The 411 on Slovenia

If you covet the zingy, electric minerality of Sancerre, and the lime-pungent funk of Smaragd Gruner, but want to keep the price per bottle below $20, do yourself a solid and check out Slovenian whites. They’re salty, offbeat little numbers that satisfy a craving for quaffing like little else.

I ordered my first glass of Slovenian white out of sheer curiosity at Hearth, Riesling Chairman Paul Greico’s New York City flagship, in 2008. It was an unpronounceable white, which I’d clearly never heard of. Intrigued, I tasted, thought, then tasted again. Exotic pink grapefruit and classy, restrained saline minerals on the finish lingered in my mind. I finished my glass and promptly another before we even sat down to table.

Fast forward a couple years: Blue Danube, a small import outfit out of Palo Alto specializing in central European selections is making headway; Slovenian autochthonic varietals are appearing on the lists of the cognoscenti: Anfora and Terroir in New York, Bar Covell , Lou, and Gjelina in LA. Skin macerated whites (see my earlier post on Orange Wine), a practice widely elaborated in Friuli, Primorja (Brda, Vipava,) and the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, are gaining appeal in somm and consumer circles alike. Slowly but surely, this tiny country nestled into an Alpine enclave between Italy (Friuli) Hungary, Austria, and Croatia, which has quietly produced wine for 2 millennia, is establishing itself on the radar of savvy wine drinkers.

Part of the allure is that Slovenian producers are widely iterating organic and biodynamic viticulture, and that small production wine opens the door for use of natural practices. Batic Winery (in the odd-shaped bottle) was founded in 1592; their belief in making wine with minimal interference long precedes the current ‘natural wine’ fashion trend. Fermenting with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control echo the customs of their predecessors, and also make for incredibly unique bottlings. Kabaj Winery, the culmination of a Brda viticultural family and a French oenologist, applies all organic treatments in the vineyards and ferments without added yeast. In the inland appellation of Podravje, Kogl is crafting fresh, bright whites of madcap combinations (their flagship Magna Dominica is Yellow Muscat, Auxerrois, and Riesling, vinified dry) that buzz with firm acidity and minerality.

These wines offer an enlightening alternative to the same old standby whites in your fridge. They also pair well with difficult-to-match cuisines like Thai, Malaysian, and Indian.

Here are a few of my current favorites:

2010 Kogl Mea Culpa Pinot Gris –  Spritzy and fresh, medium-bodied with lime and white pepper. Guzzlable.

2009 Kogl Magna Dominica Albus –  Yellow Muscat, Riesling, Auxerrois. Aromatic white flowers on the nose with pear and mirabelle on the palate. Long finish.

 

2009 Kabaj Rebula Goriska Brda –  100% Rebula (Ribolla Gialla) Clove, cinnamon and lemon peel on the nose lead to deep macerated orange on the palate. Lots of grip – funky spicy. 

 

2008 Batic Pinela Vipavska Dolina –  100% Pinela. Autolytic apricot on the nose leads to glyceriny Golden Delicious Apple on the palate. Pleasantly oxidative, with a full mineral finish. 

 

Give them a whirl as the weather heats up. And let us know what you think. Thanks!

 

 

 

Dry Germany

Yesterday’s Dry Wine Tour hosted annually by Rudi Wiest Selections pulled a quite a crowd. And thank goodness, because the 35 dry German wines reds and whites we tasted ranged from superb to absolute knock outs, rife with the power, intensity, and the sleek minerality that only cool climate wines can amalgamate.

Dry Wine Tour (for whom LA was their 7th stop in 10 days) featured the wines of 7 different houses, and represented the gamut of regional styles, from elegant Rheingau, to exotic Pfalz, Mediterranean Baden, and fresh, fruity Franken. Palpable passion exhibited in the words and gestures of these German wine makers shone through any language barriers. It was a pleasure to listen to Markus Mleinek, winemaker at Dr. Heger/Weinhaus, who is a zaftig sort of guy, giggle about how important food-friendliness is to him in the Pinot Gris & Pinot Blancs he crafts. “As you can see by looking at me, I like to eat, I like to cook [pause] with a lot of butter and cream [laughs, audience laughs] and I want my wines to work well with the foods I cook.” We tasted through his Baden lineup and the whites were like no wines I’ve ever had from Germany, weighty, with some caramel and roasted notes, and lots of hazelnut.

