Last Chance Cases

About the Winery

Azienda Agricola Tornatore

Out of a Sicilian family heritage that traces back to the 17th century, the Tornatore’s Mount Etna wine ventures began in 1865. Today the family’s operations are headed by Giuseppe Tornatore, a businessman whose expertise led to the acquisition of some of the region’s finest north-facing vineyards in the early 2000’s. That heritage and the Tornatore’s profound respect and understanding of the land is showcased in wines that capture the essence of Etna, deftly balancing concentrated flavors, complexity, freshness and refinement.

The company lies in the northern side of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. The soils have volcanic origin and were created through the disintegration of lava, ash and stones from previous volcanic eruptions. The climate on the northern side of the Etna is characterized by mild temperatures, and more rain fall reflecting the influence of the Volcano. The combination of soil, climate and the skill of the winemakers, have made the northern slope of Etna an ideal area for the production of high-quality wines. “Our vineyards and our winery are only a few kilometers from our family home. Our entire family is rooted there. We have the greatest respect for this region, and we believe we have a responsibility to be stewards of Etna and to reflect its distinct character in our wines.” - Giuseppe Tornatore

About the Winery

Štekar

The Štekar family has been growing grapes in Goriska Brda since 1985. With 6 acres of vines planted in the stunning hills of western Slovenia, along with cherry orchards, Jure Štekar has committed to make wine the way his grandfather Emil taught his father: respecting tradition and avoiding invasive technologies.

Certified organic since 2006, Jure likes to play with long macerations, spontaneous fermentations and tiny SO2 amounts. His goal is to produce genuine wines that tell the story of his land and family.

About the Winery

Celler Escoda-Sanahuja

Joan Ramón Escoda founded Celler Escoda Sanahuja in 1999 along with his wife Mari Carmen in Conca del Barbera, Catalonia. Since then, they have been disrupting the wine industry both in their home-country and internationally.

Celler Escoda Sanahuja was one of the first wineries that, back in 2005 stopped adding sulphites to their wines. Joan Ramon has always been a radical winemaker and a grass-roots innovator. His wild enthusiasm has been fuel for the natural winemaking scene, and has also led him to, spontaneously, create the 'Brutal' movement popular in natural wine circles. These are highly individual wines reflecting their origins and their innovative winemaker.

About the Winery

Celler Escoda-Sanahuja

Joan Ramón Escoda founded Celler Escoda Sanahuja in 1999 along with his wife Mari Carmen in Conca del Barbera, Catalonia. Since then, they have been disrupting the wine industry both in their home-country and internationally.

Celler Escoda Sanahuja was one of the first wineries that, back in 2005 stopped adding sulphites to their wines. Joan Ramon has always been a radical winemaker and a grass-roots innovator. His wild enthusiasm has been fuel for the natural winemaking scene, and has also led him to, spontaneously, create the 'Brutal' movement popular in natural wine circles. These are highly individual wines reflecting their origins and their innovative winemaker.

About the Winery

Celler Escoda-Sanahuja

Joan Ramón Escoda founded Celler Escoda Sanahuja in 1999 along with his wife Mari Carmen in Conca del Barbera, Catalonia. Since then, they have been disrupting the wine industry both in their home-country and internationally.

Celler Escoda Sanahuja was one of the first wineries that, back in 2005 stopped adding sulphites to their wines. Joan Ramon has always been a radical winemaker and a grass-roots innovator. His wild enthusiasm has been fuel for the natural winemaking scene, and has also led him to, spontaneously, create the 'Brutal' movement popular in natural wine circles. These are highly individual wines reflecting their origins and their innovative winemaker.

About the Winery

Celler Escoda-Sanahuja

Joan Ramón Escoda founded Celler Escoda Sanahuja in 1999 along with his wife Mari Carmen in Conca del Barbera, Catalonia. Since then, they have been disrupting the wine industry both in their home-country and internationally.

Celler Escoda Sanahuja was one of the first wineries that, back in 2005 stopped adding sulphites to their wines. Joan Ramon has always been a radical winemaker and a grass-roots innovator. His wild enthusiasm has been fuel for the natural winemaking scene, and has also led him to, spontaneously, create the 'Brutal' movement popular in natural wine circles. These are highly individual wines reflecting their origins and their innovative winemaker.

