Deux Punx is the project of Dan Schaaf and Aaron Olson, two wine-addicted ex-punks who started making wine together in April 2008. By day Olson is a software engineer and Schaaf co-owns a water resources engineering firm; in the cellar they channel a hardcore past into minimalist, experimental wines.
Backstory
The pair came to wine from the punk and skate world: Schaaf through skateboarding, Olson from playing drums in a hardcore band. They enlist artist friends to design their labels, giving each bottle a quirky, one-of-a-kind look.
The Region and Cellar
Deux Punx works out of Punk Dog Wineries, a shared production space in the River East neighborhood of Napa, California. The communal, no-frills setting suits their hands-off approach.
Vineyards and Farming
The wines are made from California fruit, embracing the differences between sites and vintages rather than smoothing them over.
Winemaking
Every wine is made the same way: spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, ambient temperatures, neutral oak, and minimal sulfur. The philosophy is simply to let the raw material from the vineyards shine.
The Wines
The range spans a Light Red, an Old Vine Zinfandel, a Rose of Pinot Gris, skin-contact and Orange Chardonnay, and a Piquette, all bottled with the same minimalist hand.
