March: Back to Basics (All About the Grapes)

Welcome to March Wine Club! It’s been a busy month for us opening up the Wine Bar, so for the sake of our sanity, we decided to go back to basics. And let’s be honest, sometimes basic is best. So this month is all about the grapes! We’ve chosen single varietals this month so you can get a (mouth)feel for some of these grapes’ characteristics.

Humans and grapes go way back-- nearly 8,000 years. Cultivation began in the Middle East and since yeast naturally thrives on the skin of grapes, winemaking went hand in hand. Today there are over 10,000 varieties used to make wine. I’ve chosen some well-known and well-spread varieties, such as Pinot Grigio and Grenache, and some lesser-known varieties, such as Cesanese and Vermentino.

 

Pinot Gris/Grigio

Pinot Gris (French) or Grigio (Italian) is a pinkish/gray skinned grape used to make white wine. Its DNA is very similar to Pinot Noir, and is thought to be the result of a mutation that occurred centuries ago. Pinot Gris has been grown in the Burgundy region since the early Middle Ages. It spread to Alsace and Germany, Northern Italy, and was even exported to Hungary by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Today it is grown all over the world, and in New World wines, the choice of using Gris or Grigio usually denotes the style of the wine. Italian and Italian-style Pinot Grigios are light, acidic, and often fruit-forward. Alsatian and Alsatian-style Pinot Gris are fuller-bodied with less acidity. They usually have higher alcohol contents and sometimes an “oily” texture. 

Maloof Wines, Pinot Gris No Clos Radio (2022). A husband and wife run winery in Forest Grove Oregon. Hand-harvested and direct-pressed. Fermented with native yeasts and aged in neutral oak Burgundy barrels on the lees with no batonnage (stirring) for 10 months. Lovely tropical fruit is balanced with bright acidity and well-integrated oak. 

Pullus, Pinot Grigio (2022). Podravje, Slovenia. Hand-harvested and macerated for 48-72 hours with the skins. Cold fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks, and then aged for six months on the lees. Stone fruit and white flower, some oiliness, with lively acidity and minerality.

Grenache

Ah, I love Grenache! So do a lot of people. It is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, and loves dry, hot climates. It is thought to have originated in Spain, where it’s known as Garnacha, but it also goes way back in Southern France (famous in Cote du Rhone blends) and Sardegna (where it is called Cannonau). Today you can find Grenache plantings in Morocco and Greece, Australia, Washington & California, and Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. 

Grenache is known for its fruitiness and low tannins. In France, it’s often used in blends to add fruit and body. It’s the G in Cote du Rhone’s signature GSM blend (the others being Syrah and Mourvedre). In Rioja, Grenache is sometimes blended with Tempranillo to make the region’s typically robust wines a bit more approachable and enable them to be consumed younger. But there are plenty of beautiful examples of Grenache standing on its own. Spain’s Aragon region predominantly produces single varietal Garnachas that are becoming more complex due to lower yields, and Priorat winemakers have recently been producing very low-yield Garnacha that results in a dark rich wine that shows notes of fig and tar as it ages. One of my favorite examples of Grenache is from New Zealand-born but California-based winemaker Angela Osborne, whose label A Tribute to Grace is known for elegant, fruit-forward, bright & beautiful Grenache varietals.

Lo Brujo, Calatayud Garnacha (2020). Aragon, Spain. Natural fermentation with indigenous yeast in stainless steel, aged for 9 months in the bottle. Concentrated red fruit with warm spice.

Viognier

Viognier has a lot going on-- it’s known for its aromatic qualities and minerality, and in the right hands can produce a lush, full-bodied wine. It also requires some care. Viognier needs a long, warm growing season and is naturally a low-yield variety, making it less economically viable than other hardier varieties. In 1965, the grape was nearly extinct with only small plantings in France, but its popularity and thus the price of its wines have increased in recent decades. It’s now grown in the US, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Japan. 

While viognier is often used as a blending grape to add “perfume” and complexity, it also shines on its own. This lovely example from the Languedoc does just that.

