[Akyeong Wine Cellar] The Best Gift Created by Rainwater... The Elegance of Sonoma Crafted by Naturalism

A Naturalistic Winery of the Fourth Generation Mondavi Family
Cool Sonoma Coast... Delicate and Elegant Pinot Noir
Minimal Winemaking Intervention... Fermentation with Wild Yeast

Editor's NoteNo two wines under the sky are the same. Even when using grapes grown on the same land each year and employing the same methods of winemaking and aging, the results differ every time. Wine is a 'drink of chance' created through the harmony of humans and nature. Each wine, which silently disappears after leaving only a single intense memory, carries an intriguing story. 'Akyung Wine Cellar' shares these stories of wines, each crafted and matured under different circumstances, one by one.

The founders of the lane, brothers Dante and Carlo Mondavi, are looking at the Pacific Ocean from Sonoma Coast.

"Wine was rain first."

Raindrops fall from the sky to the earth. The raindrops soak the vineyard, and the grapevines slowly absorb the water seeping into the soil, pushing it up through their entire bodies. Thus, raindrops are reborn as fruit and ultimately as wine.

'RAEN' is a name inspired by 'rain' to remind us of the obvious truth that the origin of everything we eat and drink lies in nature. RAEN stands for 'Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally,' embodying the philosophy of 'good wine is not made but nurtured.' In fact, RAEN refers to themselves not as winemakers but as 'Winegrowers,' cultivating and managing vineyards using organic farming, biodynamic farming, and regenerative agriculture.

RAEN is a relatively young winery established in 2013 by brothers Dante and Carlo Mondavi in Sonoma Coast, California, USA. As the name suggests, the brothers belong to the famous Mondavi family in the American wine industry. Their grandfather, Robert Mondavi, is a legend who pioneered Napa Valley, and their father, Tim Mondavi, who founded Continuum Estate, is also a prominent figure. Since 1996, the brothers have grown into wine experts by learning grape cultivation and winemaking at Robert Mondavi, Opus One Winery, and others.

(From left) Founder Dante Mondavi, winemaker Melanie McIntyre, Carlo Mondavi.

A Naturalistic Winery of the 4th Generation Mondavi Family

The figures who inspired the brothers the most are their grandfather and father. Especially their father, Tim Mondavi, is one of the pioneers who developed the Pinot Noir variety in California. Based on his respect for French Burgundy wines, he devoted his life to producing American Pinot Noir wines that surpass them. Above all, he was a philosophical mentor who emphasized the importance of organic farming.

RAEN's representative farming method, inheriting the naturalistic philosophy of their predecessors, is Permaculture. Permaculture is a type of sustainable agriculture that considers not only the present generation but also future generations, mimicking natural cycles to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. It achieves maximum productivity with minimal resources and environmental protection, making it a future agricultural strategy in harmony with nature. Key practices include avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides and maintaining soil health naturally without chemical treatments. Even when crops suffer from diseases, instead of actively using pesticides, the plants are allowed to find their own solutions within nature while experiencing stress.

A vineyard lane where cover crops coexist together.

RAEN's concrete activities embodying eco-friendly farming methods such as permaculture, organic farming, biodynamic farming, and regenerative agriculture began with 'The Monarch Challenge' in 2016. Named after the Monarch Butterfly, once common in California but now endangered, the Monarch Challenge is a naturalistic movement rejecting conventional farming practices that use chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides in grape cultivation.

Carlo Mondavi points out, "The impact of conventional farming extends beyond Monarch Butterflies to human health. For example, herbicides destroy vital soil structures in agriculture and eventually invade our products and backyards." He emphasizes, "Stopping herbicide use is the easiest way to improve soil and human health and ensure sustainability. RAEN operates its winery with higher environmental standards to protect biodiversity and lead the future of agriculture."

A view of the vineyard in the lane.

Cool Sonoma Coast... Delicate and Elegant Pinot Noir

Sonoma County is located just north of San Francisco, bordering the Pacific Ocean. It is one of California's largest wine regions, with a much larger vineyard area than Napa Valley to the east. A large area means diverse terrain including mountains, rivers, plains, and valleys, resulting in more varied climates and soils than Napa Valley.

RAEN operates vineyards in the Sonoma Coast area, one of the 19 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in Sonoma County. Sonoma Coast is the largest AVA in Sonoma County, covering a total of 200,000 hectares. When Sonoma Coast was first designated as an AVA in 1987, there was significant opposition in the industry. The land was considered too vast and heterogeneous, lacking common terroir characteristics. Moreover, Sonoma Coast's location on the West Coast led to perceptions that it was too cold for grape cultivation, with frequent fog and strong winds.

Map of the Rain Vineyard in Sonoma Coast, California.

