Producers
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The name Jolie-Laide translates loosely to “Pretty-Ugly,” a French term of endearment used to describe something unconventionally beautiful. Based in Sonoma County, California, Scott and Jenny Schultz work with a small group of growers to source fruit from exceptional vineyard sites — stretching from San Benito and Monterey Counties in the Central Coast AVA, up through Sonoma, and further north into Mendocino County.
The quality of the fruit allows for a restrained approach in the winery, resulting in wines that are expressive, site-specific, and pure in profile. In the cellar, grapes are often fermented whole-cluster and foot-crushed, fermentations are carried out with ambient yeasts, and aging occurs in neutral oak or concrete vessels.
Scott began his transition into winemaking after moving from Chicago to manage the beverage program at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Napa Valley. As he recalls, “Everyone I met was a winemaker, so on my days off I followed people around to see what they were doing.” Before long, he secured the role of cellar master at Realm Winery, followed by time with Arnot-Roberts and then Pax Mahle, contributing to both the Pax and Wind Gap labels. His passion for the craft ultimately led him to launch his own project, Jolie-Laide, in 2010.
A distinctive feature of Jolie-Laide is its ever-changing label art — each vintage showcases a different artist or art collective. “Our wines are a celebration of the year and seasons in which they are made — always unique and different; no two bottlings are ever the same.”
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José Luis Ripa Sáenz de Navarrete has seen the ins and outs of Rioja and knows its wine making history like no one else, having worked for many years with some of the most reputable houses in the region (full disclosure, he is married to Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia).
After seeing the many facets of the business he decided to create a label and make his own wine, a classic Spanish Aged Rosado from vineyards grown on one hectare in the Najerilla Valley, in Rioja Alta, which gets released with a little bit of bottle age.Image:
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Alwin and Stef Jurtschitsch took over the family winery in 2006 and immediately got to work, converting all of the vineyards to organic viticulture, replanting more densely, using whey to treat mildew instead of using copper sulphate, and working with new pruning methods. All the vineyards are certified organic and protecting biodiversity has always been a priority. Jurtschitsch explains that, “The more life you have in the vineyard, the more stable the entire system is.” Wildlife is abundant in the Jurtschitsch vineyards, with many fruit trees, grass, garlic, wildflowers and butterflies fluttering among the vines.
Jurtschitsch aims for a classic style of Kamptal wines, but more like an old-style of classic, that was made by their grandparents. This means, emphasizing the cool climate of Austria and making wines with finesse that strike a balance of ripe fruit and fresh acidity. Stefanie Jurtschitsch manages the winemaking and she is making wines which let the vineyards and soils speak for themselves. They only use spontaneous fermentations and work without any additions, aside from minimal sulfur. The entry-level wines are made in stainless steel, but all the single vineyard Erste Lagen wines are aged in large oak foudres.
As of 2016, they have started a second line of wines called, ‘Discoveries of Langenlois’ which are bottled under “Alwin und Stefanie Jurtschitsch”. These wines push boundaries and allow them to play outside of the classic style, opting for skin contact, and low to no sulfur. Although the two lines show different expressions, the wines are coming from the same vineyards, farming is the same, and both are low intervention in the cellar; they are two sides to the same coin. The wines shine in multi-faceted elegance, offering drinking pleasure at highest level without being baroque and heavy.
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In 1866, J.W. Kelly founded Deep Spring Distillery in Chattanooga, TN with the goal of creating the finest whiskey. Through his distillery and other ventures, Kelly eventually helped to revive the city after it's near decimation during the civil war. Kelly’s use of old-world pot distillation and custom mixture of corn, malted rye, and barley helped create a unique blend. His brand set the standard of excellence and was very prosperous not just throughout the South, but also the world. Now, more than 100 years later, his dream lives on as a world-class spirit with Chattanooga soul. Each bottling under the JWK banner gets it's name and style from his original releases, introduced to the world during the 19th century. The bourbons are still 100% pot distilled, before aging in char #3 American White Oak barrels and always bottled at a minimum of 94 proof. The rye whiskies deliver a punchy balance of fruit, spice and herbaceousness. Overall, the lineup offers an incredibly rich, and notably distinct drinking experience.
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A new collaboration between David Bowler and Brian Mulder from the Union Grove Distillery in Arkville, New York.
Union Grove Distillery is a “Farm Licensed” craft distillery located in Arkville, New York in the beautiful Catskill Mountains; the distillery opened on February 10, 2016. The name comes from the lost town of Union Grove which once stood about 10 miles south of the distillery location and now lies beneath the cold waters of the Pepacton Reservoir. Union Grove Distillery is fortunate to have at its disposal this same pristine water for their production.
For more on Union Grove Distillery, click here.
