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Testalonga is a winery founded in 2008 by Craig and Carla Hawkins in the Swartland region of South Africa. They make single vineyard wines grown from granite, sandstone and clay soils and work organically and instinctively with as little intervention as possible. Their first vintage was a skin contact Chenin Blanc and they make 2 wines: El Bandito and Baby Bandito, with wines from their newly planted vineyard Kloof (ravine in Afrikaans) on the way.

We had the opportunity to speak with Craig about his work. We hope you enjoy reading our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background - how you came to be a winemaker, and what influenced your style of farming and producing?

I’m not from a winemaking family - I originally come from the east coast of South Africa, which has a tropical kind of climate, a bit like Brisbane in Australia. We moved down to the Cape when I was around 15-16 years old and I got into wine through my older brother who’s 5 years older and started studying winemaking in the late ‘90s. I was still at school and I started doing some hours just working for him to make a bit of extra money, and I really fell in love with it from day one. I really enjoyed it, and I thought I was always going to do just farming to be honest. I wanted to do nature conservation and stuff like that, but then I discovered the transformation from vineyard to cellar. 

I took 2 years off school to go play hockey in the UK, and then when I came back I started studying winemaking at Stellenbosch University. I worked all over Europe - I have an Irish passport, and for about 5 or 6 years I did Portugal, Spain, Austria, France - so that was kind of where I cut my teeth. My first proper job was actually in Austria with Dirk Niepoort and Dorli Muhr - brilliant stuff, it was actually really integral to me, working in a completely different climate to South Africa. 

I started Testalonga in 2008. In 2007 actually, I was in France and came across the wines from Antonio Perrino, also called Testalonga. This was a really defining moment for me - I was living in a tent, I was drinking wines because I was an intern for Remi Pedreino from Roc d'Anglade and he gave me this box and said, ‘You have to try this. This is a white wine made like a red wine,’ and it just blew me away. So immediately I knew exactly what I wanted to do - in South Africa nobody was making these wines. I then came back to South Africa, obviously Antonio I use his nickname on the label, Testalonga is also a bandit from Sicily and I called the wine El Bandito, so there’s a strong link to Italy and Mr Perrino himself. 

I started in 2008 with my first skin contact, then in 2015 started the Baby Bandito and that’s where I started with Stay Brave. All my labels are from single, separate vineyards -  the Baby Bandito vineyards are less complex, El Bandito are a lot more complex, Stay Brave less again but it makes a delicious wine. The skin wine is on granite soil and Stay Brave is on clay - I find for skin, you get higher notes and slightly more depth from granite, while clay gives a slight sweetness, richness to the wine so it’s the perfect soil for Stay Brave.

What about your farming and winemaking style?

I always knew I was going to do organic farming - growing up in my family, we were always that way orientated and my older brother, he started getting into organics in his job when he was working in South Africa. He now lives in Australia and actually farms there organically at a place called The Wine Farm, it’s his and his wife’s company, they’ve been there 12 years. But organics, it was something at university that you could never find information on, there was literally 1 page - viticulture, you learned from a very conventional kind of way at university. Most of the places I worked at overseas were working organically and there was a lot of focus on it, and for me it’s a non-negotiable. It’s just the way I do things. 

My very first wine, El Bandito in 2008, I rented a vineyard from my now in-laws, and farmed this completely organically. And from there we’ve just kind of grown. In 2015 I bought my farm which is where I live now, and we farm organically. I don’t farm biodynamically - organic is a non-negotiable and I work on whatever I see in front of me and I don’t always see the value in certain sprays or treatments. I’m not knocking those that do, but I really just work with what I can see and understand in front of me.

Can you tell us about the vineyard, and where you are in South Africa?

We’re in the Swartland region of South Africa, which is quite a warm, dry climate very similar to Sicily and it looks very similar as well. It’s about an hour north of Cape Town and quite a large region. On the Western boundary you have the Atlantic Ocean and that’s quite breezy, anywhere from 10 to 14 degrees and that moderates the climate, and our Eastern boundary is mountains, so we kind of straddles those and get the two extremes. In winter, it’s not freezing but it’s cold and wet, with very warm, dry summers. 

It’s a big region - if you picture it in your mind, it’s a lot of wheat fields and among these are mountain ranges, either made of granite or sandstone, and that is where you find the quality vineyards. I work with 3 types of soil: sandstone, granite and clay-derived - we call it coffee stain. Granite gives you the more complex, perfumed, higher notes, the clay soils give you more obvious fruit and the sandstones we’re still discovering, but kind of a mix between the others.

Is there much of a natural wine scene there?

Yeah definitely, there are quite a few producers working in this way - 5-6 guys focussing on that style which is nice. But it's a big region so I suppose it's not that much.

Visit Testalonga's RAW WINE profile to learn more about the winery.

Microbio is a winery run by 5th generation winemaker Ismael Gozalo in Nieva, Segovia. His father was the first to bottle the wine in their cellar based just in front of Nieva's church, in a space previously used by local monks. They grow pre-phylloxera Verdejo vines along with others at 8-900m above sea level on sandy soil amongst pine forest. They also buy grapes from Salamanca.

We had the opportunity to speak with Ismael. We hope you enjoy reading our conversation!

Can you tell us about how you came to be a winemaker, and why you make wine in the way you do?

I make wine because I am the 5th generation of my family to do it. I was born in the vines, during October in the middle of harvest. It was not a decision but an imposition to be in this life. Then I decided 24 years ago to focus my life on making wines for people. And I decided to make these kinds of wines because, my whole life, these were the wines I drank with my family. My grandparents, my parents, my whole family never drank wine with any chemicals. For us, this is normal wine - we never say natural wine because for us it is just 'wine'. Healthy wines.

Was there phylloxera there when you took over?

Phylloxera never arrived here because we live in a very sandy place. 60-70% of our land is sandy. It has a natural border of pine trees that fought the phylloxera from coming in. Phylloxera has 4 stages in its life - 1 of them is digging a hole down into the soil. In clay it is hard to drill down and in sand it is very easy but it's unstable and collapses on the way down, so the insects die in the soil and that's what protected our vines from it. 

Yur vineyards are located in high, flat land at around 950m above sea level, that's very sandy. Does that create a bit of a microclimate?

Yes, it's hard in the winter and hard in the summer. We say we have 9 months of winter and 3 months of hell. During winter we can get -18 or -19 degrees C, it's a hard climate here. Usually it's -12 or -14 with a lot of snow. But the problem really is the summer, we can get 42-43 degrees. It's a very dry place with under 50L of rainfall per square meter, when 220-240 is the average. So it's nothing really. The roots are very deep and it is that reason that the plants can feed from the soil, they're 18-20 meters deep. Because of this, we want to preserve the humidity as much as we can.

What's Nieva like? Would you say it's underrated?

We say that we live in the middle of nowhere. Years ago it was a more important village because we lived here with 700 or so people. Now it is just 230-240 people. We have 4 more cellars in the village, which are bigger than ours. Hence 'micro' and 'bio' - we're a small winery working in bio. Easy to remember! But when I was young, here in the village, there was 70-72 wineries, private cellars. Most of the people here produced their own wine, but they are now old or dying, or moving out to live in the capital with their families. It's difficult to live in a small place because most people want more contact with other people. For me it's not an issue as I travel a lot around the world, but for older people they want to see their family and their friends. 

I understand you work with some old vines, so it'd be good to hear a little more about that.

In France, people say vines are old if they're 20-25 years old and very old if they're 40-45 years old. Our youngest vines are 140 years and the oldest are 277 years. For me, that's what old vines are. And they create more concentrated juice. The rest of the vines in the area produce 12-13 tonnes per hectare, and ours produce 2.5 tonnes per hectare. For me, the most important thing is the quality. There is no limit to the quality working from these vines. For me, the trouble is for the rest of the sellers that want to produce cheaper wines without any soul.

Is there any revival of old grapes happening in the region?

I heard about some vines that are more than 300 years old - around 15km from here, in a village called Santiuste, the same age as Chilean vines. There's a special winemaker living there, Esmerelda Garcia, who produces healthy wines from these old vines. 

Visit Microbio's RAW WINE profile to learn more about the winery.

Le Raisin et l’Ange is an organic winery founded by Gilles & Antonin Azzoni in the Rhône where they work with zero intervention and no additives, such as sulfur, yeast, filtration, etc. - "nothing but the grapes."  

We had the opportunity to speak with Antonin about his work. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background - how you came to be a winemaker, and what influenced your style of farming and producing? 

My father started to work in wine about 45 years ago and he was from the south of Paris and wasn't enjoying his life at that time. So he went to Beaune to learn how to cultivate vineyards and make wine first for 2 years, from 1977-78. He learned there then came to Ardèche in 1983 to take on a small farm that he was renting and where the owner let him do what he wanted with it. It had mostly old, hybrid vines at the time then he planted Grenache, Syrah and Viognier and then started to farm them organically in 1997. In 2000, he had his first 100% certified organic vintage and started making natural wine around that time, removing sulfur and yeasts and filtration. A turning point for him was when he first tried wine by Domaine Marcel Lapierre - he tasted it and thought ,"Wow, I have to do the same." The Cuvée Robert was the first wine, named after the owner of the farm. In 2014, I then took on half of the farm where I had grown up, and also started buying grapes. In this region, many people who grow grapes want to sell to the cooperatives, but the coops don't care about organic grapes. So I decided to buy the grapes and make wine naturally, just like my father. The growers are happy because they get paid more and I'm happy because I get to do it how I want.

Can you describe the vineyard and its surroundings? 

Around the farm, it's limestone soil - as is around 80% of south Ardeche. But for the Merlot and the Gamay, which I buy, they're grown next to the Auvergne mountain which is still in Ardeche but has a clay soil. Around 50km north of us you start to have a continental climate, but in France it's sunny and hot around the Mediterranean sea. It's the same for us - we don't get a lot of water and it's around 40 degrees every day in the summer, and stays quite warm in the winter. It can get a bit too hot for me sometimes!

