Some of our Favourite Producers
The Auxerre region of Burgundy, originally planted by the Romans, is due for reclamation and rediscovery after decades of bulk wine production and industrial farming as well as selling off its best grapes to neighbouring wineries in Chablis, though they share similar terroir. Edouard Lepesme, after working for some of the most impressive Chablis vignerons, bought his property in 2014, from a farmer who had been growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and some of Burgundy's forgotten grapes organically for 15 years. Edouard’s wines from Auxerre stand out for their incredible balance of ripeness and acidity, the tightrope walk that Burgundy’s best wines are famous for.
Susanne and Stefanie Renner took over the family winery from their parents, Birgit and Helmuth, beginning in 2015, and have since been joined by their brother Georg. All 12 hectares of their family’s vineyards, around Gols and the plains next to Lake Neusiedl, are farmed Biodynamically and certified by Demeter. The Rennersistas craft exciting wines from local varietals: the Reds and Roses are made from Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch and the Whites from Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Welschriesling, with a light touch of maceration for texture and colour.
Cappelletti has been a staple Aperitivi/Amari producer in the Italian Alps since 1906 and is currently in the hands of the 4th Generation, Luigi and Maddalena Cappelletti. All herbs, flowers, and roots used in their infusions are grown on their farm. Their flagship product Aperitivo Cappelletti, is the classic red bitter liqueur that is key to a good Spritz or Negroni, with a refreshingly dry taste. Sfumato Amaro is a dark bitter liqueur made primarily with an infusion of rhubarb for a rich and smoky flavour, best enjoyed with whiskey and a splash of tonic. Pasubio Amaro uses pine and blueberries for a smoother style that's perfect neat, as a chilled digestivo.
Fossil and Fawn was born out of Jim Fischer’s retirement plan to own a vineyard in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills, an area reknowned for its marine fossils and thin topsoil that forces grapevines to dig deep rootsystems. Silvershot Vineyard was planted with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris and is home base for Jim who grows the grapes for his son, Jim Jr. and partner Jenny, to make the wine. Fossil & Fawn’s red wines from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are big, tannic, structural wines that show off their origin and to expand their portfolio they bring in other fruit from around Oregon to make some of the weirdest and most colourful wines we see every year.
Eric Texier’s first career as a nuclear physicist in France left him dissatisfied so he left it behind to make wine. Initially working for estates in Burgundy, Texier ventured off into the forgotten Northern Rhone village of Brezeme, where the vineyards had been largely abandoned after the phylloxera crisis of the late 1800s and the World Wars of the early 1900s. Texier re-planted his vineyards with old cuttings of local Syrah vines and has built a worldwide reputation for his Brezeme cuvee. With extended vineyard holdings in nearby villages, St-Julien-en-St-Alban and Vaison-la-Romaine, he’s built a nice Rhone selection that we’re proud to carry.
Fattoria San Lorenzo, the organic farm of Natalino Crognaletti, produces olives, grains, vegetables, rabbits, geese, and some of the best white wines from the grape Verdicchio in Italy. Crognaletti gives the grape such great respect, making fresh and young wines from it as well as aging wine for extended time in cement tanks and bottle, allowing the wine to develop similar to a big full bodied red wine. Crognaletti’s red wines, from Lacrima, Sangiovese, and most impressively old Montepulciano vines are bold and powerful. These aged wines are the perfect match for a well-aged ribeye and a special occasion.