Armando Experience
Wine Dinner

January 30, 2025

Orin Swift is not a person. The name comes from Dave’s father’s middle name, Orin, and his mother’s maiden name, Swift.

Though Dave grew up in California, it was in Italy where his obsession began. In 1995, what was originally billed as a semester studying abroad, turned into an immersion on all aspects of wine. By 1997, Dave was all in and landed his winery job at Robert Mondavi as a temporary harvest worker. He learned a lot, including that he wanted to make his own wine. The next year, with two tons of zinfandel and not much else, Orin Swift Cellars was born.