Our Story | Wines by Rob Harrison & Joe Harden | Fluent Wine Company

The driving inspiration of Fluent Wine is to achieve the full potential of grapes selected from the finest California vineyards to create wine that truly inspires a profound moment on your palate.

In the glass you will taste fruit characteristics influenced by the sun, water and soil as each allocation is a true translation of every vintage. You will notice subtle differences, as the weather and temperature differ, while continuing to maintain the same remarkable foundation of Fluent Wine.

Our commitment to excellence begins by harvesting fruit from individually-labeled single vineyard sources. We insist on state-of-the-art sustainable growing practices from flowering in the spring to harvesting in the fall. Our grapes are individually chosen for their potential to create the most elegant presentation in your glass.

The Fluent Difference
At Fluent Wine the entire process from vineyard to bottle is meticulously completed by hand. We create wine to interpret what the land and the environment unveils with each vintage. Forged in small batches means choosing the best parcels in each vineyard, harvesting each cluster of fruit by hand, pressing with minimal mechanical influence, preserving in separate small French oak barrels until bottling and then aging until the wine arranges itself to express its true interpretation. Releasing the wine only when it is ready is a difference you will experience and appreciate even more as you participate with every sip.

Rob Harrison

Proprietor

“I have always had an affinity for hospitality, art and food. Creating exceptional wine is a way of combining these three passions.”

In his youth, Rob Harrison remembers pulling the wine bottle out of the cupboard for family dinners and reading the back label because he was interested in the story of the vineyard, winery and people involved with the project. He knew even then that wine was more of an expression and something that should be appreciated. Later, while exploring the world, he found the most rewarding virtue of traveling involved meeting new people, and wine offered the opportunity to honor the newly formed friendships while enjoying a meal together. He developed a thirst for learning new cultures and customs and then began to focus his strengths, excitement and devotion toward the hospitality industry. It was then that his dream of the day he might develop his own expression of time through a glass of wine was established.

Rob’s education in the world of wine continued while employed in the luxury hospitality field during college. He worked three days a week at Stein Eriksen Lodge where he was immersed in fine dining and wine selections from around the world. It was there he was deemed a Francophile by the wine director as she patiently guided him through the subtleties of the wine and spirit world.

In his late 20’s Rob moved to the Napa Valley and planted roots. He was hired at Meadowood Napa Valley and fortunate to meet many people whom he considered mentors. Meadowood is an optimal place to be surrounded by people in the industry and others from around the world who are considered the best in their field. One of the virtues he developed and carries with him now is the idea that quality is something you must touch, feel and experience which is a common theme in the industry. These principles, ignited by his dream, guide his venture into the world of artful expression. Rob now will pickup handfuls of loamy and rocky soil while crouched beneath the vines and smell the earth to fully understand what it will offer the vine. He will then taste the fruit in anticipation of harvest to determine if it is ready.

Rob feels strongly that successful wine and experiences are created by a team of people with similar interests and a shared dedication to quality. These same people who have become close friends as well as colleagues during a growing year and beyond share his commitment to excellence. As a result of this teamwork, Fluent Wine expresses brilliance and is both stored in the world’s finest cellars and restaurants as well as enjoyed on the back porch, where it is shared amongst family and friends.

Joe Harden

Winemaker

“Having grown up on a vineyard in Northern California, I’ve always been fascinated by the process of transforming a simple grape into something rich, complex and capable of providing so much pleasure.”

Joe Harden was born into the wine business. He grew up on a 30-acre vineyard in Northern California where he was introduced at a young age to the farming side of wine making. While his father was a sales executive focused on wine, Joe dreamed of starting his own winery and his journey to achieving this goal was a winding one. A gifted athlete, he accepted a scholarship from the University of Notre Dame to play basketball. Later, he played for the University of California at Davis and was lured by their renowned wine program.

After graduating from Davis, Joe was drafted by the California State Warriors D-League team and was later drafted by a team in Australia where he played for several years before an internship for Mondavi Winery brought him back the United States. At Mondavi, he began pulling hoses and filling tanks in the cellar and over time became an oenologist who was placed in charge of all Mondavi’s Bordeaux-style luxury wines. It was while working at Mondavi that Joe met Rob through a colleague at Meadowood. This team, both with refined palates and detailed acumen, is sure to create a wine that you will enjoy for years to elevate your celebrations and life experiences.

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