Reveler's Hour Menu

Let us do the work! Just add a note under "Special Instructions" after selecting this item with three adjectives describing your wine taste, and let us know if there are any genres you'd rather avoid. We'll do the rest. Failing that, submit a poem to inspire us or let us devote an assortment to your favorite actor or artist. The more whimsical, the better. Spend your 200 characters wisely and give us a day to pull our thoughts together. We're also happy to trade notes with you via email: hello@revelershour.com.

Let us do the work! Just add a note under "Special Instructions" after selecting this item with three adjectives describing your wine taste, and let us know if there are any genres you'd rather avoid. We'll do the rest. Failing that, submit a poem to inspire us or let us devote an assortment to your favorite actor or artist. The more whimsical, the better. Spend your 200 characters wisely and give us a day to pull our thoughts together. We're also happy to trade notes with you via email: hello@revelershour.com.

Let us do the work with an even bigger budget! Just add a note under "Special Instructions" after selecting this item with three adjectives describing your wine taste, and let us know if there are any genres you'd rather avoid. We'll do the rest. Failing that, submit a poem to inspire us or let us devote an assortment to your favorite actor or artist. The more whimsical, the better. Spend your 200 characters wisely and give us a day to pull our thoughts together. We're also happy to trade notes with you via email: hello@revelershour.com.

Let us do the work with a bigger budget! Just add a note under "Special Instructions" after selecting this item with three adjectives describing your wine taste, and let us know if there are any genres you'd rather avoid. We'll do the rest. Failing that, submit a poem to inspire us or let us devote an assortment to your favorite actor or artist. The more whimsical, the better. Spend your 200 characters wisely and give us a day to pull our thoughts together. We're also happy to trade notes with you via email: hello@revelershour.com.

55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay from Premier Cru parcels in Ville-Dommange with clay/limestone soils, primarily: “Les Loges” and “Les Monts Teigneux”; Champagne is classified by village, be it Premier or Grand Cru. The Fresne Ducret domaine consists of 6 hectares of 1er Cru vineyards divided among 25 parcels, which are, with one exception, all in the village of Villedommange. According to the champagne authority, Richard Juhlin, Villedommange, along with the village of Sacy, has the best vineyards in the northern part of the Montagne de Reims, known as the Petite Montagne. The Fresne family have lived and farmed in Villedommange for 180 years and since 2007 it has been Pierre Fresne and his wife Daniella writing the current chapter. Losing little time, Pierre and Daniella began estate-bottling their champagne with the 2008 vintage. In 2018, after a decade of working towards organic farming, they officially entered into conversion for organic certification.

- Vital Signs: Not lesser authority than Peter Liem (who wrote the greatest modern reference on Champagne) says: "Vilmart & Cie. is not only one of the greatest grower-estates in Champagne, but one of the finest champagne producers of any type in the region." This is a barrel-aged showstopper from the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims. It is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir aged on the lees for a full 40 months prior to release. - Uncle Bill's Take: Vilmart was one of my first great Grower Champagne loves. These are luxurious wines, expressive and dynamic. In the words of Antonio Galloni, "The balance of energy and textural richness is compelling." This is a memorable bottle for a truly special occasion, every bit as profound as the more iconic prestige cuvées that Les Grandes Marques sell for twice the price.

Jeb Dunnuck says: "Made from 70% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir, the nose of the 2014 Champagne Special Club Brut is quite attractive, with ripe stone fruit (fresh apricot), pretty flowers, and a touch of honeycomb and marzipan." Ages over seven years on the lees with a delicate touch on the dosage. Eight generations have passed since Nicolas Chiquet planted his first vine in 1746. In 1919, brothers Fernand and Gaston Chiquet, winemakers born and bred, came together to create their house, Chiquet Brothers. They were pioneers in Champagne, among the very first winemakers to take the initiative, bold at the time, to keep their grapes, turn them into Champagne and sell their own product. In turn, Claude Chiquet and his sons, Antoine and Nicolas, ensured continuity taking over in 2003 by complying with the family rule: "Our primary goal is to maintain the quality standards of our heritage."

Drappier is a well storied family in the Aube dating back to 1808 when the cloth merchant Francois Drappier moved there from Reims. During the later part of the 1800’s the Drappier family ended up buying the above ground ancient abbey that was created back in 1116 by Bernard of the Citeaux Abbet.The family kept making wine through it all and now Michel Drappier manages the estate (1979), while Andre Drappier runs the fields. 100% Pinot Noir from a family famous for popularizing it in the Aube. People scoffed at Pinot Noir originally there but now it makes up 70% of Drappiers plantings and 70% of the Aube (and climbing!). 100% Pinot Noir that’s macerated for 2 days before pressing. 5% is aged in foudre and this spends 30mo on the lees. Dosage is 6g/L. They work sustainably and organically in the vineyards. The soil is mostly Kimmeridgian limestone. They are vinified and then blended expertly by Elyse, Andre, and Hugo to a maximalist flavor style.

50% Pinot Meunier, 50% Chardonnay from 70yr old vines. Fermentations are carried out in old oak casks or enameled steel vats and the wines go through a malolactic fermentation. José Michel made his first vintage in 1955 and thanks in part to his cellar of very old bottles of Pinot Meunier, he developed a cult following for his Champagnes. José passed away in 2019 and this “Maison de Tradition” which began in 1847 is now, seven generations later, run by José and Nicole’s grandson, Antonin. Antonin is brilliantly refining the work that José accomplished over six decades and developing his own ideas. As he says, “José and I agreed on practically everything”.

