Wine Club Releases
May 2025
Mom Wines:
Elegant, intentional wines - made by matriarchs (mostly),
worthy of being enjoyed with the mamas and nurturers in your life (all of 'em)
We all have someone in our world who has either given us life or spoken life into us at critical moments on our journey, someone who has tended to us when we couldn't or didn't know how to, someone who held us or held space for us through our biggest milestones. For some of us - that's mom. But it isn't always, and it doesn't have to be.
(RIP to my single dad Spike, shoutouts to my 6th grade bestie's mom Flash, my college homey Micah, my fairy gaymothers Margaret & Lorrie. It took a village of Not Moms to make sure my little behind could turn into the wine whisperer and unhinged tasting notes scribe you see before you.)
Anyway. Two of these beautiful wines are made by total baddie moms. One of these wines is a stunner worthy of the moms in your life.
All love and admiration to the people who mother and in doing so, do the constant, steady, often thankless work of loving people into the best versions of themselves.
2023 Vinca Minor Mendocino Rosé, Mendocino, CA
If Mother's Day brunch was a glass of wine, look no further than this gorgeous field blend of Zinfandel & Carignan from 85+ year-old vines.
Soft, fruity, citrusy, herbaceous, and perfectly salty. This wine hits just about every part of the palate and smells expensive. Notes of cherry, white strawberry, ripe peach, rhubarb, oyster shell. Prepare to run this one back well into summer, it's so lovely.
Direct pressed fruit is fermented and aged in stainless steel. Unfiltered and unfined.
Hawkeye Ranch, established in the 1900s, is planted on rocky, iron rich soils. Pete Johnson and his family have been farming grapes and pears organically in this Mendocino gem for over 5 generations.
About Vinca Minor
Jason Edward Charles has spent the greater portion of the past two decades making the world his classroom. His post-collegiate years found Charles photographing his way around the world from street life in Mexico City to the gorgeous Spanish countryside.
After Europe, Charles moved to New York and waited tables in the Manhattan restaurant industry, where he was hostage to the good fortune of being surrounded by passionate wine experts. His interest ablaze, Charles landed a harvest internship and promptly moved to Northern California, where he worked the fields to learn every possible aspect of the winemaking craft.
From there, Charles headed to France to further his studies at Chateau Haut Goujon in Lalande de Pomerol.
After serving the soil, grape and sun in France, Charles returned to work at some of Napa’s most renowned wineries, formally establishing Vinca Minor in 2013.
Jason passionately supports old-vine organically-grown underdog varietals like Carignan. Vinca Minor helps to keep these old vineyards alive by purchasing fruit year after year from esteemed places like Hawkeye Ranch.
2022 Adamswein Rheinhessen Grauburgunder Ingelheim, Rheinhessen, Germany
Elegant, serious, and stunning: meet this highly unusual, focused Pinot Gris from Rheinhessen.
Delicate, yet tart. Notes of grapefruit, marzipan, stewed stone fruit, a bit of earth and a beautifully dry, long finish.
Grown about 5km south of the Rhein on clay/limestone, macerated briefly on the skins, aged one year in steel and barrel.
About Adamswein
Simone is a young winemaker with a husband and two small children, running a 10ha farm she took over when her dad passed away in 2010.
She was working on her doctorate at the famous Geisenheim wine school at the time of his passing, and in an incredibly short amount of time has not only converted the vineyard to organic, then to biodynamic, but has also created a line of wines so unique to her region that only she could make them. I can't think of a better way to honor those who've come before you.
Her vineyards all lie in Ingelheim in the far northern Rheinhessen where a mix of flat and gently rolling vineyards of clay and limestone enjoy a cool microclimate tempered by the Rhein river, just 5km away. The village sits in the “knee” of the valley, protected from rain and inclement weather. Interestingly, the vineyards are on east-west facing slopes, not north-south ones, which benefits air circulation.
Simone works biodynamically in vineyards which never saw fleurbereinegung, the nationwide reorganization of German wine growing areas which in recent decades has uprooted many old vines and historic parcels elsewhere. Her oldest vines are 40-45 years old, and the emphasis is on Burgundian varieties—Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and most importantly Spatburgunder, a.k.a. Pinot Noir, planted on 5ha representing 50% of her production.
The winemaking is simple and patterned after traditional Burgundy: natural fermentations in steel, maturation in big barrels for the village wines and barriques for the single site ones, 12-18 months of aging on the lees, no fining, no filtering, and only a modest dose of SO2 added at bottling. There is no gutswein here, only wines of terroir.
2022 Azienda Vinicola Biscaris Nero d’Avola, Sicily, Italy
Have you ever sat down in an old, comfy armchair to be both surprised and delighted by the depths into which you are enveloped? Did you want that feeling to last forever? That's this Nero D'Avola.
Juicy red fruit meets raisin, blueberry, and wild violets. Refined and fresh tasting, I could swim in this wine forever.
Additionally, it's stable as heck. I've had it open for almost two weeks at home, and it's still enjoyable. Your bottle won't last you that long because it's too delicious. And you are sharing it with moms.
About Biscaris
Biscaris is an 11-hectare biodynamic estate in the town of Acate, in the classico zone of Sicily’s only DOCG, Cerasuolo di Vittoria. The winery takes its name from Acate’s not-so-distant past: originally called Biscaris, from 1633 to 1812 it was the Principality of Biscari, whose castle appears on the wine labels. Acate was officially called Biscari up until 1938.
Owner Antonia Guardabasso and her daughter-in-law, Veronica Gentoli, manage what is truly a family affair, as most of their workers are also relatives! Biscaris’ first commercial harvest was in 2004, after meeting Nicolas Joly, who encouraged them to both produce their own wine and do it through biodynamics. In addition to the classic biodynamic preparations, the family will use stinging nettle extract, quassia wood powder, chamomile, and valerian as natural insecticides, if needed. To combat downy mildew and oidium, only copper and sulfur are used.
The vineyards, with 3ha of Inzolia, 4ha of Frappato, and 4ha of Nero d’Avola, are divided between two contrade: Casazza and Santissimo, 200m and 100m above sea level, respectively.
Yields are kept low for all four wines, around 35 hl/ha. Perhaps surprisingly these days, there is no single-vineyard, old-vine cuvée, or special cellar selection. Depending on the year, they will decide to make more or less of any of the three reds. Total production is 70,000-80,000 bottles.
The winemaking here is also refreshingly straightforward.
Vinification happens steps away from the Casazza vineyard, in a building that was formerly Stefano’s father’s car dealership. No maceration on the white, yes maceration on the reds until the wine is dry. Everything in stainless steel, bottled unfined and unfiltered, and released between the Spring and Summer the year after harvest. The wines are healthy, honest, and typical, transporting you right to southeast Sicily, reminding you why the wines of this area are so beloved.
April 2025
The Spring Fling Drop:
Fun, flirty, thoughtful wines to woo your springtime crush
People say this about their cities all the time, but you and I know the truth: ain’t nobody got shit on Los Angeles in spring. The weather is getting warmer, the clothing is getting flyer, the street food smells are intoxicating, and the sunshine has us feeling like every day could be the weekend. Please enjoy this cute box that celebrates the allure of springtime: a little co-ferment, a little skin contact ;). Wines progress from playful and crushable to contemplative and compelling. Here’s to new (or renewed) love and fresh juice!
2022 Katla Wines 'Kiki' Red Pét Nat, Rheinhessen, Germany
The category is…quirky, delightful, and delicious sparkler! From a casual chat with the girls to the cutie you wanna get to know better, ‘Kiki’ is here to get the conversation flowwwwing!
Red berries up front, a bit of earth and spice, a touch of funk and fizz for days. She’s a juicy and vibrant mix of 50% Merlot, 25% Weissburgunder (aka Pinot Blanc) and 25% Riesling grapes. Perfect party wine.
Like all of Katla wines, ‘Kiki’ is made in stainless steel to preserve freshness, all the grapes are separate fermentation of direct press fruit. The Weissburgunder comes from Rheinhessen's Nicklas Rückrich and sees three days maceration on the skins, the Merlot from Rheinhessen's Andi Mann sees 5 days of semi-carbonic maceration and the Riesling from Piri Natural undergoes 3 days. It is bottled with 6g of residual sugar and whilst energetic in the bubble with some foam, does not explode on opening.
Iconic Swedish diva Ms. Ronya graces the label: @msronya
Jas Swan of Katla is probably one of the coolest people in winemaking today. Not originally from Mosel, and not from a winemaking family, Jas uses collaboration and her own vision as tools to create a line of wines that are unmistakably hers, thoughtfully tasting of place while defying traditional German styles. She freestyles cuvées that mix the grapes she tends to in her tiny (.8 hectare) vineyard with grapes she buys from trusted friends. Jas also is the organizer of Back of the Van, which is a mobile wine salon that occurs as a satellite event next to bigger funded natural wine fairs.
If you are mesmerized by this wine and need to know more about the maker and her approach (like I did), here's a very cool interview from a few years ago.
2023 Ruth Lewandowski 'Anos' Fox Hill Vineyard Blend, Mendocino, CA
A moment of whimsy resulting in a fun blend of three co-fermented varietals. Fresh, tropical, sunshine in a glass.
Cuvée Anos is a juicy blend of pink, orange, and white wines that's built for speed. 40% MontepulciANO, 30% TrebbiANO, 30% FriulANO (see what they did there?). Bright and sunny and ready for your early spring attempts to fire up the grill.
Lewandowski says the wine was born late at night while he was tasting through the cellar and stumbled upon these three lots right next to one another. Think POG for grownups.
Ruth Lewandowski Wines is the brainchild of Evan Lewandowski, a nod to the regenerative and redemptive beauty of the life cycle as told in the Book of Ruth. Evan currently crafts wine naturally from unique sites in Mendocino County in an unfeigned and heartfelt effort to eventually fund a vineyard planting project in his home state of Utah.
The majority of vines are old, organic and of somewhat obscure varieties and his goal in the cellar is to lay off all the tweaking, tinkering and techno wizardry that is so common in modern day winemaking. His range of wines is largely additive free and showcases both the soil and Evan’s open heart for the enigmatic beauty of nature.
2022 Erde Wines ‘Iceblink Luck’ Grenache, Portland, OR
“You're the mad, chokecherry coal/That will burn this old madhouse down/And I'll throw open like a walnut safe/More like a love that's a bottle of exquisite stuff…”
- Cocteau Twins 'Iceblink Luck'
We've moved from playful banter and party vibes - and now we're engulfed in the layered beauty of those first easy, deep conversations with someone who could change our whole life if we surrender to it.
