown in California. In the 1980's he pioneered the now common practice of "sur lie aging" of barrel fermented white wines. He was the first to use Semillon as a blending component with Sauvignon Blanc to make wines of great complexity and distinction in the typical Bordeaux style. Volker Eisele Family Estate continues this practice with our Gemini. With red wines McKay has instituted the use of extended maceration during fermentation for more suppleness and depth of character. It is now applied to both the Volker Eisele Family Estate Cabernet and to our Terzetto. Before joining Volker Eisele Family Estate in 2000, McKay worked with some of California's most influential consulting winemakers, including Helen Turley, Heidi Peterson Barrett, Paul Hobbs and Merry Edwards. We were delighted when he agreed to work with us.