Deirdre Heekin works organically in Vermont (a rarity for wine grapes). She birthed this from the great Hurricane Irene vintage. A stunning orange wine, so fresh and juicy and almost... read more →
Serious and brooding. Of course the maker, Olivier Cousin—who embodies joie de vivre—is none of these things, which is kind of fun. Love this wine, it’s got so much earthiness,... read more →
An Italian couple, architects, moved to Cataluna from Piedmont and went about hunting old vines and working with the fruit. This field blend is my favorite of their offerings. Love... read more →
Old school alert on Sardinia. Raised in old chestnut casks under flor, this is more super-juicy sherry without the fortification. Intense salty deliciousness, fierce and I can think of all... read more →
A crazy blend of red and white grapes with floral, bacon and tannin, savory and sandy from one of my favorite producers in Emilia-Romagna.
Want an example of a completely off-the-charts volatile wine that is completely compelling? The story—as told to me—goes this way. Schueller had two cuvées of pinot blanc, one of them... read more →
I find the wines from Moravia's Jaroslav Tesařík and his 1.5 hectares compelling and fresh. This is a field blend from a 30-year-old unpruned vineyard. This cloudy wine has two... read more →
Next trip to Gradoli, for sure I’ll be visiting Georgea and Alessandro because their wines are kind of knocking me out. This came from their organic, regenerative farming at an... read more →
This is a rare wine with only 20 cases coming into the states. It’s as delicate as a spider’s web, and just as sturdy. More emotion than intellect.
Rafa! What a special man and a very fine winemaker. Everything made under the Viñedos Culturales label (his project, reviving old vineyards and methods of winemaking) is worth exploring but... read more →