Cinquante-Cinq, Viognier (2021). Languedoc, France. Aged on fine lees for 6 months. Stone fruit bouquet with honeysuckle and citrus. Crisp dry finish with a touch of minerality. 

Montastrell

You might know Monastrell by its French name Mourvedre; it’s the “M” in Cote du Rhone’s GSM blends. But since the wine we are featuring is Spanish and called Monastrell, that’s the name we’ll use. (The French wine industry has a long history of trade with the English and the Dutch, so the French names of grapes are most widely known. Bit of an oversimplification, but that’s the gist.) Monastrell is a thick-skinned, dark-colored finicky grape. It needs both a warm climate and “wet feet”, meaning it needs both adequate sun and water. It’s strongly tannic, and can often have some earthy, gamey, or herbaceous notes to it, making it useful to add structure to blends. 

Fermina Monastrell (2022). Valencia, Spain. Hand harvested, temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel with continuous over-pumping (a type of mixing where you pump the juice back over the skins). Maceration fermentation lasts from 2-3 weeks. Earthy and spicy with blackberry fruit and herbal notes. 

Cesanese

The red wine grape Cesanese is not as well-known as Grenache, and is only found in the Lazio region of Italy. Like many indigenous Italian varieties, Cesanese has been around a long time and was probably used by the Romans to make wine. Historically, it was used to make sweet wines that ranged from frizzante (slightly sparkling) to spumante (fully sparkling). However, in the last century winemakers have been appreciating the intensity of flavor this naturally low-yield grape offers, and have been producing some very high quality still red wines. 

Alberto Giacobbe, Cesanese di Olevano Romano Superiore (2020). Lazio, Italy. Grown in volcanic soil Macerated for 10 days, Fermented in stainless steel and aged in cement. Dark fruit with a strong backbone of acidity, earthy and spicy.

Vermentino

Vermentino is a light-skinned grape used to make white wine, primarily in Italy, although it’s been gaining popularity in Southern France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region. In Italy, it is popular in both the southern isle of Sardegna and the northern regions of Liguria. Like most grapes, it has a number of names: Favorita in Piedmonte, Pigato in Liguria, and Rolle in Provence. The best examples of Vermentino come from Gallura and Colli di Luni in Sardegna. As you might be piecing together, this is a grape after my own heart that loves the coast. The sea breeze helps keep the vines cool (preserving the acid) and inhibits the growth of fungus. It’s a perfect wine to pair with seafood: light, fresh, with bright acidity and a touch of salinity and sometimes green almond. 

Pala, Vermentino di Sardegna Soprasole (2022). Sardegna, Italy. Temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel, aged in stainless steel for three months before bottling. White flower, apricot on the nose with tasting notes of orange peel and salinity.

February 2024: Black and African American Producers (And Kenny Likitprakong)

Welcome to our second month of wine club! Since February is Black History Month here in the ole US of A, I wanted to feature Black and African American winemakers and producers. This proved to be a challenge. Not because there aren't many-- no, there's a long list of Black winemakers, but sourcing their wine was tricky. Our distributors simply didn't carry many labels. This sourcing problem in itself surely speaks to the challenges and complexities of breaking into an industry historically (and currently) dominated by white men. 

But it is clear the industry is changing, and although pickings were slim, I hope you find these selections as fun and delicious as I did. Cheers. 

Phil Long, Longevity Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 

As President of the Association of African American Vintners, Phil Long was an obvious choice for this month's celebration of Black and African American winemakers. 

Phil began making wine in his garage with his wife Debra, who is central to his wine-making journey. As a bi-racial couple entering the wine world, their goal was always to make wine approachable and inclusive. When they moved to the Livermore Valley in 2002 (one of the oldest wine regions in California), they found themselves surrounded by wine country, and since Phil is "not a guy who does things on a small scale" (vintnerproject.com) their garage project quickly grew into the full scale production of Longevity Wines. In 2019, Debra passed from pancreatic cancer, but Phil and his son Phil Jr., who is now Assistant Winemaker, continue to honor her legacy and produce wines that are high-quality, consciously grown, and accessible to a wide market. 

