More than a few winemakers might have thought Gary Pisoni was tilting at windmills when he drilled so many wells through the densely-compacted granitic soil of the Santa Lucia Highlands in search of water. But Gary, who possesses heart and soul in spades, trusted his own instincts about what the land could provide rather than following the dictates of chemistry or the predilections of fashion. And water did eventually gush up past the drilling rig—on the sixth try. Possessed of the courage of their convictions and not a little quixotic spirit, Gary and sons Jeff and Mark continue to work toward the perfect pinot, block-by-small-named-block.

Most winemakers number sections of their acreage, but the Pisonis dignify the symbiotic relation between the land and those who cultivate it by endowing each area with the title that best befits it. One plot pays tribute to Gary’s mother. Another honors vineyard supervisor Mario Reyes Angel, a part of Pisoni’s small crew for over twenty-three years and who currently helps oversee the continuous “sculpting of the vines” during growing season “through shoot removal and positioning, fruit thinning, green fruit dropping and leaf pulling. The resulting Pinot Noir fruit,” Rusty Gaffney of PinotFile commented in Volume 8, Issue 2, “is among the most highly prized in California.” Remarkably, each of the small blocks distinguished and named by the Pisoni family produces a pinot noir with distinct characteristics and a unique flavor profile—one more indication of just how fastidious and sensitive to its environment pinot noir remains.

“Any grape, grown well, is hard to cultivate,” Jeff notes. But bringing the delicate aromatics of pinot noir into being can seem like wizardry. There is mystery in growing this varietal, which “remains the wine that most serious winemakers want to make—and most serious winemakers want to drink,” Marq de Villiers reminds readers in The Heartbreak Grape. The Pisoni family understands firsthand the degree to which the land dictates the fruit. They are reminded of this daily—especially in challenging growing years like 2015, when this low-yielding grape became even leaner on the vine. And still, this wine provides the Pisonis with as many satisfactions as difficulties, not only for its pure hue and elegant finish, but because it tells the story of the fog-shrouded, windy hillsides that make it possible.