100% Pinot Noir from a 1.5 hectare vineyard in the lieu-dit "Val Vilaine," 40 year-old vines. Cédric Bouchard had a rapid rise to Champagne stardom. Having only started his own label in 2000 after a stint as a sommelier in Paris, he quickly earned a reputation as one of Champagne’s most talented young wine producers, and was awarded the title of Champagne’s finest winemaker for the year 2008 by the Gault Millau. Bouchard began with only 1.37 hectares of vines in the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Côte des Bar, Champagne's southern enclave of kimmeridgian-centric terroirs. His approach in the vineyards seeks to maximize quality at every step. Additionally, he farms organically, dramatically restricts yields (among the lowest in Champagne), and places extra emphasis on picking at the optimum moment. The base wines are fermented in stainless steel (he has described wood as “makeup”), he never chaptalizes, and always vinifies without filtering, fining or cold stabilization.

100% Pinot Noir from the .9 hectare lieu-dit of Les Ursules. 250-300 cases produced annually. Aged for 28 months on the lees in stainless steel. Bottled with no dosage. Disgorged: 2023. The first vintage bottling of this wine was available in 2014. Les Ursules is a Blanc de Noirs from a single parcel of less than a hectare of the same name in the Côtes des Bars. As always Cédric Bouchard’s aesthetic is vineyard expression above all. This single vineyard, single vintage Pinot Noir is raised in stainless steel, to avoid any influence of wood that would mask the character of the terroir. The long, slow secondary fermentation and bottling without dosage produces a vinous, savory champagne that benefits from decanting and serving in a wine glass rather than a flute to better appreciate the concentrated, earthy character of the Pinot Noir grown in this vineyard. This limited production cuvée is standard bearer for the property.

Blend of 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 5% Pinot Meunier; first press juice of mainly Grand and Premier Crus grapes from the heart of Champagne. 20% to 30% of reserve wines are aged in wooden barrels using the solera system to incorporate older wines without losing freshness. Vins de réserve comprise 30% of this bottling. As such, this is technically not considered true vintage Champagne (which must be sourced entirely from a single harvest). The Maison Philipponnat is the oldest Champagne house of the region. Its founder, April de Philipponnat, was granted some tracts of land by King Francis I of France, in 1522. In total, fifteen generations of Philipponnat would work in the 20 hectares family vineyard over the years. In the 20th century, Auguste and Pierre Philipponnat bought the former cellars of the Château de Mareuil-sur-Aÿ (in 1910) and managed to increase the champagne sales, turning the small family wine estate into a real high-class champagne brand.

- Vital Signs: Not lesser authority than Peter Liem (who wrote the greatest modern reference on Champagne) says: "Vilmart & Cie. is not only one of the greatest grower-estates in Champagne, but one of the finest champagne producers of any type in the region." This is a barrel-aged showstopper from the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims. It is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir aged on the lees for a full 40 months prior to release. - Uncle Bill's Take: Vilmart was one of my first great Grower Champagne loves. These are luxurious wines, expressive and dynamic. In the words of Antonio Galloni, "The balance of energy and textural richness is compelling." This is a memorable bottle for a truly special occasion, every bit as profound as the more iconic prestige cuvées that Les Grandes Marques sell for twice the price.

Drappier is a well storied family in the Aube dating back to 1808 when the cloth merchant Francois Drappier moved there from Reims. During the later part of the 1800’s the Drappier family ended up buying the above ground ancient abbey that was created back in 1116 by Bernard of the Citeaux Abbet.The family kept making wine through it all and now Michel Drappier manages the estate (1979), while Andre Drappier runs the fields. 100% Pinot Noir from a family famous for popularizing it in the Aube. People scoffed at Pinot Noir originally there but now it makes up 70% of Drappiers plantings and 70% of the Aube (and climbing!). 100% Pinot Noir that’s macerated for 2 days before pressing. 5% is aged in foudre and this spends 30mo on the lees. Dosage is 6g/L. They work sustainably and organically in the vineyards. The soil is mostly Kimmeridgian limestone. They are vinified and then blended expertly by Elyse, Andre, and Hugo to a maximalist flavor style.

50% Pinot Meunier, 50% Chardonnay from 70yr old vines. Fermentations are carried out in old oak casks or enameled steel vats and the wines go through a malolactic fermentation. José Michel made his first vintage in 1955 and thanks in part to his cellar of very old bottles of Pinot Meunier, he developed a cult following for his Champagnes. José passed away in 2019 and this “Maison de Tradition” which began in 1847 is now, seven generations later, run by José and Nicole’s grandson, Antonin. Antonin is brilliantly refining the work that José accomplished over six decades and developing his own ideas. As he says, “José and I agreed on practically everything”.

Jeb Dunnuck says: "Made from 70% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir, the nose of the 2014 Champagne Special Club Brut is quite attractive, with ripe stone fruit (fresh apricot), pretty flowers, and a touch of honeycomb and marzipan." Ages over seven years on the lees with a delicate touch on the dosage. Eight generations have passed since Nicolas Chiquet planted his first vine in 1746. In 1919, brothers Fernand and Gaston Chiquet, winemakers born and bred, came together to create their house, Chiquet Brothers. They were pioneers in Champagne, among the very first winemakers to take the initiative, bold at the time, to keep their grapes, turn them into Champagne and sell their own product. In turn, Claude Chiquet and his sons, Antoine and Nicolas, ensured continuity taking over in 2003 by complying with the family rule: "Our primary goal is to maintain the quality standards of our heritage."

