About Sine Qua Non
Sine Qua Non is one of California's most sought-after cult wineries, founded in 1994 by Manfred and Elaine Krankl. Austrian-born Manfred, a former restaurateur, built the label around opulent, richly textured Rhone varieties, chiefly Syrah, Grenache, and Roussanne, made in tiny quantities on the Central Coast.
The winery is known for a singular ritual: every release carries an entirely new name and original label artwork created by Manfred himself, so no wine is ever called the same thing twice. Collectors do not know what a vintage will be named or how it will look until it is released, which has helped make the wines objects of near-obsessive demand.
The wines regularly earn top critical scores and rank among the hardest allocations to obtain in California, mentioned in the same breath as names like Harlan Estate and Screaming Eagle. Sine Qua Non is sold almost entirely through a private mailing list, with no public tasting room, and bottles trade on the secondary market at high prices.