Do you use any sulfites?

Whenever you see Le Raisin et l'Ange, you will know that it means no sulfites, no additives, no nothing. We have a logo on all our bottles that shows that we are 100% organic, hand picked, no sulfites at all, filtration or yeasts as approved by the French administration.

What’s the story behind the name of the winery?

The translation of Le Raisin et l'Ange is The Grape and the Angel - we chose this name because, in the 1990s before my father started making natural wine, the domaine was called Mas de la Bigude. In France, if you want mas, domaine or château in your name, you need to be labelled, but when my father started, he lost the appellation and was really angry because people didn't really know what he was doing. So he created the brand and decided that, even if we got the appellation, we would keep the name.

Visit Le Raisin et l'Ange's RAW WINE profile to learn more about the winery.

Lamiddia is a project in Italy's Abruzzo founded by Davide Gentile and Marco Giuliani in 2010, when they made their first 1,000 bottles. They use a wide range of methods to encourage discovery in their winemaking, but one thing that remains is that they never remove or add anything, but try to find the best expression of each grape.

We had the opportunity to speak with Davide about his work. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background? How did you and Marco meet, and what was your entry point to wine?

Marco and I have known each other since we were 3 years old - we're both from Abruzzo and have known each other forever, really. We went to school together and went to university together in Rome. I studied engineering and Marco studied communications, and it was around that time that we started drinking wine a bit more seriously - drinking more consciously. After my Bachelors degree, I moved to Milan to do my masters in engineering management, and Marco moved to Paris. From there, we started going to a low of wine fairs and tasting a lot of different wines. 

In 2008, we discovered natural wines and our approach to wine changed completely. At the same time, I was working in marketing and innovation at a consultant company and Marco was in sales. We started meeting a lot of winemakers and visited France, Spain, Germany and Italy and had fallen in love with everything about it - not just the result (the wine), but everything that goes into making it. I was in the big city at the time and I saw the love that winemakers had for what they do, and their way of life, it was all very inspiring to me. So in 2010 after some travelling across Beaujolais and Burgundy, we came back and decided to try making some wine for ourselves, to understand how it works.

At my grandmother's house in the mountains, where we have the cellar now, there was a small cantina where my grandfather used to make wine for himself, so we started making wine using this sort of ancestral tool. From the very beginning, we always knew it was possible to make with with just grapes, 100% and nothing else. Upon making it ourselves, we discovered that yes, it's possible, but it's also very difficult. We made five wines to explore the process and, coming back from Beaujolais, we decided to try carbonic maceration, which nobody was doing in Abruzzo. The experience of making wine was so profound for me that I left my job in Milan, moved back to Pescara and then Marco and I rented a small vineyard so that we could continue experimenting. We both worked still to support ourselves.

In 2014, we carried out works to make the cellar legal in terms of health, so this year was our first official vintage and we started selling the wine. We were able to buy a small field and planted it vine by vine, growing slowly to what we are now, which is 8 hectares with two cellars. The first which we call 'Origin' is in the mountains, at my grandmother's house, where we make small quantities of more premium wine, doing everything by hand, pressing by feet and using a barrel, concrete and amphora vessels to age the wine. The old methods. And the second, which we acquired in 2019, we call the 'Urban' because it's a hangar in Pescara where we work a little more technologically. The idea is always the same, but it's a different process.

Ever since the beginning we have liked experimenting - we have 30 different cuvées at the minute, with differing grapes, macerations, vessels, etc. It's a lot, but we like to always experiment and learn, speak to other winemakers to gather inspiration, and treating wine as a science, but there are many variables you cannot control. 

What's the winemaking history where you are?

Where we are, there are no winemakers and no vineyards - only trees, forests, and fields for sheep. But because of climate change, people now want to move into the mountains where we are because on the flat land, or even just a short way down the hill, people are struggling with the heat. We hope that we will be safe here for at least 10 more years.

Visit Lamiddia's RAW WINE profile to learn more.

La Perdida is a project by Nacho Gonzalez in Spain's Galicia region, where he manages a number of vineyards that he inherited from his grandmother. In his work, he focuses on 'soil recovery' and old grape strains, cultivating approx. 4 hectares of vines with a majority of Grenache Tintorera, along with Jerez, Godello, Sumoll, Doña Branca and Palomino.

We had the opportunity to speak with Nacho about his work. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background? About inheriting the vineyards, and whether you had explored winemaking before this?

I inherited my first vineyards from my grandmother. She always made wine at home. She sold some of her grapes and kept some back to make wine for the family to drink that year. I have memories of making wine from when I was a child and harvesting the different vintages. The whole family helped.

I originally trained as a biologist and, in 2011, settled permanently in Valdeorras to work in that field - not at all related to winemaking. But I had the afternoons free, which allowed me to start working in the vineyards that my family had left to me. That first year, I made 600 bottles. The next year, I acquired a winery that had been closed for years - and that's how it all began.

Why is soil recovery important to you and how does this influence the way you work?

Soil is everything. Plant life begins with healthy soil, where all the biological processes that occur in nature can develop. My goal is for the soils of my vineyards to resemble the soil of a forest.

Can you tell me about the old grape strains you work with? Are they unique to Galicia?

They are not exclusive to Galicia - the dominant varieties are Palomino and Garnacha Tintorera that were planted a lot in my area after phylloxera. Consumers in my territory did not value them until now, but to me they are magnificent, and a lot of them old vines. Other varieties that I use are Godello, Dona Branca, Merenzao and Mouraton.

Can you tell me about the different terroirs you work with?

I have different types of soil: clay with slate rock, limestone in a hotter area and granite located at higher altitudes.

What is the wine scene like in Galicia?

Wine without adding anything is complicated because I am practically alone in that. As for my territory, the Godello grape has been promoted and that has caused many large wineries from Ribera del Duero and Rioja to arrive. I don't like this situation - I lived very peacefully before.

Visit La Perdida's RAW WINE profile to learn more.

Gut Oggau is a winery run by Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe-Eselböck in Oggau, out of Austria's Burgenland. They founded the winery after taking over an established property in 2006, and now cultivate 26 hectares of vineyards using biodynamics.

We had the chance to speak with Stephanie and Eduard about their work. We hope you enjoy reading our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background - how you came to be a winemaker, and what influenced your style of farming and producing?

Stephanie: We are based in Austria in the beautiful Burgenland where we bought the estate at the end of 2006. We had our first vintage in 2007 and since then, we have been producing biodynamic and Demeter certified wines. 

Eduard: I come from a wine growing background and my parents used to grow wines in Styria, but in a conventional way. I was never trained to be a wine grower or maker, and studied business administration while helping out at home. But I met my beautiful wife.

Stephanie: And it's such a long time ago, I can't even remember! 

Eduard: But when I met my future wife then, I quickly asked her to marry me and she said yes, luckily, I moved to Burgenland and the only thing we knew was that we wanted to do something together. It wasn't always wine - we could have opened a wine bar or restaurant, because Stephanie has a background in hospitality. But we think looking back, we were looking for a place to create something, and that place was probably also looking for us. Everything kind of fell into place. 

Why did we work biodynamically? Probably because we felt the need, for those old vineyards we took over to get them back in shape, into vitality, to go for the most sensitive approach. And why natural wine? Because we needed to have a wine without any makeup, because the former owners didn't produce wine, they only sold the grapes. So we needed to find out about their potential in a very, let's say, naked way. That's why we didn't intervene in the winemaking originally. There wasn't really a master plan before we took over the estate, more than one thing happened after the other because of the place, and probably because of us creating a vision driven by its potential. 

It was clear from the beginning that we would go for biodynamic certification, but mainly for the sake of being part of a group of interesting biodynamic farmers. And in Austria, there are quite strict rules in wine - for instance, if you want to be Demeter certified, you have to go for natural fermentation.

What was the natural wine landscape like back then and how has it evolved since?

Eduard: The term natural wine didn't exist in 2006. The concept was taking baby steps, but there weren't any discussions between wine growers gathering together to discuss the idea of producing wine naturally. There were some wineries converting to biodynamics, without necessarily working naturally in the cellar, but there was certainly something in the air. 

Now of course, the idea of natural wine has been established. There’s growers coming into the movement in Austria, but from our understanding, the ones taking it really seriously - the 100% natural way - haven’t grown in number all that much. There’s a lot more potential in Austria for people to really jump into the refreshing cold water of the natural wine world, without any risk of drowning. 

How has your winemaking evolved in that time?

Eduard: In the first year, our maceration was quite classic - white wine was directly pressed and red wine was macerated on the skins. In 2016, we started using the same treatment for both reds and whites. It’s always part macerated on skins, part directly pressed - and then we blend according to the feeling of the vintage. The more structured vintages, the more structure we aim for in the wine and vice versa with the more lean or fragile vintages. It’s all about balance between structure, freshness and minerality. 

Can you describe the vineyard and its surroundings? 

Eduard: We work on 26 hectares of vineyards at the moment - two of them are young vines, not in crop yet, and 24 are quite grown up vines. Most are between 40 and 70 years old. That's quite interesting in our area because we are on the west bank of this lake. We have quite diverse soil types here so there's vineyards on the flat land mainly on gravel soil, which is rather poor - there's no loam, no concentration. And then we have those hillsides mostly facing east, southeast, towards the lake, which is mainly limestone from ancient mussel reefs and some rocks. On top there is mostly sand, so it's also quite poor soil. 

We have many different parcels all over, and that's quite typical of our area. Historically, this has been part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and the law claimed that each child would get a piece of land, rather than just the oldest child claiming all the land. So it means that the pieces of land have gotten smaller and smaller over the generations, so we have more than 60 vineyards around the winery. We decided from the beginning to not go into the single vineyard/single grape varietal approach, but to blend each vineyard with the same identity, the same character and the same soil. We base our vineyards more in terms of personality, than say the grape variety. 