100% Chardonnay harvested from two parcels with vines that are between 25 and 60 years old. The Vieilles Vignes typically ages 4 years “sur lie” before disgorgement and evolves in the bottle for years afterwards. The wine is finished with a dosage of 9.5g/L. Minimal intervention is practiced and fermentations take place with natural, indigenous yeasts from the skins of the grapes. Thierry Triolet is a Grower Producer who has been producing his own Champagne, from growing and nurturing the vines, harvesting, pressing, blending, and aging, since the 1960s with the help of his wife Frédérique. They have 11 hectares of vines in Breton, a village in the south of Côte de Sézanne. The Côte de Sézanne is next to the better known Côte des Blancs, and both areas are known for their Chardonnay. Geographically, the Côte de Sézanne is an extension of the Côte des Blancs with a very similar terroir.

55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay from Premier Cru parcels in Ville-Dommange with clay/limestone soils, primarily: “Les Loges” and “Les Monts Teigneux”; Champagne is classified by village, be it Premier or Grand Cru. The Fresne Ducret domaine consists of 6 hectares of 1er Cru vineyards divided among 25 parcels, which are, with one exception, all in the village of Villedommange. According to the champagne authority, Richard Juhlin, Villedommange, along with the village of Sacy, has the best vineyards in the northern part of the Montagne de Reims, known as the Petite Montagne. The Fresne family have lived and farmed in Villedommange for 180 years and since 2007 it has been Pierre Fresne and his wife Daniella writing the current chapter. Losing little time, Pierre and Daniella began estate-bottling their champagne with the 2008 vintage. In 2018, after a decade of working towards organic farming, they officially entered into conversion for organic certification.

100% Pinot Noir from a 1.5 hectare vineyard in the lieu-dit "Val Vilaine," 40 year-old vines. Cédric Bouchard had a rapid rise to Champagne stardom. Having only started his own label in 2000 after a stint as a sommelier in Paris, he quickly earned a reputation as one of Champagne’s most talented young wine producers, and was awarded the title of Champagne’s finest winemaker for the year 2008 by the Gault Millau. Bouchard began with only 1.37 hectares of vines in the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Côte des Bar, Champagne's southern enclave of kimmeridgian-centric terroirs. His approach in the vineyards seeks to maximize quality at every step. Additionally, he farms organically, dramatically restricts yields (among the lowest in Champagne), and places extra emphasis on picking at the optimum moment. The base wines are fermented in stainless steel (he has described wood as “makeup”), he never chaptalizes, and always vinifies without filtering, fining or cold stabilization.

100% Pinot Noir from the .9 hectare lieu-dit of Les Ursules. 250-300 cases produced annually. Aged for 28 months on the lees in stainless steel. Bottled with no dosage. Disgorged: 2023. The first vintage bottling of this wine was available in 2014. Les Ursules is a Blanc de Noirs from a single parcel of less than a hectare of the same name in the Côtes des Bars. As always Cédric Bouchard’s aesthetic is vineyard expression above all. This single vineyard, single vintage Pinot Noir is raised in stainless steel, to avoid any influence of wood that would mask the character of the terroir. The long, slow secondary fermentation and bottling without dosage produces a vinous, savory champagne that benefits from decanting and serving in a wine glass rather than a flute to better appreciate the concentrated, earthy character of the Pinot Noir grown in this vineyard. This limited production cuvée is standard bearer for the property.

- Vital Signs:Colares is a traditionally prestigious wine region situated on Portugal's central Atlantic coast. It is famous as much for its sandy, phylloxera-free soils and ungrafted vines as the robust, tannic red wine it produces from the area's Ramisco grape. Located at the southwestern tip of the Lisboa region, Colares and its vines lie within two miles of the Atlantic Ocean. The vines are left untrained, running wild along the dusty sand - like giant snakes. During the summer months, from the onset of veraison, the vines are propped up with canes to keep the hot sand from scorching the grapes. To help tame the intense wind blowing off the ocean, each parcel is sectioned off with stonewalls and dry cane palisades. This is a viticulture based around wind, moisture, light intensity, and sandy soil. The growing season is long, with harvest happening generally around the beginning of October. All work in the vineyards, along with harvesting, is done by hand.

Bill's pick is a local Albariño from Maryland's own Old Westminster Winery. The fruit is sourced from younger vines grown adjacent to the winery. The grapes are pressed in whole clusters and the wine fermented with native yeast in stainless steel tanks. It reveals a lighter, brighter, more citrus fruit forward character than the Galician original but is equally approachable and refreshing in its own way. Old Westminster is a family affair that dates back to 2008 when Jay and Virginia Baker decided to plant a vineyard in the rocky soils of their Carroll County farm. The three Baker children run the roost today with Lisa crafting the wines, Drew managing the vineyards, and Ashli handling the tasting room.

