Articles

8/10/17 - Of the many Italian wine regions I've had the chance to explore, the wines of Molise have remained a bit of a mystery to me.  Molise is a small and extremely mountainous region south of Abruzzo that is often absent from wine lists and in reference materials about Italian wine. Everything that I had read led me to believe that this was a...

8/5/17 - I vividly recall my first taste of Ignios Orígenes. It was after a tasting at the importer's office, when a trio of unlabeled black bottles appeared, distinguished only by inscrutable cursive markings. First to be poured: the Baboso. "What is Baboso?" I asked. In response, a gleaming splash of magenta filled my glass, a multi-sensory onslaught of technicolor fruits, perfumed florals, volcanic...

8/4/17 - Earlier this year, while researching new winemakers in the Loire, I stumbled upon some information about Domäne Vincendeau, an estate in Anjou that began producing wines in 2014. At the helm of this new estate was not the usual 30-something French guy living in his van, but instead a woman from Germany named Liv Vincendeau, who settled in Rochefort-sur-Loire with her husband...

8/1/17 - Mezcal is often spoken about in spiritual, sometimes even religious terms. Many marketing materials of available brands hark back to Aztec mythology, speaking of this clear, fiery liquid as the spirit of the gods. While I don't completely feel myself drawn in by these attempts at such glorification, I do find myself completely in love with the spirit itself. There is a...

7/12/17 - Our friend Eric Texier is making some of the finest wines in the Rhône Valley, both in the south and the north. His Chateauneuf-du-Papes, red and white, are outstanding. His work in Brézème and St Julien-en-St Alban has resurrected forgotten vineyards and is producing magnificent wines. His inexpensive Côtes-du-Rhônes are wonderfully refreshing and balanced, unencumbered by high-alcohol and gobs of hedonistic fruit....

7/11/17 - For decades Aligoté has had something of an image problem. Short, sharp, and shocking in its acidity when farmed for high yields in indifferent terrior, it was viewed as a rustic country wine more suitable for a kir (softened with a scandalous amount of cassis,) than for the table. Yet, as a recent article by Eric Asimov, and a series of articles...

7/10/17 - We wouldn't mind being in the Côtes Catalanes right now, drinking regional wines outside under the summer sun. Since that won't be happening any time soon, at least we can share some new arrivals from our friends Carolin and Niko Bantlin, from Domaine Les Enfants Sauvages! This is the second year we've been working with the Bantlins, so some of our customers...

7/5/17 - Gianni Canonica is one of my wine heroes. He makes uncompromising, great wine in every vintage, and he seems happy in his work, taking a calm and harmonious view of the swirling world around him. His wines have been discovered – fundamentally because of their quality, but also because some key Italian tastemakers have a better understanding and feeling for naturally made,...

7/2/17 - Apparently there is a very entertaining video of rapper Action Bronson tasting Susucaru, Frank Cornelissen’s fabulous rosato, and smoking pot. And smoking. And smoking. Or maybe he was smoking in a different video? I haven’t seen it, but it’s clear from his audiences’ response that he loved the wine. The video produced a flood of inquiries, and it’s great that there is...

6/30/17 - Last fall we were graced by a visit from Angelo and Letizia of Azienda Fongoli and I came away from the experience deeply impressed. Not only were they lovely people who were excellent communicators about their land and their philosophy, but their wines were absolutely wonderful. The estate was founded in 1927 by Decio Fongoli Calvani and has passed down through three...

6/22/17 - In the mountains of Bierzo Alto, at the limit of winegrowing possibility, Germán Blanco makes his delicious Casa Aurora wines in the tiny village of Albares de la Ribera. This is the home town of his grandmother and mentor, La Señora Aurora Garcia, who was the first female in the area to work in the coal mines, following the early death of...

6/20/17 - We're very proud to be working with the witty and affable Jean-Francois Deu at Domaine du Traginer, and we have just received a new shipment of these unique and delicious wines that belong on your table this season! Last Friday we tasted all the new arrrivals and customers and staff alike were unanimous in their praise for these superb wines.  While all...

6/19/17 - I first went to see Mount Etna in 1981; I’m sure we drank wine but I have no idea if it was something local. The mountain was most impressive, and I do remember seeing vines amongst the old lava flows; it seemed incredible that anything could grow there. I loved it, and I loved Sicily. I did visit a couple times after,...

6/18/17 - We're thrilled to introduce the natural wines of La Vrille et le Papillon in the Ardeche. A brother and sister team, Meyrl and Géraldinge Crozier started La Vrille et le Papillon in 2012 and now have 5 hectares of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Grenache and Ugni Blanc tended in organic agriculture. They grew up with grandparents on both sides of their...

6/16/17 - We will readily admit to an abiding love for Burgundy. The great names roll off the tongue: Amoureuses, Musigny, Romanée, Richebourg... The thought of these sets the heart racing. And while we'd love to drink these and savor the organoleptic nuances between the terroirs of, say, Latricières-Chambertin and Ruchottes-Chambertin on a regular basis, our budgets simply don't allow for us to do...