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This wonderfully traditional winery was established in 1758; Franz and his son Matthias represent the seventh and eighth generation here. The estate/s holdings currently consist of 26 hectares of vineyards in Deidesheim, Forst and Ruppertsberg, picturesque villages which lie in the shadow of the Mittelhaardt mountain range, and constitute the great winemaking heart of the Pfalz. Soils are a fantastic mix of geologies, primarily sandstone (bundsandstein) but also basalt boulders, lime and layers of loess and clay, contributing to the complexity and variety of the wines made here. The 200-year-old cellar includes large old barrels as well as modern stainless tanks used for the younger, fresher cuvées. Kimich produces about 100,000+ bottles of wine a year, 97% white wines composed of dry (80%), semi-dry (15%) and sweet (5%).
Matthias refers to his vineyards as "environmentally farmed to preserve the ecological balance of the Palatinate countryside." Here's what that means:
Transitioning ORGANIC since 2019, will be certified in 2022.
No herbicides, no fertilizers, no pesticides.
The winery operates with a negative carbon footprint.
Only sprays: Sulfur, copper, baking soda.
Not vegan; the wines are fined with isinglass.
Temperature controlled fermentations in stainless steel. Most bottlings are vinified with cultured yeasts, but spontan on the higher end cuvees.Image:
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Kobayashi Winery was founded in 2014 by Travis Allen and Mario Kobayashi and has since become one of the most exciting and distinctive new projects to emerge from Washington State. Their path into the wine industry was anything but conventional, as neither had a formal winemaking background. In 2007, Travis and Mario moved their family to the Pacific Northwest after Travis accepted a position as a nurse anesthetist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a role he continues to hold part time.
A longtime and serious student of wine, Travis eventually decided to try his hand at production, beginning with a single barrel of Cabernet Franc at an urban winery in Seattle. From that modest 25-case debut in 2014, Kobayashi Winery has grown to produce fewer than 1,000 cases annually. They intentionally remain small, with no plans to expand.
Today, production takes place at Force Majeure Winery in Milton-Freewater, just south of Walla Walla. Kobayashi focuses on Northern Rhône varieties and Cabernet Franc sourced from premier Columbia Valley vineyards, including WeatherEye and Red Willow. Travis and Mario’s meticulous attention to detail and willingness to experiment set their work apart. The resulting wines are singular, rooted in Washington terroir yet driven by an innovative and boundary-pushing spirit.
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This historic estate, long managed by the legendary and larger-than-life Bernd Philippi, was purchased in 2009 and since 2011 has been in the dedicated hands of Dominik Sona. He and his cellar master Franziska Schmitt are intensely hard-working and strictly honor the arch-traditional style of this beautiful, centuries-old cellar.
Koehler-Ruprecht is known for long-lived, rich and minerally Rieslings, Pinots and Chardonnays. Their holdings include 12ha, mainly from three prime locations in Kallstadt:
- The 750-yr-old Steinacker or "stony acre" which practically surrounds the village is a very rugged, gravelly sandstone and lœss mix on top of a limestone floor, home to Pinot varieties and the estate's fruity Kabinett Riesling.
- The 120-year-old Annaberg is a chalk and sandstone site where the estate's remarkable Chardonnay grows on the limestone portion and their legendary Scheurebe is derived from the first commercial plantings of that grape in Germany, planted circa 1960!
- The crown jewel of the estate is the 200+year-old Saumagen (lœss, marl, and limestone), a 40ha grand cru of which Koehler owns a prime parcel of 4ha on the original South-East facing slope. Some of the greatest, most long-lived dry Rieslings in Germany are born here.
All wines are spontaneously fermented on their own yeasts and aged entirely in large, neutral stück (1200L oval casks) and halbstück (600L). No chaptalization, no enzymes, and no manipulations of any kind are practiced here.
These are extremely old-school wines from an estate making trocken (dry) wines before it was trendy. In fact, the estate cleaves to the old labeling practice of putting both the pradikät and the trocken designation on each wine (e.g., Auslese Trocken), which the VDP no longer allows; it was one reason they left the consortium after 80 years of membership! Koehler-Ruprecht’s wines are released conspicuously late and are best enjoyed with bottle age, particularly the “R” reserve wines. It is safe to say there are no other wines like these made in Germany—or anywhere.
For more information, click here.
I'll Drink to That! Wine Talk Episode 487: Dominik Sona and a Conception of Kabinett
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Bodegas Viñas de Oro is located 133 miles south of Lima, Peru in the traditional district of El Carmen, Chincha in Ica. A father and son duo, Mr. Pedro and Mario Brescia have a background in agricultural engineering and a heart for adventure. The winery opened their doors in 1983 as part of the “Breca” Agricola unit, a Peruvian business by the Brescia Cafferata family which has been in business for over 100 years. The extensive property covers 800 hectares, 80 of which are dedicated to growing six types of Pisco grapes. Viñas de Oro values social and environmental responsibility in farming and production methods. Traditional distillation combined with modern production techniques ensures an exquisite Pisco collection of the highest quality.