Carl Erhard of Kunstler buzzed like the electric minerality and piercing acidity of his Rieslings. I got a chance to speak with this tall, gentle character briefly after the event to congratulate not only his wines but also his passion. I told him that one really can taste the love and joy that goes into his wines. “With wine it’s all about the passion you put into it,” he said with a smile, “that’s how you make good wine.” I was particularly taken with this man’s inspiration; though he spoke a bit more at length than some of the others, he wrapped by saying “My wife says, ‘when you talk about wine, you talk too much!’” The whole room had a good hearty laugh.

And it’s not all about Riesling. I was pleasantly surprised at how much good dry Pinot Blanc there is for quaffing and also at the richness and density of the Pinot Noir. For varietal expression, Rebholz in the Pfalz that stole the show. Each wine was unique and had its best characteristics teased out expertly. Wines were well-made, balanced, bright, and harmonious. Their 2009 Pinot Noir exhibited characteristics of smoke, red licorice, cinnamon candy, and tea leaves which coalesced in an integration whose result was both pleasurable and intellectual.

The large majority of the German dry wines were make organically and biodynamically. And frankly the more I pay attention to wines made without pesticides and in a sustainable environment, the more I notice how much better they taste, not only from mass produced wines, but also from smaller production wines that spray or fertilize with harsh chemicals. Below is a selection of my favorites –  some of which will soon be available here at WHWC. Stay tuned.

Rebholz Pfalz

2010 Pinot Blanc Estate: Bright, bold, dry, crisp, one of the better Pinot Blancs I’ve had. Guzzlable.

2010 Riesling GG Ganz Horn –  Pepper, mineral, spicy, medium-bodied, big finish.

2010 Riesling GG Im Sonnenschein –  Briny, saline, lime flower, & white rose.

2010 Riesling GG Kastanienbusch –  red slate soil, hay, tea, dusty summer earth, dry herbs

2009 Pinot Noir Spatlese Dry Tradition –  Smooth, velvety, sweet fruit, dense, cinnamon, clove

Wagner Stempel Reinhessen

2010 Riesling GG Hollberg –  Gardenia, concentrated, ripe, stone fruit, mouthcoating

Heger Baden

2011 Heger Pinot Gris Estate – Heavy Loess soil, medium body, round, lower acidity, drinkable, Food friendly, Rhone-ish

Becker Pfalz

2010 Pinot Blanc Estate –  Mouthfilling, delicious, ‘sweet’ fruit, lanolin, peach

2008 Pinot Noir GG St. Paul –  Beachy, brambly, bright, orange rind, Campari, food-friendly

Kunstler Rheingau

2011 Riesling GG Kostheim Weiss –  Closed upon opening, after 15 mins steely minerality, beeswax, lemon curd, white flowers

2009 Pinot Noir Estate –  Slate, smoke, currant, like a good Bourgogne rouge, woodsy, candied fruits, bright

 

 

An Evening with Anthill Farms

An Evening with Anthill Farms Friday, March 30th, 2012 5-7 PM $30 per person* • Meet Web Marquez and Dave Low of Anthill • Taste limited production New Releases • Bonus Winery Selections (Knez Winery) Join us as we welcome Web Marquez and Dave Low of Anthill Farms to the WHWC. This relatively new producer burst on the scene with startlingly good Pinot Noirs. Their first vintage garnered them a red hot reputation that spread like wildfire and over the past few years they’ve racked up the press. Accolades • Wine and Spirits ‘Top 100 Wineries of 2011′ • Food & Wine’s ‘Most Promising New Winery of 2009′ “I have been a big fan of the Anthill Farms Pinot Noirs since the first release and find them consistently in the top tier of producers in the Russian River Valley.” - The Prince of Pinot, The PinotFile This project has direct ties with the legendary Williams-Selyem winery. Three young pinot enthusiasts, who had worked together as cellar hands at the distinguished winery on Westside Road launched their own winery with three Pinot Noir releases in 2004. They disdain the riper style of Pinot Noir, looking more for freshness of flavor and acidity. Their goal is to make balanced, terroir-driven wine with freshness and acidity. The annual production of 1,400 cases is quickly snapped up by a mailing list. We’ll be fortunate to have a limited amount of wine available for sale. The Program • 2010 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Peters Ranch • 2010 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Campbell Ranch • 2010 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Tina Marie Vineyard • 2009 Anthill Farms Syrah Campbell Ranch • 2009 Anthill Farms Syrah Sonoma Coast • 2008 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Anderson Valley • 2009 C. Donatiello Pinot Noir RussianRiver Valley • 2009 Knez Pinot Noir Anderson Valley • 2009 Knez Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Demuth • 2009 Knez Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Cerise *Sorry, no shared entry
DATE:	Friday, March 30th, 2012
TIME:	5-7 PM
PLACE:	Woodland Hills Wine Company 22622 Ventura Blvd Woodland Hills, CA 91364 see map
PRICE:	$30 per person*