Phil designed the label of this Longevity Cabernet Sauvignon-- the heart representing his relationship with Debra. It's a true Californian: big dark fruit and prominent oak, a good wine for a chilly day!

McBride Sisters Sauvignon Blanc 2022 

Robin and Andréa McBride have a truly remarkable founding story: half sisters raised on opposite sides of the globe, they had no knowledge of each other until their father passed away. When they met for the first time, they immediately connected through their shared love of wine. Today, the McBride sisters run the largest Black-owned wine company in the world. From the start, their focus has been on social justice and accessibility. Their staff is 80% women, including their head winemaker and vineyard director. In 2019, they launched SHE CAN, a line of canned wines which supports the advancement of women (particularly women of color) through scholarships, mentoring, training, and networking. 

This Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from New Zealand, which is where Andréa grew up. It carries the characteristic NZ tropical notes on the nose, yet on the palate they are restrained and the grape's acidity and freshness come through. 

Kumushu Rosé 2023 & Chenin Blanc 2023

Kumushu means "my home" in the Shona language, one of the most widely-spoken languages of Zimbabwe. This feeling of home or place is what Tinashe Nyamudoka aims to evoke in his minimal intervention wines. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tinashe moved to Cape Town in 2008 and began his restaurant career polishing silverware and waiting tables, with no prior wine knowledge. By 2016 he had been awarded several wine service awards and worked as head sommelier in some of Cape Town's finest restaurants. 

In 2017, Tinashe paired with winemaker and friend Attie Louw. Starting small, Kumusha wines released just 1200 cases of their 2017 vintage and sold out in three months. Their largest export market: Zimbabwe. Now, Kumusha Wines are widely available and reflects Tinashe's commitment to creating wines that reflect his home, with natural fermentation, large foudres, and minimal intervention to honor South Africa's unique terroirs. 

The Kumusha Rosé is 98% Cinsault and 2% Colombard. Bright cherry and strawberry notes with a touch of spice. The Chenin Blanc is 100% Chenin, 80% aged in stainless steel and 20% aged 6 months in large oak foudres. Juicy with south-of-the-equator fruit, it finishes dry and crisp.

Three by Wade Chenin Blanc 2021

Ok, so technically NBA star Dwyane Wade is not the winemaker. I mean, you can only be great at so many things, right? But he fell in love with winemaking after visiting Napa Valley during harvest season in 2014, and quickly partnered with the Pahlmeyer family (known for French-style Californian wines) to found Wade Cellars. The result is delicious. 

In 2021, Wade joined the Executive Leadership Board at UC Davis' School of Viticulture and Enology. Along with Julia Coney, who founded Black Wine Professionals, and Miguel Luna, of Silverado Farming Company, Wade is pushing for more diversity and inclusion in the wine industry. 

This 100% Chenin Blanc is sourced from organically farmed vineyards in Clarksburg. Fermented in stainless steel, it undergoes full malolactic conversion. Bright yet round and full with fresh citrus and just a touch of tropical fruit. I LOVE IT!

Maison Noir 'Horseshoes and Handgrenades'

André Hueston Mack has an impressive resume. He was named Best Young Sommelier by Chaîne des Rôtisseurs in 2003, and went on to work as Head Sommelier at The French Laundry and Per Se. Mack is a public figure whose brand is on-point. He labels himself as a sommelier, winemaker, and designer, and this last title has helped launch him as a wine personality with Instagram videos, Ted Talks, books, and restaurants. 

Mouton Noir (The Black Sheep) was founded in 2007 and is a collaboration between Mack and the growers and winemakers he connected with throughout his career. The Horseshoes and Handgrenades (so named because the fruit is sourced from vineyards that straddle the Washington/Oregon border) is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Fruit-forward, not shy-- a good companion for grey days. 

Banyan Gewurztraminer 2022

Kenny Likitprakong is a winemaker with the soul of a skateboarder. A Californian surfer and skateboarder, he eventually studied viticulture and enology at UC Davis. He started his umbrella company, Hobo Wines, with just $10,000, and aims to make wines that even a hobo could afford. There's a bit more to the name than that: Kenny and his family don't own any land of their own and instead farm and purchase the grapes they use to make their lean, terroir-driven wines. 

