Olivier de Certaines

The Essentials The technical edge in Olivier de Certaines’s winemaking is shaped by an earlier career as a phlebotomist, a background that points to comfort with measurement, timing, and precision. The move from drawing blood to drawing character from wine may be unusual, but the underlying habits are parallel: steady handling, close attention, and respect for process. That training gives his work a disciplined frame even when he describes winemaking in broader terms. For him, the central point is clear: “Winemaking is unquestionably both an art and a science.” At Flat Creek Estate, that balance is expressed as a method in which science supports expression rather than overriding it. Olivier de Certaines has described the work this way: “Science serves as the tool to paint the canvas with biology and chemistry guiding nature to create our wines.” The language matches the practice: structure without rigidity, intervention without overreach. He also places that work in the context of Texas itself, a region he sees as still being defined through trial and refinement. “In Texas, we are pioneers in constantly experimenting and refining our techniques,” he has said, and that focus on iteration gives the work its urgency.

Signature

Olivier's signature dishes include Super Texan, Meritage 2020, and FC Mistella.

In Their Words “Science serves as the tool to paint the canvas with biology and chemistry guiding nature to create our wines.” “In Texas, we are pioneers in constantly experimenting and refining our techniques.”