APS Wine & Spirits Imports – ‘Mini’ Portfolio Tasting

APS Wine & Spirits Imports ‘Mini’ Portfolio Tasting @ the Wine Bar Friday, March 16th, 2012 5-7 PM     Featuring: • Domaine Romain Collet – Chablis (meet Romain Collet) • Fattoria di Fubbiano – Tuscany • Gianfranco Bovio – Piedmont Join us as we welcome Romain Collet of Domaine Collet Chablis and Alan Sobczak of APS Wine & Spirits for an evening extravaganza of wines from France and Italy. Domiane Collet – The Collet family has cultivated wines in Chablis since the late 1700′s. Romain now represents the fourth generation to run the winery. Fattoria di Fubbiano – Located some 30 minutes outside the great city of Lucca, Fubbiano is set atop the “Colline Lucchesi,” or the hills of Lucca, which is the acknowledged pinnacle of this DOC. Bovio – Comprised of 10 hectares of crus in the prime Barolo slopes of Arborina, Gattera, Rocchettevino, and majestic Bricco Parrusi, Bovio’s project has been an unprecedented success, elaborating a range of vineyards that exemplify the terroir of La Morra. Featured Wines Romain Collet – Chablis France • 2010 Chablis Les Pargues • 2009 Chablis Vaillons 1er cru • 2009 Chablis Vaillons 1er cru • 2006 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru Fattoria di Fubbiano – Lucca Tuscany • 2010 Vermentino di Fubbiano • 2010 Rosso di Fubbiano • 2008 San Gennaro Rosso • 2008 I Pampini Rosso di Toscano • 2010 Aleatico Passito Gianfranco Bovio – La Morra Piedmont • 2009 Bianco di Bovio • 2010 Dolcetto d’Alba Dabbene • 2010 Barbera d’Alba Il Ciotto • 2009 Barbera d’Alba Regiaveja • 2008 Annunziata Langhe Nebbiolo • 2007 Barolo Vigna Rocchettevino • 2007 Barolo Vigna Arborina • 2007 Barolo Vigna Gattera • 2000 Barolo Riserva Bricco Parussi • 1995 Barolo Vigna Gattera • 1996 Barolo Vigna Gattera • 2004 Barolo Vigna Gattera
DATE:	Friday, February 24th, 2012
TIME:	5-7 PM
PLACE:	Woodland Hills Wine Company 22622 Ventura Blvd Woodland Hills, CA 91364 see map
**Special Event Pricing Will Be Offered**
*Reservations recommended. Sorry, no shared pours.

RIESL’INSANITY’ Happy Hour

RIESL’INSANITY’ Happy Hour   w/Jenna Levy, Rudi Wiest Selections @ the Wine Bar Friday, February 24th, 2012 5-7 PM Spring has sprung. With bright new leaves appearing on trees and temperatures rising, people are starting to think about outdoor parties and hanging once again by the pool. Most savvy oenophiles have now caught on to the tremendous potential and delight that Riesling from Germany has to offer. These whites run the gamut of bone dry to sappy sweet, with representation of every sweetness designation in between. They are among the top three most food-friendly whites in existence and pair with everything from cucumber sandwiches and onion dip to cilantro-spiked ceviche to schnitzel. Join us this Friday night 2/24 for an all star line up of some of the best houses in Germany. German Wine Maven Jenna Levy will be on hand to pour answer your questions about Riesling, Silvaner, and Spätburgunder. A selection of regionally specific nibbles (sausage, sausage, sausage) will also be provided. See you there – Prost! $15 taste all 7 The Program • 2009 Wirsching Silvaner Franken Trocken • 2010 Schloss Schönborn Riesling Estate Trocken • 2010 Shäfer-Frölich Riesling Medium Dry • 2010 Gunderloch Riesling Kabinett Reinhessen Jean Baptiste • 2007 Schloss Lieser Riesling Spätlese Niederberg Helden • 2010 JJ Prum Riesling Spätlese Graacher Himmelreich • 2008 Rebholz Spätburgunder Pfalz “S” Trocken
DATE:	Friday, February 24th, 2012
TIME:	5-7 PM
PLACE:	Woodland Hills Wine Company 22622 Ventura Blvd Woodland Hills, CA 91364 see map