How has your work in the field evolved?

Eduard: Every year is a huge evolution - we gain experience, learn and reconsider all kinds of things. In the early years, we took a very cautious approach to biodynamics. We treated the vineyard with sulfites if necessary, and copper - which is hardly ever necessary in our area. But then we got more and more into the idea of strengthening the plants with herbal extracts, which helped us to lower the level of sulfites and copper usage. 

The next step was to integrate this microbiome-like approach in the vineyard - recognising the importance of microorganisms in the soil - and that led us to not only producing compost, but working with a lot of compost extracts both on the plants and the soil. It’s all about strengthening the ‘microbiome’ and as a result, improving their vitality. That’s certainly been a very important step. Another incredible step forwards in the last three years has been working with horses in the vineyards, and there’s much more to come. 

I would say we started out caring about the vines and now, we consider ourselves farmers. We cultivate the land and are working to create more of an ecosystem.

Would you say your relationship to the vines has changed over the years?

Eduard: We never approached our vines to be like milking cows - we were always grateful for what we got from them, so we never pushed them in a certain direction.

Stephanie: Now though I have to say, there’s a desire to change the world that’s getting stronger and stronger. It’s something that drives us every day. That’s the reason he gets out of bed in the morning now rather than, say, producing the best wine. It’s about giving back more than what we’re taking. 

Eduard: If you go into the deeper meaning of what agriculture really is, it has a certain spiritual effect on you. The soil is like mother nature telling you that if you treat it well, you’ll open up more and more opportunities. It’s an opportunity to showcase what’s possible and help people understand how we can make the world a better place - to heal it. It’s something everyone can contribute to and the good thing about vineyards is that, you’re literally creating a message in a bottle. What the vines gives us can be shipped all over the world where it can inspire people. When you open a bottle of our wine, you feel this incredible sense of place, of time, and the humble impact of ourselves. We put a lot of energy, love and passion into these wines and you don’t necessarily have to explain them. You can feel that something special, those forces of nature all bundled into the bottle. It’s a very humbling, very pleasing thing to be able to work with plants that have such incredible potential. 

Would you say your relationship with nature has been enhanced since you’ve been working with horses?

Eduard: Definitely. For us, it’s been a kind of missing link. The energy animals bring is so important for a natural, holistic circle. If you have artisanal wines and vineyards worked by people who care about them, that adds a lot of vitality, but having animals present adds another dimension. 

Rudolf Steiner looks at life as a pyramid: minerals are at the base, which is dead matter that still has a certain reception for cosmic energy; then plants, which are stuck in place and have consciousness, though limited; then animals. Some animals have individual consciousness, but many have a kind of group consciousness - like a beehive or a herd of cattle. They can move and interact with each other in a way that’s very different from plants, and they have more obvious feelings. 

At the top of the pyramid is humans, and we have the capacity to really connect with the animals’ higher energy. Working with the horses, the pyramid is complete. It’s a huge step forward for us. 

What adjustments have you had to make because of climate change?

Eduard: In Austria, the figures are not so much different on average. But the recent year has been really dry and it’s those extremes that are the challenge. If we manage to build up a certain layer of humus, it can hold onto water and nutrients. It’s the best food for all the microorganisms. That’s the main investment we have to make - to build the humus up - through decent doses of compost and breaking the monoculture system with trees and bushes to create a more attractive soil. 

A softer adjustment we’ve had to make is to our mindset - that’s a hard thing to do for many farmers, and for good reason as you have to get out of your comfort zone and see things in a different light. For example, the most challenging situation we’re facing is the water management and how we’ll cope with that. The most obvious solution is to dig deep into the ground and go for irrigation, but if there’s no water coming, there’s no option to take it from the ground. We have to find other ways, rethink the way we plan the vines and how we can protect the water there as well as possible. You have to be ready to invest energy and resources to make your future work. 

How has your relationship to harvest and vintage changed over the years?

Eduard: In recent years, our feeling towards harvest has changed. We contribute so much on a daily basis to making the vineyards and the soil feel comfortable that, when it comes to harvesting, the grapes always turn out very balanced and harmonious, whatever the situation that vintage. So now we always say that it’s going to be alright, because we’re doing everything we can.

This headspace gives us a lot of relief, because we don’t waste a single thought on what the wine will taste like. If we continue to work the way we do, it will all turn out alright. The harvest is just the icing on the cake - we spend the rest of the time baking it. Of course, you have to be super focussed still and only pick the berries when they are perfect, but we don’t have to worry about whether the fruit will shine through in the wine because we know it will. There’s a certain trust we’ve gained in our vineyards. 

Does this carry through to your vinification?

Eduard: Totally. We can talk about natural wine, but we’re talking about living wine. The mindset you have is a treatment in itself. If you’re always stressed around your barrels, there will be little creatures in there getting stressed as well - although modern people might not accept this. Everything is connected and mindset is so important. You don’t need to be a life coach to understand that the way you approach things is how they will turn out in the end. 

We had a beautiful start with our wines, but it’s only been 16, 17 years that we’ve been working with our vineyards. In the life span of a vine, that’s nothing. Even now we are only just at the very beginning. That’s the beauty of the journey. If we continue to work as we do, if we learn our lessons along the way, the next vintage will always be better and more expressive, more energetic because we have another year where we can contribute to the natural balance of it all - and it’s never going to end. 

If you asked us 10 years ago, would we work with horses in the vineyard? Would we do this? Would we do that? We never would have dreamt of these things. But it all just naturally came. It took a while for ideas to develop and be fulfilled, but it’s all been a natural evolution and that’s something we will always continue.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I think it’s important for people to feel encouraged to talk about wine and how it’s made, to ask questions - even if it feels like the question you want to ask is stupid, there are no stupid questions. Even on our side, we are learning something new every year.

Visit Gut Oggau's RAW WINE profile to learn more about the winery.

Dominio del Urogallo is a small winery in Asturias, on Spain's northern coast. It's run by Francisco Asencio, who cultivates the vineyards on steep slopes, using biodynamic viticulture. Francisco also makes wine in Bierzo and the Sherry Triangle.

We had the chance to speak with Francisco about his work. We hope you enjoy reading our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background - how you came to be a winemaker, and what influenced your style of farming and producing?

Up to 2006 or 2007, I was working as a general manager in international renewable energy. I was really into renewable energy, but I was getting tired of being a manager with the level of stress that came with it and I wanted to connect with nature in a deeper way. I had some savings and decided to quit that job so that I could think about doing something different. I thought about making cheese  in Galicia with some friends, and I had always hoped for the opportunity to try and make even a little quantity of wine. 

In 2008, I made wine for the first time - in a bucket! I bought 50kg of grapes and pressed them with my hands. After a few days, I had wine. Not the greatest wine, but I had wine. I was really curious about the winemaking process. I had friends making wine in Bierzo and I sat firmly on the drinking side of the business, but they were good friends who pushed me to start something. They shared their ideas with me, about being connected with nature and making wine with the utmost respect for the vines and for nature.

And you make wine not just in Asturias, but in Bierzo and the Sherry Triangle - which came first?

The first real project was in Asturias. As a drinker, I enjoyed freshness and complexity through minerality, and through structure and texture. Structure that comes from the work in the vineyard, and texture that comes from the ageing process. During a trip to France, I stopped in Asturias and discovered this wonderful place with marvellous vineyards and an opportunity to start something little. That was in 2009, which was the beginning of it all. 

And from there, I'm from the south of Spain, so it was always on my mind to do something closer to home in the Sherry Triangle. I started there in 2015 with my brother, Fernando. And in Bierzo, I have friends who are always inviting me to work with them, so I've been doing that since 2018. 

What would you say defines Asturias and the wines you make there? 

When I think of Asturias in terms of wine, I think of something very fresh and very mineral, because of the climate, the greenery of Asturias and the mountains. We have a very long tradition, with records from the 9th century of monasteries with vineyards and making wine - always with local varieties. These include Albarin, Carrasquin and Verdejo Negro. We used to have a lot of hectares in the area, but in the 1950s, a lot of people abandoned agriculture and their vineyards in favor of mining, which was more lucrative. Now, there are 130-140 hectares across the region, with both pre-phylloxera vines and some new vines of local varieties.

Can you describe the vineyard and its surroundings? 

In Asturias, we're always in the slopes of the mountain. The altitude here ranges from 450-900m above sea level, but always in the mountains and with no flat surfaces. It's green all year long because of the climate and the landscape - mountains and forest with cattle and vineyards. But because of the slopes, the vineyards are all in little plots - we have 13 hectares of vines across 25 plots.   It's very green - nature invades everything! We also have a lot of minerals, quartz and slate in the mountains. Higher up, you get the mother rock with big chunks of slate, and lower down, the slate becomes more degraded.

Can you describe the climate?

In Asturias in general, we have a quite cool and fresh climate, but where we are in the area of Cangas, we have a microclimate that's mainly continental with long cold winters and short warm summers, getting up to 30 degrees centigrade. As we are close to the Atlantic ocean, we have a strong influence from its cool winds.

Is there much of a natural wine scene where you are?

No way. We are the only ones here, as nobody believes in it. The winemakers here tell me I'm crazy and won't get anywhere doing it this way. Of course I respect the older winemakers, but when they see my vineyard with all the green and herbs, they say my vineyard is sick - but it couldn't be healthier! I think it's just a matter of time. They'll get there eventually I'm sure. Sometimes it comes down to fear - the risk is high and tradition means a lot here. 

Visit Dominio del Urogallo's RAW WINE profile to learn more.

Domaine Houillon is an estate in the Côtes du Rhône run by Aurélien and Charlotte Houillon. They make wine using the late Jules Chauvet's winemaking approach - Chauvet, a wine négociant who worked at La Chapelle-de-Guinchay in the Beaujolais, has been coined the 'Godfather of natural wine'.

