Swick Wines Pis de Chevre Cinsault 2017

Pis de Chèvre is a 100% Cinsault from Joe Swick's label in Portland, Oregon. The 2017 was made from organically farmed fruit sourced from the Willamette Valley, fermented with native yeasts, and aged in neutral oak with no conventional additives. Swick's standard approach with this wine includes whole-cluster fermentation, foot stomping, and extended skin contact around 30 days, which builds texture and color while keeping the wine fresh and tart.

Cinsault is a thin-skinned, low-tannin Rhône variety that performs well in cool climates, producing light-bodied reds with high acidity and vivid red fruit. In Swick's hands it reads more like a northern Rhône or Loire red than anything Californian: lean, bright, and food-friendly. The 12.5% ABV reflects the cooler growing sites Swick consistently prioritizes.

Swick may add a very small amount of SO2 at bottling if the wine requires it for stability, but otherwise the cellar work is minimal. No fining, no acid correction, no temperature control during fermentation. The name is French for goat's udder, a nod to Swick's years working in France where he first encountered natural wine.