Tart cherry, raspberry, a kiss of soil, a whiff of smoke and spice. This juicy barrel-aged grenache is compelling without being heady. Drinking more like a light red than a rosé, this wine is made for hearty veggie dishes, grilled lean proteins, and light, heartfelt conversations.
Whole cluster grenache from Equus Vineyard along the Yakima Ridge in the Columbia Valley AVA. Foot tread and left to soak for 48 hours, then pressed and moved to an egg-shaped flex tank. 200lbs of pressed Gruner Veltliner skins are added to the must and remain through 11 days of primary fermentation. Gentle punch down each morning to keep the cap wet. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfur. Aged for 22 months in neutral red wine barrels.
Kirk Sutherland started Erde Wines in Portland in 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic and unprecedented wildfires in the Pacific Northwest.
After having worked several harvests in Oregon, learning the ropes from his friends at Division Winemaking Company and Day Wines, he began to modestly produce 250 cases of wine and cider, sourced from thoughtfully farmed vineyards and an untouched orchard. With these bottlings, largely named after some of his favorite songs, his goal is to present wines that are unexpected, yet approachable, but most importantly delicious.
(Editorial bias: I am currently writing these notes in Portland, OR at Powell's Books with a glass of Division rosé in hand. PNW wines will always have my heart, and this nuanced, pleasant gem perfectly embodies the magic and possibility of the region.)
March 2025
Esoteric, imaginative wines
for Pisces Season
Bust out your tarot cards and put some flowers on your altar, here are some wines to celebrate what’s left of Pisces Season (February 19 - March 20) and the Lunar Eclipse that happens the same day that Wine Club drops.
You don’t have to be an astrology girlie to get into the archetype: The twelfth and final sign of the zodiac, Pisces, is symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions. Think duality. Think harmony as well as tension. Think deep wells of emotion, intuition and creativity. Think about water and its ability to cleanse or destroy in equal measure.
Now think about the end of a really long cycle/season/year. To move forward feeling lighter and brighter, we have to revisit and clear the last bits of junk standing in our way, and that is often intense. But if we do it, we reap the reward of moving confidently and unencumbered into a whole new chapter.
We say goodbye to the brutality of winter and say hello to the possibility of spring - screw New Year’s resolutions, THIS is a perfect time of year for letting go of old patterns & habits and embracing new beginnings.
TL,DR; if you have been feeling chewed up and spit out in the last month, you are not alone. Take these bottles as an offering for what is possible when we allow ourselves to embrace the creative potential of change.
2023 Criante Catarratto Frizzante Niente Panico Contrada Valle, Sicily, IT
Crisp, clean, citrusy, herbaceous and gently fizzy. If a mimosa was an adult in a crisp linen suit.
Native varietal Catarratto Extralucido grapes are de-stemmed and pressed, fermenting first in stainless steel then re-fermented in bottle using must from the same harvest. Frizzante-level bubbles. Undisgorged. A light deposit of lees on the bottom provide for a softened yeasty quality on the palate.
As the meditating grapes on the label would suggest, Niente Panico (Don't Panic!) celebrates the beauty of the unexpected and the ability to turn anything into an opportunity.
Criante is a certified organic polyculture farm in Alcamo, Sicily. This is the western part of the island, in the province of Trapani, the dead-center of the Mediterranean Sea, a bit closer to Tunisia than to mainland Italia.
The Adragna family are the third generation to farm this land. 2019 was their first harvest under the moniker Criante, which incorporates all their farming activities.
West Sicily is a warm, semi-arid zone. It’s subject to the scirocco, an intensely hot wind coming off the Sahara, which can reach hurricane speeds. And yet, native varieties like Catarratto (Sicily’s most-planted grape and Italy’s third-most) have adapted to this climate over millennia, seemingly dealing with climate change better than many famous grapes of Central and North Italy.
Criante is building a reputation for their treatment of Catarratto, as they smartly tame its notorious yields and make three distinct wines from it, from each of the biotypes—Extralucido, Lucido, and Comune. The expressiveness and freshness are remarkable.
2019 Ripa Vino Rosada Consecha, Rioja, SP
With age comes wisdom, and this classy and complex rosé from Rioja is no exception. Gently oxidized but bursting with fresh berries and nuts. Serious, and seriously enjoyable. Pairs well with good friends and your favorite game of strategy. All the meats and cheeses.
65% Grenache and 35% Tempranillo grapes from two plots. 30+ year-old vines, bush-pruned, located in Rioja Alta, where the soils are calcareous clay. Grapes are destemmed, placed in stainless steel vats, and bled (saignée) for about 18 hours before racking. The wine then ferments in 500-liter used French oak casks and ages for 30+ months in the barrel and for about one year in the bottle.
Red currant, wild strawberry, hazelnut, and cinnamon flavors are embellished by subtle oak spices and a hint of forest floor. Beautiful rosado that drinks like your favorite sherry or vermouth.
José Luis Ripa Sáenz de Navarrete has seen the ins and outs of Rioja and knows its wine making history like no one else, having worked for many years with some of the most reputable houses in the region (full disclosure, he is married to legendary winemaker Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia).
After seeing the many facets of the business he decided to create a label and make his own wine, a classic Spanish Aged Rosado from vineyards grown on one hectare in the Najerilla Valley, in Rioja Alta, which gets released with a little bit of bottle age.
2020 Tack & Glou 'Air de Famille' Pinot Noir, Katzenthal, FR
No one expects a Pinot Noir from Alsace. Feral with finesse, this smoky stunner is perfect for al fresco dining in these early spring nights when the setting sun brings with it the lingering crispness of cold winter air.
Whole grapes from 15-50 year-old vines are pressed by hand in a small wood press after a short fermentation with the addition of harder to reach grapes that grow up into the trees on the edge of the estate's garden. No filtration or added sulphur, 2-3 years of barrique aging.
Bright ruby in color, this fruity medium-bodied red is silky with notes of silt, wild violet, hibiscus. A whiff of smoke meets red berries, cherry, and sea moss.
Elisa Klur is a fascinating winemaker and a jeweler who produces a small range of free fermentation wines from Alsace on an estate that has been certified organic and Demeter for 20 years and is located on a micro-farm that she shares with her parents.
TACK:
"Onomatopoeia simulating the sound of a hard tool." This is the characteristic sound in my workshop: the hammer forming a metal surface.
GLOU:
"The common sound of liquid escaping from a bowling-pin-shaped container." This is more like a cellar!
TACK & GLOU:
An adventure combining an eco-designed jewelry workshop with the smallest biodynamic vineyard in Alsace, and that's my little winegrower-jeweler business!
February 2025
Wine for Lovers & Dreamers, made by Lovers & Dreamers
2021 Il Folicello ‘Salame Rider’ Lambrusco Rosato, Emilia-Romagna, IT
Just the fizzy, wild berry banger for your Galentine’s Day celebrations.
Il Folicello Salame Rider Lambrusco Rosato is a sparkling natural wine made from 100% Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro grown organically. This wine is made following the traditional method without the addition of any sulfites. Strawberry, red wild berries, cola, savory finish, pleasant fizziness. Get the party started with this one, its best friend is charcuterie. Or save to pair in a dessert course with chocolate and aged cheeses. Also a perfect wine to sit and drink on the couch in your underwear, I’m not gonna tell you how to live your life.
Founded by partners Marco and Antonella, Il Folicello began their winemaking journey in the scenic Castelfranco Emilia, Modena, Emilia Romagna region. Since the early 1980s, their goal has been simple yet heartfelt: to create authentic, vibrant wines that reflect the beauty of their surroundings. Initially intended for personal enjoyment and sharing with friends, their endeavor has since evolved significantly.
Today, the modest estate they now tend with their daughters features a modern cellar designed for efficient grape vinification. Beyond wine, Marco and Antonella have expanded their offerings to include organic jams and other grape-derived products, as well as a dedicated vinegar production facility. This expansion reflects their deep connection to the countryside and their appreciation for the enriched lifestyle it provides.
2022 Dar Richi ‘Helem’ Skin Contact Chardonnay, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Nuanced, lovely, best with furtive glances and deep conversations in dimly lit spaces.
Helem is a 10-day Skin Contact Chardonnay that has been fermented and aged in Amphora. The wines go through malolactic fermentation naturally, they are racked twice before being bottled in late spring. The 2022 vintage offers vibrant aromas of fresh fruit and subtle floral notes, with a touch of earthy minerality, creating a beautifully balanced and aromatic wine. Helem is an expressive, slightly tannic skin contact wine that showcases Abdullah Richi's commitment to natural, sustainable winemaking practices.
Dar Richi is a wine brand founded by Abdullah Richi, a Syrian refugee who sought safety in Lebanon. Settling in North Lebanon, Richi learned the art of winemaking by observing local producers, including Eddie Chami of Mersel Wines. Driven by a dream to one day return to Syria and establish his own winery, Richi creates wines that reflect both his personal journey and his commitment to quality.
His range includes Hanan, a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Sangiovese named after his wife, and Helem, a skin-contact white made from Chardonnay, named after the Arabic word for "dream." Richi’s wines are crafted with sustainability in mind, with some offerings certified organic and produced using biodynamic practices. Abdullah's dream is to go back to Syria and establish his own winery there.
2022 Château de Grand-Pré ‘Cuvée Spaciale’, Beaujolais, FR
Juicy, flirty, fun. Perfect for the 1st or 50th date.
This beautiful Gamay from Fleurie is the fruit of 60-70 year-old vines planted in granitic and sandy soil facing southeast. The vines are all worked by hand. Unsurprisingly given the age of the vines, yields are very low. Light, fresh, fruity wine with an elegant finish. Pair with grilled meats, robust veggie dishes like ratatouille, or good old fashioned romance.
Château de Grand-Pré is a family estate located in the southern part of Burgundy, in the communes of Fleurie and Villié-Morgon run by grandson Romain Zordan. The vineyards spread over 8 hectares: 6ha in Fleurie, 1.5ha in Morgon, 1.5ha in Beaujolais Villages. Total production is 30,000 to 40,000 bottles. The Domaine has been certified organic since full conversion in 2009.
For his Fleurie Spaciale, Romain uses a long, cool carbonic maceration for 30 days at 15 degrees in a spherical fibreglass tank known as a 'Sputnik' (hence 'Spaciale') to produce an exceptionally pure, free-run juice that is then left to mature gently for 8 months in well-used 600 litre demi-muids.