We had the chance to speak with Aurélien and Charlotte about their work, with Charlotte translating for her partner. We hope you enjoy reading the conversation.

Can you tell me about your backgrounds - how did you come to make wine together?

Aurélien has been in vineyards since he was around 5 years old, because he and his family are very close to Pierre Overnoy. He started out working with Pierre and his brother Emmanuel in the Jura, and they exchanged a lot of ideas on nature and spirituality. He has always been in wine, especially natural wine - it only felt right to follow Pierre's approach. Aurélien likes to say that he doesn't know any different. 

After that, he spent some time in Switzerland at another winery. I'm from Switzerland and had been a historian studying old manuscripts, but left this career to work as an animal traction service provider. That's how I met Aurélien - I came to work on the vines on the estate where he worked. Then we decided to set up a winery together. We found the domaine here in Côtes du Rhône in 2017 and fell in love with it. It's quite small and the vines are all around the house, so just the two of us can work it by ourselves. 

What's your approach to growing and making wine, and what has influenced this approach? 

Of course, the most important thing is to respect nature, water and the consumer, and to work without any input. Because we were working in this way, it felt natural for us to work with horses in the field and make our own wine labels out of vines. To do this, we take the outer layer of the vine shoots and cook it with baking soda or ash, then bleach or dye it using pigments and turn it into paper using a traditional, old European frame. 

It comes from the idea that we use everything in our domaine - there's no waste, so it's a circular system. The outside of the bottle reflects the inside. What's most important is to us is that we respect and reflect the environment, but we also prefer this kind of wine. When we converted the domaine to organics - and then some - we saw such change. First, the insects started coming back, then the birds, then all the different plants. We've been able to really witness the impact of this work.

Can you tell me about where you are in the Côtes du Rhône, and the grapes, climate and traditions that define the region? 

We are in what we call the north of the south region. We are north from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and have typical grapes of this region - Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, but we are also now looking for ancient varieties, like Bourboulenc and Picardan. We want to start making white wines and struggle with drought, and these varieties aren't so demanding of water. It's also what our customers want. For this wine, Indigo, we use Syrah - a variety more common in the north.

Is there much of a natural wine scene?

Not really - not in the true sense. We don't put anything into our wine and there's not many people here working like us. There's an expression in French that translates to 'natural and a half', which is what we say we are. Aurélien is used to Jura, where there are a lot more natural winemakers, so it's different here and can be a challenge. But there are some newcomers and it's developing, which is good.

Can you describe the vineyard and its surroundings? 

We have nine hectares of total land, including woods, horses, ponies and donkeys, with five hectares of vines. We also have a small river and some hills, so it's not as flat as other areas in the Côtes du Rhône. It's a very old vineyard. The majority of our vines are 50 years old, and we have two vineyards which are 70 years old. This is also why we produce quite a low volume, and another reason we're looking to plant some whites. 

Can you describe the soil?

We have clay soil, which is very sticky. It's also quite useful because we have a rainy period during fall and winter, so get a lot of water at this time, but after that it's completely dry for many months and the soil becomes very hard. In some places, we have a little bit of compacted sand, which melts when it rains and mixes with the clay.

Visit Domaine Houillon's RAW WINE profile to learn more.

Domaine La Boheme is a winery in Saint-Georges-sur-Allier, in France's Auvergne region. It's run by legendary natural winemaker Patrick Bouju and partner Justine Loiseau, who manage 9 hectares and buy grapes from other growers to make their wine.

We had the chance to speak with Patrick and Justine about their work. We hope you enjoy reading our conversation.

Patrick, can you tell me about your background in chemistry and the military, and how you came to be a winemaker?

Patrick: I didn't start making wine until 1997 - I had studied organic chemistry in Clermont-Ferrand and didn't want to be a winemaker. It wasn't a passion at first. While I was studying, it was obligatory for all men to serve in the French military. Because of this, I had to go to Burgundy from 1995 to 1996. While I was there, I met a lot of winemakers and learned how to make chemical wine - very few people were making natural wine there at the time. But then I met Dominique Derain, who was working in this way. So I took what I had learned with me to Auvergne. I made a lot of vinegar in the beginning, but it was all a learning experience. I learned from makers in Auvergne and Beaujolais, but it wasn't like it is now - there weren't a lot of people you could learn from. People didn't want to buy natural wine either. The year I made my first cuvée, I couldn't live off the income, so I worked both in the vineyard and also for IBM. Then in 2004, I met some some Japanese people who started to import my wine over there. This was the first step to being able to make a living from wine.

And how about yourself Justine - what's your background and what was your entry point to wine?

Justine: I studied communications in Paris, where I grew up. My course was half school and half practical, so I worked three days a week. During the evenings, I worked in restaurants with my aunt in a very posh area of the city. I started to realise I didn't want to work in communications, but in restaurants. I started learning about classic wine, in classic restaurants. In 2012, my friend Jane Drotter opened a restaurant, Yard, and she introduced me to natural wine - along with Fleur Godart and Clovis Ochin. We started organising tastings at the restaurant and that's how I met Patrick. We've known each other for 10 years now and, at the beginning, I travelled back and forth between Paris and Auvergne. I visited a lot but was scared to move to the countryside because I had grown up in Paris and was used to that way of life. Then, I lost my job and my apartment, so I made the decision to go to Auvergne. I found it really interesting, hard of course - you make a lot of mistakes early on - but you get to be creative and now, we get to do it together. We are a good team.

Patrick, what stage were you at with the winery when Justine joined you?

Patrick: When I started making wine, I worked alone and made only a few bottles. I didn't want to grow too much - 3-4 hectares initially - because it would be too much to manage by myself. Later, I got an employee who helped me. Then I started to buy grapes because we had some issues in the vineyard which meant we lost a lot of grapes. When Justine came to live here, it was an opportunity to grow more grapes, produce more wine and develop. We are a good team - we work a lot like a lab. We have a lot of projects and Justine helps me realise my dreams. The life of a winemaker isn't just to grow grapes and make wine, you also have a lot of administration and logistics, and Justine manages this side of things. We come up with all of our ideas together.

What would you say has most influenced your approach to growing and producing? 

Patrick: For me, I have a lot of allergies, so I can't drink with with sulphites. That's why it was really important to me to be able to make a wine that's completely natural. As I said, I didn't want to be a winemaker at first, but because I was drinking a lot of natural wine, I was heavily influenced by makers such as Gilles Azzoni, Claude Courtois, Domaine du Peyra, Guy Breton and Jean Maupertuis. And we're like family now. We always talk about wine.

Justine: My wine education originally came from my family, who had very classical tastes. My grandpa always drank white wine from Burgundy and red wine from Bordeaux. In 2012, when I met Clovis Ochin, he made me taste Jean-Yves Péron's Vers La Maison Rouge from Savoie and it blew my mind. I saw that you could have light wines with a lot of complexity, and it opened my mind to what's possible.

Can you tell me about Auvergne and the grapes, climate and traditions that define the region? 

Patrick: At the beginning, Auvergne was not very famous. There's a mountain so the vineyard sits at 500m altitude. There's a lot of volcanic characteristics - a lot of basalt and limestone with volcanic influence in the soil. It's a very unique biodynamic terroir. The climate is very fresh, giving good acidity to the wine. The main variety you find here is Gamay d’Auvergne. For me it’s one of the best Gamays, as it has a more spicy flavour and is more rustic than Gamay Beaujolais. There's also a lot of old vineyards. People having been making wine for their own consumption for a long time, so there's a lot of vines over 100 years old. It's a very unique experience to work with these grapes. 

What grapes do you grow and how many hectares do you work with now?

Patrick: Now, we have 9 hectares - 2 of Chardonnay, 2.5 of Pinot Noir and the rest is all Gamay d'Auvergne. 

What’s next for the Domaine?

Patrick: What we’re interested in now is planting new vines - of Gamay d'Auvergne, Pinot Noir and some other grapes, such as Sauvignon - and building a new cellar. We also want to develop the vineyards we buy from and find some good, different grapes. Why not in Burgundy, for example? Why not try vilifying different varieties?

Visit Domaine de la Bohème's RAW WINE profile to learn more about the winery.

Vinca Minor is a Berkeley-based winery run by grower and maker Jason Charles, supported by his wife Emily Charles, who runs the programming and events, and their daughter Ava. They work with historic vineyards, with a particular focus on old vine Carignan.

We had the chance to speak with Jason about his work. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background, and how you came to be a winemaker?

I grew up in Lapeer, Michigan which is a small town in the midwest. I didn't grow up with wine - I grew up wanting to become a photojournalist, and that allowed me to travel after my college years. Living in Spain, specifically Barcelona, in my twenties, I was young, and curious and inspired, and even though I had no wine knowledge, I became very interested culturally in what was happening with food and wine in general, and very quickly I realized how important wine was culturally. From there, I moved to New York City to continue pursuing photojournalism, and I ended up in the restaurant industry. There, I think I very quickly realized that I was surrounded with some really, really thoughtful and talented wine professionals and there were a lot of European producers coming into town. I started going to tastings and that's really where I fell in love with wine. My wife and I made a trip to California back in around 2006, in Napa and Sonoma and I think it was then that I realised I wanted to make a career change. I moved to California, got a job in Napa Valley as a production assistant and that's where it began.

How did you go from there to having your own winery?

You know, I was really lucky. There was a gentleman in Napa that I worked with called Luc Morlet, who's originally from Champagne. He was a consulting winemaker in Napa and also had his own estate. I was lucky because I was working on his production team and once in a while, he would send me with his farming team to prune and work in the vineyards, and on other days I'd be with him at a different property where he'd be consulting. Within just a couple of years, I was able to see every side of production, from farming to the cellar, and even going to fairs and selling wine. It sort of expedited the process of of learning very, very quickly and I realised I was able to start making my own decisions and the direction that I wanted to go in one day if I had the opportunity to make my own wine.

