Tempting Fate Wines. Fate is fickle. Fate is based on timing. Fate is either generous or unkind. To some degree, everyone’s life is touched by fate. Take the founders and partners in Tempting Fate Wines for example, Gordon (Gordy) Larum and former accountant Michelle Seuis. Fate brought them together, not once but twice. They knew each other when both attended junior high school in Pleasanton, CA in the 1980s. Fast forward to 2020; Michelle messaged Gordy, saying something like, “I heard you are making wine up in Napa Valley, I love wine, lets try to meet up”. So they did and began spending more time together.
Fate had touched both of their lives years prior; in 1989 Gordy was driving up Deer Park Road near Sanitarium Road in St. Helena when a drunk driver ran into his vehicle causing severe leg and skull injuries; he was pronounced dead on the scene. But fate had other plans. He lived and underwent a significant rehabilitation, attributing his will to survive to his youthful vigor. In 2004 Michelle’s husband Will, a police officer and 16-year veteran of the force was killed in Oakland while returning home from work by a hit and run big rig driver.
Nothing is ever to be taken for granted in this life. One can choose to live in fear and be overly cautious. Or one can take a different perspective, seeking out experiences. Gordon and Michelle have chosen the later and say, “Here’s to those who dream boldly, live fully, and never play it safe. Here’s to Tempting Fate.”
Gordy was born and raised in St. Helena; his father moved to Napa Valley after he took a job as the Director of Purchasing at Robert Mondavi Winery and later at Opus One, positions he held from 1981-1992. Gordy moved back to Napa Valley in 1985. After graduating high school his first job was at Beringer Winery at age 19 where he worked in the Rhine House initially washing dishes. He spent seven years at Beringer recalling part of his time was spent working with an elderly World War II vet “Gene” Metz who was one of Beringer’s tour guides at the time. Gene took Gordy under his wing; Gordy describes his time with Gene as like ‘being a sponge’ learning as much as he could about wine in two years.
Gordy has worked at a number of wineries over the years including at Clos Pegase, where he was responsible for their corporate dining events, later followed by Pine Ridge (a similar role) and at Kuleto Estate, helping plan both private and larger group events. And he has helped sell wines for small Napa Valley based brands including Arns and Black Cordon.
Gordy lived in Rutherford for many years, recalling one of his next-door neighbors was the Venge family. One of Kirk Venge’s prominent wines is Scout’s honor; Gordy remembers the original ‘scout’, the winery dog that the Venge’s owned – always stealing his shoes and hiding them in their chicken coop. He grew up close to other vintners or winemakers including Bob Egelhoff (Egelhoff Wines) and Ray Coursen (Elyse Wines). He also remembers the ‘old days’ of frequenting the bar in Rutherford and enjoying drinking with the ‘old timers’, primarily people from farming families.
Gordy has lots of stories about his decades living in Napa Valley. He enjoys showing people a photograph of he and Robert Mondavi from 2001, both dressed as pirates. While at the Napa Valley Wine Auction that year, hosted at Pine Ridge Winery, he sat with Mondavi during that evening. Mondavi had just recovered from back surgery; Gordy recalls assisting him as he walked through the large cave and Mondavi saying something like, “I am leaving the valley in good hands with the younger generation”.
It is clear to anyone who meets Gordy that he has a significant passion for Napa Valley, including its culinary and wine scene. He also has a love of people; they inspire him. In 2007 looking to start a wine brokerage firm, his path changed dramatically after being introduced to a LASIK surgeon who needed someone to show him around the valley. Impressed after touring with Gordy he asked Gordy if he would help organize tours and tastings on a much larger scale – for some of the 1000 LASIK eye surgeons who were having a conference in San Francisco. Gordy pulled this off successfully and began to think about creating his own tour company.
