Crafting Wines They Love: Moone-Tsai’s Pursuit of Passion Over Perfection

Larry and MaryAnn Tsai, guided by Philippe Melka, create wines that reflect their personal tastes, from elegant Chardonnay to bold Pinot Noir, proving that authenticity triumphs over trends.

Wine industry veterans Larry and MaryAnn Tsai hired wnemaker Philippe Melka.

Larry and MaryAnn Tsai didn't hire a winemaker that can fly.

They weren’t after someone who had X-ray vision listed on their LinkedIn profile. And at no time were they after someone who could run at light speed through the vineyards to reduce the grueling harvest process to mere seconds.

Instead, what the industry veterans were after when they hired a winemaker for Moone-Tsai was someone with intimate knowledge of vineyards, terroir and the ability to glimpse into the future.

No one had a better resume than Philippe Melka.

“Philippe will talk about wine being a time machine,” said Larry in a Zoom call. “People gather to enjoy a bottle, and time slows down. The real time machine, though, is Philippe. His superpower is his ability to see into the future in a difficult vintage.”

The 2013 Moone-Tsai Black List Cabernet Sauvignon stands out to Larry. When released, it was tight and had vegetal notes. Years later, Larry revisited the wine and used one word to describe it: “epic.”

“Philippe’s ability to see and predict what will happen years later is a true superpower,” Larry said.

With Melka behind the wheel in the vineyard and cellar and Larry and MaryAnn’s years of wine-industry experience, Moone-Tsai has a stunning portfolio of wines from the best vineayrd sites in California.