Brunn Blauer Zweigelt Rose
Grapes 100% Blauer Zweigelt
Place Niederosterreich, Austria
Process 100% hand harvested grapes into small cases. Native yeast fermentation in small tanks. Aged in a combination of large, neutral vats and Slovenian oak to allow the grapes to fully express themselves in the wine without being overpowered by the wood.
Family Just north of the Danube, in Kamptal, resides the small family owned and run winery
producing Brunn. Winemaker Karl Steinschaden and his family are dedicated to
traditional practices, completing the harvest 100% by hand in small cases. The old estate
vines produce low yield with very high quality grapes. The character of the wine is defined
by the soil of the vineyard and the climate of the region. An optimal climate leads to wines
of elegance while preserving the unique flavors of the grapes.
Brunn practices traditional fermentation in small tanks using native yeasts to enhance the
beautiful typicity of its vineyards. Below the winery lies an old, historic subterranean cellar
where the wines mature in perfect conditions. Both oak barrels and large neutral vats are
used to avoid the wood overpowering the wine.
The winery owns the oldest traditional basket press in this part of Europe, dating back to
1564 A.D and originally used by the Benedictine Abby of Gottweig near Krems.
Bottle: $23 | Glass: $10
Prisma Rose
Grapes 87% Pinot Noir, 13% Cinsault
Place Casablanca Valley, Chile
Process Grape bunches were de-stemmed before a 2 hour maceration period, followed by a 20 day ferment. The wine then spent three months in stainless steel tank with two of those months being in contact with the lees before being bottled. The wine was lightly filtered before being bottled.
Family These 100% hand-harvested, estate wines show the true expression of the Casablanca Valley. This collaborative project between Brazos and Grupo Belen began with the idea to showcase the unique terroir of the Casablanca Valley. The valley produces vibrant and fresh wines due to the coastal, cool nature of the vineyards. The estate consists of multiple vineyards including some of the original plantings in Casablanca by Pablo Morande in 1982. The cool misty nights, hot sunny days, and light hand of the winemaker act as a prism to convert the grape into a complex and beautiful wine. The winemaker is Jorge Martinez and the farming is certified sustainable.
Bottle: $19 | Glass: $8
Forlorn Hope ‘Queen of the Sierra‘
Grapes Albarino, Tempranillo, Barbera, Vermentino, Chenin Blanc, Pineau d’Aunis, Trousseau, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Verdelho
Place Sierra Foothills, California
Process Red and white grapes harvested and fermented together. Pressed and then either put down into 227L barriques or blended in stainless steel (no new oak). Unfined and unfiltered. Only minimal SO2 is added to the wine.
Family Matthew Rorick has been the winemaker behind the Forlorn Hope wines since the inception of the label in 2005, and tends 75 acres of organically farmed grapevines at Rorick Heritage Vineyard. In previous incarnations he has repaired submarine telescopes for the United States Navy, ridden skateboards for a living, and built electric guitars. His love of wine was fostered in him by his grandfather David Rorick Jr., who was a consummate dining partner and storyteller. His current efforts at RHV, including producing organically farmed estate wines and reconnecting with California’s pre-Prohibition viticultural traditions, are largely inspired by conversations at his grandfather’s table.
Coming from a background of photography and design while living in London, Mara decided city life wasn't meant for her and retrained with an enology/viticulture degree in the south of England. After a period of learning to make wine in various corners of the world, she found herself in Northern California specializing in sparkling wine production. Together with Matthew they run the daily winery activities throughout the year at Rorick Heritage Vineyard. When she's not tending to our wine, she's thinking about snow and where to go cross country skiing next.
Bottle: $33 | Glass: $14
Bisson ‘Portofino‘
Grapes 100% Ciliegiolo
Place Liguria, Italy
Process Natural winemaking techniques
Family Enoteca Bisson was born in 1978 when Pierluigi Lugano fell in love with the wines of the Ligurian coastline. He began as a trader in small lots of bulk wine, later became a wine merchant and finally a grower in his own right. He now splits his time between his busy wine shop in Chiavari, the wine cellar and his vineyards.
For the grapes he purchases, he works hand in hand with local growers from pruning to harvest, then carefully vinifies the different lots of grapes. Lugano is a serious student of oenology and is an expert on the local grape varieties. His passion extends to the preservation of local traditions and this is reflected in the distinctive character and personality of his large range of wines from the Cinque Terre region.
It takes a heroic effort to cultivate vines on the steep slopes of the Ligurian coastline high above the Mediterranean Sea. Mechanization of vineyard tasks is out of the question and everything must be done by hand. Only truly passionate winegrowers are willing to carry on the traditions that have come down through the generations since the ancient Greeks first planted vines on the steep, stony slopes here. Lugano works closely with several small, local growers. He believes, as we do, that wine is made in the vineyards and he closely controls the work done in the field. Further, he has embarked on an ambitious program to purchase his own parcels in prime zones throughout the Cinque Terre and surrounding areas. He staunchly defends indigenous, and increasingly rare, grape varieties and works tirelessly to ensure that they do not disappear for future generations of wine lovers. He is in the forefront of the movement to prove the worthiness of the Bianchetta Genovese, the Alberola and Bosca as well as the scintillating Ciliegiolo.
The small but very well equipped cellar is designed so that each lot of grapes can be vinified individually. With the exception of an occasional experiment with barrel aging, Lugano vinifies his entire range of wines in stainless steel to preserve the essential fruit of each vineyard site and each grape type.
Bottle: $31| Glass: $14