Ryan Hays Ryan grew up in Camarillo, CA until moving to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly. While there, he gained an interest in pursuing a career in the wine industry. During his time at Cal Poly, he completed courses resulting in two degrees with one in Agricultural Business and the other in Wine & Viticulture. Upon graduation, he went to work at the renowned Tablas Creek Vineyards in Paso Robles doing hospitality work and helping around the winery wherever he could. Eventually relocating to the Napa Valley and working in wine industry financing. He currently resides in Sonoma. It was through this opportunity that Ryan decided to combine his many experiences and education in wine into Kilter Wines.
Kilter Wines aims to produce wines that represent the quality and diversity of regions they come from. We believe that high quality and affordable wine should be available to wine drinkers of all walks of life. Enjoying wine is an experience that shouldn’t be overshadowed by being over priced or under produced. As we grow, we will continue to bring you diverse and respectable wines that are of a value in any economy.
The most common definition for Kilter is "of proper order, good condition or proper form". The origin of Kilter is from various English and Scottish dialects with the original definition meaning "a state of good health, spirits or good order". This definition is in sync with our vision to produce a product that is associated with good health and most importantly good spirits. In life, it is important to keep things in Kilter. Being "out of Kilter" can lead to a chaotic or imbalanced life. This may be the spice of life for some, other may find a life lived "in kilter," to be a life well lived. Join us in our on-going pursuit of happiness, health and balance.
Each wine we produce comes from some of the best growing regions in California. Our focus is on the climate and vineyards that produce quality fruit with the intended characteristics of each varietal, leading to a superior wine. The benefit is our fruit is crafted in the vineyards with climates intended to maximize the best traits in the wine.
The wine making process is not an exact science which requires adaptability and innovation. Our job is to allow the personality of the fruit to shine through in our wines. Our grapes are picked at the height of the ripening process then crafted with precision throughout the winemaking process. Kilter wines are often hand harvested, hand-sorted and hand-made. Kilter aims true to old world practices while using new world ideas throughout the process. Our goal is to make wines with persona and to be in kilter with the land rather than follow a formula. In the end, we bring you small lots of spectacular wines from exceptional growing regions and honest individuals.
Kilter does not own a vineyard or tasting room. This allows us to use our resources to obtain the components to produce a superior wine. We utilize short and long-term contracts with our growers and wineries. This gives us the benefit of consistency and the flexibility to pursue exceptional opportunities. We work with vineyards and wineries that are environmentally conscious. Efforts to balance production of quality wines and improve our earth through sustainable practices are always in the forefront of the Kilter ideology.
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