He has since parlayed his knowledge of Napa Valley, its vintners and wineries into running a highly personalized tour company called Eye on Wine (founded in 2006). The company is small, and Gordy leads nearly all of the tours. The company focuses on introducing clients to boutique wineries, typically those producing less than 1,500 cases annually. It was through his tour company that he co-founded a previous brand he is no longer involved in called Witchery Wines. As the owner of a wine tour company, one meets people from all walks of life and all over the country. Wine is the thread that brings people to Napa Valley; during a number of tours Gordy meets clients who become friends, and they become repeat visitors to the valley.
And Gordy is not the only one in his family in the wine business. His brother Jon Larum and his wife Françoise own Domaine des Girasols Vieilles Vignes Rasteau in the Côtes du Rhône in southern France. Their son, Gordy’s nephew is their winemaker. We will visit this property during our next trip to this part of France, most likely later in 2025.
Colin Cranor and Craig Ploof of Syndicate Wines (Grape Culture, Nottingham Wines and Typicité) make the Tempting Fate Wines at their custom crush winery located south of the city of Napa. Michelle was already a club member of Notthingham Cellars and introduced Gordy to both Colin and Craig at a Notthingham Cellars club pickup party. Gordy mentioned he had recently left his partnership in Witchery Wines and they said they would be happy to make wines should he start a new brand. Tempting Fate Wines was founded in 2021 although several of the Tempting Fate wines predate their launch including a 2018 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and a 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Craig and Colin introduced Gordy and Michelle to Oakview Vineyards off of Money Road. This property is owned by the Sonoma based Sangiacamo family of Sangiacomo Vineyards in partnership with the Nord family who oversee the management of the vines. This site produces the Cabernet Sauvignon for Tempting Fate Wines.
Select Wines
The 2022 Tempting Fate Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Napa Valley is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. The wine spent 18 months aging in new French oak barrels produced from Francois Freres. This wine is deep ruby and opaque; the rich, exuberant and generously layered bouquet is built upon both its core of fruit and accompanying barrel influences. Its scents include chocolate covered cherries, blackberry, dark plum, old cedar box, toast, roasted herbs including sage, roasted coffee and tobacco. Bright, balanced and light on its feet, this wine tastes like blackberry, dark cherry, boysenberry, dark raspberry and plum. Like the nose, its barrel influences are evident on the palate including a lasting note of smoked cedar, dried herbs, dark chocolate, tobacco and a light kiss of dark pepper. The combination of darker notes, fruit and acidity provides the finish a savory character. The tannins are fully resolved and polished three years post vintage. And in 2025, this wine earned a gold medal at the Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition.
The 2021 Tempting Fate Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Napa Valley is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. The wine spent 18 months aging in new French oak barrels produced from Francois Freres. This wine is deep ruby and opaque – both varieties in union from this vineyard have no problem producing plenty of color. The compelling bouquet offers primarily dark fruits including blackberry, cherry, plum, boysenberry, Himalayan purple mulberry and ripe blueberries. In terms of texture, this is one of the more approachable 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, however it fully contains the 2021 richness, density and intensity of flavor. This wine tastes like blackberry, dark plum, dark cherry and boysenberry, lingering with a light dusty character. This wine features perhaps a softer profile from the oak than the 2022 vintage, both on the bouquet and the palate; its barrel influences include dark chocolate, mocha, espresso and dark cocoa powder. The ripe tannins show a bit more weight than the 2022 vintage, and fully coat the palate with a light to moderate grip. Ripe, bright, balanced and showcasing plenty of energy. How does pairing this with a Ribeye (bone-in) and a BBQ sound? Sounds pretty appealing to us. this wine earned a double gold medal at the Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition.
Tempting Fate Wines also produces extremely limited bottlings of a Sauvignon Blanc and a barrel fermented Chardonnay.
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Total annual production is small but growing with a typical vintage producing in the range of 150 to 200 cases of wine. The wines are primarily sold direct to consumer by request only with limited distribution in Kansas and Missouri. Sometimes Tempting Fate Wines particpates in local events including MS Crush, the annual fundraiser and gathering to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis held at Reid Family Vineyards in Napa. For more information and to join the mailing list for exclusive access to new releases and limited allocations visit: www.temptingfatewines.com
Oakview Vineyards, Oakville
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