VINIFICATION
Grape Harvest - Grapes Ripen February through April
Maceration - 12 Hours; This step only occurs for Italia and Torontel Grapes Stainless Steel Tanks
Wine Pressing - Utilize Italian Grape Press Concentrated Juice with No Hint of Astringency Discard Grape Skin and Seeds
DISTILLATION
Fermentation - Natural Yeast from the Grape 7 to 15 Days in Steel Tanks
Distillation - Alembic Still
Resting - 12 Months
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Bas Armagnac is a hilly and humid region located in the west in the Landes and in the Gers around Eauze. It is characterized by poor and acidic sandy-silty soils. To the west of the Gers and on part of the Landes, the sea left a Miocene formation called "sables fauves" and made up of fine quartz sands, colored by ferruginous elements. The Atlantic influence is predominant there.
Its eaux-de-vie are famous, especially to the west of the appellation in the Grand Bas Armagnac where the sables fauves outcrop: fruity, delicate, round, they are highly sought after by Armagnac lovers.
La Béroje, whose name means "the Pretty" in Gascon.
This very old agricultural estate was acquired by the Count of Rémond in the first half of the 19th century: crossed by the Ludon stream (current border between Gers and Landes) this vast property included meadows for livestock, beautiful forests and varied lands suitable for viticulture and cereals.
La Béroje is located in the heart of the black Armagnac: this old name evoked the vast oak forests, the sunken paths, the dense coppices and the dovecotes covered with ferns lurking at the edge of the woods. In 1854, it became Bas-Armagnac. The shady areas that still surround the vines promote greater acidity in the wine and a lower sugar content, which are precisely what makes it ideal for producing the best eaux-de-vie.
On the estate, complete control of the production cycle continues to be ensured: harvests, vinification, distillation, aging, bottling, marketing.
Armagnacs of Béroje are made from three white grape varieties : the oldest contain Folle Blanche, the "refinement grape variety", and it is the ancient Piquepoult that gives the eaux-de-vie a remarkable finesse characterized by floral scents and quince notes. This rather fragile grape variety must be replanted soon on well-ventilated land on the estate.
Baco and Ugni Blanc dominate: acidic and low-alcohol wines, they lend themselves wonderfully well to distillation; their blend is very interesting: Baco with its full and rich aromas gives a lot of roundness to the spirits, Ugni Blanc, more "neutral", allows the aromas from the wood to flourish.
The harvest takes place quite early , as soon as the grapes reach maturity (mid-September, early October): the wine thus has a low alcohol content which allows a better concentration of aromatic substances and a high acidity, essential for the natural conservation of the wine.
The pressing is done on site; in the cellar vats, the must produces a white wine of 8 to 10° which receives no treatment or addition:
This entirely natural process leads them to distill early a wine that is just settled but rich in light lees and perfectly healthy: distillation always takes place at La Béroje during the All Saints' Day period.
Distillation is carried out using a very old process, known since the Middle Ages in the Kingdom of France, and which has continued to be refined. It was in the middle of the 19th century that the Armagnac still was developed in its current form, a single-heat, continuous still made of pure copper: The fresh wine passes into the still where it is heated in a boiler over an open fire; the alcohol vapors, loaded with aromas, circulate in a refrigerated coil and condense, delivering perfectly transparent eau de vie.
As in the past, at Béroje, the spirits are distilled on site according to this Armagnac tradition which allows the finesse of the perfumes to be preserved, primary aromas from the vine and the terroir.
The arrival of the still and its lighting are an event that does not escape the neighbors: they come, at nightfall, to taste the new Armagnac coming out of the still.
This method of distillation, called simple or continuous, is one of the foundations of the specificity of Armagnac, distinguishing it from all other spirits such as Cognac.The spirit will gain in softness and mellowness after a long aging time but the great complexity of the aromas is preserved and will express itself over the years.
When they come out of the still, the spirits are 53° to 55°, they fill new or recent barrels
The choice of barrels plays a major role as does the cooper: Mr. Bartholomo, provides them with barrels from the South-West for each new distillation. The choice of wood, the open-air drying of the staves (at least 3 years), the making of the staves and the burning of the interior walls of the barrel play a role in the coloring and aromatic complexity of the spirit
After 1 to 2 years, and the visual and olfactory appreciation of the cellar master, the Armagnac is transferred to older barrels to continue their slow maturation. The topping up of the "pieces", the blending on the same vintage, the regular oxygenation allows the eaux-de-vie to express all their personality.
At La Béroje, Armagnacs are given time to mature: it is after more than 20 years of aging that vintage Armagnacs are offered for sale.
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