Geekin’ Out on New Greek Wine

The only real encounter I had with Greek wine before a couple years ago was in a dark little cafe in New York called Snack Taverna in 2003 – inexpensive pitchers of classic, cheap Retsina were the only thing we knew to order with our octopus salad and olives with salted almonds. The Retsina was fine, pleasantly pine-scented, and completely forgettable.

Then, about two years ago we started carrying a white called Moschofilero at my old shop in New York. I didn’t think twice about it. And then one day it was open. I pulled up a glass. The mineral, fruity freshness with a saline silver lining made me laugh out loud. Dang! I poured a little more, and swallowed. My curiosity popped.

All I knew of Greek wine before this synesthetic epiphany was the aforementioned Retsina, which had become the national beverage of Greece in the 1960′s. This gave Greek wine a reputation as frivolous, insipid, unserious. Luckily, Greek wine has been around for 6,500 years: clearly it can weather a storm. Appellation laws were established in the early 1970′s and now, armed with indigenous varietals, an ideal climate, interesting terroirs, forward-thinking winemakers, modern technology, moving-and-shaking exporters, and a hip little PR engine New Wines of Greece, Greece is back on the wine scene and poised to make Aegean-sized waves.

All the elements for success are in place, the most important of which are the wines themselves. Pink-skinned Moschofilero from Mantinia unleashes an awesome freshness on one’s senses, while steely Assyrtiko is full of salty minerals and bracing acidity (especially in volcanic Santorini) and begs for hot temps, sunny days, and light Mezes (Mediterranean tapas). Red Agiorgitiko from the Peloponnese is dark ruby red in color, complex of aroma and definitively ageworthy, while Naoussa Xinomavro will satisfy the Nebbiolo lover with its bright color, high acidity, and rich, strong tannins. This is the wine for your roasted lamb or meatballs.

Like I said, Greek wine barely passed my ‘who cares?’ test for the larger part of the last decade, but they’re onto something, and their siren song is certainly worth a listen if you’re into mixing it up a bit.  Here are some of my current faves for contemplation:

2010 Zafirakis Malagousia –  this wine is sprightly but mineral with good herbaceousness on the nose and an oily palate that’s balanced out with firm acidity.

2010 Tetramythos Roditis Patras –  Bright and guzzlable, this inexpensive white is pretty, with lots of apple and bergamot.

2008 Kir-Yianni Xinomavro Ramnista –  this rich, ageworthy red is finely built with good tannin and fresh acidity. Sun dried tomato and black olive on the palate make it super food-friendly.

We’ll be tasting all these and more with Greek Wine expert Markus Stolz of Elloinos, Friday January 27^th  from 5–7 PM if you’re interested in Greeking out with us here at WHWC in Los Angeles. Opa!

 

Return of the Jedi

Spirits Buyer Emeritus and 16-year WHWC veteran, Joe Friedman, stopped by the store for a visit during the peak holiday shopping season today, only to be called into duty at the gift wrapping desk.  Great to see you, Joe, and thanks for the helping hand!

48 Hours in Seattle

Something about Seattle. I fell for it last July after a sun-drenched and resplendent week on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound. Something about the expanses of water, clean, clear air, dramatic skies and weather. The weather in the Northwest gets a bad rap – especially from people who’ve never been there. But statistics show that it actually rains less in Seattle than in Boston, New York City, or Paris, the three places I’ve lived to date (before LA). And everyone knows labile weather makes person thirsty and hungry.