January 2025
2021 Kristinus 'Oliver' Balaton-Badacsony, Hungary
This stunning aromatic wine is predominantly Hungarian varietal Irsai Oliver. Fermented spontaneously on skins and bottled unfiltered just as nature created it. Hints of lychee, stone fruit, key lime, white flowers and the creaminess of almond paste make this a lush and layered skin contact option for your dinner table.
Soil, Moon, Sun, and Stars
Kristinus is located on the southwestern shore of Central Europe’s largest natural lake. A unique mission in Central Europe, the farm integrates pastures, orchards, agricultural land, forests and animals to the vineyards. Winemaker Florian Zaruba runs the biodynamic wine farm, where a seasonal restaurant and small hotel are also part of the Kristinus property on the southwest shores of Lake Balaton, Hungary. Founded in 2012, the family-owned farm has been 100% biodynamic since 2018 and Demeter-certified since 2022.
Kristinus is passionate about promoting soil health and biodiversity in their environment. The application of permaculture, ecology-islands, insect hotels and indigenous cover crops all contribute to the harvest of high-quality, healthy grapes. By fermenting a high percentage of their wines on the skin in clay vessels, the grapes’ fruity natural character is delicately exposed. Autochtón varieties - led by Kékfrankos, Furmint and Olaszrizling - are a massive cornerstone of their farming ethos too.
2022 Bodegas Bhilar Vinchingo Trousseau ‘Peligroso’ Rioja, Spain
This wine is wild! Trousseau, typically native to Jura and the Rhone, is simply beautiful outside of its natural habitat on the Atlantic coast of Rioja, Spain. Hand harvested, whole cluster, native yeast and malolactic fermentation, and a month on fine lees. Strawberry and cherry notes with a little earth and coastal minerality, plus a touch of clean funk and aged in concrete to keep the fruit direct and unadulterated. Serve with a slight chill next to fish, spicy sausage, or goat cheese. Yum.
Bodegas Bhilar is a husband and wife team who farm biodynamically. David and Melanie embraced energy independence early on, utilizing solar and wind power to run their operation. Tractors were replaced with horses, and the winery is fully Demeter certified in conversion. Their land is composed of high-altitude, limestone soils, influenced by cool Atlantic winds. Inspired by Jura, they often use grape varietals native to this region of France, as is the case here!
2022 Buona Notte 'Rosa' Columbia Gorge, Oregon
Rosa is a textured rosé blend of Dolcetto, Sangiovese, and a hint of Muscato. 2020 proved to be a cooler year perfect for rosé. Some of the grapes were pressed immediately, some were pressed after four days on the skins, and the Sangiovese was sangneé from the winemaker’s Cento Per Cento then blended back together to find the perfect balance of acid and structure.
Buona Notte is a winery run by Graham Markel in the Columbia Gorge, between Oregon and Washington in the United States. Graham makes low-intervention, unfined and unfiltered wines using Italian varietals. Very much a family endeavor, Graham collaborates with his parents to create fascinating wines in the Willamette Valley.
Having learned how to cook at his mother’s Tuscan culinary school from some of the best chefs in Italy, he began a culinary career that swiftly transitioned to winemaking after college. For seven years he worked under Antica Terra’s Maggie Harrison and Hiyu Wine Farm’s Nate Ready. Living at the legendary Hiyu Wine Farm in Hood River opened his eyes to the many winemaking possibilities in the Gorge. Vast microclimates create different opportunities to explore fun, exciting varieties - Gewurztraminer from the bluffs on Underwood, Mencia from Mosier, and the Sangiovese from east of The Dalles resonate the most.
December 2024
Joyeuses Fêtes!
NV Chateau Cambon Pét Nat of Gamay, Beaujolais, FR
Kicking off our month of holiday treats, we have a beautiful sparkler from Chateau Cambon. Chateau Cambon is the populist second label of the famed estates of Marcel Lapierre and Joseph Chamonard. Two Beaujolais phenoms who, with chemist/négociant Jules Chauvet and a crew of committed vignerons known as the Gang of Five, resisted the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides that were prevalent in post-WWII France. They began to vinify their wines without the use of SO2 or selected yeasts and cultivated their wines according to biodynamic methods as early as 1981, restoring what they knew to be the traditional methods of the Beaujolais region. In short, they are the true OGs of the natural wine movement as we know it.
100% Gamay from a parcel planted in 1914 in a mix of clay/granite and calcareous-sand in St. Jean d’Ardieres (to the east of Brouilly next to Morgon). Extra Brut (2g/L). No sulphur is added at bottling. Notes of strawberry and raspberry, a whiff of fresh yogurt, and beautiful, lasting bubbles make this a wine you can enjoy any time of day.
2023 Raphaëlle Guyot ‘L’Idyelle’, Côtes d’Auxerre, FR
Passionate about vines and wine, Raphaëlle settled in her native region, Puisaye Forterre. Located on the borders of Burgundy, halfway between Sancerrois and Chablis. There are not many vines left in the region, so reviving lost vineyards and replanting the hillsides is the heart of her project. Raphaelle uses a combination of fruit from négociants and her own farm. She works the soils with her horse and tries to cultivate various grains next to the vines as part of her holistic approach to winemaking and farming.
The négociant fruit used in the L'Idylle cuvée was grown organically in the Auxerrois on a single parcel of clay and limestone. Hand-harvested grapes are whole-bunch macerated for 15 days, but the method is more "infusion" style than "extraction" style, involving minimal punchdowns and pumpovers. After being pressed, the grapes are matured in stainless steel for 7 months. With earthy undertones and brambly red fruit, the nose is a perfect example of a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. These characteristics continue on the palate, where you'll also encounter refined tannins and even more red fruit. No holiday is complete without a beautiful Burgundy.
2022 Domaine La Grange Saint André ‘La Colonel’ Languedoc, FR
La Grange Saint André is the domaine of ex-social worker Olivier Pichon who began making wines in 2016 from just one hectare of vines in Souvignargues, deep in the garrigue of the Languedoc. Pichon tends to plots of Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah and White Grenache, aged from 10 to 40 years, on sandstone slopes in an environment marked by hot summers balanced by cool nights
La Colonel is his fragrant, herbaceous and peachy Grenache Blanc made without added sulphur. The fruit is hand-picked from 13-year-old vines and direct pressed into stainless vats where it is fermented with ambient yeasts, leaving just a touch of residual sugar. Aging takes place for an additional seven months in stainless steel. There is no fining and minimal SO2 addition at bottling. It's crisp yet rounded on the palate with a distinct buttery richness and hints of star anise. If wine bottles are tracks on a mixtape, this is your perfect second track stunner.
November 2024
Perfect Wines for Autumn
2022 Eric Kamm ‘Yes We Kamm’ Orange, Alsace, FR
Eric Kamm, the punk rock winemaker from Alsace, has graced our bottle shop many times, but is finally making his debut in the wine club! Born and raised in Dambach-la-Ville, Alsace, he tends to the land that has been in his family for countless generations. His game-changing Alsatian natural wines come from his vineyard, which is composed of different parcels of volcanic granite. The seven hectares are farmed organically and production is small.
For 2022, ‘Yes We Kamm’ is a wild blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer. Three weeks on the skins has the color screaming Pinot Gris, but on the palate, the Gewürz dominates. It’s a baking spice bomb rounded out with cooked stone fruit notes and just enough acid. Fermented and aged in stainless for nine months. Bottled without fining, filtration or added SO2.
2022 Rose & Son Carbonic Syrah, Los Olivos, CA
Rose & Son is vineyard-driven line of wines from Jonathan Rosenson — who’s 94-acre, family vineyard, Coquelicot Organic Estate, provides the fruit for the project — and winemaker Mike Roth of nearby Lo-Fi Wines. The project is an homage to Jonathan’s family — hence the name — and their immigration journey to the US after WWII.
For 2022, this nouveau-style Syrah was hand harvested and underwent whole-cluster, carbonic fermentation over 14 days. The juice was then pressed into neutral French oak, where it aged for 10 months before being bottled without fining or filtration and minimal added SO2. Inky purple and fruity, this Syrah drinks like a nouveau, but with more grip. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving turkey wine.
2015 Forlorn Hope ‘Nacré’ Semillon, Napa Valley, CA
Matthew Rorick started Forlorn Hope in 2005 in the Sierra Foothills, having inherited from his grandfather a love of wine’s central place at the dinner table. In 2013, Rorick got funding to purchase what would become Rorick Heritage Vineyard in Calaveras County. He began the organic conversion right away and planted a variety of eclectic varietals to be featured in their estate wines.
This velvety-textured Semillon was hand-picked from Yount Mill Vineyard in Napa Valley, then spontaneously fermented in stainless steel. Rarely bottled on its own, Semillon is mostly viewed as a blending grape. But, this stunning example was vinified with aging mind. Rested in glass for 8 years before its release, the Nacré is capable of aging for decades longer. Nacré -- meaning mother-of-pearl -- is a testament to its affinity for pairing with oysters. Crisp, racy and focused.
October 2024
2022 Altre Vie Roero Arneis Anfora, Piemonte, IT
Gianluca Colombo and Federico Scarzello' approach to winemaking is to be as gentle as possible. He works only with biodynamically-farmed vines, and vinifies this Arneis in cement eggs to preserve every last drop of fruit character in the wine. As he puts it: “Only the vineyard, the vintage, and the grape should speak”
Grown on sandy soils in Roero, the biodynamic Arneis is sourced from a neighbor’s vineyard and aged in clay anfora, resulting in a delicate wine with aromas of white flowers and nuts. The palate shows a zippy kind of acidity with a mineral-driven structure that balances the touch of stone fruit and almondy finish.
2022 Two Shepherds ‘Centime,’ California
William Allen and partner Karen Daenen make up the team at Two Shepherds in Windsor, CA. Thet source fruit from small, family-owned vineyards and make focused wine following a few simple tenets: uncommon varieties, unfined & unfiltered, native yeast & neutral barrel, handpicked & organic.
For 2022, Centime is made up of certified-organic Vermentino, Albariño and Picpoul. The grapes are destemmed and fermented on the skins for 12 days, then aged in neutral oak barrels for 10 months. This is a non traditional orange wine, and at just 11.8% alc, is light and fresh, while still textural.
2022 Jumbo Time Wines ‘Final Credits,’ Mendocino, CA
Jumbo Time Wines is a Los Angeles & Sonoma based natural winery, started in 2020, working with organically-farmed fruit & practicing minimal intervention. We’ve watched the Jumbo Time lineup grow over the past few vintages, now showing more interesting cuvees than ever before. ‘Final Credits’ is a sign of just how much range in winemaking style they’ve achieved.