Do you have your own vineyards or buy your grapes?

We don't own any vineyards but I have aligned myself with a handful of growers who have been around for generations in Northern California. For example, the old vine Carignan is farmed by Pete Johnson, who is a sixth generation grape grower and he's been organic since day one. He's certified and he just an incredible farmer. He's been doing this for generations, so as a winery, we have aligned ourselves with with growers like Pete and we get access to these incredible grapes and have developed these really special relationships in Northern California, specifically Mendocino.

For us, it's always been about telling the story of some of these incredible vineyards up in Northern California and work incredibly minimally. It's really important for us to tell the story of the growers and to make energetic, bright and fresh wines - whether it's rosé or red, that's our style across the board. We love to explore Mendocino's history, specifically through the lens of Carignan, just very bright and energetic and focused. That's very much our style across the board and but also you know for us, we just love to explore.

Was it a conscious choice to work with more historic vineyards, and old vines for Carignan?

It wasn't initially. It started because I was working in Napa and I knew I was about to start a small wine brand. I was priced out of Napa and I also had no real interest  in working with Cabernet. I had a few friends who were already working in Mendocino, with some some old vine Zinfandel and Mourvedre, then some Carignan became available and I had never really worked with it before. And to be honest, very early on my in my career, I had never really had that many 100% Carignans. So there were just a few things that checked the box for me. I had access to vineyards that were probably 100 years old, so to me that right away seemed incredibly special - that I, as a young winemaker, could access these really old grapes. Then on top of that, they were certified organic and I just very quickly connected with the region. 

That was where it began, and then over time I realized that working with old vine fruits was just incredible. Here we are in Northern California amongst all this history. A lot of these vineyards were planted in the late 1800s and still farmed by the same family. I fell in love with the Carignan, the fruit and the vineyards, and every year we've just been kind of digging in a little bit further, exploring more and learning more. And it's really just trying to tell the story.

What's the natural wine scene like in California, and how have you seen it evolve?

What's happening right now in Northern California is truly exciting. It feels like it just keeps growing, and the community just keeps getting stronger and stronger. When I launched Vinca Minor back in 2013, I don't really think there was a whole lot of discussion around natural wine. Of course, there was Tony Coturri as early as the 1970s, and a few other producers, but it still felt very underground and very niche. Fast forward to 2023, and this past weekend I was able to present my wines at a really incredible, thoughtful wine fair up in Sonoma called Big Wine Fest up in the Redwoods and I was surrounded by natural winemakers. A lot of them were just beginning their kind of their winemaking journey and making a couple hundred cases. The natural wine scene is really growing.

Are you seeing any impact from climate change in the work that you do?

Over the past few years in California in general, there's there's been a lot of fires and I think we are going to keep having to deal with that. Some years are going to be pretty mellow, and other years are going to be a little bit more intense, and that will help us change our picking decisions and the way we choose to ferment. And we are starting to work with other fruits, like apples and pears. I feel like we just have to keep evolving. I don't think any of us are going to leave California. We absolutely love it here and, at the end of the day, the quality of life and the history of the vineyards will allow us to continue to make wine. It's just about adapting. 

What's the meaning of the name, Vinca Minor?

Vinca Minor is the Latin translation for the flower periwinkle, which is this really pretty purple flower. And the words Vinca Minor felt very abstract and like I could use it and it mean many things. It gives me a lot of freedom to work within that.

Visit Vinca Minor's RAW WINE profile to learn more about the winery, and discover which RAW WINE fairs they're pouring at soon.

Scythian Wine Company is a project by sommelier turned winemaker Rajat Parr and philosophy professor turned winemaker Abe Schoener, who collaborate to make natural wines from organic, dry farmed 100+ year old vines from the Cucamonga Valley in southern California.

We had the chance to speak with Rajat about Scythian's work. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background - how you came to be a winemaker and what has influenced you along the way, prior to starting Scythian Wine Company?

I started out working in restaurants for 18 years, mostly drinking European - French - wine, and getting to know the history of it definitely got me interested, in learning about the vines and how they differ around the world. That's how it got me. Old vines in particular because, in the new world and in California especially, there's a lot more younger vineyards and so hearing that historical side really got my interest.

What led to you starting Scythian Wine Company? How did you and Abe Schoener cross paths?

I met Abe in around 2010 when I was working in a restaurant in San Francisco, I had my own restaurant there, and we connected on the topic of old vines. Then around 2018, he spent some time in Santa Barbara and was going to move to LA to start the Scholium Project - I think his first vintage was 2019. He and Christina Rasmussen came to LA at the same time and the three of us started kind of driving around Southern California looking at vineyards, at some of the old vineyards Abe had told me about. I had no idea about it really. That's when he started LA River Wine Company in 2019 and made the first vintage, so that's how we discovered all these vineyards, mostly drinking European wine. 

Why were old vines so interesting to you? Why do they matter from a historical perspective?

Everyone in France and Spain would mention how old vines are better vines, so to me I always had this idea about old vines and then I went to the Canary Islands in 2017 and saw some vines which were 2-300 years old, which just got me intrigued. I came back to California and asked a friend of mine, where are the old vines in California? Who told me either up north in Sacramento or south of LA. It was just the history side of things and how much the Europeans admired old vines that got us interested. 

Can you tell me about your other project, Phelan Farm, and how you work there?

Phelan Farm is where I live now, in Cambria. It's maybe 5-6 hours north of the vineyards in Cucamonga and we have 4.5 hectares of vines and some apples. We grow other things here, but mainly grapes. It's a very different climate. It's very coastal, cool, foggy and wet as opposed to the Cucamonga, which is warm and dry, and very sunny. Here at Phelan Farm, we have mostly Jura and Savoie varieties and farm in a regenerative way, with no chemicals in the vineyards or the cellar. 

Visit Scythian Wine Company's RAW WINE profile to learn more about the winery, and discover which RAW WINE fairs they're pouring at soon.

Old World Winery is a small, family-owned winery and farm run by fourth-generation winemaker Darek Trowbridge. For 20 years, Darek has used organic and biodynamic methods to make dry farmed, hand picked wines, using techniques learned from his grandfather Lino Martinelli.

We had the chance to speak with Darek about his work. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

Can you tell me about your background - how you came to be a winemaker, and what influenced your style of farming and producing?

I was born into winemaking, my mom’s side of the family - Martinelli is the name - there is a Martinelli here in California that’s considered a cult Pinot Noir winery and my uncle owns it. My grandfather though, his dad, was the one I wanted to be like. When I was a kid I worked with him and went over to the ranch, really I idolized the ranch, and he was a winemaker. So I drank natural wine as a kid, but I didn’t know it as that. All he did was talk about his process, he never said he was strictly natural - there was none of that conversation ever. Fast forward to getting a bachelors degree in viticulture and a masters degree in winemaking, it was during my masters that I was like, “Oh shit, this isn’t what I want to learn to do!” They were teaching me manufacturing, how to do chemical ads, use the equipment and how to make wine, sure partially with your hands, but most likely some you’re never going to touch. 

At that time, I was like, well what did I grow up drinking? The wines we were making at school were simple and I didn’t like the process using freeze-dried yeast and a singular yeast. One of our grad school brethren was doing his thesis on native yeast - not necessarily natural wine, but native yeast as the best way to ferment from French tradition. And that’s when I learned that it’s 25 species and there’s a complexity of the palette that I’d already zeroed out to and you had to have that to get past zero, to be enjoyed. So I had to relearn all that and had a couple of years with my grandfather before he died, asked him a bunch of questions and realized he was making natural wine. 

When I started Old World back in 1998 and there was no such name, and organic wine was a real problem in California in the 80s. People needed sulfite-free wine so certain wineries just started making wine without sulfur, but they didn’t have the long tradition of France of that possibility so let’s just say there were a few endeavors that nobody really wanted to drink. So you kind of didn’t want to be associated with that. I called it Old World which is confusing because I’m not an old world winery. But it just alludes to the information that came from my great grandfather who came to the US from Italy, through to my grandfather, who were making wine the way wine was made for hundreds of years. There was never any question, never anything to add. It wasn’t until recently that the term natural wine came out and that we could have a discussion about what that meant. 

How has it been for you to navigate the change in natural wine’s popularity?

I felt like a surfer - I’d been waiting all these years for that wave to come in. For 15 years it had been a struggle. I was a small town kid making wine and trying to sell it, calling it natural, and that was really difficult. So when the wave started coming in, I thought, thank God - I’ve been waiting all my life for this. 

But to continue with the surfer analogy, I felt like I was sitting on my board and the waves were just passing me by. It was a pretty lonely feeling and unexpected, because the wave had a specific taste in mind that I hadn’t really understood. What a proper marketer would know if the kind of style and flavor people want - but that’s not the way I was going about it. I was just trying to make the terroir-focussed red wine I could with tannin, and that’s not what people wanted at the time. People wanted carbonic maceration which I really don’t like, and I was already making skin contact whites but when the wave came in, I lost my sources. I was doubly out and it was even more difficult for that to happen. 

And then I changed my ways and started making some lighter, more fruit forward wines which I really enjoy. And I think that tannin is still yet to be discovered in the natural wine scene. There are many undiscovered flavor profiles that wine is capable of.

What's your approach to farming?

I farm many different small places - that's how you do it in California because land pricing is so expensive. I don't own vineyard land, I own the land the winery is on but I can’t afford more land than that. So I lease vineyard acreage which means I do all the farming and take all the risk and pay a sum to the landowner each year. 

I farm each vineyard regeneratively using a composted mulch to grow microbiology that revives old dead soil that has been tilled for way too long. Each vineyard is dry farmed (non-irrigated) with no tillage (soil disturbance).