Grapes: 100% Listan Blanco. Listan Blanco is the local name in the Canaries for the Palomino grape variety and is the most popular grape used to make sherry. Phylloxera has never troubled the Canaries, meaning that the vines are ungrafted and can be up to 100 years old. Origin: The Canaries are a series of volcanic islands off the southern coast of Morocco. Because of the hot and humid tropical conditions that prevail here, the Canary Islands are not, in theory, ideal for growing grapes. But their mountainous landscape makes viticulture possible in stone-terraced vineyards above 500 meters. This altitude ensures that freshness and acidity are maintained in the grapes. Tasting Notes: The growing region of Palo Blanco is regarded for its black volcanic soils, which produce intensely mineral driven white wines. slate and wet hay, with tart green apple, pear, and lemongrass. Racy acidity, lime zest, and a briny saline kick.

South Africa currently has 3,505 hectares of old vines (35 years and older), four percent of the total national vineyard. Of that, there are just 81.7 hectares of old vine Palomino, although it was once widely planted throughout the Western Cape for use in brandy. Adi Badenhorst was born into a winemaking family and maintains a deep and abiding reverence for Swartland's oldest plantings. The fruit is harvested by hand and pressed off in whole bunches. The wine is fermented with native yeast and aged for 11 months in a single 500L cask before bottling with a small addition of sulfur.

Petit Manseng is a white varietal native to southwestern France (particularly Jurançon). It is most commonly vinified as a richly sweet wine with stonefruit characters such as peach and apricot, citrus and sweet spice. Its ability to retain acidity as it ripens also makes it a perfect fit for dry wines from warm, continental climates like Virginia's. This example is fermented warm in a combination of concrete, large Acacia, and oak puncheon and foudre.

Producer: Elisabetta Fogiuoli is the wine direct and founder at Montenidoli. The vineyard site once made the wine used for the Holy Mass by the Knights of Templar who resided at Montenidoli long ago. The Rule of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux directed that they "drink wine according to necessity to defeat the cold." Each had the right to determine how much wine to drink to counter cold: coldness of the body, the heart, and the spirit. The name Montenidoli translates to "the mountain of little nests," fitting for vineyards surrounded by woodlands. The vineyards rest at an elevation of 1100 ft; composed primarily of bright red soils with little organic matter and poor water retention which contributes to the concentrated flavors in the wine. Vinification: This is an organic blend of 80% Vernaccia, 15% Trebbiano Gentile, 5% Malvasia Bianca. Elisabetta uses free run juice from destemmed grapes, ferments it in neutral barrique for 12 months and then rests 12 months in lined cement vats.

"Al di là del Fiume ('beyond the river') started in 2006 as the brainchild of husband and wife Danila Mongardi & Gabriele Monti. Their farm is located in the area in front of the Monte Sole Regional Park in Marzabotto, just outside of Bologna, Emilia Romagna. They created a multifunctional biodynamic agricultural organism with productive, educational, recreational, artistic and therapeutic activities aimed at the wellbeing of man and the environment." - Uncle Bill's Take: This is a blast from the past, a taste of antiquity from a grape with possible Roman roots. It is anything but conventionally floral and fruity, rather stoney, savory, oxidative, and lightly gripping on the finish. It is a textural kind of wine that reveals itself over time and transforms from one sip to the next with food.

- Vital Signs: Rivesaltes is an appellation for the historic sweet wines of eastern Roussillon, in the deep south of France. The sweet vin doux naturel wines produced in this area have been revered since at least the 14th Century. Unlike botrytized wines or ice wines, vins doux naturels are made by mutage, a process of stopping fermentation while there is still a high level of natural sweetness. This offering is composed entirely of Grenache Gris, harvested by hand from a small 1.9-hectare vineyard of 70-year old goblet vines. Following fermentation and a week-long maceration, elevage is undertaken in a former horse stable situated behind the chateau, a truly special place for the rearing of oxidative wines. The wines are kept in used 225-liter Bordelais fûts, stacked twos and threes, and year-by-year they concentrate and develop the rich texture and notable rancio character that is a hallmark of their elevage.

Vital Signs: A blend of 90% Malvasia di Candia Aromatico and 10% Trebbiano come together to make the La Stoppa estate's only dry white wine. The twenty year old vines are planted in clay silt and tended organically with natural green cover between the rows. The grapes macerate on the skins for four months in stainless or cement tanks before a spontaneous fermentation occurs. Post-ferment the wine is aged in 40 hectoliter wooden tanks, bottled without sulfites or filtering, and conditioned a little longer in bottle. La Stoppa is a historic estate first founded in the late 19th century but the owner was dedicated to planting Bordeaux varietals. In 1973 the father of the current owner, Elena Pantaleoni, bought the estate with almost no experience making wine. Elena joined the winemaking team full-time in 1991 and five years later she initiated the transition from Bordeaux varietals, which didn't perform well in the warm climate and soils, to native varietals of Emilia Romagna.

- Vital Signs: Josko Gravner is a legend in his own time. Importer Neal Rosenthal explains: "After determining that stainless steel was not a proper marriage for his wines in the 1990s, Gravner decided to follow the ancient wine-producing techniques used in the Caucasus and has began fermenting his wines in huge amphorae buried in the ground in his cellars in 2001, with a full conversion for all wines as of 2004." Ribolla is the region's noble white grape prized for its firm acidity, subtle florality, and crunchy orchard fruit. Gravner's is fermented and aged on the skins for five months before aging in large, neutral oak for an additional six years.