100% Riesling is grown at McFadden Farm in Potter Valley, macerated on the skins for a total of 55 days then aged for seven months in neutral oak barrels before bottling. The result is a Riesling racing with acidity, aromatic but not overly tropical. It smells like burnt sugar and wildflowers, with notes of green pears and bright citric acidity.
September 2024
2023 Hermann York Lopez Ranch White, Cucamonga Valley, CA
From the Antelope Valley of the California High Desert down to Ramona Valley, Herrmann York makes southern California wine from both young and ancient vineyards. Based in the San Bernardino Valley, the winery is run by three families who’s goal is to make wines that are essentially Southern Californian.
For 2023, the wine is 100% Palomino from the 100 year old, biodynamic-practicing Lopez Ranch Vineyard — foot stomped and pressed, then barrel fermented and aged for 11 months in old American and French oak. Fresh and zesty, subtly tropical with plenty of body.
2023 Queen of the Sierra ‘Estate Amber,’ Sierra Foothills, CA
The Queen of the Sierra wines by Forlorn Hope are now made with 100% estate-grown fruit from the eponymous Rorick Heritage Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills. They are organically farmed, hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented by native yeasts, unfiltered and unfined, with nothing added but minimal effective sulfur.
Composed primarily of hand-picked, organic Verdelho, Albariño, Muscat, and Chardonnay fermented with spontaneous yeast and aged in a combination of neutral oak and stainless steel. The 2023 Amber is aromatic and elegantly textured with stone fruit, white tea and grapefruit.
2022 Iruai ‘Blood + Flowers’ Syrah, Oregon
Formerly known as Methode Sauvage, Iruai was started in 2013 by Chad and Michelle Westbrook Hinds in Berkeley, CA as a nomadic natural wine project, before laying down roots in Michelle’s beautiful hometown of Etna, CA in the mythical Shasta-Cascade mountains of Siskiyou County in 2019.
Blood + Flowers is 100% Syrah from Steelhead Run — Iruai’s primary vineyard source in the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon. The fruit is whole-cluster fermented for seven days, followed by 20 days of occasional treading, and an additional 35 days of submerged cap extended maceration. A super juicy and savory Syrah. olive tapenade and iron.
August 2024
2021 Achillée Pépin Extra Brut Cremant, Alsace, FR
Yves Dietrich and his sons Pierre and Jean have created a truly unique microcosm. Yves is in charge of the vineyard, Jean is in charge of the cellar and Pierre is in charge of the commercial side. In 1991, Yves took over the family farm, which he converted to organic in 1999, then to biodynamic in 2003. The estate has 18 hectares and the wines are precise and direct, engaging and clear.
This 2021 cuvée is a certified-organic blend of 35% Auxerrois, 30% Pinot gris, 25% Pinot Blanc, 10% Chardonnay from Scherwillerm, Alsace, vinified in stainless steel. Fine, persistent bubbles with crisp acidity. Fresh citrus fruit and brioche notes on the finish. Perfect for every occasion, a first date, a celebration, a get-together with friends.
2022 Subject to Change ‘Chill Pill’, Redwood Valley, CA
Subject to Change was started in 2017 by Alex Pomerantz, inspired by his love of natural wine, the community that surrounds it, and the infinite opportunity and canvas that the California landscape provides. They work with fruit exclusively from organic or biodynamic growers with whom they have a symbiotic working relationship. Nothing is added and nothing is taken away.
Chill Pill is 100% Chenin Blanc from the 60-year-old, dry-farmed and head-trained vines at Deanda Vineyards in Redwood Valley, CA. The Chenin was direct-pressed, fermented in stainless for 20 days, then moved to neutral-oak barrels for 7 months. The wine was homogenized via a single racking before bottling with no fining, filtration, or addition of SO2.
2022 Jupiter Wine Co. ‘Flamingo in a Flock of Pigeons’, Mendocino, CA
Jupiter Wine Co. is the new Sonoma-based project from Michael Richardson and Thomas DeBiase. More than just a low-intervention winery, the project’s aim is to establish an economic engine that stands up to corporate wine and the economic apartheid those organizations have created. 100% of company profits go to affordable housing solutions for the communities most responsible for its creation.
This particular flamingo is 100% Negroamaro from Fox Hill Vineyard, lightly foot tread and cold- macerated for 72 hours. Primary and secondary fermentation were with wild yeasts and native bacteria. No fining, no filtration, and just 20ppm of sulfur at bottling. The refreshment of a salty white with the texture of a light red. This rosato drinks like a light aperitif
July 2024
2023 Queen of the Sierra ‘Amber’ Estate Blend, Calaveras Co., CA
Matthew Rorick has been the winemaker behind the Forlorn Hope wines since the inception of the label in 2005, and tends 75 acres of organically-farmed grapevines at Rorick Heritage Vineyard. In previous incarnations he has repaired submarine telescopes for the United States Navy, ridden skateboards for a living, and built electric guitars
The Amber blend for 2023 is composed primarily of Verdelho, Albariño, Muscat, and Chardonnay organically grown at Rorick Heritage Vineyard . All fruit was hand-picked; fermentation occurred in open top vessels with some fruit being de-stemmed and some left whole bunch. Nothing was adde with the exception of minimal effective SO2.
2023 Broc Cellars Estate Rosato, Mendocino, CA
Broc Cellars is a Berkeley-based winery that makes refreshing and approachable wines for everyday drinking, established in 2002 by owner and winemaker Chris Brockway. They use native yeast and bacteria for fermentation, organically-grown grapes, cover crops for soil health, and sheep for crop-cover management and fertilization.
This latest ’Estate” release is made up of 95% Montepulciano & 5% Sangiovese from Broc’s own certified organic Fox Hill Vineyard. The grapes are immediately foot stomped and pressed into a stainless tank to naturally ferment and age for six months — Italian lavender, raspberry, cherry candy. A year-round-appropriate rosato.
2020 Oenops "Xinomavraw”, Naoussa, GR
Founded in 2015 by celebrated Greek wine maker Nikos Karatzas, Oenops is the newest established winery in the region of Drama. Its main goal is to produce the highest quality wines in limited quantities. The grapes are sourced from personally selected vineyards from Drama and surrounding areas of Macedonia, cultivated by ambitious winegrowers.
The wild card of this month’s drop, Xinomavraw is hand-picked xinomavro fermented (partially whole-cluster) in amphora with nothing added, and no machinery used at any stage. Aged on the lees for 6 months and bottled unfiltered with no sulfites added. Blackberries and cherries on the nose, with a long, very savory finish.
June 2024
2022 Marigny Carbonic Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, OR
Andrew Reginald Young moved from New Orleans to Oregon over a decade ago to make fresh and fun wines in a low-intervention style. Under the winemaking name St. Reginald Parish, Andrew uses familiar Willamette Valley grape varieties in less familiar ways: this carbonic, skin-contact pinot gris, for example!
Organic, dry-farmed pinot gris sees one to two weeks of whole-cluster carbonic maceration before pressing into stainless steel (75%) and barrel (25%). Bottled without fining or filtration, and with a minimal amount of sulfur added, this is a great introductory orange wine for those looking to explore that territory. Like grown up tang with stone fruit and moderate tannin.
2023 Jolie-Laide Trousseau Gris, Sonoma, CA
Jolie-Laide is a one-man operation based in Sebastopol, helmed by Scott Schultz, who moved from Chicago to Napa in 2007 and worked in fine dining before moving into wine. Today, his operation produces about 2400 cases annually. The name Jolie-Laide translates loosely to “Pretty-Ugly”, a French term of endearment to describe something that is unconventionally beautiful. Scott’s unique and highly sought-after wines live up to their name.
100% Trousseau Gris from Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. The Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is dry-farmed and practicing organic, with the Trousseau Gris block dating to 1981. The fruit was foot crushed and left to macerate on skins for three days before being pressed to neutral puncheons and stainless steel for fermentation. The wine was matured in neutral puncheons before bottling.
2021 Côme Isambert x Fruktstereo ‘Lotto Fruits,’ Loire Valley, FR
Côme Isambert started his natural wine project in Saumur in 2013, with a philosophy to produce wines and cider that reflect the diversity and richness of the Loire Valley's terroirs
Fruktstereo is a collaboration between former somms Karl Sjöström & Mikael Nypelius. They work with fruit from home gardens and abandoned orchards, or the waste fruit from local farmers. Everything they make is fermented with natural yeast with zero additives.
This Lotto Fruit collabo is our first fruit wine release for the club — raspberries & strawberries macerated in pear juice for a couple of weeks before removing them and then fermenting in tank. Dry and refreshing, almost like a lambic beer, with tart fruit notes and tannin that gives structure.
May 2024
2021 Cluricaun ‘Skin’, Quinta do Montalto, PT
Winemaker Andre is a fifth-generation winemaker, and Quinta do Montalto, a 15-hectare vineyard made up mostly of clay and chalk soils, has been certified organic since 1997. He combines modern and ancient techniques, such as Portuguese Amphorae, to create unique and expressive wines.
For 2021, Skin is 20% Fernão Pires from Lisbon and 80% Siria from Beira Interior — all organic fruit. Skin contact lasts 30-60 days, 10% of which happens in Amphora. The palate is fresh and nutty with a hint of spice and flavors of tangerine, marmalade and pure citrus fruit. Structurally, it is juicy and linear, with a nice saline finish.
2022 Domaine Ledogar ‘Roug’é-Clair,’ Vin de France
Mathieu and Xavier Ledogar are fourth-generation winemakers that converted their family’s 19-hectares in the Languedoc to organic and biodynamic in the mid-90's. Instead of making grapes for a co-op like their forebears, they bottled under the family name and began to produce the most unadulterated wines the terroir could produce, with help from their 100+-year-old vines.
The 2022 Roug'e Clair is a 50/50 blend of biodynamic Mourvèdre & Carignan, co-fermented and co-macerated for less than a day before pressing and a short élevage in fiberglass. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, no additional SO2. Walking the line of dark rosé and light red, the wine drinks best with a slight chill — soft tannins, cranberry & pomegranate.
2021 Whitcraft ‘La Lie Fine’ Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara Co., CA
Drake Whitcraft took over the family winery in 2007 with the goal of making balanced Central Coast wine of purity, honesty, and finesse. Drake is vinifying with the same old-school techniques his dad used (hand-harvesting, foot-pressing, no added enzymes or coloration). The resulting wines are clean and impeccably balanced.
