Early on, it was all about the vineyards. Making wine didn't happen until 1986, when David tried his hand with a few barrels of Cabernet from Madrona Ranch. He never released the wine. He'd always heard the first release can make or break you, and the '86 just wasn't good enough. So '87 was the first Abreu wine David sold. “I'd leave bottles at restaurants around the valley and tell them to drink it with their staff. ‘If you like it, call me.’” That’s how it all began. A close observer, David had the opportunity to learn from some of the best. Winemakers who understood, as he did, that it was all about the vineyards, the soils, the fruit. As for the winemaking, he got a lot of advice, listened to it all, and then carved his own path. Made wine the way he thought it should be made.