5/16/25 -

There’s a special feeling when you taste a wine from a new producer that makes you stop and say, “wow!” When it comes from close to home (in this case New York), it becomes an even more scintillating experience, shedding light on the boundless possibilities and exciting evolution of winemaking happening right in our backyard. Part of this evolution involves the use of hybrid grapes, which are often better suited to withstand the myriad issues New York winemakers can face – whether it’s mildew pressure, frost, or an inherently shorter growing season, cultivating grapes suitable for winemaking, especially when working organically, can be a challenge here. In addition to their propensity to thrive amid difficult conditions, these hybrid varietals can also be used to create brilliant, unique wines that can fit in alongside classic Vitis vinifera wines seamlessly, while still exhibiting complex aromas and flavors that will open your mind and palate in a way that longtime wine drinkers don’t often experience. 

(César Vega and Louisiane Remy from Barbichette)

One of these “wow” moments came last year when I first tried Barbichette’s “Le Rouge,” which at the time was a blend of Cabernet Franc and De Chaunac, a French-American hybrid developed by Albert Seibel (you’ll see his name come up a lot if you go down the hybrid rabbit hole). It reminded me of some of my favorite Loire Valley bistro-style reds – light but not lacking substance, unpretentious but not lacking personality. In the 2023 vintage Le Rouge is a blend of Cab Franc with some Merlot, though it retains all the same qualities that drew me in and really shows the precision and vision of winemakers César Vega and Louisiane Remy. César and Louisiane made a name for themselves in the New York coffee world with Nolita’s Café Integral, which opened in 2012 and has become one of the city’s premier coffee roasters and a trusted source of high-quality beans. Taking their highly attentive but hands-off approach to wine only made sense, and they launched Barbichette in 2019 after receiving a small amount of grapes from the Finger Lakes which went into their first wine, a Pet-Nat that was mostly shared with friends. In a short few years they’ve further honed their craft and expanded their range to include a diverse selection of wines using organically farmed fruit from the Finger Lakes and Long Island, all harvested by hand and made with minimal cellar intervention, which includes native yeast ferments, no fining or filtration, and often zero or very little use of sulfur. These are pure, precise and expressive wines that can be enjoyed around a table or on their own and are perfect for sharing! 

Another “wow” moment came just earlier this year, when Sam White, a friend of the store and sommelier at New York staple The Four Horsemen, stopped by to show some wines he had been making alongside fellow sommelier Nicolle Borrero and their comrade Mariel Frankl. The wine was “La Ciguapa,” a blend of equal parts Aromella and Aurora. Aromella is a hybrid white grape developed by Cornell, a cross between Traminette and Ravat 34 which was first grown on a single vine in 1983 and eventually released for production in 2013. Aurora (often spelled Aurore) is a complex hybrid grape developed by Albert Seibel and first introduced to the U.S. through Ellis Island in the 1940s, where it thrives in New York and Canada due to its early ripening. The combination creates an intoxicating array of flavors, with subtle floral notes intermingling with savory herbs and spices and hints of tropical fruit, all held together by racy acidity and incredible texture. It’s a gastronomic white/orange wine that immediately makes you ponder the pairing possibilities. Of course it all makes sense coming from people who are immersed in the food and wine scene here in New York, which is always evolving and often sets trends that can resonate worldwide. The trio behind Mito Americano share many of the same values that we as a shop love – small production, organic fruit, no cellar manipulation and above all a devotion to making great wines!

-Jeff DiLorenzo

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