34 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 1-7, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE Greg Hill was hooked on all things wine from the moment he took a job at a vineyard. At the time he was a student at Stevenson School in Pebble Beach. Now he is winemaker and co-owner of Tira Nanza, a winery tucked deep into Carmel Valley. It may be the first time Hill has settled down. His winery career has taken him to Napa and Sonoma counties, as well as a stint in New Zealand. And he was well-traveled even as a child. Born in Minnesota, the family lived in Massachusetts and Colorado before his parents—both in the health care industry—moved to the Monterey Peninsula. “My parents were always up for an adventure,” Hill says. “But this is definitely my favorite.” After a time with Hamel Family Wines in Sonoma, Hill launched Tira Nanza with his wife Sydney in 2020, on land purchased by his family with existing vineyards. They grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Chardonnay and Viognier. Where Greg brings growing and winemaking experience, Sydney has a background in wine marketing. “We always had this dream of what a team we could be,” he says. As a vintner, Hill believes in letting nature run its course. Tira Nanza is farmed organically and the wine produced with as little human intervention as possible. Weekly: You’ve traveled all over. You could have started a winery anywhere. Why here? Hill: The first winery I worked at was in Carmel Valley. The natural beauty, and on top of that, I truly believe this area has so much potential. So many places, people already know. To me it’s exciting to be at a place where we can build a legacy. Monterey is a lot like Lake County— high quality, but not the name recognition. In Lake County, where I used to live, you would often find winemakers in the tasting rooms. That’s how it should be. This is a business that’s all about relationships. It’s important that we’re not some elusive figures behind a curtain. I want to be out there. I want feedback. And it’s important to see how your wine touches people. What drew you to wine? We always had a vegetable garden. It was my uncle’s. We’d work in his garden all day. I love growing things and getting to eat something you’ve grown was cool to me even at a young age. I love what I do. My goal is to grow the best fruit and preserve the quality from the vineyard. This is a special place, and wine should speak of a special place. When you bottled your first Tira Nanza wine, what was it like? Honestly, it’s a mixture of tremendous relief and excitement. I had a strong belief that these vineyards would produce incredible wines. We lost our first vintage to the fires, so it was basically two years in the making. The coolest thing was that our ’21 Viognier, the wine that I imagined in my head was what was in the bottle. We only have five ’21 Vios left, and it’s kind of sad. You want to save them, but you want people to enjoy them. Viognier is underappreciated. Yeah. For me, you go up this hill and you have beautiful granite soil—it screams Viognier. The biggest thing for us was to transition to dry farming. The wines have been spectacular. People tend to think of winemaking as glamorous. How do you describe it? I’m a farmer before I’m a winemaker. It’s just attention to detail. Do all winemakers drink beer during harvest? I think a lot of Coors Light and Modelo goes into harvest. Cold beer at the end of a 16-hour day is not a bad thing. Do you have to be a bit crazy to start a winery? There’s a reason there are so many characters in the business. To succeed you have to be someone who thrives under pressure—in agriculture there’s always something going wrong. You don’t have to be crazy, but you have to love this, otherwise why work so hard? You grew up in an Italian family. Have any favorite restaurants here? We’re lucky to live in an area with a lot of great Italian food. I love to eat and I love all food, but I haven’t been to any Italian restaurant on the Peninsula that I wouldn’t go back to again. But nothing beats mom’s cooking. Tira Nanza hosts Rosé by the Bay on Saturday, Aug. 3 on Carmel Beach at 13th Street from 2-6pm. Tickets are $35. 250-0584, tirananza.com. Young Vintage In starting Tira Nanza winery in 2020, Greg Hill was jumping into a life he already loved. By Dave Faries The Tira Nanza vineyards span more than a thousand feet in elevation and include several microclimates. This gives winemaker Greg Hill plenty of work to do, but also provides amazing views. DAVE FARIES
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