Grapes: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Loire Valley, France Farming: Organic It was in 1970 that Jean Mourat laid the foundations for a winery that would be respectful of the cultural heritage of the region while also oriented towards the future. His son Jérémie would join him nine years later to keep the adventure going. The Fiefs Vendéens appellation, which they call home, covers the majority of the Vallée du Lay in Vendée, at the intersection of th

Grape: Dolcetto Region: Piedmont, Italy Farming: Organic In a region like Barolo, steeped in tradition and history, it is rare to find a newcomer who has burst onto the international Piedmont scene like Trediberri has. The winery was started only recently, in 2007, when its three partners, Nicola Oberto, Federico Oberto and Vladimiro Rambaldi purchased a 5 HA plot of vineyard in the Cru of Berri which is located on the extreme western edge of La Morra in the Barolo Zone. Thei

Grapes: Nero d’Avola, Vermentino Region: Healdsburg, CA Farming: Organic Martha Stoumen Wines was founded upon the desire to recapture a farming and winemaking culture that has all but faded away: a winemaking culture of patience. After 8 years apprenticing around the world, Martha set out as a self-funded, first generation winemaker to answer the question, “What does California taste like?” In their hot little corner of Northern California, Mediterranean grapes thrive and he

Grape: Chenin Blanc Region: Saumur, France Farming: Organic Founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Clément Manguin, Romain’s great grandfather, the domaine was then passed on to Clément’s son in law, Robert Guiberteau, a talented winemaker and one of the founding members of the cave cooperative of Saumur. In 1954, recognizing the great potential of this terroir, Robert purchased several hectares on the hill of Brézé, in particular the Clos des Carmes, considered by l

Grape: Carignan Region: Swartland, South Africa Farming: Organic Craig and Carla Hawkins are two of the most important, pioneering icons of South African wine. Their label, Testalonga, was born in the Swartland in 2008, at a time when the Swartland Revolution put the region on the map and proved it is much more than a land of cheap wines. They began playing with skin contact on their whites, earlier picking dates, lower sulfur levels, etc. in a way that their predecessors had

Grape: Nebbiolo Region: Piedmont, Italy Farming: Organic In the northwest corner of Italy, above Torino and below Val d’Aosta, sits the Canavese subregion of Alto Piemonte and the Cieck Winery, esteemed especially for its work with the native Erbaluce grape. Remo Falconieri, who founded the winery in 1985 and consults for other wineries in the area as well, works with his daughter Lia. Their 20 hectares are planted to indigenous varieties of the region, including Erbaluce, Ba

Grapes: Grenache, Zinfandel, Carignan, Mourvedre Region: Sierra Foothills, CA Farming: Organic Enfield Wine Co. is the family project of John Lockwood and Amy Seese, with a focus on producing wines of personality. They do not subscribe to the ideal of the perfect wine, but to the notion that the very best wines tell a unique story. Driven by soil first and foremost, Enfield Wine Co. seeks out vineyards that possess a distinct and powerful sense of place – across region, grape

Grape: Jacquere Region: Savoie, France Farming: Organic The Portaz family since the early 1980s have cared for Jacquère vines in their native Chapareillan, just south of Chambery, the capital of the ancient Duchy of Savoy and not far from the Italian border. (The regional flag/symbol of Savoie, a white cross on a red field, can be found on the family’s wine label. This crest was used by the House of Savoy, one of the oldest royal families in the world, who ruled these lands f

Grape: Cabernet Franc Region: Chinon, France Farming: Organic For refined, classically-styled Loire Valley Cabernet Franc, look no further than Domaine Olga Raffault's Chinon. Established by Pierre and Olga Raffault in 1931, the domaine survived Pierre's sudden death in 1947 thanks to the work of estate employee Ernest Zeinninger, who introduced minimal intervention farming at a time when chemical use was widespread in the Loire. Taking over in 2000 without previous winemakin

Grapes: Gamay, Pinot Noir Region: Cheverny, France Farming: Sustainable To the south of Blois, a town perhaps best associated with its imposing château, lie the little-known twin appellations of Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny. neither are regularly spotted on the average wine merchant’s list, and I think it is fair to say that these wines are a niche interest, most likely to appeal most to the hardened Loire fanatic. Of the two regions, Cheverny is the larger, and it is also the

