A Very Special Michel Couvreur Release

A Very Special Michel Couvreur Release

We're firm believers that well-made spirits can be deeply satisfying for wine lovers, too; and the whiskies of Burgundy's Michel Couvreur are perhaps the ultimate example.

We're digging in to this fascinating distillery that sits perfectly at the intersection of rare natural wine and complex whisky.

And! Prepping for a visit from cellar master Jean-Arnaud Frantzen. You can join us!

Read On

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03/12/24

Panzano is a special place nestled right in the center of Chianti Classico that’s unlike any other village in Tuscany. 

03/06/24

The highest peak in Portugal is home to arguably the country’s most exciting region. Explore the top producers of Dão.

02/29/24

Auvergne is on a roll, and winemakers are hip to the charms of its volcanic soil and gentle climate. Marie & Vincent Tricot set the bar in Auvergne and Henri Chauvet is the newest winemaker to watch.

02/25/24

Planting Savagnin feels like a trendy, fun thing to do for a forward thinking producer. But, when you peel back the story behind why Henri Milan’s estate grows the grape native to Jura, it makes a whole lot of sense.

02/17/24

Longtime trail blazers like Rudolf TrossenClemens Busch, and Sybille Kuntz are the fearless farmers who started the biodynamic movement in the Mosel.

02/15/24

We can't get over the amount of great dry, unfortified wines coming out of Andalucia. Explore some of our favorite producers from the region.

02/12/24

A modern wave of young, talented growers are doing special things in Champagne’s most southern zone where the soils speak more to Burgundy than Champagne. One of the extraordinary names here is Salima and Alain Cordeuil.

02/04/24

The Azores in Portugal is a wild, beautiful, volatile place. Winemaker Paulo Machado has an intimate knowledge and relationship with the region as a native to Pico Island. He is a fixture in the Azores wine community.

02/02/24

Canterbury: a profound terroir defined by limestone, imprinted on us years ago through our experience with a small biodynamic winery, Pyramid Valley.

01/31/24

For decades, Steve Edmunds has been a one-man wine show producing wines in Berkeley sourced from vineyards growing under-the-radar varietals.

01/30/24

California’s newest talents are some of the most exciting we’ve seen in awhile. Coming 20+ years after the “New Cali” wave, this group is confident in making wines exactly how they want. 

01/25/24

We love Syrah (which is why we have a lot of it) from different regions, made in different styles. Explore some of our favorite classic and unexpected Syrahs right now.

01/21/24

Now’s the time to dive deep into one of Champagne’s brightest new growers, Alexandre Lamblot.

01/20/24

You can debate practically anything in wine. But, there is one thing we feel confident saying: Luca Roagna produces the best wine for the money in Piedmont. 

01/15/24

What makes up nine AOCs, eight hectares, and one grape? One of our favorite organic Chablis producers: Domaine Gerard Duplessis.

01/08/24

The 2022 vintage was a shining one for the Mosel in general, and a transitionary one for Weingut Vollenweider in particular.

01/05/24

It's been fun to watch the evolution of now-star Burgundy grower Antoine Lienhardt. We get into his style, his methods, and the current release.

12/29/23

Coming off a generation focused solely on viticulture, Clément Robert is restarting his family’s winemaking tradition - making distinct, deeply delicious wines.

12/19/23

Now is the time to be drinking American sparkling wine. From fresh, fruity pet-nats to seriously-good Champagne Method wines, the category is simply world class.

12/12/23

Cabernet Sauvignon. Some see it as the most important grape, others the most overplanted.

In my opinion, it’s one of the most serious varietals when made right.

11/13/23

Roero Nebbiolo is almost always drinkable upon release and at its best, age-worthy like Barolo. No one shows this more clearly than Italian grower, Stefano Occhetti.

11/12/23

10/24/23

A historic producer, from a historic vintage...

10/16/23

In July I went to Germany for the first time, spending almost the entire trip in the Mosel – seeing places I’ve only read about, connecting familiar faces to their home turf and, celebrating 10 years of inspired work by importer vom Boden.

With a swath of German new arrivals landing, too, it felt like a good time to reflect on the 2022 vintage, share some takeaways from the trip and share details on our next in-person event.  - Chris

09/12/23

With a small drop of other-worldy wines from TANCA NICA, we thought it was time to zoom in on their home island of Pantelleria.

09/07/23

When Antoine Lienhardt provides a tip that Frederic Cossard's assistant winemaker of 8 years has stepped out to make wine under his own label, you listen...

06/16/23

The arrival of a new release from Oregon’s The Color Collector has us reflecting on how much we love the spirit of domestic Gamay.

06/08/23

A new quality-driven wine culture in Portugal is growing - Chris Leon recaps insights from his recent trip across Dão, Duoro, Vinho Verde and Bairrada.

06/01/23

05/30/23

A letter from our owner on turning 8, and some important shop updates.

05/25/23

Drink Like a Scythian 💪

In LA's backyard, The Scythians is a new project from Cali legends Rajat Parr and Abe Schoener. País, planted in 1896. Palomino and Zinfandel, planted in 1912. These may not be famous vineyard sites; but, they are some of the state's most historic.

05/23/23

With the arrival of '21 reds, we're digging into legend Tegan Passalacqua's personal exploration into some of California's oldest vines.

05/11/23

The foothills of Tuscany are home to one of Italy’s biggest biodynamic talents: STEFANO AMERIGHI. And he’s back with another breathtaking vintage of Syrah and Pecorino.

05/02/23

Completely surrounded by the Atlantic – and 1K miles off the coast of Portugal – this tiny set of Islands produces wine as distinct and marine as its location.

02/28/23

While the region’s quantities continue to dwindle and the names continue to reach (often unattainable) cult status – François has been quietly doing his thing in the tiny village of Nevy-sur-Seille

02/26/23

There's simply a really tasty bottle we think everyone should be drinking, its the sunkissed Sauvignon from Halcyon Days.

01/27/23

 

There's a common thread among many of the Northern Rhône producers that most excite us: they come from a somewhat nebulous area known as the Ardèche.

 

01/24/23

We worked our butts off over the holiday season and finally got the team together to celebrate as wine retailers do: by popping bottles BYOB at a fav haunt.

01/19/23

Fanny Daher's LA BALADEUSE is a new perspective on the South of France: from tiny quantities of grapes from a range of biodynamic vineyards across the region, she's making the kind of lifted, juicy styles that speak our language.

It’s a breath of fresh air, and we’re excited to welcome these new-to-the-US wines to the shop.

11/13/22

One of the most exciting domestic projects is happening right in our backyard, at FLORAL TERRANES: hyper-local (foraged!) cider and wine made by Erik Longabardi (a teacher for children on the spectrum) and Benford Lepley (a photography retoucher).