- Grapes: Vidiano is one of hundreds of native Greek varietals that exists only in a small corner of Crete. It turns out fuller bodied offerings that nonetheless retain acidity well with loads of bright orchard fruit on the palate. - Producer: From the importer: "Giannis Stilianou and his teenage son personally tend to their 3 hectares of organic vineyards, planted only with indigenous Cretan varieties . . . Giannis’ family emigrated to Crete after the last war between Greece and Turkey, a century ago, along with the rest of a Greek population wave, and brought with them many techniques of Asia Minor." This cuvée is named after the mother goddess of the ancient Minoans, the earliest recorded civilization in Europe. Straight forward maceration for 21 days in inox with a soft press and short aging on its lees before bottling.

This aspirational red is a blend of native varietals: Malbo Gentile, Lambrusco, and Marzemino. Typically source material for sparkling red wines, here they deliver a darker still rosé. Marzemino is noteworthy for its place in opera history. In Mozart's Don Giovanni, the titular character calls out for a glass of Marzimino just before his deliverance into hell. "Versa il vino! Eccellente Marzimino!" - Uncle Bill's Take: This takes everything I love about Lambrusco but in an unexpected form. The native varietals shine in still form, delivering all sorts of brambly dark fruit and bitter herbs. I quite adore what one online seller had to offer: "Here is a wild freshness to the wines that is really lovely. When tasting these wines, your mind and soul go directly to the deepest heart of Italy."

- Grapes: Mavropatrino is a rare red varietal unique to Lefkada. Siflogo says: "Its light purple skin is ideal for rosé wines because even after long macerations, the wine remains light in color." - Producer: From the importer: "Siflogo is a small, organic wine 'workshop' in Platystoma, 500 metres high on the island of Lefkada in the Ionian sea. It was founded by Dionysis and Maria Papanikolopoulos, and is run by their son Vasilis. They cultivate and preserve indigenous grape varieties, farming without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides and harvesting the vines by hand." On winemaking: "4 days of pre-fermentation maceration, wild fermentation in stainless steel . . . bottled unfiltered and unfined with no addition of sulfites or any additives."

-Producer: Christophe and Fabrice Delorme (and father Francis) bought the estate in 1986 with the inspiration to make the greatest wines in the appellation while preserving their environment. After about 10 years of hard work, they finally were ranked among the top producers in Tavel, Lirac, and Cotes du Rhones. Sadly, Christophe passed in 2015 and his daughter Ambre has taken over. The soils around the Tavel estate are mostly clay, chalk, sand and pebble stones. -Vinification: Dom. Mordoree believes in the raisonne method of minimal intervention. This organic cuvee is a blend of 60% Grenache Noir, 10% Cinsault, 10% Mouvedre, 10% Syrah, 5% Bourboulenc and 5% Clairette with an average vine age of 40 years old. Once hand harvested, the grapes are all destemmed before crushing, left for a 36/48hr cold soak, and then naturally fermented with temperature control.

- Origin: Bermejos is on the easternmost island of Lanzarote. Only 125km from the African coast, conditions here are extreme. A volcanic explosion that lasted from 1730-1736 covered the entire island in lava and ash 3-5 meters deep. Each vine must be planted in a hole that breaks through that infertile volcanic crust of petrified lava to the organic matter that can nourish it. The wind, a natural fungicide, is so ferocious that each hole is surrounded by rock walls for protection. The flora on Lanzarote can't grow up very high; there are not enough nutrients in the soil to support sprawling greenery. Yields are minuscule and each berry is concentrated with flavor. - Ali’s Assessment: There’s a smoky, flinty, charred tomato and bell pepper energy in addition to the fruit. Blood orange and ash. What else do you want from vines that have painstakingly clawed their way into existence from environs so challenging they rival the surface of the moon?

Vital Signs: This is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot sourced from Stellenbosch. The wine ages in French oak for 16 months with 45% new and the rest second and third use. Winemaker Ntsiki Biyela has an incredible story as the first female black winemaker in post-apartheid South Africa. After 13 years working for Stellekaya Winery in Stellenbosch, she continued her inspirational journey from a small village in Kwazulu Natal to the upper echelons of the national wine industry by launching her own brand. Aslina is named in honor of the grandmother who helped raise her. Uncle Bill's Take: The healthy dose of Petit Verdot gives this wine extra grip and herbal intensity. South African Cab Sauv is not the rough beast slouching out of Napa Valley but something much more savory and dynamic. Ntsiki is a trailblazer to be sure but equally gifted as a vigneronne.

- Vital Signs:Colares is a traditionally prestigious wine region situated on Portugal's central Atlantic coast. It is famous as much for its sandy, phylloxera-free soils and ungrafted vines as the robust, tannic red wine it produces from the area's Ramisco grape. Located at the southwestern tip of the Lisboa region, Colares and its vines lie within two miles of the Atlantic Ocean. The vines are left untrained, running wild along the dusty sand - like giant snakes. During the summer months, from the onset of veraison, the vines are propped up with canes to keep the hot sand from scorching the grapes. To help tame the intense wind blowing off the ocean, each parcel is sectioned off with stonewalls and dry cane palisades. This is a viticulture based around wind, moisture, light intensity, and sandy soil. The growing season is long, with harvest happening generally around the beginning of October. All work in the vineyards, along with harvesting, is done by hand.

