The Trailblazers
To acknowledge the importance of Black History Month, we are celebrating two trail-blazing Black winemakers bringing some much needed diversity to the wine industry. Check out the variety of styles they offer from both California and Oregon!
House of Brown Chardonnay
Grapes: 95% Chardonnay, 5% Vermentino
Place: Lodi, California
Process: Sustainably farmed and hand harvested. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and new French oak barrels. Aged for 3 months in tank (70%) and new French oak barrels (30%).
People: The label is the picture of inclusivity. ‘House of Brown’ is a second label offspring of Brown Estate, Napa Valley’s first Black-owned estate winery. As our brand has attracted a terrifically diverse consumer base over the last 25+ years, a vibrant community and dynamic culture have coalesced in our ecosystem. HOUSE OF BROWN, created to expand access to the Brown wine experience, is an homage to our Come one, come all (come correct!) ethos.
Easy drinking anytime-anywhere wines, always in season. Produced by women of color, certified sustainable, vegan-friendly.
Bottle: $21 | Glass: $9
Charisse “Picpoul de pinot Blanc”
Grapes: 100% Picpoul
Place: Languedoc-Rousillon, Pinet - France
Process: While the Languedoc is generally one of the warmer regions in France, the Picpoul de Pinet appellation benefits from a variety of cooling effects that make the resulting wines so wonderfully crisp and high-acid. It is right on the border of a saltwater lake, the Étang de Thau, which feeds right into the Mediterranean sea beyond. The grapes benefit from cooling breezes throughout the year and while they do get quite a lot of sunshine, the proximity to the water helps to cool the ground and keep the wines fresh. This wine is unbaked and fermented in stainless steel.
Family: The Allies family has grown vines for several generations in Pomerols, along the northern edge of the Bassin de Thau.
This large inland sea, on the southern part of the Pinet appellation, has a microclimate significantly influenced by cooling sea breezes, which accounts for the particular expression of freshness in these whites.
The soils are composed of clay and limestone.
Bottle: $21 | Glass: $9
El Muelle “de Olaso”
Grape: Palomino Fino, Pedro Ximenez, Mantuo, Vijiriega
Place: Cádiz - Spain
Process: This unique soil is composed of Albariza (Barajuela). The vines are placed at an altitude of 60-110m. All of the grapes are harvested by hand and fermentation uses native yeasts. After fermentation the wine spends 3-4 months under flor in tank and a few older Fino Botas, vegan.
Family: El Muella de Olaso comes from the El Corregidor estate vineyard, where Palomino Fino, Pedro Ximénez, Mantuo & Vijiriega are harvested at night to preserve freshness and prevent oxidation. It is made in the traditional 19th century Vino de Pasto style and sees only a few months of aging under flor. The claim that Palomino and PX are neutral-flavor grapes is proven wrong with El Muelle – a wine with citrussy and tropical fruit flavors, lively chalky minerality, and a touch of herbal tanginess from its short contact with flor. Perhaps Palomino’s reputation could be re-evaluated if more growers in the region were trying as hard as Willy Peréz. Luckily, there’s a growing movement to rescue Vino de Pasto from the history books and re-enshrine it back into the DO.
Bottle: $27 | Glass: $12
Casal de Ventozela ‘Contatto’
Grapes: 100% Avesso
Place: Vihno Verde - Portugal
Process: Hand picked, de-stemmed, fermentation in 5,000L tanks, on the skins, for about 2 weeks. Left to settle for another 2 weeks then pressed into tank for 3 months on lees, with occasional battonage. Lightly fined and filtered. Minimal SO2.
Family: Casal de Ventozela consists of 45 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards in the heart of the Vinho Verde region. The vines are located in two sub-regions: Vale do Ave and Vale do Covado. The estate is a family run business, with a strong focus on the environment and a genuine passion for wine and nature. Ventozela has a noble history dating back to 1874. A century later, it was acquired by the current director of the company, Jose Ferrera Cortinhas, who was responsible for resurrecting the estate following the April 25 revolution in 1974. The winery first started selling its grapes and in 2008, its first wines were bottled.
Bottle: $23 | Glass: $10