Off the plane burning reds, oranges, and yellows were fully flushed against the grey and green backdrop. I dropped my things at my friends’ place and started in to take a bite out of the calm, clean city. First stop: Oysters and crisp Columbia Valley Semillon, Buty, at Taylor Fish Farm in Capitol Hill. Kumamotos latticed in lemon and minionette have a way of staying on your mind. Then onto Bar Ferd’nand where we bellied up to the bar in a sort of communal open market format. The wine list was esoteric and well-built except for the 2002 Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc they had by the glass. Credibility loss there, since 2002 was underwater in the southern Rhone and the wine crop was ruined. Sitka & Spruce next door just to say hi to one of the guys who runs the place, and then back out onto the cool grey streets. Patches of blue against the blazing red trees. My lungs fill with fresh ocean air.

At Oddfellows we had crisp, round 2009 Terlano Pinot Bianco and a little cheese for 4 PM ‘gouter‘; up the street at Anchovies and Olives, we drank 2008 San Falletto Manzoni Bianco and delighted in linguini tossed with butter, garlic, and Geoduck, a giant clam indigenous to the Northwest. It’s pretty gnarly to the eye – looks like a phallus –  but quite tasty when sliced thin in pasta. Our crawl terminated at Bottlehouse in Madrona. Bottlehouse’ Somm is the brother of Eric Maclaughlin, Winery Director at Corliss Estates, the new chart-topping boutique Columbia Valley winery that we hosted a tasting for this October at WHWC. We were welcomed with effervescent glasses of Austrian Punkt Genau sparkling Zweigelt, the perfect end to the afternoon, since we had a house party to throw that night.

Up and at ‘em first thing. Breakfast at Skillet, an upscale diner born from a food truck, to share a plate of shrimp and grits with a dear friend. After a stroll through Pike Street Fish Market arm in arm, I’m fetched for my appointment at Andrew Will Winery, back on Vashon Island. We got a 10:20 AM ferry from the mainland. Gorgeous weather, cold fresh air on deck, Mt. Rainier showing its shy face against the crystalline blue backdrop to the left.  Enormous barges cruised past us on their way into Tacoma Harbor, bearing cargo from South Korea, China

Started in 1989, Andrew Will Winery is headed up by winemaker Chris Camarda. Wines are made in made entirely of Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, and sourced from vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Eastern Washington. When I saw they’d received Top Winery of 2011 in Spectator, and already carried the accolades of Best Winery of 2010 from the Wall street Journal and 50 Most Influential Wnemakers from Decanter, I picked up the phone for an appointment (since I was going to be in the neighborhood). They don’t have a tasting room but the GM Celia was kind enough to accommodate me (trade perks). We tasted their flagship, 2010 Sorella, from barrel which was already delightful, full of fruit and structure though very young. We particularly like the 2007 Two Blondes (which is partially owned by the winemaker) and Ciel du Cheval. We hope to have both in stock shortly.

Harvest at Anthill Farms

Always a Northerner at heart, I crave the perennial soft scents of Autumn, sweet air, drying leaves, roasting spices, and fires in the fireplace which we don’t so much get here in Los Angeles. So when I was invited to spend an October weekend in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley making wine with Anthill Farms, obviously I jumped.

Ready to go at 8 AM. Web Marquez, one of the trio of winemakers at Anthill (he also makes the wine at C. Donatiello) picks me up at his guest house, where I’ve had a short sleep after arriving very late. First stop: Copain Custom Crush in Santa Rosa. Cellar Master Shalini Sekhar transports barrels on her forklift. Interns of every nationality harnessed to the ceiling punch juice down hovering over colossal steel tanks. We climb latters, and siphon off Pinot Noir juice to test Brix levels.

Then to the barrels of Chardonnay. No yeast is added, which allows the wine to ferment naturally, however one of the barrels is lagging behind the others – it hasn’t begun to ferment yet. I take a long metal instrument and insert it into the barrel, all the way to the bottom, then stir back and forth. Batonnage sur Lie. Drop in one cube of dry ice and put my ear to the barrel, waiting for the slight bubble sound.

Back to the Pinot Noir. Uncover the plastic from atop a giant vat of fermenting juice and punch the wine down manually. This consists of pushing the berries below the surface, re-exposing the skins to the liquid. I punch a hole in the cap, which yields a frothy bubble. It reminds me of Lambrusco.