Vital Signs: Hailing from Mt. Etna, this is a blend of 80% Nerello Mascalese/Cappuccio, 10% Grenache and 10% Francisi. 30% of these grapes aren't destemmed and fermentation is not temperature controlled. Also, while the vines are certified organic, they are 100+yrs old and thusly are from a time where that was the only way to farm. The sandy volcanic soils allow for the vines to struggle and help add that musky/ashy flavor we all love from our Etna Rossos. After 2 weeks in ferment, the wine is rested in barrel for 12 months and then racked into bottle when the lunar cycle says so. Vinupetra is translated to "A wine produced in a land full of stones" in Sicilian dialect.

- Vital Signs: Etna Rosso is one of the world's greatest wines and Alberto Graci one of its greatest exponents. His vineyards sit at altitudes ranging from 600 and 1,000 meters above sea level just outside of the ancient winemaking village of Passopisciaro The grape Nerello Mascalese flourish on these volcanic soils, delivering wines that are both rustic and elegant, much like the best of Burgundy but with a volcanic intensity all their own. This offering is fermented with native yeasts and aged entirely in concrete tanks. Vinous is enraptured: "The 2018 Etna Rosso bursts from the glass with sweetly spiced cherries and wild berries nicely contrasted by hints of sage. This is silky and pliant in feel, motivated by juicy acids that further enliven its ripe red and blue fruits. Notes of lavender and purple-tinged inner florals linger long, as the 2018 tapers off to a twang of salty minerality."

Vital Signs: This cuvee is sourced from two very old parcels of cordon trenzado (braided vines) Listan Negro. 60% comes from the La Habanera plot on volcanic sand at the highest elevation (600m) in the area, and 40% comes from the older San Antonio plot, lower on the slope (350m) and with more clay. The plots were hand-harvested, foot-trodden and fermented separately (La Habanera with 100% whole clusters, San Antonio 15% whole cluster) in large concrete vats, then into 228 & 600L old French barrels for malolactic and aging for 11 months. Bottling is without fining or filtration.

- Vital Signs: Gran Canaria is a sizeable island with the archipelago's second largest population. The Ramírez family went from growers to vignerons in 1999 with sons Pedro and Antonio leading the way. This estate- grown Listán Negro is sourced from high-altitude vineyards with the wine aged 3 months in mostly used American oak barrels. (About one of 8 barrels is new.) - Uncle Bill's Take: I have an ongoing love affair with Listán Negro with its intoxicating peppercorn meets crushed herbs and dried olives bouquet. This is a fuller bodied example, a perfect gateway drug for a New World wine partisan looking for something different.

- Producer: Vaglio is the personal project of José Lovaglio Balbo, son of local winemaking royalty. His mother Susana Balbo developed the "Crios" brand and has helped to define Argentinian Malbec in the modern era. José is one of the head winemakers at her winery, Dominio del Plata. In 2013, he found an old, small gravity- fed concrete winery in Tupungato for rent and refurbished it to meet his needs. Here, he produces single vineyard wines under his own label, aiming to showcase the different microclimates of northern Mendoza through terroir-driven offerings. - Uncle Bill's Take: File this under: "How Bill learned to stop worrying and love Argentine Malbec." Yes, it can be a brash, over-extracted fruit bomb, but it doesn't have to be. In the right hands, Malbec is more medium- bodied than full, as savory as it is fruity. This is downright refined, a beacon of sophistication is a sea of crude grocery store wine.

- Grapes: Mavrodaphne is a dark-skinned varietal from the Peloponnese, the many pronged peninsula southeast of Athens. Its name means "black laurel," and it typically features in sweet, fortified wines although it equally delivers expressive, inky dry reds. - Producer: Giannis and Antonia Christopoulou created the Markogianni estate as a tribute to their grandparents, who have been cultivating vines since 1982 in the area of Ancient Olympia. They specialize in reviving rare, indigenous varietals unique to the Peloponnese. This cuvée matures in old, French oak barrels for 10 months before bottling. - Markogianni farms organically with annual production not exceeding 25,000 bottles.

- Vital Signs: A Mencia dominant wine with Sousao and other native varietals rounding out the blend. The grapes for this offering are hand harvested and fermented whole cluster, to impart the spicy rusticity Mencia is know for, in open top vats. The maceration lasts between 25 and 40 days before the wine rests in 300-400L used French oak for eleven months. Aldea is local dialect for village as this wine is one of Envinate's "village" wines rather than a single vineyard. - Kenny's Kernel: Envinate loosely translates to "wine yourself"; it is the brainchild of Laura Ramos, Jose Martinez, Roberto Santana, and Alfonso Torrente. These four friends met an oenology school in Alicante and bonded over their desire to explore the Atlantic influenced terroir of northern Spain as well as the islands.

- Vital Signs: Sourced from a Ribeira do Sil parcel of vines at about 100 years of age. This organically farmed vineyard is co-planted to red and white grapes in the proportion of 70-30% respectively. Mainly Mencia here but also the local red grapes Merenzao, Brancellao, Caino, and Mouraton; and native white grapes Palomina, Godello, and Doña Blanca. the vineyard is at an elevation of 600 meters and planted on gneiss soils. The berries are hand harvested and foot trodden before the whole clusters are fermented with native yeasts in open top vats. The finished wine spends eleven months in 300-400L used oak barrels. The process of co-fermenting white and red grapes is what makes this collaboration between the famed Envinate and their US importer Jose Pastor so fresh and unique.

