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DARK HORSE

WINEMAKING TECHNIQUE

When we first created Dark Horse back in 2010, we had one mission - to make wines that tasted way too good for their price tag. Ten years later, we've developed an entire portfolio of 90 point wines under $10 – and they hold their own at any table.

 

So why is Dark Horse winning with wine drinkers and wine experts everywhere?

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WE FIND THE BEST GRAPES

Great wine begins in the vineyard. 


Modern winemaking comes with an arsenal of tools and technology, but nothing will turn mediocre grapes into a winning wine. So, we started with one of the world’s best growing regions, California, and built strong partnerships with hundreds of grape growers across the state. We work closely with them all year long, walking the vineyards with them and tasting grapes on the vine. When harvest arrives, we have our first pick of those grapes from over 400 growers. 




WE HAVE THE RIGHT WINEMAKING TOOLS

Great wine might begin in the vineyard, but it comes to life in the winery. With the help of our head winemaker, Beth Liston, we've taken some of the most powerful high-end winemaking techniques and tools in modern use and put them to work for Dark Horse.

 

Whether it's extended maceration, which allows our red wines to grow plush and deliciously complex through longer contact with their grape skins, or the way that we ferment and age them on oak for greater depth and flavor, it all comes back to bringing out the best in our grapes. 

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WE SWEAT THE DETAILS

From the moment we unload our grapes, to the moment we send the next vintage of Dark Horse wine out into the world, our winemakers will make dozens of decisions that impact the quality of our finished wine. 

 

We won’t be satisfied until every bottle of Dark Horse is the best that it can be. That's why we taste our wines over 100 times from vine to bottle, making sure every varietal we produce reaches its full potential before it makes its way to you.

 

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At the end of the day, our goal is to make sure that every vintage of Dark Horse wine is better than the last - and that it finds its way to your table. When you try it and you love it, we call that a win.