I am a person who cares about ecology and the owners of the vineyards I lease usually share the same. They want organic farming next to their house so they can feel safe from pesticides, that’s how I become involved.  

Do you use any sulfites?

I don't use sulfites in the farming or in making, but at bottling will add around 25 parts per million to make it a little more stable for shipping, and I've never found that to be noxious or a problem. I'm super sensitive to sulphur. 

Visit Old World Winery's RAW WINE profile to learn more, and discover which RAW WINE fairs they're pouring at soon.

Hello fellow wine explorers.

I hope you are all happily ensconced in spring. I love this time of year as everything is bathed in the hope of heat and light and rebirth. Hello, hello, hello says the world, and we feel our spirits rise.

So in keeping with the dynamism of this reawakened energy, this month's selection definitely has a spring in its step. All the wines (bar Bucephale) are light and/or floral in essence. Here's to wishing you a happy, peaceful season of growth.

Happy tasting and warmest wishes,

Isabelle Legeron MW, Founder of RAW WINE‌

Pino Román, Pet Nat Pais, Itata, Chile, 2022

Pino Román is a small low intervention winery run by Ignacio Pino Román in Chile's Itata Valley. After studying oenology and travelling to different wine regions, Ignacio returned home in 2016 and in 2018, began sourcing grapes from small producers in the region to make local wines that speak for themselves.

Q&A with Ignacio Pino Román

Can you tell me about your background - when did you decide to study oenology, where did you study and which regions did you visit during that time?

My family is from the countryside and my father rears livestock. He also practices rodeo. From a very young age, I've been deeply involved in the countryside. I attended an agricultural school, where we made wine. It was there that my passion for wine was born. I then studied oenology, travelling to Alentejo in Portugal, Marlborough in New Zealand, and Napa in the US, as well as various regions across Chile. I came to Itata in 2016 and started making my own wine in 2018 - but have been making wine since 2003. Now, I'm credited as a winemaker that represents this region by the National Winemakers Association in Chile.

What did you learn from your travels and what made you decide to come back to Itata and focus on local grapes?

This decision was driven by the sensitivity of Itata's local producers and their connection to nature, their surroundings, the soil and the vines. That's what drew me here and that same sensitivity has grown in me over the years. I also realised that Itata has world class potential - that's why I work to elevate the region.

Can you tell me about Itata, and the climate and traditions that define the region?

Itata is perhaps the most traditional of all Chilean winemaking regions. There are over 4,000 small producers with an average of 3 hectares each. They've kept a tradition alive that was brought here by the Jesuits. An example of this tradition is Pipeno, one of the oldest traditional products to come out of Chile. It acts as an anthropological mirror, through which we can interpret the changes in our culture over the 400 or so years that it has been in production. Pipeno has been looked down on for a long time. As with a lot of winemaking countries, we have a lot of French influence here. It's an aspiration of mine to elevate Pipeno's status and return pride to local producers, who might even feel ashamed to make it. Before starting my project, I visited over 300 producers to see what their aspirations were and made sure those I worked with were also reviving local traditions.

What's your winemaking philosophy?

My focus in making wine is to interpret the terroir and let the grapes speak for themselves. I accomplish this with small scale, artisanal batches and ensure my methods are socially, economically and environmentally responsible.

Are there many others working in this way in Itata?

Unfortunately, not a lot. In the 1990s, a lot of technocrats came over to Chile to sell agricultural products to growers. Demand for these products took off, and they took over a lot of the traditional, more natural winemaking methods. Because they came from abroad, there was a perception that they were superior. Another factor influencing this is that the big industry players, who buy fruit from local producers, pay way below the cost it takes to grow the grapes. As such, this causes producers to look for methods and products to increase yield. But when I work with a producer, it's really important to me that they are working in a natural, sustainable way.

How many producers do you work with and how many hectares does that cover?

I work with 5 producers, all coastal vineyards in Itata, and each with 3 hectares.

Which vineyard are these Pais grapes from? Can you tell me about the landscape, climate and soil?

They come from a vineyard called Los Pellines, in the municipality of Trehuaco. It's an old vineyard, over 60 years in age. The vines are all dry farmed, and climate-wise, I believe it's one of the coolest sites in all of Itata. For a couple of years, we have been working together to maintain cover crop and to make sure carbon is replenished, microbial life is nurtured, fungal life is growing in the soil and that the soils are sufficiently fed with nutrients. Thanks to the oceanic influence and cool weather, we get a lot of phenolic ripeness, without the acidity and sugar getting too high. Just fresh, low alcohol wines.

Can you talk me through the winemaking process?

In the vineyard, there are only a couple of applications of sulfur, just to keep the fungal load down. The vines are fertilised with an algae based formula. The grapes are harvested by hand in April, later than other plots I work with due to the freshness of the site. We transport the grapes in small crates, then destem and macerate them for just two hours in open flex tanks, which gives the wine a lovely pale pink colour. We then transfer the juice to stainless steel tanks, where it ferments spontaneously. As well as the vineyard, the winery itself is cool, so the grapes get a long, gentle fermentation that takes up to 25 days. We then bottle at 10g/L of sugar, leave it to ferment through the winter and into spring, when we disgorge.

What are the total sulfites per liter?

We don't add any sulfites during the winemaking process, so the levels are very low - 5mg/L.

How would you describe the wine?

It's a very complex wine with aromas of strawberry and raspberry, a little bit of prickly tannin, and between that and the acid, it has a really extraordinary character.

How does this vintage, 2022, compare to others?

The 2022 came in late compared to other vintages, so this wine is even more complex than usual.

When is it best enjoyed? Now or later, if people want to age it further in the bottle?

Thanks to the acidity, it can age for up to 3 years. The low alcohol level is the only thing that would stop it from being suitable for ageing longer.

Any food pairings you’d recommend?

I would recommend it as an aperitivo because it is fresh, and perfect for a warm sunny day in the park or before dinner. If you're thinking of pairing it with food, you might go with more concentrated seafood dishes like bouillabaisse, roasted vegetable dishes like ratatouille, or duck rillettes. It's a playful wine, suited to warmer temperatures.

Isabelle's thoughts on Pet Nat País - Pino Roman is a young, talented producer I met out in Chile in October 2023. He makes complex, moreish wines, and this saignée (a pink made from a red grape) is no exception. Refreshing and precise, it is a very pretty pet nat with notes of wild strawberry, freshly cracked pepper and floral lilac.

TOTAL SULFITES: 5mg/L

Bariou & Bodet, Cheninpan Chenin Blanc, Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau, Loire, France, 2021

Bariou & Bodet is a winery run by Jennifer Bariou and Thibaut Bodet in Touraine, in the central Loire appellation of Azay-le-Rideau. Founded in 2015, Jennifer and Thibaut cultivate 9 hectares of vines using biodynamic farming methods and work using minimal intervention.

Q&A with Jennifer Bariou & Thibaut Bodet - (interview pending - work in progress).

Isabelle's thoughts on Cheninpan - Chenin Blanc from the Loire is hard to beat, and Cheninpan is no exception. Featuring notes of ripe Sicilian lemon peel, vanilla bean and bitter almond, it is also smokey and lean with a balancing mineral tension.

TOTAL SULFITES: 25mg/L

La Araucaria, Rosado, DO Valle de la Orotava, Tenerife, Spain, 2022

Bodega La Araucaria is a winery in Tenerife's DO Valle de la Orotava, founded by Dolores Cabrera Fernández in 2014. After studying viticulture and working at Bodegas Monje as the head viticulturist for 10 years, Dolores decided to start her own project, focussing on centenarian vineyards.

Q&A with Dolores Cabrera Fernández

Can you tell me about your background - when you decided to study viticulture and your work at Bodegas Monje?

I studied at agricultural school in the 1990s, because I was interested in the environment as a whole and not just vines. I dedicated myself to viticulture because of my uncle who made his own wine. I helped him every weekend and really enjoyed it. When I finished my studies, I started working with the regulatory council of Tacoronte. I had to visit wineries, oversee the harvests and the quantity of grapes coming from each plot.

That's where I met Felipe Monje, who invited me to work with him at Bodegas Monje to manage the vineyard. I worked there until 2002, when I went to work at the El Penitente winery, focussing on winemaking. I always wanted to work naturally because I have always been conscious of the damage we are doing to the environment. In 2012, there was a crisis here, and I started my own project on an abandoned plots of vines which I leased and, in 2014, I started making my own wine.

What made you decide on the Valle de la Orotava?

I've been working here for over 20 years and I love it. I also love the 'cordon trenzado' - a historic vine training system used in Tenerife, where the vines are braided as they grow and held a couple of feet above the ground with canes. The method allows the land to be used for other crops. We use this method and plant many potatoes under the vines.

What is your winemaking philosophy?

It's all about more care in the field and less intervention in the winery! We try to have minimal influence on the winemaking process. That's why we hand pick the grapes so that they arrive in a perfect state at the winery. Due to drought, many old vines are dying and we are replacing them with a system called 'rebating' or 'layering.' It's very labor-intensive but more effective than other systems.

I understand you also work with neighbouring growers to encourage organic farming methods. Can you tell me about your work in this area and how it's going?

There has been a great change here since we stopped using chemical treatments, and people see that natural agriculture works. It costs less in the way of products, and the yields are very good. We just have to observe and treat only when necessary with sulfur, bentonite, diatomaceous earth and cinnamon, as well as horsetail against mildew, but as it doesn't rain, we haven't used this for years.

Can you tell me about Orotava, and the grapes, climate and traditions that define the region?

The vineyards in Orotava are in small terraces facing the sea, which are impossible to cultivate using machines. Altitude ranges from 400 to 800 meters above sea level. The region has a tropical climate with oceanic winds from the North Atlantic, which allow the crops to stay fresh.