- Vital Signs: is situated on the Vidigueira fault, a 30 mile long east-west facing escarpment which rises to 420 metres. The fault significantly influences the climate, trapping the cool, humid Atlantic winds, so despite its southern location it is one of the most temperate sub regions in the Alentejo. This blend of native red varietals consists of 40% Moreto, 30% Tinta Grossa, and 30% Trincadeira. The traditional clay amphorae used for fermentation and aging is called talhas. This spends a remarkable (by red wine standards) three months on the skins. - Uncle Bill's Take: This is impossibly refreshing, bright and juicy but equally herbaceous and briny. It's GLOU GLOU incarnate - or whatever pet phrase the Portuguese have for gluggable. I'm convinced that Rocim sells it by the liter, because 750mL wouldn't be quite enough for a single serving.

Stop by the store for more information!

Louis-Antoine is a Burgundian who has devoted himself to preserving Chile's winemaking heritage. He operates as a negociant celebrating the work of small farmers who rely on his technical expertise and global reach. - Grapes: País aka Mission aka Criolla Chica aka Listán Prieto was the first vinifera grape widely planted in the New World by 16th century Spanish missionaries. This batch is sourced from a two-hectare site of sandy, decomposed granite soils in Maule. The vines are farmed organically, not irrigated at all and harvested by hand. - Uncle Bill's Take: Rock Juice says: "This is Luis-Antoine's Chilean take on Beaujolais Nouveau - some carbonic, a quick press and fermentation, then bottled in a one-liter happy jug for early enjoyment." What's not to like about that?!

- Vital Signs: This is an iconic Chilean product named for the redwood casks (pipas) that farmers kept in their cellars hold their homemade wine, largely derived from País, one of the first grapes introduced to South America by the initial wave of Spanish settlers. Phylloxera has never made it to Chile. As such, this humble peasant wine comes from 250 year old vines. - Uncle Bill's Take: The Bío Bío Valley is home to some of Chile's oldest vineyards and a resurgent wine scene firmly commitment to noninterventionist principles. Cacique Maravilla is very much at the forefront of this movement. This is a wildly refreshing chillable red that's equally dynamic, full of dark, brambly fruit and bright, floral accents. Also, it comes in a Liter bottle so you get 33% more wine for your money!

Chris' pick is the family's estate grown single varietal Pilotage. In their own words: "Our Pinotage is produced from 2 hectares of bush vines planted high up on a granitic ridge with a beautiful Vantage point over the historic town of Stellenbosch and the surrounding mountains. It is a refined, elegant and juicy wine with a lightly savoury finish."

Vital Signs: Saperavi is Georgia's most ubiquitous red varietal. True to its name which translates to “dye” in English, Saperavi produces wine that’s inky, deep red to black in color, often accompanied by a full body and profound texture. Shalauri is a small Kakhetian producer that launched its first vintage in 2013. This offering was raised in fermented and aged in traditional Georgian qvevri. Uncle Bill's Take: Saperavi is a monster, the rare red-fleshed grape or teinturier that turns out coarse, juicy reds that can be lovably rustic or crude depending on the maker. This represents a bit of a departure, traditional Saperavi with half a decade under cork to soften and evolve. It's an older, wiser wine with a seductive texture and flavors of blackberry, chocolate, tobacco, and violets.

The ‘Maddie’ is all about Schiava, a fresh and spicy regional grape that is made for the cheese and charc plate you were tasked to bring to your friends-mas. Cracked white pepper, dried thyme and what it must have smelled like in those Ocean Spray cranberry commercials with the farmers (s/o to anyone who knows what we’re talking about, but think a whole field of ‘em). Serve slightly chilled for max lip-smacking goodness.

- Vital Signs: Finca la Carrodilla is a pioneering biodynamic estate turning out world class wines from an unlikely corner of the world. The blend here is 70/20/10 Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Tempranillo, fermented in tank, and raised in French and American oak for nine months thereafter. It sings. - Uncle Bill's Take: Gustavo González is a UC-Davis graduate raising the bar for Valle de Guadalupe wines. This stunning red blend tastes almost Provençal to me. It's sun-kissed and exuberantly fruity but with all the herbs and spice you would expect of Southern France. It's a bottle to turn heads and win over anyone still skeptical about Mexico's wine scene.

- Producer: From the importer: "The Bibich winery is a true gem of Dalmatia. Its vineyards are more than 500 years old. But most of the family’s estates were destroyed in the early 1990s Croatian War of Independence. After the war, Allen Bibic took it upon himself to reestablish the winery in the same location close by Krka National Park. The winery’s first wines were released in 1998 and soon rose to local and then international acclaim."

Producer: Enfield Wine Co. is the family project of John Lockwood and Amy Seese, with a focus on producing wines of personality. We do not subscribe to the ideal of the perfect wine, but to the notion that the very best wines tell a unique story. After surviving a summer job in high school hand-weeding vines at a winery in Vermont and studying as an apprentice to a Master Luthier (guitar builder) in Oakland, John Lockwood got his start in the California wine industry in 2004 working up at Heron Lake vineyard with David Mahaffey. He went on to work harvests with Ted Lemon at Littorai, Bodega Melipal in Argentina, and Failla Wines with Ehren Jordan where he worked for 5 years farming and managing the Sonoma Coast and Russian River estate vineyards. He started Enfield Wine Co. in 2010 as small side-project while still working at Failla, and in 2013 took the plunge with Enfield as a full time project.

