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Tony Rynders
In 1989 Tony Rynders began working wine production at Mirassou Vineyards in San Jose, CA. While he started in the lab, Rynders was soon in the cellar making wine. Convinced this was his calling, he attended the University of California at Davis and obtained a Masters Degree in Enology and Vitculture in 1992. Rynders continued to obtain winemaking experience both in the United States and internationally with harvests in Napa (Acacia Winery), northern Italy (Friuli), South Australia (Petaluma Winery), and Tuscany (Col d'Orcia). Following this international training he settled at Oregon’s famed Argyle Winery where he served as assistant winemaker for two years and was involved in both their sparkling and still wine programs. From there he spent three years at Hogue Cellars, one of Washington’s largest and most respected brands, as red winemaker. He then returned to Oregon to take over as head winemaker at Domaine Serene and Rockblock Cellars, brands that were just becoming known in the market.
During his tenure at Domaine Serene, Rynders became one of the most highly acclaimed winemakers in America and propelled Domaine Serene to the forefront of American winemakers and one of the most respected producers of pinot noir in the world. He obtained more 90+ point scores from the Wine Spectator Magazine than any other winemaker during this period of time. Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate recognized Domaine Serene as one of only two “Outstanding” producers from Oregon. In addition, Domaine Serene was awarded “Winery of the Year” status five consecutive years from Wine and Spirits Magazine. This fame allowed the winery to charge category leading price points for their wines. Over 10 years, Rynders developed more than 25 different products for Domaine Serene.
In June 2008, Rynders launched his own successful wine business called Tony Rynders Consulting. He has since consulted on winery design, vineyard design and development, wine quality improvement, brand development, and product development. In 2010 he created Tour de Force Wine Company, which provides custom crush services for some of his clients.
Rynders excels at developing new luxury wine projects. His current client list includes Cornerstone Cellars (Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Swiftwater Cellars, BOMB, Sitar, and Saffron Fields. In 2008, he also developed and launched his own label, Tendril, with a focus on Oregon Pinot Noir.
