Articles

6/14/19 - We're proud to introduce these outstanding natural wines to the US, originating from high altitude vineyards on soils of shiste in Faugères, and produced with zero or minimal added sulfur. Sybil Balassarre is a young Italian oenologist who worked with Anna Schneider at the University of Turin in a project of "study, recovery and the safeguard of Vitis genetic resourses'" and then...

6/12/19 - Chad Stock, the winemaker at Minimus, uses this label as a way of exploring off-the-beaten-path ways of making strange and fantastic wines. There are few producers who so regularly make fantastic wines using methods, grapes, and ideas that are almost unheard of. Whether it's the use of new acacia barrels, dry wines made from botrytised grapes, exceedingly rare mutations of Pinot Noir,...

6/7/19 - The drive from Verona to Bolzano is awe-inspiring. As you make your way north along the shores of Lake Garda the terrain starts to rise up, first gradually in a series of hills, then suddenly, into the full splendor of the mountains. Bolzano is located in a valley, with the mighty Alps as a backdrop and the steep slopes of the Dolomites...

5/14/19 - We're very excited to have our second shipment of extraordinary Jura wines from Estelle and Raphael Monnier of "Ratapoil!"   A bit of explanation from Estelle and Raphaël: "After ten years of work and pleasure in the vines as Ratapoil (slang for an amateur vigneron in the Arbois) the passion for wine took us and it was the beginning of our professional adventure...

5/12/19 - (Roberto Henriquez) Much of what we understand here in the Northern Hemisphere about the wines of South America comes from relatively recent developments in big agriculture. In Chile, which in the 20th century radically expanded its agricultural production (much of it destined for winter-time supermarket shelves here in the US), four industrial macroproducers are responsible for 80% of the total volume of...

5/9/19 - After a long, if somewhat mild winter, spring has finally arrived not only in the city but in the Green Markets. And while we enjoy the earthy virtues of squash and root vegetables, it's a pleasure to see all that green on the tables from the local farms. After the brief thrill of ramp season, asparagus has arrived and has us dreaming...

5/6/19 - Today we are very excited to turn our attentions to nine very different wines from the Canary Islands: reds, whites, and one rosado from three geological and climactically distinct islands belonging to this southernmost outpost of Spanish viticulture. Winemaking here dates back to the late 1400s, when Spanish and other European colonists planted grapes on the weathered soils. Today, the wines of...

4/24/19 - Jane et Sylvain Raphanau (their estate is simply called "Jane et Sylvain") produce tiny quantities of lovely terroir-expressive wines on their four hectares in and around Gevrey, certified organic since 2003.  They take great pride in the quality of their vineyard work and the purity of their wines, which are produced with minimal SO2, and  which show an old-fashioned earthy character sadly...

4/19/19 - Namazake, or unpasteurized sake, is a somewhat seasonal style that is becoming more popular, especially outside of Japan. Prized for its freshness and lively character, it is nominally available all year round, though it is usually released in the spring, right after the brewing season. Perhaps lacking the refined and suble character of some pasteurized sake, namazake is nonetheless a fascinating experience,...

4/17/19 - Although it's been a few years since we've been able to visit Sven Enderle and Florian Moll, and (truth be told) we rarely get to taste through their whole line-up since a scant amount comes over to the States; the arrival of their wines is always exciting, because we trust implicitly that they will do the right thing. By right thing, we mean careful stewardship of...

4/15/19 - Feudo Montoni is about 60 miles south and east of Palermo – not very far, but worlds removed from the hustle of Palermo; little has changed at Montoni and in the surrounding countryside, so you could also say that it’s removed from Palermo by centuries. This is the region that was once “the granary of the Roman Empire” – fertile and covered...

4/5/19 - Portugese wines are on the rise and we want to highlight some our favorites from this dynamic country! With young people returning to the country, and grandparents passing on their traditions to a new generation, there is really something of a renaissance brewing. Though most of the grape growers and farmers in the country have longstanding contracts with Port houses, or sell their grapes to cooperatives, many of...

4/1/19 - Please join us at Racines NY on Wednesday, April 3rd at 7pm as we host Didier Barroulllet of the Clos Roche Blanche in a celebration of this important Loire Valley estate.  Beginning in the 1980s, Catherine Roussel and Didier Barrouillet at the Clos Roche Blanche in Touraine began a journey of discovery beginning with organic farming, through biodynamics and beyond, to some...

3/29/19 - Descending the sloping tunnel into the cellar at Clos Rougeard was to enter a world apart, a separate reality of wine presided over by the keen intelligence and sharp-edged wit of Nadi Foucault. I took rudimentary  notes there once (1988 Bourg: first year bottled separately, youthful nose of black fruits, palate incredibly complex, floral red and black fruits, excellent) but soon learned...

3/19/19 - Since I began visiting the Loire Valley in 2011, I have always held high esteem for Hervé Villemade. He is a focused, professional winemaker, and an open-minded and fun-loving colleague and friend. His wines have both defined and defied the Cheverny appellation for me, teaching me of tradition and then occasionally throwing it out the window. Year after year, I have found...