The history of the Sine Qua Non brand began in 1994, when the Austrian émigré Manfred Krankl came to California and purchased a small pastry shop. He had managed to settle in California only on his second attempt, and the pastry shop did not bring much profit. Then he and his wife took up a new hobby: making wine by hand and treating their friends to it. One of their friends really liked Manfred's wine and wanted to buy it.
The first vintage, The Queen of Spades, was released as a limited edition and caused a sensation. The engraved label was made by the owner himself. So the hobby turned into a profession.
"We wanted to make a truly delicious and unique wine, different from anything else. A wine for true connoisseurs," said Manfred Krankl and his wife, Elaine.
Wine critic Robert Parker, who visited the winery when it was still located in the backyard of an industrial facility, found that it resembled a scene from the film Mad Max. But this did not prevent Sine Qua Non wines from being awarded high ratings, 96 points and up.
Today, Sine Qua Non wines are still available as limited editions. Connoisseurs and collectors from over the world want to have them. So there is a special waiting list that anyone can sign up for.
Every bottle and every label is still made by Manfred himself using the linocut method.