Epirus is one of Greece's coolest regions, nestled at the foot of the rugged Pindus Mountains just south of the Albanian border. This is an energetic, herbal, alpine wine crafted by a trailblazing local vigneron who studied in Bordeaux before launching his own label in 1978. Vlahiko is typically deployed in blends but shines on its own as a single varietal entity crafted with minimal intervention with grapes destemmed, wine fermented and aged for two years in mostly used French oak.

"Established in 2012, Maître de Chai is the personal project of Marty Winters and Alex Pitts . . . We source grapes from unique and distinct single vineyards that are impeccably farmed here in California. As our name implies, we care for the wines in the cellar. We defer to nature, limiting our intervention. We taste and we wait, allowing the wines to develop and speak for the places in which they are rooted." - Uncle Bill's Take: There are no bells or whistles here, just great wine from impeccably sourced and lovingly farmed vineyards. This is the kind of timeless classic that never goes out of style, plush enough for the "go big or go home" set but none the less elegant and sophisticated for it. As for tasting notes: "Loads and loads of acidity and fruit, this is brambly and salty with a grippy and savory edge. What begins on the palate as almost clairet like becomes fuller and really unique with a snappy and firm."

- Grapes: 72% Riesling, 28% Petit Manseng - Structure: 12.1% alcohol, lush and waxy - not unlike Chenin Blanc. Honeycomb and apricot on the nose, flush palate, tropical fruit, bracing acid. - Origin: Fruit is 100% Shenandoah Valley. Riesling is sourced from Ox Eye Vineyards, a farm in Augusta County, near Staunton, VA. The Petit Manseng is winemaker Ben Jordan’s own. - Producer: Sebastian Zutant is the owner of Primrose, a french wine bar with a natural wine focus. Zutant has been collaborating with Ben Jordan, a winemaker at Virginia's Early Mountain Vineyards, to produce wine for two years. In 2015, he made 250 cases and in 2016, he made 350 cases. From the winery, “Lightwell Survey is an expressive Virginia winery shining a modern style light on the traditional wine-scape. Our grapes have been surveyed straight outta Virginia since 2015. Makin' small batches of lively reds and dense whites that you can age.”

Bill's first pick is a wildy refreshing Pinot Blanc from Michigan producer Left Foot Charley, an urban winery housed in a former asylum on the northern banks of the Great Lakes. In their own words: "Of the sisters Pinot, much has been sung. Noir is the popular cheerleader and Gris is the brooding artist. Blanc is the prodigal daughter off on an adventure soon to return with all the confidence, grace, and worldly presence of a benevolent leader. Pinot Blanc is often assumed to be a 'blender' for large wine blends with multiple varieties, or at best, an unassuming white wine. Not so with Michigan grown Pinot Blanc. This grape loves our cool climate and sandy soils. It is able to ripen an expression of powerful aromatics and intense fruity length while maintaining a buzzing acidity which keeps it fresh."

Bill's second pick is a world-class Grüner Veltliner from the Lehigh Valley of Eastern Pennsylvania. The Troxell family has been growing grapes on this historic dairy farm since 1996 with a predilection for cool climate-friendly, Germanic varietals. Of the Stone Cellar, they say: "Grown and crafted with extraordinary finesse from our oldest vines. Powerfully concentrated passion fruit, grapefruit, white pepper & a long, haunting finish. Some enchanted evening awaits." I say: I dare you to try this wine! I dare you to reflexively dismiss it because the winery sits squarely in the Rust Belt. I dare you to claim that the East Coast can't manage wines to rival anything out West. I dare you to claim that Grüner Veltliner is bright and refreshing but rarely profound. Try it if you dare and prepare to eat your words!

Bill's pick is a classic Sardinian after-dinner drink. The estate calls this "a unique Sardinian liqueur made from the berries of the Mirto (Myrtle) plant. Myrtle is one of the most distinctive essences of the Mediterranean and has long been recognized for its healing properties. This liqueur is violet red in color with herbal aromas. It is bittersweet on the palate and backed by flavors of mint, eucalyptus, juniper and spices."

Yannick's wine is a classic border blend (Cabernet Sauvignon dominant with Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc also in the mix) from one of Virginia's most historic estates. Glen Manor is a family business run by fifth generation farmer Jeff White. He planted his first vines in 1995 and currently presides over 17 vineyard acres in the shadow of Shenandoah National Park. From the winery: "Hodder Hill is a structured red blend focused on the terroir of our mountain farm. The blend of varieties and nuances of flavor change with every season, just as nature gives us different fruit every season, and we allow the best of this bounty to frame our wine. In the same way that this wine showcases the structure that our vineyards produce, its name showcases the structure of our family; it is named for Raymond Hodder Rudacille, the second generation of our family to farm and live on this land."

Bill's pick is a local Albariño from Maryland's own Old Westminster Winery. The fruit is sourced from younger vines grown adjacent to the winery. The grapes are pressed in whole clusters and the wine fermented with native yeast in stainless steel tanks. It reveals a lighter, brighter, more citrus fruit forward character than the Galician original but is equally approachable and refreshing in its own way. Old Westminster is a family affair that dates back to 2008 when Jay and Virginia Baker decided to plant a vineyard in the rocky soils of their Carroll County farm. The three Baker children run the roost today with Lisa crafting the wines, Drew managing the vineyards, and Ashli handling the tasting room.