Grape: Pinot Noir Region: Pfalz, Germany Farming: Sustainable While Koehler-Ruprecht has existed since the 1700's, it was Bernd Phillipi's hard work over the last 30 years that solidified the winery's world class reputation. Bernd's biggest inspiration was his grandfather, and the wines reflect an attitude of winemaking more akin to the 1900's than the 2000's. The Pfalz is ground zero for dry German Riesling but it is also home to some of its more diverse soil types, grapes a

Grape: Ortrugo Region: Emilia-Romagna, Italy Farming: Organic Santa Giustina is located in the heart of the Colli Piacentini in the far northwestern corner of Emilia-Romagna. A perfect backdrop to what the estate calls their 'village' (a few 1000 year old buildings, a church from 870, and their wine-making facilities) is a series of perfect hills before the distant Alps. A 100 hectare property at 300m above sea level is theirs, comprised of many different crops, forests, vin

Grape: Sangiovese Region: Tuscany, Italy Farming: Organic Perched on the highest hill in the rugged Northwest corner of Montalcino, Castello di Romitorio stands like a guardian over the Brunello DOCG zone. One of the most famous living artists, Sandro Chia, acquired the property in 1984. The purchase included the Castello Romitorio farm which was re-deditcated to the production of Montalcino DOCs. Today Sandro’s son Filippo Chia is the owner and winemaker of the estate. Sand

Grape: Zweigelt Region: Weinland, Austria Farming: Organic Christina grew up with her sister at a mixed family run farm of her parents and grandparents, cultivating different grains, corn, sugar beets, breeding pigs and growing some vines. Giving a helping hand almost everywhere on the farm, she fell in love with the wine production very early on. Christina loved being in the vineyards, helping in the cellar and telling their customers the stories behind the wines. So, it was

Grape: Picpoul Region: Languedoc, France Farming: Sustainable Picpoul de Pinet is the only white wine appellation in the Languedoc, and it’s on a roll right now. The wine is called Picpoul de Pinet, but the grape variety is actually Piquepoul blanc, and there are 1400 hectares of it grown on mostly limestone-based soils. Bruno uses only certified organic and/or sustainably farmed fruit and production practices to handcraft the finest environmentally sensitive wines. The wine’

Grape: Xinomavro Region: Amyndeon, Greece Farming: Sustainable Kir-Yianni was founded in 1997 by its namesake, Yiannis Boutaris, a towering figure in Greek wine (and, until recently, mayor of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city). Based in Naoussa, its vineyards spread from Naoussa over to Amyndeon, on the western side of Mount Vermion in Greece’s far northwest. At the time Yiannis Boutaris struck out on his own, he was leaving his family’s Boutari Wine Group (founded

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Napa Valley, CA Farming: Organic No Love Lost Wines Co was founded by California born, first generation Cuban American, and Orlando, Florida raised Jay Nunez. Before wine, Jay worked in the music industry for more than 10 years including playing in a band in Florida. Long interested in the outdoors and farming he spent one harvest interning in Napa Valley. He was hooked both by the people he met in Napa Valley, the process of winemakin

Grape: Aglianico Region: Campania, Italy Farming: Sustainable Fattoria La Rivolta, a family-owned winery, traces its roots back to the early twentieth century when Giovanni and Teresa combined their strengths and acquired land in the Ciurica, Rivolta, and Roseto districts. Their efforts resulted in one of the largest and most productive farms in the province of Benevento. Situated in Torrecuso, in the province of Benevento, Fattoria La Rivolta's vineyards are nestled among th

Grape: Albariño Region: Rias Baixas, Spain Farming: Organic The Rías Baixas, in the heart of Galicia, represent one of the most unique jewels of the Spanish wine scene. This privileged region offers an exceptional environment for growing vines, where the Atlantic microclimate, the complex topography and the granitic soils combine harmoniously with the native varieties, giving rise to a unique and extremely rich wine ecosystem. The distinctive character of the wines of the Ría

Grape: Gruner Veltliner Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon Farming: Organic Erich Berg’s journey into winemaking is as rich and varied as the wines he creates. After a vibrant career in Chicago’s fine-dining scene, Erich moved to Oregon in 2004 with a singular goal: to master the art of winemaking. His first harvest at the esteemed Domaine Serene set the stage, where he honed his skills in a setting renowned for its high standards and rigorous expectations. However, a challen