Banyan is Kenny's line of white wines made specifically to pair with Thai cuisine, a nod to his Thai heritage. This Gewurtztraminer carries the characteristic floral notes of the grape balanced with high acid and tightly controlled sugar levels. Perfect with Thai, Vietnamese, or Nepali curry. 

January 2024

Welcome to Wine Club-- our first ever!

This month we are celebrating female winemakers, and although women are still outnumbered by men in the wine world, we found no trouble selecting wines worthy of celebration and ringing in the New Year. 

Historically, women often fell into winemaking through widowhood. Madame Clicquot, the first woman to run a Champagne house, branded her house “Veuve Clicquot”-- literally, Widow Clicqout. Both Antónia Adelaide Ferreira (who helped save Portuguese vines from the pest phylloxera) and Hannah Weinberger (the first female winemaker in Napa) took over family wineries when their husbands died. It wasn’t until the 1960’s and 70’s during the 2nd wave of Feminism that female winemakers truly began to grow in number.

If you’re a woman, you know that the hustle is real. The women we are featuring this month have truly hustled to produce wines that are special, delicious, and as Lil says, “taste expensive.”

Domaine Hauvette Jaspe Alpilles Blanc 2022

Dominique Hauvette is a woman with whom I’d love to talk dirt. Like actual soil, not gossip. She is considered to be one of the most important natural winemakers in France, and her wines are beautiful expressions of both the grapes she tends to and the land. Originally from Paris, working as a lawyer in the Loire, she came to Saint-Remy-de-Provence with the intention of taking a month-long vacation. She never left. In 1988, her neighbor retired and she took over a small property planted with Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet. She spent the next few years farming organically and learning from the land. She now tends to 17 hectares of vines, all biodynamically managed with minimal tilling. 

Like all of her wines, this “Jaspe” is hand-harvested and fermented spontaneously using native yeasts. It is 100% Roussanne and made from whole clusters (as are all of her whites), aged in cement eggs and stainless steel tanks. She bottles herself, and does not release her wines until she feels they are ready. This is a truly special wine. Complex with straw and super ripe pineapple, the minerality and acid are well integrated and reserved. Lil says, drink it with a rotisserie chicken! Hoff says, savor it. 

Mesquida Mora Mallorca Sincronia Negre 2021

Bárbara Mesquida Mora’s vineyards represent both the past and the future. Before starting her own winery, Bárbara ran her great-grandfather’s, earning one of Spain’s first Demeter biodynamic certifications. When she inherited vineyards from her mother in 2012, Bárbara sought to pay homage to her ancestry and terroir by cultivating indigenous Mallorcan grapes using the same pre-tourism agricultural practices her great-grandfather used. (More than one hundred fruit trees are planted among her vines.)

This Sincronia Negre is a blend of indigenous varieties Manto Negro and Callet with Syrah and Merlot. Each variety is separately aged in stainless steel before blending and resting in small two or three-year-old oak barrels. Fruit forward with ripe strawberry and coy tannins, this is a fun wine. Pepperoni pizza maybe?

Bodega Stella Crinita Omaggio Pet Nat Viognier Valle De Uco

Technically, Bodega Stella Crinita is run by a wife and husband team, but it is Joanna Foster’s unique background and passion for environmental and social justice that created the slice of paradise that is Stella Crinita. 

Joanna was raised single-handedly by her activist mother, who deeply influenced Joanna’s sense of social justice. She studied gender roles in natural resource management and went on to complete a MSc in Sustainable Environmental Planning. Stella Crinita is the culmination of her philosophy: a 7 hectare biodynamic entity comprising grape vines, rose gardens, a food forest, an orchard, an apiary, and a forest fungi project! Joanna believes that creating sustainable, biodynamic food systems (and natural wine within those systems) is a cornerstone of a healthy community. Stella Crinita is situated in the Uca Valley in Mendoza, Argentina within the larger Finca Tikal Natural Vineyard, from which Stella Crinita also sources grapes. Joanna and her husband, Ernesto Catena, are cultivating native species and are building a seed bank.

