Origins
A Different Way Forward
After everything that happened to the wine industry during and after COVID, we knew we needed to make a few changes. Cut production. Leave distribution behind. Return to our original vineyard sources. Toss in some Napa Cabernet for the hell of it.
Going forward, we hoped to recreate the fun and excitement we remembered from the early 2000s.
“I really miss those days, and especially the wines.”
Why Cooper River
Why Cooper River Wine Company? Why not just retool Loring?
Loring Wine Company’s first vintage was 1999. All that time and history created expectations in people’s minds, and changing those expectations would not be easy. We hoped a new identity would help. It also just felt right.
The family story is there in the name. Cooper Jaxon and River Quinn are Kimberly’s children and Brian’s niece and nephew. Both had already entered our wine story through wines carrying their names. Cooper River brought them together.
New name. New attitude. New wines.
Hopefully, some of their excitement and energy will rub off on us.
The Wines We Missed
Beyond cutting production, adding Cabernet, and beginning with a new name, Brian felt that his relationship with wine needed a reset.
Maybe it was getting older and experiencing waves of nostalgia. Most wines simply did not excite him the way they used to. Plenty of people applaud the more restrained style that has become prevalent, and there are lots of very tasty, pretty wines made that way. For Brian, they were missing that pop. The thrill of the wines made in the 2000s.
Wineries refine or modify their styles for all kinds of reasons. Years of fine-tuning may bring a wine exactly where its makers want it to be, which is awesome. Preferences change. Times change. Production changes. And to be fair, the wines at Loring were not quite the same as they had been in the early days either.
“I’m proud of the wines we’ve made, but I really want to go back to the old style.”
What Matters in the Glass
The wine world had also become an endless barrage of marketing spin that celebrated process over results. Too many wines seemed to be about the aesthetic without any substance, acting as an anesthetic to true hedonistic enjoyment.
It was tedious. It was exhausting. Brian was done with it. Well, almost. There were still a few rants left for the other pages of the site.
Brian could give plenty of reasons why he believes his winemaking style is “right,” but it doesn’t matter. It only matters if you like it or not. No amount of spin should convince anyone to drink something they do not like, or make them feel ashamed of something they do because the cool kids say it is wrong.
“We make wines I like. Me. If you like them too, that’s cool. If not, that’s totally cool too. I’m not threatened by you not agreeing with me. Seriously, I’m not that insecure.”
All the process stuff is only important when measured by results, and even then, it is completely personal.
It was time to stop wasting energy raging against the marketing machine and return to what was truly important: how the wine actually tastes. And if you have not figured it out already, if you are all about aesthetics such as biodynamic farming or natural winemaking, this project most likely will not be for you.
Back in the Work
Thus, Cooper River Wine Company was born.
From the winemaking perspective, the changes worked. Brian could not remember the last time he had been so excited about a harvest or had so much fun. Crazy long days checking vineyards and hauling fruit, even from Napa, reminded him of the old days.
Making less wine allowed him to be involved with every detail again. Every fermenter. Every punchdown. Every barrel.
He felt 20 years younger. His back did not, but he was extremely happy.
Big. Bold. Plush.
The first wines got off to a great start. In barrel, they were everything Brian had hoped they would be.
BIG. BOLD. PLUSH.
“Maybe not everyone’s thing, but I LOVE THESE WINES. I guess I’m OK being a little less Taylor Swift and a bit more Robert Smith.”
