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Orin Swift Cellars, the edgy California-based wine label and creative studio, is shaking up St. Helena with a new type of wine-tasting experience. A few weeks ago, Orin Swift’s 1325 Main Street tasting room property was abruptly boarded up, raising questions about the cult brand’s future. On October 10th, St. Helena gained access to Orin Swift mastermind Dave Phinney’s newest creative project in the form of a wholly redesigned tasting room, which includes a new and separate VIP space. Dave has designed an entire concept experience from floor to ceiling that veers from the standard tasting format, inspired by “rock, paper, scissors,” the universal game of American youth.
To introduce visitors to the captivating wines of Orin Swift and the stories behind its labels, its three public wine-tasting experiences include Rock, Paper, and Vault, named for the eighty-year-old bank building it inhabits. Behind a private closed door of the all-new addition, the most discerning customers can find the invitation-only “Scissors” experience, where cell phones will be checked upon entry. Those who are really in the know will figure out how to discover this exclusive new tasting experience. How to get on the list is still opaque at this point, but what we do know is that Scissors is about to be Napa Valley’s most soughtafter invitation. Also the founder of the cult brand The Prisoner, Dave has intentionally created a space for exploration and lingering and wants people to uncover layers of design – in addition to layers of complexity in the winemaking. www.orinswift.com.