The ‘La Lie Fine’ line is a second-bottling run from Whitcraft — collecting the settled fine lees from the 2022 Vineyard Designate Pinots. Keeping the wines unfiltered means at bottling roughly 3 cases worth of wine is left in each barrel. This blend combines that wine from the best 2022 Pinot barrels and allows them to settle for 4 months before bottling.
April 2024
2023 Good Boy Wine 'Chardogay Pét-Nat', Los Alamos, CA
Not our first Good Boy release for the club by any means, but we couldn’t resist this newest collab. In case you missed it, Eric and Dave of Los Angeles-based Good Boy Wine produce natural wine, with a nod to French technique, using organic and biodynamic grapes, all sourced from within two hours of Downtown Los Angeles. They exclusively work with vineyards that practice ethical treatment of farm workers & sustainable farming methods.
Chardogay is a collab with the eponymous Los Angeles dance party taking place bimonthly at SIlverlake Lounge. It’s 100% Chardonnay from Rancho Alamos, direct-pressed and capped while still fermenting for natural bubbles. Zero So2 is added and it is bottles unfined and unfiltered. Tropical like a resort piña colada.
2022 Garalis ‘Terra Ambera’, Lemnos, GR
Manolis Geralis is a third-generation winemaker on the volcanic island of Lemnos, working naturally with the ancient Limnio grape and Muscat of Alexandria. He launched his first wines in 2007. Muscat of Alexandria has been the main grape on the island since the 1920s, when it was brought there by Lemnian immigrants from Egypt.
Garalis named this wine “Terra Ambera” not only because of its amber color, but also to reference the orange volcanic soil found throughout the island. He gives the wine about a week of skin contact, followed by four months of aging in stainless steel with lees contact. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration. Dry, perfumed, and tropical.
2022 Leo Steen Red Table Wine, Casa Verde, Redwood Valley, CA
Winemaker Leo Hansen, was born and raised in Denmark and found his way to the wine world via a his life in the restaurant industry. The son of a chef and hotelier, Leo got his European sommelier certification in 1997. In 1999, he moved to California to try his hand at winemaking, landing at the acclaimed Stuhlmuller Vineyards before founding Leo Steen Wines in 2004.
The Casa Verde release is a field blend of mostly organic Grenache and Carignan from 70-year-old, head-trained vines. This wine saw 100% carbonic maceration for 8 days before it was transferred to a combination of neutral French oak and stainless steel for 5 months. The wine was blended and bottled in March 2021 without fining or filtration and with minimum sulfur added.
March 2024
Women Winemakers Around the World
2022 Rocco Di Carpento ‘Dri’, Piedmont, IT
Lidia Carbonetti produces 8 wines — exclusively from grapes grown on her 5-hectare vineyard in Carpento — interpreting the indigenous grape varieties of the territory. Minimum intervention is practiced both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Lidia has a mathematics background, and in the cellar she supervises and controls with competence, allowing nature to take its course.
"Dri" is a fresh and mineral skin-contact wine, perfect for drinking throughout the meal. Fermentation is spontaneous, followed by a 3-day maceration on the skins. The color is an intense straw yellow and the scents are reminiscent of ripe summer fruit, white flowers and citrus peel. Flavor is full, fresh, balanced and slightly sapid.
2022 Tessier ‘Soul Love’, Central Coast, CA
Kristie Tacey, winemaker and founder of Tessier Winery, is a scientist turned winemaker. With a background in microbiology, Kristie is fascinated by the cycle of life; each vintage of Tessier wines captures and reflects one year in the lives of the vineyards she works with. She sources high-quality fruit from a strong network of farmers in the Anderson Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Arroyo Seco, and El Dorado foothills.
This chillable red is a sustainably farmed blend of four varieties including skin-contact Riesling, Mourtaou, Négrette and Merlot. Light red color with magenta hues and Aromas of guava, hawaiian flowers, marionberry and wet stone. The Fourth release of Soul Love is a tribute to David Bowie and the ideal picnic wine.
2022 Closeries des Moussis ‘Virevolte’, Vin de France
Château La Closerie des Moussis is a small domaine, established in 2009, run by two women, Pascale Choime, a trained oenologist and Laurence Alias, an agronomist who is passionate about sustainable development and ecology. The two women built the winery from scratch, investing their own money and growing their vineyard area from a minuscule 1.5 acres to a modest 5 acres.
Virevolte is a blend of Merlot with a bit of Malbec, grown organically and biodynamically, certified by Ecocert and Demeter. Grapes are manually harvested and fermentation is spontaneous with a short maceration and 6 months of aging in stainless steel vats. Bottled without fining, filtration or added sulphites.
February 2024
Two wines from Chad Hinds & a passion-fruity Gewürtz
2022 En Cavale ‘Who Goes There?’, California
En Cavale is a collaboration between Wolfgang Weber and Chad Hinds. They teamed up to make soulful, accessible expressions of old-school Californian wine with a nod to their favorite wines from France and Italy. Fruit is sourced from organic vineyards, and only native yeasts are used for fermentation. Sulfur additions are kept to a minimum (if any are made at all).
Who Goes There is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho, Albariño and Fiano, all fermented on their skins for about three to four weeks. The wine is salty and textural, hinting at tropical and citrus fruit both preserved and fresh, with a mild sense of chaos underneath it all.
2022 iruai ‘Giallo’ Nebbiolo, California
Located just south of the Oregon/California border at 3,000 ft elevation in Etna, CA, Iruai specializes in alpine varietals and fun, easy-drinking, natural wine. Chad and Michelle Westrbook Hinds explore avant garde vineyard planting and rehabilitation techniques to make wine with a sense of place — employing no additives and removing no character.
'Giallo' refers to the hyper stylized, pulpy horror films from Italy in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Made from Nebbiolo grown at 3,000 ft. and aged for 90 days on the skins, Giallo is a brooding and perfumed beast that attacks you with concentrated spice and texture. Ripe plum, rose petals, garrigue, dark chocolate, strawberry
2021 Weingut Malat ‘Raw’ Orange, Weinland, AT
The Malat Winery, located on the south bank of the Danube River in the Kremstal district of Austria, has been producing exceptional wines since 1722. Ninth generation winemaker, Michael has continued this tradition, taking over the fifty-hectare estate from his pioneering father Gerald in 2008.
Unsulphured, unfiltered, skin-contact Gewürztraminer grown in Kremstal. Skin-contact aromatic varieties can get out of control, but this one is well-tamed. Pickled ginger, lightly spritzy, sandy, sloshy orange water, a bit of ruby grapefruit, passionfruit and a slightly bitter finish like gently brewed tea. Uncomplicated and well-made.
January 2024
2022 Old World Winery ‘L’Aureate,’ Sonoma County, CA
Proprietor Darek Trowbridge tends to the 120-year-old vineyards of family-owned and operated Old World Winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley. His passion is inviting nature into his winemaking; his processes are simple and eliminate the need for any manufactured chemicals. This ethos involves effort and shepherding, but not manipulation.
For 2022, L’Aureate is 100% organic chardonnay from Nagomi Vineyard in the Russian River Valley that sees whole-cluster fermentation and 5 days on the skins. Aging takes place for 9 months in neutral oak. No fining or filtration, minimal sulfur added at bottling.
2022 AmByth & Sons Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez, CA
AmByth & Sons is the negociánt-fruit project from AmByth Estates, the only biodynamic winery in Paso Robles. Founded by Philip Hart in the early 2000s, the Ambyth property totals 42 acres, with 16 acres of vines and 4 acres of olive and fruit trees for biodiversity. Phillip chose to work with Rhône varieties, which he felt were most suited for the terrain.
This unique Sauvignon Blanc from Coquelicot vineyard was gently pressed by foot and fermented with skin contact in Italian terracotta amphorae and stainless steel for 9 months. Pressed off the skins and allowed to settle for 1 month before bottling during descending moons. Nothing added, so nothing is taken away.
2014 Domaine Bio Coste ‘Biau,’ Loire Valley, FR
Mathieu Coste left Burgundy in 2008 to create his own domaine in the extreme eastern part of the Loire. With organic farming and minimal intervention winemaking, his 5.5 hectares are planted with Pinot Noir and Gamay, with a bit Sauvignon Blanc. He makes red wines with structure and backbone that are aged for a long time until they are mature. Wines that make you think of history.
Biau is old French for beautiful, which this 2014 vintage truly is. A light, complex wine with aromas of black fruits and cherry, beautiful structure, well-integrated tannins and plenty of acidity. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and full clusters and aged for 48 months in French oak before waiting in glass to be released in 2023.
December 2023
Bubbles 3-Ways for the Holidays
2021 Hammering Wines ‘Tilted Mile,’ California
Josh Hammerling, started working in cellars, vineyards and tasting rooms in Washington State in 2014. Many low-intervention experiments in friends’ garages led to a fascination with classic and experimental expressions of sparkling wine. Hammerling Wines was founded in Berkeley, CA in 2018. The goal of the project is to explore cool-climate California vineyards through the lens of low-intervention sparkling wine.
For 2021, Tilted Mile is comprised of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from just about every site the vitner works with. It embodies the far flung vineyards, often situated above mile on tilted mile of mountain roads.
NV Brigo ‘Balotta’ Lambrusco dell'Emilia IGT, IT
Greogorio Brigo is a young man from the countryside north of Modena. Growing up on the farm he learned hard work early in his life helping his grandfather and father in their daily routine. In 2021 he decided to follow his dream: produce his very own Lambrusco. He stopped selling his grapes to the massive co-op wineries and committed himself to creating his own small production wines.
Balotta, meaning “chatting with friends,” is 100% Lambrusco Grasparossa, hand harvested and fermented spontaneously — secondary fermentation takes place via Charmat method. Aged in bottle for 4 months., this Lambrusco is a crowd-pleasing, quaffable sparkler with lots of fruit and nice acidity.
NV Art & Science ‘Pollinia’ Pet-Nat Co-Ferment, Sheridan. OR
Art + Science is a natural cider, perry, and wine producer based out of rural Yamhill County, Oregon in the western part of the Willamette Valley. They use all foraged, organic, or biodynamically-grown fruit, and ferment with indigenous yeast. The project, founded in 2011, is a family business run by Dan Rink and Kim Hamblin.
‘Pollinia’ is the first co-ferment we’ve featured in the club — A low-abv (8.7%) sparkling wine comprised of 60% dessert pears and 40% Melon de Bourgogne grapes, fermented with native yeast with no filtration unfiltered and no added sulfur.
