Le Petit Paysant means "country bumpkin" in French. This is because Le Petit Paysant wine is made from grapes from unknown (rural) regions, not famous wine regions. Ian learned winemaking by watching others and did not receive any formal education in oenology, so even though he is not a thoroughbred (he comes from the countryside), he is able to make high-quality wines. The name of the wine conveys the appeal that the wine can be made with I Brand.
I Brand does not have a fancy tasting room decorated with artworks, nor does it have a famous winemaking consultant. For owner and winemaker Ian Brand, running a winery is simply about making delicious table wines that can be enjoyed every day and releasing them to the world. Making $300 wines using grapes from famous wine regions is easy for anyone with the funds. Ian's goal is to make wines with a strong sense of acidity and minerals in Monterey County, which is well established as a grape-producing region but still has many great (cheap) vineyards if you look for them.
Ian started the winery with his wife Heather in 2007. The reason they chose Monterey was because they felt that Monterey wines, which were characterized by their oak aromas and "sloppy" flavors, had become mainstream and they wanted to break this trend.
"What exactly has been the 'development' in California wine over the past 20 years? Technological advances, cloning research, VSP tailoring, winemaking equipment incorporating the latest technology. Have all of this really improved California wine? Rather, haven't they sucked the soul out of the wine and the winemakers? Has the passion and traditional art been lost?"
Ian believes that the technological advances in California winemaking and brewing have caused a reversal of everything, so he is trying to go back to the basics in Monterey. The essence of the I.Brand lies in the well-cultivated fields, the grapes that grow there, and the gentle brewing techniques and sensibilities that do not erase the individuality of each grape.
In 2019, he was named Winemaker of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle, a national newspaper in the United States, and became an instant star. However, for Ian, this achievement and fame were just one step.