Around noon we head back to the house to make sausage. Cut organic Berkshire pork into chunks and send it through the grinder. Mix creme fraiche, salt, chili flakes, white pepper, and nitrites with the ground up pork, and let sit. Another attachment goes onto the Kitchenaid while we untangle the 100 ft. casings and gently slide them onto the machine to be filled with the ground up meat. We fill the tubes and tie the ends, then hang them in the garage. Sopresatta!

Afternoon – I take a cat nap on the porch in the sun sniffing the fertile air. Inside Web and his friend make chorizo and discuss the ancient rhythms of the harvest. I open my eyes and watch a sweet gum tree sway above me, its leaves ablaze. Sleep comes.

Later, we repair to Petaluma Gap to take a sampling of Chardonnay and Syrah at Peters Vineyard. I walk the rows picking berries at random to be mushed up, strained, and brixed. The vineyards are cool, breezy, and peaceful; Napa, Atlas Peak, and Sonoma Valley are in view to the east. Dusk approaches as we sample the Syrah and Viognier (which will co-ferment, like Cote Rotie). We finish and sit for a moment on the dusty earth. He smokes. I lie on my back and watch at the sky.

The next day we have just enough time in the morning to go into Dry Creek and have lunch at Papapietro, where the Anthill Wines are vinified. More punching down. But then the bottles get opened. We sip 2009 Peters Syrah, 2009 Campbell Syrah –  both meaty, gamey, savory, at 11:30 on a grey Monday morning overlooking the misted vineyards.

I love my job.

Mysterious Orange Wine

The First International Qvevri Wine Symposium held this September in Tbilisi, Georgia to promote modern Caucasus winemaking with ancient techniques (primarily the use of amphora clay pots for aging) got me thinking once again about Orange Wine. Readily attended by a couple friends (globe-trotting wine aficionados willing to travel all the way to Eurasia from Los Angeles and New York for the weekend), this three day conference invited a select sixty foreign guests to travel through the wine regions of Georgia. There they learned about the antediluvian vessels used for fermenting and aging wine in the traditional Qvevri style.

The conference was established as a multi-million dollar initiative by the US government to attract potential tourist attention to Georgia. But the tweets and pictures coming through repiqued my curiosity in the Orange Wine movement as a whole. The result of white grapes left to ferment on the skins for more than four days, Orange wine is reestablishing momentum in Northern and Central Italy. Skins contain tannins, phenols, and pigments considered undesirable in traditional white winemaking approaches. But extra skin maceration culminates in a white with more color, flavor, and texture.

Granted Orange Wine is not for everyone. It resides solidly within the category of ‘geek wine.’ But these geeky specimens are precisely what drives wine professionals: the yearning for a taste of every version of every country and culture. So on a recent weekend in New York, I set out to Inoteca Liquori with two friends, a somm from Resto and a somm from Lupa, to delve into a few bottles of Orange. Here is what we liked:

2006 Tenute Dettori Bianco: 100% Vermentino from Sardinia ferments uncrushed on the skins for four days in cement vats (which are growing in popularity especially for biodynamic winemakers) No sulfites are added. The wine is cloudy and golden with a nose of exotic flowers. Its apple-cidery component paired surprisingly well with eggplant parmesan.

2006 La Stoppa Ageno: Malvasia, Trebbiano, and the rare, indiginous-to-Emilia Ortrugo ferment for 30 days on the skins using all natural yeasts. It ages for 12 months and undergoes no filtration of any kind. Saffron and Marigold on the nose lead to brown sugar, honeysuckle, and coffee on the palate. Amber in color and only slightly cloudy, Ageno will benefit from a good decanting. The acidity is pure and refreshing.

 

Back in Los Angeles, an importer friend came to visit toting a bottle of 2002 Gravner Anfora Ribolla Gialla: Grapes for this Friulian showstopper come from vineyards straddling the Slovenian border. The juice ferments on the skins in large open-topped amphorae without added yeast, temperature control, or sulfites. Natural winemaking in its apogee. This Gravner is honeyed, savory, and mineral all at once. Spiced and complex, it breaks with contemporary wine convention entirely.

So if you’re a trade geek like me or simply an interested consumer, check out the new face of age-old Orange Wine. And keep an open mind. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, it’s pretty fascinating in its own right.

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