This resiliency, observation, and deep respect for nature is reflected in their wines-- none are filtered or fined. This lovely wine is 100% Viognier from a single vineyard. It gets one day of skin contact and then 23 days of fermentation with native yeasts, and is bottled partway through this primary fermentation (thus trapping carbon dioxide in the bottle). The result is fine bubbles and lively acidity with subtle golden apple and pear. Great as an aperitif or with fried chicken.

Mary Taylor Cabrerisse (Elaboré par Anne Sarda) 

Anne Sarda is the winemaker behind this unassuming white label, but before we delve into her story, we need to pay dues to the woman behind this white label series. Mary Taylor is that woman, and her white label series seeks to pay homage to how wine is understood in Europe: terroir. Mary Taylor has an impressive and varied resume. She has been an executive assistant to Elie Wiesel (yes, the author of Night) and a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. Most of her professional life, however, has been dedicated to buying and selling wine. In 2013, she founded Mary Taylor Wines, an import and sales company that works directly with farmers and winemakers to bring affordable, true-to-terroir wines to market. 

This Cabrerisse is from the Languedoc, a stony arid region in the south of France. It is 100% Carignan and the vines (some 60 years old) grow as bush vines. Anne Sarda and her team work the vineyards by hand-- no pesticides, herbicides, or irrigation is used. Sarda uses minimal intervention: spontaneous fermentation by native yeasts occurs in concrete tanks, and the wine is aged in old concrete vessels. This wine boasts dark fruit yet is refreshing! Finishes quite dry but the tannins are not overwhelming. She's rustic. I would love to drink this with duck or venison.

Kloovenburg Gatekeeper White

Dating back to 1704, Kloovenburg is the oldest wine estate in the Swartland, a region some 30 miles north of Cape Town, South Africa. In 2015, they appointed Jolandie Fouché to be their head winemaker, and she has been creating some awesome minimal intervention wines. 

Jolandie Fouché was born in Cape Town and raised in the Swartland, where she spent much of her young adulthood on vineyards. She received a Bachelors of Agriculture from the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, and worked harvest seasons in California and Australia before returning to her homeland. She worked as the head winemaker for Kloovenburg Estates before realizing the dream and turning her side-hustle, Wolf and Woman Wines, into her full-time project. 

The Gatekeeper is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Verdelho. The grapes are hand-harvested in the early morning hours and naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts. It spends 6 months in old French oak barrels before it is blended and bottled. White flower and green apple on the nose, this wine is spring fresh, but has a great backbone of acidity measured against minerality. It could stand up to pork loin or even a good chowder.

Kiki & Juan, Utiel-Requena Blanco y Tinto

So technically, Kiki is not the winemaker of Kiki & Juan, but she is the powerhouse behind the production and distribution. Spanish wine is a passion for Kerin ‘Kiki’ Bembry. She has worked as an importer and distributor of Spanish wine in particular for two decades, founding La Luz Selections, which specializes in importing Spanish and Portuguese “off-the-beaten-path” wines. Prior to that, she operated her own wine shop in Manhattan, Tinto Fina, Vinos de Espana. 

John ‘Juan’ House is a longtime friend of Kiki’s (they met in Spain) and is the winemaker behind their Kiki & Juan label. Their goal is to highlight a little known Spanish wine region-- Utiel-Requena. They work multiple small vineyards, all organically and dry- farmed. The liter bottle speaks to both the value and the drinkability of these wines. Salud!

The “Tinto” is 70% Bobal, 10% Tempranillo, and 20% Macabeo and is co-fermented. Grapes are hand-harvested at night to retain freshness. Native co-fermentation occurs in tank and then a portion of the wine is aged in local tinajas (amphora). So fresh and drinkable!

The “Blanco” is 90% Macabeo and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, also co-fermented. As with the Tinto, the grapes are hand-harvested at night (the days are hot in Utiel-Requena!) and are de-stemmed before pressing. Native fermentation in stainless steel and aged on lees for 9-10 months. Strong minerality and some interesting peppercorn notes make me think this wine would go well with green curry.