About the Winery

Weingut Bianka und Daniel Schmitt

Bianka and Daniel took over the Weingut Schmitt in 2012 as the fourth generation to lead the winery. They are based in Wonnegau in the south Rheinhessen, centered in Flörsheim-Dalsheim. All of the vineyards are in Flörsheim-Dalsheim and neighbor villages Monsheim and Kriegsheim. Bianka and Daniel have been working their 16 hectares biodynamically for over a decade and are one of only 80 producers in Germany to be Demeter certified. They work with amphorae as well as used oak barrels and release a ‘Natur’ line that contains no added sulphur.

Here are Bianka and Daniel in their own words:

“Working biodynamically is a lifestyle that includes producing and spreading preparations in the vineyards as well as social interactions. The interactions between the life in the soil (like bacteria, mykorizen, plants as green cover and the vines) are composed with each other. Vines become stronger and get more vitality from a living soil, not from chemical treatments.

This active interaction in the soil life, the mutual strengthening of the plants result in stronger resilience for the vines which reflects the high quality of the grape, supports the presence of the individual soil types (calcareous soil covered by clay and partly loess, pebble). By working according to the biodynamic principles, biodiversity is supported as an automatic successor. As a result, the vineyards and the biotopes created by Bianka and Daniel offer a home for a diverse and local animal community.

After hand picking, the grapes are processed with or without skin maceration. And rest in wooden oaks (5000L, 3000L, 1200L, 600L) or clay amphorae (1200L, 300L) for at least 12 months on the whole yeast depot. The focus is on offering an optimal aging potential for the years to come. In order to support the collegial exchange and to enable operational training in the field of biodynamic agriculture, Bianka and Daniel and their winery are proud members of the Renaissance des Appellations, Demeter and Vinnatur associations.”

About the Winery

Château Haut-Grelot

Château Haut Grelot is located in Saint Ciers Sur Gironde, approximately 50 kms north of Bordeaux, on the right bank of the Gironde Estuary. It was established by the Bonneau family in 1922 and now run but the 4th Generation. Today Château Haut-Grelot comprises 58 hectares of vineyards and is run by Céline and Julien, who was recently awarded the title 'Best Young Talent' in Bordeaux.

The vineyards are made up of sandy-gravel on the hillsides bordering the Gironde Estuary and sand-clay-silt on the hillsides further inland. Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux benefits from an ideal microclimate where there is a high level of sunshine and enough rain to guarantee the perfect environment for grape production. As a result the reds are fruity and concentrated and the whites are fresh, vibrant and delicate.

About the Winery

Kellerei Bozen - Cantine Bolzano

Cantina Bolzano, based in the town of Bolzano, traces its roots to two of Alto Adige’s most historic cooperatives: Santa Magdalena, est. 1930 and Cantina Gries, est. 1908. After deciding to merge in 2001, Cantina Bolzano was created. Bolzano is located in the middle of a valley basin surrounded by hilly vineyards that grow from 200 meters above sea level up to 1000. North and south meet in this valley, and the sun warms the stony soils with its pronounced diurnal temperatures, protecting the vines from the cold.

The average growers’ plots in Sudtirol averages only approx. 1 hectare, and the area, with its famed reputation and steep slopes, is an expensive area to farm. The member of Bolzano (approx. 300 in all) own many of the best vineyards throughout the region, including the Valle Isarco, and pool their resources to create top quality wines. And while no grower is certified organic, many practice organic viticulture and all of them adhere to natural practices in their vineyards. Most growers have lived on their farms with their families for generations. They protect their land and cultivate their vineyards as they have done for generations with total respect of the environment where they live.

About the Winery

Viñátigo

Juan Jesús is a proud native of Tenerife and the fourth generation of growers. During the thirty years that he's overseen Bodegas Viñátigo, he has considerably increased its holdings, planting varieties that he and his team recuperated from near extinction.

Driven by passion and love for his homeland, Juan decided to revive and work to save the native grape varieties that were brought to the Canary Islands by the conquers back in the 15th century and that had survived on the islands for centuries. He is a hero of contemporary Canarian viticulture. The wealth of knowledge that his work has created has helped underpin the significant expansion of wine styles that are now available throughout the archipelago, and his wines have achieved a calibre of class that many doubted the Canaries would ever produce again. (The Epic Wines of the Canary Islands, written by Santo Bains).

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.