Our vineyard is over 100 years old, with a density of 1,000 vines per hectare, all on stony volcanic soil. We plant rootstock directly into the ground since there's no phylloxera in the Canary Islands. I leave the surrounding vegetation so that insects and rabbits have something to eat and don't attack the vines.

Is there much of a natural wine scene in Tenerife?

More and more young people are starting to make natural wine, but they underestimate the work in the field. It's important to focus on the field, the essence of what we do. The evolution is also very slow - people don't understand natural wine here, so most sales are made abroad. Change is happening, but it's very slow. The main thing for me is to work in a way that respects our mother earth. The people here are very simple - we share, we talk and we laugh. We are lucky to have that.

What grapes do you grow and how many hectares do you work with?

We have a lot of Listán Negro, Rosado, Blanco and Vijariego on the island of Hierro. pH and acidity are very important to maintain the wines, so I love varieties that have a lot of acidity. I have 5 hectares of vines in total.

90% of the people working vineyards in Orotavo are women. The vines are the hardest part of what we do, but it's a very feminine thing here. What's worrying, though, is that these women are all older. We don't know who will replace them further down the line.

What grapes have you used for this wine?

It's 100% Listán Negro, some from Hacienda Perdida and some from Montijo.

Can you tell me about the vineyard they come from, the landscape, climate and soil?

Perdida is a high altitude vineyard with small terraces which are open to the sea. The vines are over 100 years old and grow in volcanic soil using the 'cordon trenzado' method. The last official analysis showed zero residue, meaning there are no residual chemicals on this plot. I applied for certification, but it takes time. Montijo also has vines over 100 years old in volcanic soil, and the same growing system.

Can you talk me through the process of making this wine?

Harvesting was done in early September and I'm there to weigh and select the grapes. They are destemmed in an old wooden press and transferred to a stainless steel tank. That's 50% of the grapes. The other 50% are destemmed and passed into another stainless steel tank with the skins. I leave this to macerate for 6-8 hours, then I press and blend it with the first batch. The first gives me more freshness, mouthfeel and structure, and the second gives me more color and aroma. The yeasts are from the field. When the density reaches 9.0-9.1, I transfer the wine to another tank and leave it there with the fine lees. Over the coming months, I taste it and analyze it a lot. I've been lucky that this rosé has stayed well with a total and natural sulfur between 11 and 14 mg/L. I bottle in April.

Do you use any sulfites and what are the total sulfites per liter?

I haven't used anything for 2-3 years as the grapes have adapted to the weather and are very stable.

How would you describe the wine?

This rosé is special because it's different from other rosés. It smells like chestnut, white flowers and nuts. You can tell it's a wine made with red grapes. It's also a fresh wine with low alcohol content.

How does this vintage, 2022, compare to others?

2022 was quite warm. We harvested a month earlier than usual, due to climate change, but grapes were very healthy and it turned out well.

When is it best enjoyed? Now or later, if people want to age it further in the bottle?

People can enjoy this wine whenever they want since it's very light.

What’s the story behind the name of the project, La Araucaria?

Araucaria is a beautiful, huge tree that represents the estate. It can be seen from all parts of the area. It's over 200 years old.

Any food pairings you’d recommend?

It has structure, so it works well with paella, vegetable stew, sautéed mushrooms and chicken dishes.

Isabelle's thoughts on Rosado - This pale salmon-colored wine sings of the turbulence of its volcanic, windswept, Atlantic terroir. Crunchy and mineral, it is crisp, intense, smokey and saline with notes of blueberry, prickly pear and watermelon. Uncompromising and savory, it is also a little reduced so make sure you decant it to give it time to air and relax.

TOTAL SULFITES: <10mg/L

No Control, Babinou, Auvergne, France, 2022

No Control is an estate in the north of the Puy de Dôme, run by Vincent Marie. They cultivate 6.5 hectares of vines in a diverse range of terroirs that impart a distinctive volcanic influence and minerality.

Q&A with Vincent Marie

Can you tell me about your background - what was your entry to the world of wine and how did you engage with it before starting No Control?

As a student I attended a lot of natural wine tastings in Normandy, learning from people who had been working in wine for a very long time - such as the late legend Christian Chaussard - so I've been in this world since I was 20 years old. But before becoming a winemaker, I worked in sports marketing for 10 years. I decided at that point that I wanted to make wine myself, so started studying in Alsace. From the tastings, I already knew Bruno Schueller and Patrick Meyer, so asked them if it was possible to work with and learn directly from them.

What made you decide to begin your own project, and why Puy de Dôme?

I wanted to really live my passion. I learned a lot through the tastings I had done, and connected with a lot of French winemakers. I love Auvergne wine, so thought it would be a good place to have my own winery. It has a lot of different soils and a great climate, and I love Gamay.

Can you tell me about the climate and traditions that define the region?

Puy de Dôme is a really amazing place, because of its volcanic activity. You find a lot of different soil varieties - argile/clay, calcareous, granite and sand. You also get a western wind and little rain, because of the vineyard being in the shadow of volcanic mountains. It sits at a slight altitude of 500m above sea level. It's like Alsace, really. Fresh during the night, so you get a lot of freshness in the wine and not much alcohol.

We also harvest very late. At first, I harvested in mid-October, but with climate change and to make sure we retain that freshness, harvest is now around mid-September. Another good thing about Puy de Dôme is that, like Burgundy and Beaujolais, you see a lot of variety in the land. One of my plots is surrounded by forests, vegetables and fruit. It's not just wine that's cultivated here.

Is there much of a natural wine scene?

In total, there's around 50 wineries in the area, of which, 10-15 are small vineyards working in this way.

What grapes do you grow and how many hectares do you work with?

I work with around 6.5 hectares now, all farmed organically. For red, I grow Pinot Noir, Gamay and Syrah - the Gamay is the most important grape. And for white, I grow Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner and Auxerrois - the cousin of Pinot Blanc.

Which grapes have you used for Babinou?

For Babinou, the grapes I use are a little bit different. They don't come from my vineyard, but from growers that I work with. In 2021, I started purchasing grapes. So for this vintage, there's some Muscat from Puy de Dôme, Chenin from Anjou, Chardonnay from Jura, and Gamay from Auvergne. When I am deciding which growers to work with, I look for organic farming of course, and also just a connection to the person. For example, the Chardonnay comes from Valentin Morel from Poligny, who I studied with in Alsace. We learned how to be winemakers together.

Can you talk me through the process of making this wine?

I harvested the Chardonnay and Muscat in mid-September and the Chenin and Gamay around the 20-25th. I pressed the white grapes, before putting the Gamay in the juice to infuse, kind of like a tea, for 10 days. This is because I want to achieve a very light red wine, but with some of the flavour of white wine - no tannins, not too much structure, just a red colour and fruity taste. It then ages for 6 months and is bottled without sulfites or filtration. All done in stainless steel tanks.

How common is this infusion-like winemaking method?

It's a new process actually, designed to make easy drinking wine. It's the kind of wine Parisians love to drink, you can enjoy it with snacks or with pizza, with breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's a low alcohol wine at 11%. This method isn't something I learned from my time with other winemakers, it's just something I decided to do with the grapes I buy.

What are the total sulfites per liter?

We don't send this wine off for analysis, so I couldn't say the level of naturally occurring sulfites, but we don't add any at any stage of the process.

How would you describe the wine?

For me, Babinou is a red wine that tastes like a white wine. The nose is very aromatic from the Muscat, and in the mouth it's more punchy. In 2023, I started making the wine without Muscat, as I actually want it to be less aromatic than it was for this vintage. But it's such a fun wine. Very easy drinking.

How does this vintage compare to others?

Of course the Muscat, which I wanted to try using because I had the opportunity to purchase some biodynamic Muscat grapes, and a lot of people like it in the wine. In 2023, instead of the Muscat, I used Chenin, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner for the white grapes, and Pinot Noir and Gamay for the red grapes. As a result, the 2023 has a bit more minerality and salinity which I like in a wine.

When is it best enjoyed? Now or later, if people want to age it further in the bottle?

It's a wine to open now, as it was bottled a year ago. I also think it'll be good in 2-3 years time, but right now, it's great.

What’s the story behind the name of the winery, No Control, and the wine, Babinou?

No Control is an album by my favourite punk rock band, Bad Religion. And Babinou is what I would call my girlfriend - it's like a term of endearment, like darling or sweetheart in English.

Any food pairings you’d recommend?

When I get asked this question, I always say it's not my job to find something to eat with the wine - ask a sommelier! But a pairing I've had, which I found to be very special, is asparagus. Served French style, with a vinaigrette or a light, white sauce.

Isabelle's thoughts on Babinou - This is a light, crunchy red with super supple tannins. It is mineral driven, bursting with acidity and also a touch of salt. Expect aromas of blood orange, bergamot and red mulberry as well as some lychee notes (thanks to the Muscat) that add exotic, aromatic tones to the blend.

TOTAL SULFITES: <10mg/L

Riccitelli Wines, Kung Fu Criolla, Mendoza Red, Argentina, 2023

Riccitelli Wines is run by Matias Riccitelli in Las Compuertas, Argentina. Matias founded the winery in 2009 after studying the craft and working for one of the most prestigious producers in Argentina. They cultivate 20 hectares of old vineyards and purchase grapes from small producers at the bottom of the Andes,

Q&A with Matias Riccitelli - (interview pending - work in progress).

Isabelle's thoughts on Kung Fu Criolla - Argentina is at the beginning of its natural wine journey - there aren’t many commercial makers producing wine naturally - but it is exciting to see the first shoots of rebirth and rediscovery, including through the use of old, underrated grape varieties such as Criolla Chica - also known as País in Chile, which is the same grape variety used in the making of the Pino Roman Pet Nat above). Light and ethereal, with some smoky notes, it is also vibrant with an almost zesty mouthfeel. Featuring notes of pomegranate and raspberry, it is both peppery and floral (violets), reminiscent of a fresh Loire red. Drink it on the cooler side. 