November 2023
The Italian Drop
NV Cirelli ‘Wines of Anarchy’ Bianco Frizzante, Abruzzo, IT
Francesco Cirelli’s organically-farmed estate includes not only vineyards but olive trees, garlic, spelt, wheat, barley, figs, and geese – a complete ecosystem. In the cellar, he’s experimenting with amphora, adds nothing but tiny SO2 at bottling, and lets his wines evolve as they wish.
This pet-nat style, 100% Trebbiano is hand-harvested and undergoes spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts — bottled unfined and unfiltered. A fun and fizzy Bianco that is bone dry, with lively bubbles and loads of minerality. Crisp apple and a touch of almond on the finish.
2021 Azienda Agricola COS 'Pithos' Bianco, Sicily, IT
Giusto Occhipinti of COS is one of the most important, influential, producers in all of Sicily, if not Italy as a whole. The winery was founded in 1980 by three friends, Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti, and Cirino Strano. The initials of their last names form the winery’s name.
100% organically farmed Grecanico, crushed and fermented with native yeast on its skins in terracotta amphorae for 15 days, and aged in in amphorae for 7 months before bottling unfiltered. A concentrated and layered orange wine that remains lithe and approachable with notes of apricot, pear and yellow apple.
2020 Azienda Agricola Calalta ‘Onbria’, Veneto, IT
Calalta is a certified organic vineyard run by husband and wife team Nicola and Giulia Brunetti in the Mussolente region at the foot of Monte Grappa. The winery focuses on non-traditional varietals for the region — riesling, bronner, merlot, cabernet franc, syrah, tai rosso — and aims to let the grapes express the terroir of the region.
Onbrìa by Calalta is 100% organic Cabernet Franc from vines located atop of the hills of Mussolente, fermented with ambient yeasts, aged in stainless for 9 months, and bottled without filtration. Don't expect the typical herbaceous, pyrazine flavor of Cab Franc. This a crisp fruit-focused wine, best with a slight chill.
October 2023
Chilled Red SZN
2022 Jumbo Time Wines ‘Pinot Party’, Sonoma, CA
Jumbo Time Wines is a Los Angeles based natural wine project, started by Omar Koukaz & Jonathan Yadegar in 2020, working with organically grown (dry farmed & biodynamic when possible) fruit & practice zero intervention in the cellar. They proudly work alongside farmers to make wines that are the result of curiosity and excitement surrounding what the glorious state of California has to offer.
This wine is aptly named Pinot Party because it features all the colors of the Pinot rainbow: 40% Blanc, 22% Gris and 38% Noir. Each grape macerated separately for about two weeks, then aged for about six months before blending. Rosy with hints of hibiscus tea and a tart strawberry smoothie. Pull it from the fridge and let it warm up on your table.
2022 Fond Cyprès ‘Premier Jus’, Languedoc-Roussillon, FR
Fond Cyprès is located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. Laetitia Ourliac & Rodolphe Gianesini adopt sustainable farming in the fields — the estate is certified organic — and low-intervention practices in the cellar. Fond Cyprès is one of the most exciting producers in the region.
For Premier Jus, organic Carignan and Grenache grapes grown on calcareous soil and blue marl. The Carignan sees two days of whole-cluster fermentation, before it is submerged in fermenting Grenache juice and pressed immediately. The wine is aged 6 months in barrique, and then bottled with no additional sulfites.
2022 La Boutanche x Bros Cellars, Sonoma, CA
La Boutanche is a world-wide project of several nations participating in a program to make natural wines everyone can afford. This version comes straight out of Sonoma, California via Broc Cellars. Chris Brockway’s facility comprises two warehouses: one with stainless, concrete, and wooden tanks, the other a dedicated barrel and concrete egg room. All fermentations are done with native yeasts, and for the most part he forgoes the use of sulfur.
Chris Brockway used a blend of whole-cluster Zinfandel plus Grenache, Sangiovese, and Valdiguié, all farmed organically and produced without sulfur. Light-to-medium-bodied, dry. Crunchy berry, sage, and earth with balance. Delicious with a chill if you like.
September 2023
Orange Near and Far
2022 Angeleno Wine Co. Alonso Family Vineyard Albariño, Sierra Pelona Valley, CA
Jasper Dickson and Amy Luftig work with small, family-owned, Los Angeles County vineyards where organic and sustainable viticulture is practiced, to preserve the storied winemaking history of Southern California. The Alonso Family Vineyard in Agua Dulce is planted to unique Spanish grape varietals brought here by Juan Alonso from his native Galicia, Spain.
This Albariño proudly nods to local vigneron Juan Alonso’s home region of Galicia, Spain. 24 hours of skin contact gives this wine its beautiful, hazy, golden hue and silky texture. With notes of pineapple, peach, and fresh flower buds, this Albariño is an ideal white wine for the cool afternoons of springtime in L.A.
2022 REDACTED California
Issamu Kamide and Andrew Lardy, two high school friends from Virginia seeking new directions in fermentation, work with farmers and vineyards from all over California to make wines that everyone can wavelength with. Every bottle begins as a concept - a look, a feel, an occasion, a vibe - that range from low-intervention to high-innovation production methods in the cellar.
REDACTED is hyper-aromatic blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Canelli. The riesling was direct pressed into stainless, while the other varieties were fermented on the skins for two weeks in open-top neutral oak. Bright and citrusy with layers of lemon meringue, pineapple, guava, and elderflower. Zero-zero.
2020 Lapati Wines ‘Chakalix’ Rkatsiteli, Kacheti, GE
Vincent and Guillaume are two French men who met in Georgia at an art center in 2011. Guillaume was an artist in residence, and Vincent was already there experimenting with ancestral-method sparkling wine. The two connected and now make wines under their label 'Lapati' in Sagarejo, northern Kakheti.
Vincent lives full time near their vines in an old Soviet villa where the wines are vinified using traditional Georgian qvevri. The wines are of true Georgian spirit, and lightly touched by their French roots. The 'Chakalix' is their most traditionally Georgian wine, Rkatsiteli on the skins for 6 months in qvevri. Organic, zero/zero, complex, and wild.
August 2023
Pool Party Pounders
2022 Buddy Buddy ‘Butterfly Kisses’, Clarksburg, CA
Buddy/Buddy winemaker, Cassidy Miller is learning and exploring fermentation alongside the attitude of never taking herself too seriously. Her minimal intervention methods include spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeast, no fining/filtering, and little to no sulfur additions.
100% Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg, CA was gently foot tread prior to pressing then allowed to settle in tank before racking to neutral french oak to ferment in barrel. Notes of pear, green apple, brioche with a kiss of salty/savory. Spontaneously fermented, unfined, & unfiltered.
2022 De Levende ‘Cortez,’ Mendocino Co., CA
De Levende is a collaboration between Los Angeles-based natural wine importer Soil Expedition and various winemakers in California to create some of the best Orange and Natural wines available. The wines are produced and bottled with no additions at SC Cellars in Forestville, CA with organic fruit from Redwood Valley, Mendocino & Sonoma.
This refreshing 2022 Cortez blend of 40% Muscat, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Chardonnay combines boisterous honey and tropical aromas and flavors with a mouthfeel that's vibrant and structured.
2022 Andreas Ziniel ‘Zini’ Rosato Liter, Burgenland, AT
The Ziniels cultivate their vineyards at the lowest point in Austria. With careful manual work and traditional pressing, they refrain from interfering with the flora and fauna of the vineyards. The Ziniel family focuses on emphasizing the individual character of the wines and placing the grape variety and origin in the foreground.
For 2022, Zini is an all-organic co-ferment of regional varietals: Gelber Muskateller, Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling, & Zweigelt. Fermentation is spontaneous and the bright rosato wine is bottled in traditional-to-the-region liter bottles with no fining or filtration and minimal SO2 addition.
July 2023
The Rosato Days of Summer
2021 Selvanova Sparkling Rosato, Terre del Volturno, IT
Selvanova was founded in 1997 by Dr. Antonio Buono. The property, located in the central part of Campania, was once a Buffalo farm. The entire property is over 100 acres with about 25 planted to grapes. In addition to winemaking, they press their own olive oil, make their own cheese from animals they raise, and grow a variety of different fruits and vegetables.
100% organic Pallagrello Negro is destemmed before a short maceration period of a few hours leading to the wines beautiful dark pink hue. The fermentation is done without the use of commercial yeasts in stainless steel tanks and aged for 4 months, before being bottled with the original must added, so the secondary fermentation can take place in the bottle.
2021 Domaine Santamaria ‘Le Dilemme d'Achillé’ Patrimonio Rosé, Corsica, FR
Thomas Santamaria is the 6th generation to take over the 30-acre family estate on the island of Corsica. Previous generations had farmed in the traditional ways, and never gave into outside pressure in regards to using herbicides and pesticides, and Thomas has begun to take that a step further. He maintains strict organic farming principles, vinification is done with native yeast fermentations in stainless steel., and All wines are unfined and unfiltered with a small addition of sulfur at bottling.
Le Dilemme d'Achillé is 100% Niellucciu from 35-year old vines grown in clay-limestone soil. This saignée rosé sees 8 hours of maceration before it is bled off. It is then aged in stainless steel vats for eight months.
2022 Lo-Fi Wines Gamay/Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara Co., CA
The duo behind Lo-Fi, Mike Roth and Craig Winchester, make wines without frills or fillers. Wines that are simple, hand-crafted, and an honest expression of what a grape can offer. Lo-Fi is marked by easy drinking, low alcohol, neutral barrel—if any—oak, native yeasts, little or no sulfur, or other interventions that hide the fruit.
One of our all-time favorite Santa Barbara blends — the Gamay/Pinot Noir from Lo-Fi is a 50/50 blend of organic grapes, hand harvested and fermented via carbonic maceration for nearly two weeks with daily pump-overs. The grapes are then pressed and allowed to complete fermentation with only native yeasts and bacteria for both primary and secondary fermentation. The wine is unfined and unfiltered with a total of 30 ppm so2 added at bottling.
June 2023
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2022 Good Boy x Teatime Pictures ‘Good Time’ Orange, Los Olives, CA
Eric and Dave of Los Angeles-based Good Boy Wine produce natural wine, with a nod to French technique, using organic and biodynamic grapes, all sourced from within two hours of Downtown Los Angeles. They exclusively work with vineyards that practice ethical treatment of farm workers & sustainable farming methods.
