Sine Qua Non

Manfred Krackl, the founder of the brand, was born in Austria and after university moved to California, where he met his future wife, Eileen. In the US, he worked in various fields before entering the wine industry in 1989. He created his first own vintage in 1990 for his restaurant. In 1994, the Sine Qua Non brand was established, whose first vintage, "Queen of Spades," received 95 points from Robert Parker and became one of the most expensive California wines. The wine was made entirely from Syrah grapes, with a production volume of 100 cases, in Albano. Three years later, the winery was built. Since then, the brand has experimented with blends of Syrah and Grenache, changing bottle designs and release names inspired by Manfred's paintings. Experts believe that Sine Qua Non wines are comparable in quality to French wines from the Rhône Valley. Initially, purchased grapes were used, but later they established their own vineyards. The annual production is about 3,500 cases. In 2004, a bottle of this brand sold at auction for a record 36,200(about45,000 with commission). Later, another bottle was sold for $58,000 — due to the fact that only one barrel of this product was produced.