TOTAL SULFITES: <10mg/L

Domaine Ligas, Bucephale, Xinomavro, Pella, Greece, 2019

Domaine Ligas is a family domaine in northern Greece's Pella, originally founded by Thomas Ligas in 1988. The vines are planted in the valleys of Mount Paiko, not far from Thessaloniki. The estate has been farmed organically since the 1990s and with permaculture since 2007, and is now run by Thomas' daughter Mélissanthe. If you were a member of RAW WINE Club back in January 2024, you'll recognise the Ligas name - we included a bottle by Mélissanthe's twin brother Jason Ligas, from his Voï project.

Q&A with Mélissanthe Ligas

Can you tell me about your background - how much were you involved in the winery growing up and did you always know that this is the path you would take, or were there others you explored?

I come from a winemaker family. My dad has been making wine here since the 1980s, so I was born into this world and learned from very early on. By 3 years old, I was already harvesting - or playing at least - in the vineyard and the winery. It's kind of native to me. But of course, as a teenager, you want to find your own path. I studied biology because I wanted to be an enologist like my father and to take over the business with my twin brother, Jason. But during that time, I also worked in the gastronomic scene and liked learning about biology through a more chemistry-based, experimental approach, looking at things like DNA. So I did my degree in biology and my masters in enology, all in French. My mother is French and my dad is Greek, so I studied in Montpelier - just like my father did, actually. I also wanted to be an air steward for some time. I'm really intro travel and foreign languages, so it was easy for me to imagine a life on the road.

After studying enology, I wanted to forge my own path into winemaking, so I worked a little in France and learned the differences between the conventional, more chemical method of making wine and the natural way, used by my father. That was a huge lesson for me. When I first started, I found it boring learning the conventional way, it felt like learning recipes, but my father always said that, by learning the process, you begin to understand the natural path on a more technical level. While in France, I was still involved in the family winery, but more on the sales side of things. I got to travel, meet people and do wine tastings. Then, in 2018, I took over the whole winery - including sales of course, but also the farming and the winemaking. My dad is still here, though, and helps a lot with the vines.

Before I took over, my dad had always worked organically - and then some. We didn't know about biodynamics back then, so he made his own way using similar methods, following the lunar calendar and seasons, and favouring plant therapy over bought treatments. We make the preparations ourselves. So my dad always worked using biodynamic methods, without really knowing it, but we're only certified for organics. This kind of approach wasn't common in Greece at the time.

Can you tell me about Pella, and the grapes, climate and traditions that define the region?

A long time ago, Pella was a port used by Alexander the Great, who went around discovering different lands with a kind of barbaric approach to taking over the world. There was a huge amount of wine growing here at that time - in ancient texts, there's a lot of mention of wine nectar and vine growing. But as agriculture evolved, these vines got destroyed in favour of grains, cotton and fruit trees to grow peaches and cherries. It was a very fertile region so people wanted to take advantage of it, and grow a lot of things.

In turn, this destroyed the wine growing culture, so my dad was passionate about restoring this ancient way of life. He created the Pella appellation, but it's really small - we're the only ones here. It's not about having a label, it's about acknowledging this forgotten region. Recently, I attended an interesting seminar about an unidentified grape seed found in this region a very long time ago, further proving the wine history of this region.

Now, the main red variety is Xinomavro and the main whites are Roditis and Assyrtiko. In the 1980s, a lot of Greek grapes were replaced with popular varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat d'Alexandria. My dad wanted to restore the native grapes, because they are naturally more resistant to the conditions of the region, such as heat and humidity, and produce a more local wine.

Is there much of a natural wine scene now?

Things have changed a lot in this region, and also in Greece, in the last five years. People are becoming more aware of and involved in organics and biodynamics. You can blame it on fashion - it feels like a wave everyone wants to surf - but at least it's changing the perception of natural wine as something of value. Originally, we exported a lot of our wine because nobody local wanted to buy them, but now that's changing. Wineries are expanding and new wineries are popping up. Kamara Winery, for example, worked conventionally before, but now have wines made using similar methods to ours. It's nice to have neighbours we can speak this shared language with. Also during COVID, a lot of sommeliers and chefs came back to Greece from places like the UK, France and Italy, and brought what they had learned into our restaurants and wine shops, which are now seeking this kind of wine. Things have definitely changed for the better.

Having been involved in the winery from a young age, in what ways have you seen the family domaine evolve in your lifetime?

Until my brother and I got involved, it was a small scale domaine that produced a small quantity of bottles. We did everything ourselves - I would deliver the wines with my dad. It just wasn't stable. Until I was 17, 18 years old, we struggled as a family. All our savings went back into the winery. We didn't take a salary. But when he was around 20 years old, my brother worked in a wine shop in Paris where he met a lot of importers, and they helped open a lot of doors for us as a domaine. I'd say that was around 2010, and at this time we started to see a growth in appreciation for what we were doing. Jason, my brother, has been working on his own project in Rapsani for a couple of years now. We still collaborate. He's one of those people with a lot of energy! He wants to do a lot of things. Whereas I'm more interested in settling down, and taking over the family estate.

How many hectares do you work with?

We have 10 hectares currently, but are waiting for some more to grow that we planted a few years ago. It's a difficult area with wild forests and we had a couple of tough - hot and dry - years, so we lost a lot of what we planted. Hopefully this year, it'll grow a little more. Once that's grown, we'll have 13 hectares in total.

We embrace the herbs that grow around our vines, and allow bees and insects to interact with them. We don't like to change or disrupt the ecosystem. We cut the grass just before harvesting - or during rainy seasons - to prevent humidity. Our approach to permaculture is to retain the freshness of the ground and keep the humidity down, rather than up and in the fruit. We don't get much rain, around 500mm maximum.

We also want to bring life into the vines. We treat them using teas that we either grow, or find in the surrounding area. We like to call our approach spontaneous permaculture. We don't grow vegetables because that's a larger scale and we're not big enough as a team to manage that. But when we planted the new vines, we also planted a mixture of seeds, like mustard, to encourage biodiversity and bring life into the forest.

Which grapes have you used for Bucephale and what soil do they grow in?

Each of our wines come from a single vineyard. Bucephale contains Xinomavro, and the soil for this vineyard is mainly limestone and clay - like the rest of the estate - but also with a little pink limestone and granite. It's a bit more of a complex soil, which gives a lot of minerality and roundness to the wine.

Can you talk me through the winemaking process?

These grapes are harvested towards the end of September, normally the 20th or thereabouts. If it's a difficult year, it might be in early October, but that's much rarer now with climate change. When deciding when to pick the grapes, it's not the degrees of maturation that I look for - it's the tannins settling down and the phenols maturing. It's about balancing the acidity, the tannin and the fruit character.

We hand pick the grapes and then they are destemmed. They go into a tank, whole berry and without crushing, for a month's fermentation, without pipeage. It's more of an infusion style of fermentation. The grape is a more concentrated variety, so we don't need to extract it or the end result will be too rough. The 2019 then went into a foudre - a big, 4,000L oak tank - for a month. It was half full. Then, we take the juice out using only gravity, and transfer it to Austrian wood barrels of 600 and 400L, where it stays for 9 months. Sometimes we also age in amphora, but not this vintage.

It gets one pumpover before bottling, with no filtration or added sulfites. You could say we're lazy winemakers, as we like to let the wine do its thing. We also age it in the bottle for 6 months before releasing it, sometimes a year, but it depends on the vintage. We want the wine to have the freshness of the fruit, while being smooth, so it needs that time to age.

How would you describe the wine?

The wine is called Bucephale - the name of Alexander the Great's horse - because in a lot of ways it can be compared to a horse. The wine has a lot of power and structure at the beginning. Xinomavro a variety with lots of body and complexity. But in time, its potential is revealed and it becomes more rounded, elegant and delicate. It's a massive, complex wine, with a feminine touch. It's balanced.

How does this vintage, 2019, compare to others?

2019 was a hard year, with slow maturation and not much juice. We chose to macerate it in the big oak barrel because we wanted to work the tannins and it allowed us to not have to do too much later on. It was a hot year, so the aromas are very present.

When is it best enjoyed? Now or later, if people want to age it further in the bottle?

Now is the perfect time to enjoy it, but Xinomavro is really good for ageing - it can age for 10-15 years. I don't have any bottles in my personal cellar that I've aged for that long, so I'd say 5 years more for now, but I'd be interested in seeing how it shows in a few years beyond that. For me though, it's currently got the perfect balance of acidity, tannin and aromas.

Any food pairings you’d recommend?

Definitely - it works well with lamb or aged beef, and with chilli con carne with spices and beans. For vegans or vegetarians, I would say a spicy lentil dal, or baked eggplant and tomato - something that's had hours of cooking in the oven, like a moussaka. It pairs nicely with chocolate and different textures of dessert. I'm not a huge fan of red wine with cheese - I prefer them with orange or white wine.

Isabelle's thoughts on Bucephale - Rustic, earthy and intense, this is a Mediterranean wine through and through. Featuring prominent tannins, dried herbs, black olive paste, anchovy, black cherry and oak that is almost cedar/cinnamon-like in tone, it is drinking beautifully now. Xinomavro is a bit of a beast and it definitely needs time to mellow and shine. Bucephale’s few years in bottle have done just that, giving it time to integrate and develop its complexity. It really is a rare treat to drink a natural Xinomavro of this caliber with bottle age. Lucky us.

TOTAL SULFITES: <10mg/L

Welcome! Below are the links to the tasting notes, thoughts and recommendations for each of the Club's monthly selections (if you are not yet a member then join us! Check out our Club subscription pages for more information).

The links below will remain in place for posterity so if you want to check out boxes we have put together in the past, or are looking for recommendations on what bottles are worth tracking down, check out the pages below for a repository of great wines to explore. Happy tasting!

• April 2024

Previous tasting notes -

• March 2024
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