Organically-farmed Grenache Blanc from Zaca Mesa vineyard is foot crushed, spends 4 hours on skins, then is basket pressed to tank. 13 months on gross lees in bottle, then crown-capped. Moved solely with gravity, hand bottled, no fining or filtering, and no added SO2. A portion of proceeds will be contributed to the Center for Reproductive Rights courtesy of Dakota Johnson and TeaTime Pictures.
2021 Il Farneto ‘Giandon Bianco’, Emilia Romagna, IT
During the ‘90s Marco Bertoni founded Il Farneto, a naturally cultivated vineyard intended to contribute to sustainable agriculture initiatives — producing grapes while respecting the environment. Their 34 hectares of land, 8 of which are planted with vines, are located between the hills of Scandiano and Canossa in the Emilia Romagna.
Giandon Bianco is 100% Biodynamic Malvasia di Candia from the Emilia-Romagna heartland. Highly aromatic and bursting with notes of nashi pears, peaches, zesty marmalade and lavender. Fresh and generously textured on the palate after a week of skin-maceration with wet stone minerals, tea-like tannins and fine acidity. Aged in part acacia barrel and concrete tanks (under flor) and bottled unfined, unfiltered and minimal additions of sulphur.
2022 Subject To Change 'FKA!' Field Blend, Mendocino, CA
Founded by Alex Pomerantz in 2017. Subject to Change makes wines with a strong character that are unique, fresh, and sometimes offbeat. The winery sources grapes exclusively from organic vineyards and makes the wines with no additions or subtractions in the cellar.
The 2022 FKA blend is 55% Merlot, 25% Chardonnay, 20% Pinotage from Open Hand Ranch. The Chardonnay and Pinotage were picked at the same time. Half went into a stainless tank as uncrushed whole clusters, while the rest of the grapes got direct pressed into that same tank The Merlot, which was picked a few weeks later, was destemmed and fermented in a stainless tank for 9 days, before being blended into the other wine. As always, no fining, filtration, or addition of SO2.
May 2023
French and French-ish
2021 Les Equilibristes Picpoul, Languedoc, FR
Les Equilibristes (“The Tightrope Walkers”) have a simple set of rules they follow in winemaking: use indigenous grape varieties, organic winemaking practices, indigenous yeasts, and minimal sulphur. They make wines from purchased grapes, always organic, from different regions of France, the goal of each wine to convey the unique terroir and local varietals of its place.
100% biodynamic Picopoul de Pinet is cold fermented in stainless steel for 6 weeks and aged in old oak barrels before being bottled with no fining or filtration. Uncharacteristically waxy and round compared to the lean wines of the region, this Picpoul drinks more like a Chenin with a pleasantly bitter finish and saline quality.
2021 Frenchtown Farms ‘Cecelia’, North Yuba, CA
A vineyard with a literal cult following, Frenchtown Farms’ steep terraces were carved into this remote mountain half a century ago by members of a doomsday cult, The Fellowship of Friends. Since 2015 however, wine growing outsiders Aaron and Cara Mockrish have called it home. With the Fellowship in decline, Aaron and Cara took an opportunity to ascend its steep granite peaks and revitalize the abandoned vines that once produced some of California’s most iconic wines.
A crisp, mineral driven pink wine made from co-fermented direct press red varietals and skin-contact whites grown by us here in North Yuba. Don’t think of it as a rosé, but rather a wine that is slightly pink, made for food and built for aging, but approachable in its youth if you like structure and acid.
2020 Karim Vionnet ‘Du Beur dans les Pinards’, Beaujolais, FR
Karim Vionnet is a rising star of Beaujolais. Karim was a baker before he decided to follow his passion and become a winemaker. He worked under Guy Breton for 5 years before establishing his own domain in 2006 in Villie-Morgon. From his 5-hectare domain, Karim’s aim is to “make a wine that is simple and natural”. Unnecessary intervention and artifices, both in the vineyard and during fermentation, are avoided.
The fruit for Du Beur dans les Pinards come from a single parcel which belonged to the late Jules Chauvet. 100% biodynamic gamay sees full carbonic maceration and spontaneous fermentation. Pure Gamay fruit character, juicy red berry on the nose, the palate is fresh, with crunchy, silky red fruit and a lengthy, invigorating finish.
April 2023
West Coast Cool Kids
2022 Mr. Brightside 'Happy Thoughts' Pet-Nat Gamay Noir, Arroyo Seco, CA
Tim Fulnecky's first foray into the wine industry was as a cellar hand in 2015. It quickly became apparent that he'd stumbled into a lifelong career. In 2016, at the urging of his mentor, he started producing his own wines. Focusing only on the grape Gamay Noir, he strives to make world-class wines from grapes sourced exclusively from California's Central Coast.
Hand-picked, organic Gamay Noir from Arroyo Seco, CA is open fermented in stainless steel, hand-racked, bottled unfined with no added SO2, and aged in bottle for 4 years before it is released, un-disgorged. Fresh, easy-drinking pet-nat with zippy acidity and stone fruit.
2021 Swick Wines 'City Nights' Rosé, Columbia Valley, WA
A native of Oregon, Joe Swick returned to his home state in 2013 after a decade of working harvests and making wine across the globe. Joe’s ethos is rooted in showcasing the unique, cold-climate terroirs of the Pacific Northwest using a hands-off approach. Swick partners exclusively with organic and biodynamic growers to develop wines that he himself would like to drink.
Inspired by blends from the Rhone Valley, this Rosé is 44% Mourvedre, 36% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, direct pressed, whole-cluster fermented, and aged separately in a mix of 228 liter and 500 liter used French oak barrels. Soft tannins with notes of citrus and minerals.
2022 Jolie Laide 'Glou D’Etat' Red, California
Founded by Scott Schultz in 2010, Jolie-Laide is distinct in its focus on unusual varietals including Trousseau Gris, Trousseau Noir, Valdiguie and Cabernet Pfeffer. The name "Jolie-Laide" itself which loosely translates to "Pretty-Ugly" in French, refers to the beauty of the unconventional.
Glou D’Etat playful is an easy-drinking, more approachable red, versus most core Jolie Laide offerings — 38% Valdigue, 33% Mourvedre, 17% Grenache, and the remaining 12% made up of a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. The nose reads of bright red fruit, garrigue, cedar and pepper. The palate is light and bright with crunchy red berries.
March 2023
The Eastern European Dispatch
2020 Piquentum Malvazija, Istria, Croatia
Dimitri Brečević studied oenology in France and then worked at Domaine de Chevalier in addition to working harvests in Australia, New Zealand, Bordeaux, and Burgundy. In 2004 he decided to invest himself in his father’s homeland of Istria, near the town of Buzet. With 4.5 ha of vineyards, Dimitri’s goal is to keep competition high, work the land by hand, and get roots digging deeper and deeper into the rich, red and flysch, white soils that define Istrian terroir.
100% hand-picked Malvazija Istarska is left to macerate on the skins for 3-4 days in open vats before a spontaneous fermentation in both barrel and stainless tank. After a long and slow fermentation, the wines are bottled unfiltered with just enough sulfur to ensure a safe journey across the Atlantic.
2017 Apátsági Pince Furmint, Somló, Hungary
This wine from Apátsági is our first off-dry wine featured in the club and a truly elegant example of botrytis a.k.a. noble rot. Somló is Hungary’s smallest appellation and is the result of the erosion of ancient lava flows. The oldest writings mentioning the wine of Somló date back to 1093 and viticulture all the way back to the age of the Romans.
100% organic late-harvest Furmint is dry farmed without herbicides or pesticides, hand picked, then spontaneously fermented in 600-2000 liter oak barrels. As with most botrytized wines, some residual sugar is present — if not for the incredibly high natural acidity, these wines would be overly sweet and flabby. The wines are then aged in the same vessels for at least a year and then bottled unfiltered -- tons of honeyed stone fruit, mint and thyme with a touch of salinity.
NV Slobodne ‘Majer’ Red, Trnava, Slovakia
Slobodne (‘the free winery’) is a young and dynamic, family-run winery focusing on natural expressions of their local grapes and their very own terroir. The family has spent the last 25+ years rebuilding the ecosystem of the farm and eventually launched Slobodne in 2010, placing them at the forefront of the natural wine movement in Slovakia.
Biodynamically-farmed Blaüfrankisch, Cabernet Sauvignon & Alibernet are hand-picked and spontaneously fermented in neutral oak. The wine is bottled with no fining or filtration, and a touch of SO2 for stability. The wine is an easy-going, medium-to-full bodied wine, with tons of red fruit, that's perfect for this transitional period between winter and spring.
February 2023
Two red/white co-ferments and a crushable Austrian orange
2021 Good Boy x Drug Dealer ‘Neo Noir’, Santa Barbara County, CA
Eric and Dave of Los Angeles-based Good Boy Wine produce natural wine, with a nod to French technique, using organic and biodynamic grapes, all sourced from within two hours of Downtown Los Angeles. They exclusively work with vineyards that practice ethical treatment of farm workers & sustainable farming methods.
The 2021 ‘Neo Noir’ is collaboration with musicians and friends of the winery, Drugdealer. This mineral-driven co-ferment of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is destemmed, fermented in 1.5-ton tanks, then basket pressed at dryness. It was then aged in neutral French oak barrels for 13 months with minimal racking, as Good Boy puts it, “so as to not fuck with the process”.
2020 Vinas Mora ‘Barbba’, Croatia
Following the success of his first winery, Podrum Franjo, Kreso Petrekovic (former somm, wine professional, and importer in New York) brings his second passion project to life —Vinas Mora. This co-op winery focuses on producing natural wines from Primošten, a historic and UNESCO-protected area in coastal Croatia, near the city of Split.
The Barbba cuvée is a unique co-ferment of three local red grapes (Babić, Lasina, Plavina) and one white grape (Maraština). A portion of the grapes were given a quick 6 hour maceration, and the rest were macerated for 3 days. Fermented and aged in old oak. Unfined, unfiltered with just a touch of sulfur at bottling. Bursting with juicy cherries, with hints of chocolate and earthiness.
2021 Michael Gindl ‘Michi’s Farm’ Orange, Weinviertel, AU
Michi's Farm is a new project by Michael Gindl, focused on extending his output to vineyards other than his own — utilizing both negociant fruit and fruit from vineyards that he manages on other peoples’ property. Michi's Farm wines will always be blends of the organic and biodynamic grapes that he gets his hands on.
Mostly Gruner Veltliner with Riesling and Sylvaner blended in, the 2021 Michi's Farm Orange sees a few weeks on the skins before it is bottled, un-fined and unfiltered with no SO2. The almost-too-drinkable wine is floral, with hints of apricot and crisp acidity.
