Philosophical Vintner Rethinks Wine

Abe Schoener is reinvigorating California wines with a decidely unorthodox, almost experimental, approach, writes Jon Bonne in the San Francisco Chronicle. Schoener, who lacks formal training, eschews the traditional do's and don’ts of the craft with his Scholium Project winery. His wines "are bizarre, ingenious and polarizing—quite simply unlike anything else being made anywhere in this country," writes Bonne.

A former philosophy professor, Schoener’s work is a "sly-minded meditation on wine's traditions." His unusual techniques—he might, for instance, leave wine exposed to air or bacteria—occasionally results in batches being poured down the drain. "But when his efforts work, the wines can be unforgettable," says Bonne. (More wine stories.)