Natural wine, to me, begins with respect for the fruit, not allegiance to a label.
Malek Amrani did not come to Napa to make another Cabernet. In a written interview with Vintner Report, the founder and winemaker of The Vice Winery describes the house he built with Torie Amrani as his interpretation of Napa Valley, one that works with approximately 20 grape varietals across more than a dozen of the valley's sub-appellations.
Amrani said: "When Torie and I created The Vice, we were not interested in creating another Cabernet brand." "Napa already has the greatest Cabernet producers in the world. We wanted to create a solution for wine enthusiasts that want to explore everything else this extraordinary region has to offer, without abandoning the classics." Nearly two thirds of production is still Cabernet Sauvignon, he noted, alongside Viognier, Tempranillo, orange wines and other styles that sit outside the traditional Napa narrative. The name, he said, is intentionally provocative: "Wine is one of life's great pleasures, and I believe such pleasure should be celebrated, not apologized for."
The house made its pace plain this harvest. The Vice harvested Pinot Noir from Truchard Vineyards in Carneros at about 18 Brix, aiming for vibrant acidity, delicate aromatics and a lower alcohol profile of around 10 percent, fermented it dry, and bottled its 2026 rose 24 days after harvest. He said: "Twenty four days from harvest to bottle leaves very little room for hesitation." "Every decision from picking to fermentation management, clarification, stability, and packaging had to be anticipated." What the pace bought, he said, was freshness and a commercial head start: the wine reached the market before many Southern Hemisphere 2026 wines and nearly three months ahead of the traditional November Beaujolais Nouveau release.
At Premiere Napa Valley, the house presented three lots, including a five-case lot of orange Viognier. "When we decided to present an orange wine at Premiere Napa Valley, we knew it would raise eyebrows." "Premiere is one of the most prestigious trade events in the American wine industry and buyers arrive expecting extraordinary Napa wines, particularly Cabernet." The lot, he said, set a record price for an orange wine. "That moment was bigger than a single wine. It showed that buyers are willing to embrace something unexpected when the quality and story are compelling."
Amrani's natural wine philosophy is a philosophy of restraint. In his words: "Natural wine, to me, begins with respect for the fruit, not allegiance to a label." He added: "I have no interest in using ideology as an excuse for flaws." His responsibility, as he frames it, is to understand the fruit and protect its character, intervening precisely when the wine needs it and otherwise doing very little.
The hardest advice he received was to simplify: focus on Cabernet, build a small portfolio, stay in one lane. He declined. Building across 15 appellations and roughly 20 varietals complicates sourcing, production, inventory and distribution, he acknowledged, but the wines are now distributed in 45 states and 11 international markets. "The hardest part of saying no to conventional wisdom is accepting that you may have to prove yourself for years before anyone agrees with you..."
In tank and barrel now, the 2026 program continues the Cabernet foundation while developing aromatic whites, orange wines and small-production varietals, and Amrani singles out a kosher wine program in development. His closing advice to a young winemaker starting in the valley in 2026 is direct: "Raise your standards, and never confuse recognition with achievement." And: "Most importantly, learn how wine is sold, not just how it's made. And don't be afraid to fail publicly."
Amrani is the Moroccan-born founder and winemaker of The Vice Winery in Napa Valley. Per his supplied biography, he has served on the board of directors of Napa Valley Vintners and currently serves on the Wine Institute board of directors, and The Vice reports more than 200 scores of 90 points or higher from wine publications in recent years.