January 2023
Low-intervention + lower-alcohol European wines
2021 Hervé Villemade Cheverny Rouge, Cheverny, FR
Hervé Villemade has been working his family's vines in Cellettes since taking over from his father in 1995. Converted to organic farming in 2000, the estate now covers about 22 hectares within the Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny AOCs.
This wine is a 60/40 blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, grown on sandy clay and flint soils over, fermented as whole clusters for 15 days, and aged in old barrels. An old-fashioned light-bodied red at just 11.5% alcohol, The Cheverny Rouge leads with aromas of cherry, ripe raspberry, violet, and rose. Juicy and thirst-quenching when served slightly chilled, with just enough old-world earthiness to balance it out.
2021 Cantina Indigeno 'Mosca', Abruzzo, IT
Cantina Indigeno is small project from a group of three friends in Italy’s Abruzzo region, focused on making fresh, low-alcohol, highly drinkable natural wines from local grape varieties.
Organic Moscato de-stemmed, macerated with the skins for 2 weeks. Aged in fiberglass for 6 months. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, with no SO2. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, no temperature control, filtration, zero sulfur or other additions. Aromatic and dry skin-contact Moscato. Ripe peach, nectarines, wild flower, strawberry honey and minerals.
2021 Chateau Barouillet 'Splash' Pet-Nat, Bergerac, FR
Located 50 km east from Saint-Émilion, the Barouillet family has been growing grapes for at least 8 generations. Vincent Alexis, who joined his father in 2010, converted the vineyards to organic and is about to obtain a biodynamic certification.
This Pét-Nat is made from 50-year-old Sémillon vines grown in clay and limestone soils. The grapes are destemmed and direct pressed into stainless steel tanks where they ferment cold for about 1 month before being bottled with zero sulfur added. The wine is low in alcohol -- at just 9% -- fragrant and lively with notes of citrus, apple and a touch of cut grass.
December 2022
Skin-contact wines from lesser known regions and varietals
2015 Fekete Béla Hárslevelű,
Somló, HU
Somló is Hungary’s smallest appellation and once an underwater volcano. Now dormant, its slopes of ancient sea sediment, hardened lava, and basalt are home to some of Hungary’s steepest, most densely planted vineyards. 32 years ago, while Fekete Béla was on a trip to buy grapes for his garage production, a farmer offered to sell his vineyards on the southern slopes. Fekete accepted and, approaching 90 years old, still tends his 4 hectares of beloved Fehérvári-cru. Everything is done by hand, and much like the man, his wines are honest, engaging and highly expressive of the region
100% Hárslevlü, a local grape grown in volcanic soils of the Somló region. Smoky, saline, and mineral-driven with the iconic structure of white wines from this region.
2021 Domaine du Haut Planty 'One Musk a Night', Vin de France
In the 1960’s, Michel Couillaud gradually converted his father’s Loire Valley polyculture farm into a vineyard. At the turn of the century, Alain and Christian, took over the operations with Alain Couillaud as the winemaker. The new generation brought with them the spirit of the novitiate by joining the respect for traditions with forward thinking. The new era of Le Haut-Planty was marked by the conversion to organic viticulture and an embrace of the natural winemaking philosophy
'One Musk a Night' is 100% organic, whole-cluster Melon de Bourgogne, macerated on the skins for one week, before being pressed into concrete tanks for a 6-month spontaneous fermentation. Hazy orange in color with notes of hay, stone fruit, white flowers.
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2021 Open Face Wines 'Duh Würzt' Gewurtztraminer, Wilammette Valley, OR
After graduating with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, winemaker Michael Croom moved back to his home state of California and danced between kitchens and wine cellars until he decided to commit to his love for wine and relocate to Oregon. In his first years as a winemaker, Michael is focusing on sourcing grapes from organic, sustainable vineyards, and working to add and remove as little as possible during its life in the cellar, in an effort to create as honest of product as possible.
'Duh Würzt' is 100% organic, dry-farmed Gerwurztraminer from 60-year-old vines, macerated for 21 days and aged in used oak barrels. Rich, yet less cloying and spiced that traditional Gewurztraminer.
November 2022
Our first all-Italian lineup! Three very different styles, representing three unique regions.
2021 Azienda Agricola COS 'Rami' Bianco, Sicily, IT
Founded in 1980, by Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti, and Cirino Strano, COS is considered one of the benchmark producers of the Vittoria appellation in Sicily. Farmed organically and biodynamically since the 1980s, these vines in the deep south of Sicily thrive in the hot, dry climate. Using a combination of clay amphora, concrete, and old, large botti, COS produces a fascinating collection of fresh, complex reds and skin-contact amber wines.
The Rami is an elegant skin contact wine made from 50% Grecanico and 50% Inzolia, spontaneously- fermented on the skins in concrete tanks for seven to ten days, before being aged in concrete vats for eight months, followed by three months in the bottle before release. Rami leads with grapefruit peel and stone fruit, followed by dried Mediterranean herbs and a long, honeyed finish.
2021 Carolina Gatti ‘Pinpinea’ Rose Frizzante, Veneto, IT
Carolina Gatti is a radical young winemaker who took over her family's 250-year-old estate in the Prosecco region of the Veneto. Her outfit is a rustic farm, where she works the land herself, with no chemical inputs, and makes the wines with very little intervention. She’s pushing boundaries and making gutsy, unorthodox wines in a very conventional, by-the-books region.
The organically-farmed local varietal, Raboso Veronese, is de-stemmed within 2 hours of picking and fermented on the skins for at least 15 days with frequent manual stirring in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control. The wine is lightly pressed, then bottled unfined and unfiltered with 20ppm added SO2. The resulting rosato drinks more like a lighter red with moderate tannins, and bright cherry fruit that gives way to sweet strawberry finish.
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2021 Cantina Giardino 'Re' Vino Rosso, Campania, IT
Antonio and Daniela De Gruttola seek out old vineyards in Irpinia, high in the hills of Campania. They champion and preserve the region’s native varietals, old vines, and the age-old way of tending them. The vines are planted over the region’s vibrant volcanic soils. Vineyard work is done by hand, organically. In the cantina, Antonio takes a no-nonsense approach, with the intention of letting terroir express itself in full. The grapes ferment naturally without temperature control and fermentation can go on for months.
Part of the ‘Na-Tu-Re’ series, the Re is 100% Aglianico from old vines in Montemarano, de-stemmed and fermented on the skins for ten days, before resting for nine months in chestnut barrels. Notes of black fruit, olive, and herbs with a dark, savory complexity.
October 2022
Two very different takes on white blends, and a stunning Sicilian Pet-Nat
2020 Domaine Rietsch 'Tout Blanc' LITER, Alsace, FR
Jean Pierre Rietsch tends to his family's 12-hectare biodynamic-practicing vineyard in Mittelbergheim, Alsace, which first saw vines planted in the 1970s.
His 'Tout Blanc' is a sharp and light, fully dry white blend with some aromatic qualities. 50% Riesling and 50% Auxerrois, fermented with indigenous yeasts -- unfined and lightly filtered. Easy-drinking with notes of lychee, green apple, and honey.
2021 Broc Cellars 'Got Grapes' White, California
Got Grapes is a series release by Broc Cellars, beginning in 2017, to capture a blended wine made accidentally from a busy harvest that (unintentionally) turned out to be something very special. Since then, the Got Grapes label has gone on to release many different vintages of both blended and single variety wines - all that have stood out from the rest in the cellar.
This year's release is a mix of white barrels, puncheons and concrete eggs -- Picpoul, Clairette, Viognier, Marsanne, Albariño, Grenache Blanc -- from all over CA, with no fining or filtration.
NV Ayunta Metodo Ancestral Rosé Frizzante, Sicily, IT
Metodo Ancestrale is the original way of making sparkling wine, during which the wine is bottled midway through the fermentation, trapping any carbonation that continues to be produced.
This refreshing beauty -- a blend of Nerello Mascalese & Nero d'Avola -- possesses a bright pink hue showing notes of bright and bitter fruit such as blood orange, pomegranate and grapefruit. Balanced with intriguing yeasty notes for roundness, it finishes crisp and fresh.
September 2022
2021 Meinklang Foam White, Burgenland, Austria
Biodynamically-farmed Grauburgunder (a.k.a. Pinot Gris) is hand harvested, macerated for 5 days on the skins, then fermented with ambient yeast in stainless steel. With no filtration and minimal SO2 addition, this pet-nat style sparkler leads with citrus peel and apple notes, backed up by a pleasant yeastiness and creamy mouthfeel.
2021 Two Shepherds Skin-Ferment Trousseau Gris, Fanucchi Vineyard, Russian River, CA
A unique wine from an obscure grey- skinned grape, originally from the Jura. The grapes are the only planting in CA -- from a 40 year old vineyard in the Russian River Valley -- fermented with native yeast on the skins for five days to extract color, flavor and texture, then aged in neutral barrels for 8 months. Lean vibrant, and packed with stone fruit notes.
2021 De Levende Cuvée Marty, Mendocino, CA
From a négociant project between Los Angeles-based natural wine importer The Soil Expedition, and Subject to Change Wine Co., this co-ferment of organically-farmed Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir (60% and 40%, respectively) makes for an absolutely crushable summertime red, with loads of crunchy red berry and substantial acidity. Unfined, unfiltered, with zero SO2 addition. Serve chilled.
August 2022
2021 La Boutanche Broc Cellars Red Blend
One of our favorite winemakers (Broc Cellars) teams up with one of our favorite importers (Selection Massale) to bring you a liter of true glou glou. A blend of spontaneously-fermented Zinfandel, Carignan, and Valdiguie with minimal SO2 addition, this bottling of La Boutanche is the perfect dinner party table wine.
2021 Bodega Ugabe 'Balea Unfiltered' Txakoli
One of the first bottled offerings of an unfiltered Txakolina -- the fizzy, refreshing table wine from Basque Country, Spain -- the Balea is a blend of 90% Hondaribbi Zuri and 10% Petit Corbu. Slightly effervescent and almost lemony, this one is a daytime patio pounder.
2019 Ciavolo Nero 'NCHIARITU Rosato
The "natty-est" wine in the August lineup, the 'nchiaritu is 100% Gaglioppo from 40 year old vines in Calabria, IT. Spontaneously fermented, aged in stainless for 9 months, and bottled with no clarification or filtration, this hazy gem is the perfect pairing for your antipasto or charcuterie & cheese board.