Women Winemakers of Some Good Wine
This Women’s History Month, we want to celebrate some of the amazing women winemakers that make this store possible 👑 As pioneers in their industry, they have paved the way for many more to come 🙌
Elena Pantaleoni's philosophy is “Wines only ‘makes sense’ if they have a strong identity…if the place and the climate are recognizable…if you make something unique.” And La Stoppa’s very much are all of those things."
2002 La Stoppa Macchiona Barbera/Bonarda - $69.99
Very limited, special release that––I am told––is drinking phenomenally right now!
2009 La Stoppa Vigna della Volta Passito - $73.99
Made from 95% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica and 5% Moscato, this wine is made from sun-dried grapes that are pressed in a vertical press, fermented naturally, and put into old French oak barrique for 10 months. After bottling, the wine is held for an additional two years before release. The name comes from the vineyard, which in turn comes from the name of the sharecropper that maintained this site for many years. The vines are 30-50 years old.
Arianna Occhipinti discusses that "it is a natural wine as I think about myself, that's how I am. It comes from my sensibility towards true things and from my Gestures, my loving attentions. A wine that, in its harmonies and roughness, talks about the land where it comes from and also about me. That's why I think that the natural wine, besides being a good wine is also a human wine."
2016 Arianna Occhipinti Frappato - $44.99
Frappato is the grape here, normally used to blend with the more famous Etna Rosso. One of the only single varietal Frappatos in existence. Gorgeous, Pinot Noir like structure with smokey girth, fleshy earth and wild, explosive tannins like sucking on a raspberry fire pit.
2016 Arianna Occhipinti Siccagno Nero d`Avola IGT Terre Siciliane - $48.99
From the same area as the Frappato. 100% Nero here, with some of the same bright fruit in the Frappato. Difference here is you get more of that crusty earth sensation and muscular grit one sees with Nero. Incredibly medium bodied fatness and acidic precision.
2017 Arianna Occhipinti SP68 IGT Bianco - $29.99
A blend of native grapes Zibbibo and Albanello.
Tracey Brandt from Donkey & Goat learned her craft in France training under Éric Texier, an up-and-coming Rhône winemaker who taught them the art and craft of making wines that speak to the soul about the earth from which they originate.
2013 Donkey & Goat Syrah - on sale! $26.99
These Syrah vines grow on a hilltop in the remote Mendocino Ridge only a few miles from the Pacific, among the beautiful Redwoods and wildlife. Of the three vineyard designate Syrahs, Perli is the most voluptuous as the vines sit above the fog line. But fear not, this is still a textbook Donkey & Goat with tension and subtlety and most importantly, food friendly!
2016 Donkey & Goat Eliza, Barsotti Vineyard - $41.99
Eliza is a wonderful mix of Clairette, Picpoul, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc. Her notes of white peaches, apricots and golden delicious apples are just as exciting as the varietals itself. It has a bit of body that we think you’ll love, influenced by its salinity and with nutty notes of cashew, marzipan.
2016 Donkey & Goat The Bear - $37.99
The Bear, a name in itself, has a nose of wild blackberry and strawberry balanced with nutmeg and allspice. The sweetness of this wine is a bit edgy, crafting a savory fee; with a touch of salinity and earthy tones.
Aslina Wines is the realisation of a dream for South Africa’s first black woman winemaker, Ntsiki Biyela. Started in 2016, the Aslina brand is named after Ntsiki’s grandmother, whose care and guidance provided her with the inspiration and vision to succeed in creating award winning wine.
2018 Aslina Sauvignon Blanc - $19.99
This sauvignon blanc is delicious and crisp, so we will cheers to you, Ntsiki Biyela!
Victoria Torres Pecis is the sole owner and caretaker of her family’s centenarian winery in La Palma, Canary Islands. Victoria has been working alone against the elements and the picón - the dark ashy sand that covers the soil - where most of her vines are grown. “I am like the Listán Blanco”, she says, “very resistant…”
2013 Matias I Torres Malvasia Dulce - $34.99
The first dessert wine from Matias Torres. Bright orange color and a nose of candied essences; apricots, beeswax, honey, nuts and some dried fruit character. Great mouth coating palate with fine dichotomy and fresh and bitter.
2016 Matias I Torres Clarete - $24.99
Field blend of red and white varietals vinified together, with Negramoll, Listán Blanco, and Albillo Criolo.
2016 Matias I Torres Las Migas Cosecha - $27.99
100% Listán Blanco from the various plots owned by this winery. Fermented and aged in concrete; aged on the lees for ten months. This is extremely aromatic Listan blanco with a bit of herbal edge and bite. Killer stuff!
Stefanie Jurtschitsch of Weingut Jurtschitsch has become one of the most prominent wineries in the Langenlois region in Austria. She practices biological farming, healthy soils, minimal interventions in the cellar and specifically experimenting to keep on top of the endless riches hidden away in the wine world.
2016 Jurtschitsch Grüner Veltliner Loiserberg - $30.99
Have you ever tasted a kumquat? If not, Asia is far, all you have to do is enjoy a glass of Loiserberg. This wine reminds you of the exotic, fragrant miniature oranges, or kumquats, with dark spicy notes and nuances of chamomile join in on the palate. It is juicy, compact and impresses with vibrant acidity and a veil of minerals. The finish is long and spicy.
Marina Marcarino is a pioneer in her region, having converted to organic agriculture in the 1980s, making Punset one of the first to do so. The deep bond with the land was strengthened in the course of her university studies where Marina was struck by organic farming. She saw a new and authentic way to work with a deep knowledge that stems from the principles of absolute naturalness and a bond of mutual respect.
2011 Punset Barbaresco Campo Quadro - $63.99
Punset comes from the Piedmontese word meaning “beautiful hill” or “peak”, to describe their lands emerging by the autumn fog they could admire from the castle. Elegant and structured, complex floral aromas, spice, chocolate, and complex Barbaresco.
2012 Punset Barbaresco - $34.99
Beautiful stuff from one of the region's only female producers. Youthful, spicy and vibrant.