However, since the 1990s, some wineries have successfully grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay suited to the cool climate, producing high-quality wines. Today, these two varieties are the focus, producing delicate and elegant wines comparable to Burgundy. RAEN plays a key role in building this reputation. RAEN currently cultivates grapes on about 25 acres (approximately 36,000 pyeong). The brothers spent a full decade searching for this small, top-quality site. After ten years of searching, RAEN's vineyards are distributed in three locations from north to south on the western Sonoma Coast.

The northernmost vineyard, Fort Ross-Seaview, spans 4.8 acres and is located about 3 km from the Pacific Ocean at an elevation near 300 meters. Fort Ross-Seaview's high altitude and proximity to the sea create a large temperature variation during the day. While some places reach up to 38°C, foggy coastal areas feel chilly. The cool coastal environment makes it difficult for grapes to ripen during the growing season, but the vines are perfectly positioned just above the fog line, allowing the late summer sun's warmth to slowly ripen the fruit.

A view of Lane's 'Freestone Occidental' vineyard.

The middle vineyard, Freestone Occidental, is considered RAEN's home base. Situated just east of Bodega Bay between the towns of Freestone and Occidental, this small 1.8-acre west-facing site has the lowest daytime temperatures among RAEN's vineyards. Surrounded by cedar trees and weeds, the vineyard is enveloped by Pacific fog in the early morning during summer, covering the fruit with cool sea mist. The fog lifts by late morning, allowing the grapes to bask in afternoon sunlight and warmth, contributing to wines with remarkable balance and depth.

The wine made from grapes grown here is RAEN's flagship, the RAEN Freestone Occidental Pinot Noir Bodega Vineyard. The glass is filled with aromas of black cherry, wild strawberry, rose petals, black tea, wet stone and earth, and exotic spices. On the palate, it offers good structural acidity, smooth tannins, dark and red wild berries, and minerals in harmony, leaving a lasting finish. Bodega Vineyard grapes are grown in RAEN's coolest vineyard, at high altitude and influenced by the coast, requiring longer ripening but resulting in concentrated wines.

The southernmost vineyard, Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert, covers 15 acres at an elevation of 200 meters. Grapes grown here are characterized by exposure to cool Pacific Ocean and coastal winds, imparting rich mineral character to the wines.

The flagship wine of RAEN, 'RAEN Freestone Occidental Pinot Noir Bodega Vineyard'.

Minimal Winemaking Intervention... Fermentation with Wild Yeast

As a California cult wine, RAEN produces limited quantities from small vineyards. They produce five wines in total: three Pinot Noirs and two Chardonnays, selecting varieties and clones from premium vineyards to achieve optimal quality representative of the terroir. RAEN, emphasizing naturalism, minimizes human intervention in winemaking. All grapes are hand-harvested, undergo primary sorting in the vineyard and secondary sorting at the winery, and fermentation is conducted using wild yeast.

For Pinot Noir, RAEN employs whole bunch fermentation, using both grape berries and stems. Fermenting whole clusters allows enzymatic fermentation inside uncrushed berries, imparting distinctive aromas to the wine. The phenolic compounds from the stems influence the wine's tannin structure, providing a more delicate and subtle tannin profile than that obtained from oak barrel aging. Additionally, the stems absorb color from the grape juice during fermentation, resulting in a clearer and more transparent color. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 12 to 15 months in French oak barrels dried for four years (with 10% new oak) to complete the process.

Lane's main grape variety Pinot Noir

The wine uses the whole bunch fermentation method, which involves fermenting grape berries and stems together.

'RAEN Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert Cuvee' is a wine dedicated to their grandfather, Robert Mondavi. In 2023, marking RAEN's 10th anniversary, it ranked 4th in Wine Spectator's Top 100. It begins with captivating aromas of crushed wild berries, black cherry, rose petals, and coastal moss, followed by notes of black tea, bergamot, and forest floor. The intense core of red and black fruits intricately intertwines with floral and tea aromas and exotic spices, finishing with a long lingering aftertaste.

Chardonnay accounts for about 10% of RAEN's production, relatively small. All Chardonnays undergo malolactic fermentation after alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation converts sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid, smoothing the wine's acidity and providing a softer, richer mouthfeel. After malolactic fermentation, the wines are aged for 10 months in used oak barrels with minimal oak influence to completion.

The representative Chardonnay, RAEN Fort Ross-Seaview Charles Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay, uses grapes grown on the rugged hillsides of Fort Ross-Seaview. The well-drained, rocky soils naturally limit yields, resulting in grapes with remarkable depth, concentration, and minerality. The wine opens with aromas of wet rock, chamomile, and apricot, followed by white peach, lemon, crushed shell, and a touch of sea salt, with persistent minerality. The diverse aromas blend with deep flavors, finishing lively yet elegant.

The entire wine lineup of RAEN.