New Year, New Wines

About the Winery

Markus Altenburger

The Altenburger family has farmed land in and around Jois since the 16th century. Their vineyards are only half an hour from Vienna, but seemingly in another cosmos altogether. 

Markus is fascinated by Blaufränkisch – the red grape of Burgenland. He works with massal selections from his Gritschenberg vineyard's old vines. There, loose clusters and small berries are well adapted to the dry Pannonian summers. The grapes express the schist for fruiter wines charming in their youth, as well as the limestone, for length and structure. The wines express this tension, the influences of limestone and schist soils, and something of the wild abundance of nature, as well.

Since Markus took over his family’s estate more than a decade ago, he’s moved from what he calls “well-behaved wines” to those that are much closer to nature and bear a far more personal stamp. In the cellar, he favours native yeasts, minimal added sulphur, long, protective lees contact, and concrete and neutral wood for ageing. 

About the Winery

Mesquida Mora

Bàrbara Mesquida Mora established the groundbreaking Mesquida Mora winery in Mallorca in 2012 near the town of Porreres, producing wines in the DO Plà i Llevant and Vins de la Terra de Mallorca designations in the southern and eastern areas of the island.

Bàrbara’s wines form a rich mosaic recalling the diversity of Mallorca varieties while also representing the history of her pioneering winemaking family, with her own unique futuristic vision. Upon leaving behind the winery created by her pioneering great-grandfather in 1945 in Porreres, Bàrbara started her project from scratch with historic vineyards inherited from her mother. Previously, Bàrbara managed the family winery for eight years, from 2004 until 2012, and was one of Spain’s first Demeter biodynamic certifications in 2007.

Bàrbara has not only been a passionate practitioner of organic and biodynamic viticulture for more than two decades; she has also introduced a regenerative agriculture approach through encouraging biodiversity within her estate vineyards. Prior to her winemaking career, Bàrbara studied Medieval literature and Catalan language in Barcelona. Comfortably multilingual culture, art, and language are like air and water for her, informing every aspect of her work. Bàrbara is among the vanguard of a wave of young producers recuperating and contributing to the unique cultural and viticultural matrix of traditional Mallorcan agriculture.

About the Winery

Bodegas Exopto

Exopto is Latin for “to long for” or “to desire greatly” and it is the dream of Frenchman Tom Puyaubert and his family to endeavor to craft and assemble wines where the whole adds up to more than the sum of their parts.  Tom relocated from France to Rioja in 2000 after falling in love with the region and working for the French cooperage Saury as its Spain representative.

When Tom began Exopto, he wanted to do a project that produced wines within this historical context of Rioja - combining both worlds in a unique way.  His idea is to remain true to the blending of the principle grape varieties and to do so from the best terroirs/villages for those varieties crossing sub-regions of Rioja.   Each wine though, has a majority of a different principle grape – showcasing that variety specifically within the context of a blend.  The viticulture and winemaking model is that of the “vigneron” days – small plots of vines in the extremes, wild yeast fermentation in concrete or old oak vats and then aging in a way to showcase the fruit, minerality and terroir not the wood or aged flavours that people often associate with Rioja.

About the Winery

Garage Wine Co.

Garage Wine was literally started in a garage in 2001, by Etobicoke expat Derek Mossman and his wife Pilar Miranda. Since then, the dynamic duo handcraft wines from a series of individual vineyards located in the Maule and Itata Valleys, in the south of Santiago, Chile.

Garage Wine Co makes wines from a series of individual parcels, small lots / bottlings of 8-22 barrels that include a series of dry-farmed field-blends of Carignan, Garnacha, Monastrell, País, Cinsault and Cab Franc grown on pre-phylloxera rootstock with small farmers in the Maule and Itata. Each wine is from a 1-2 hectare parcel in a different place.

Over the years working in the community they have raised a veritable posse of vineyard hands whose skills are working the vineyards the old way / the traditional way– originario. The vineyards are on the old coastal range of mountains closer to the Pacific and have granitic soils with cracks for roots to get deep down into.

When GWCo. speaks of the provenance of these wines they mean more than just the geological terroir. Derek and Pilar think the farming practices that have evolved over generations have as much to do with the wines’ personalities as the soils. All the wines are made by hand with native yeasts in small tanks, punched down manually and pressed out in a small basket press. GWCo is still very much a DIY operation and we still tow much of the crop back to the winery in trailers behind trusty pickup trucks 2,000 kilos at a time.

About the Winery

Mesquida Mora

Bàrbara Mesquida Mora established the groundbreaking Mesquida Mora winery in Mallorca in 2012 near the town of Porreres, producing wines in the DO Plà i Llevant and Vins de la Terra de Mallorca designations in the southern and eastern areas of the island.

Bàrbara’s wines form a rich mosaic recalling the diversity of Mallorca varieties while also representing the history of her pioneering winemaking family, with her own unique futuristic vision. Upon leaving behind the winery created by her pioneering great-grandfather in 1945 in Porreres, Bàrbara started her project from scratch with historic vineyards inherited from her mother. Previously, Bàrbara managed the family winery for eight years, from 2004 until 2012, and was one of Spain’s first Demeter biodynamic certifications in 2007.

Bàrbara has not only been a passionate practitioner of organic and biodynamic viticulture for more than two decades; she has also introduced a regenerative agriculture approach through encouraging biodiversity within her estate vineyards. Prior to her winemaking career, Bàrbara studied Medieval literature and Catalan language in Barcelona. Comfortably multilingual culture, art, and language are like air and water for her, informing every aspect of her work. Bàrbara is among the vanguard of a wave of young producers recuperating and contributing to the unique cultural and viticultural matrix of traditional Mallorcan agriculture.

About the Winery

Elios

“Elios” was born from the passion of these two young Sicilian friends. With a true love for their land, they joined together to develop their families’ farms and to bring them to their full potential after finishing their university studies. The farm and vineyards are located near Palermo in north west Sicily.  Along with olive groves and an apiary, they grow the native Sicilian grapes Grillo, Catarratto, Zibibbo and Nero d'Avola on their organic vineyards.  

Elios prides itself on making minimum intervention, low sulfite wines with native Sicilian, organic grapes grown between Alcamo, Camporeale and Monreale; areas all located in the north-west part of Sicily. The wine making focuses on respect for the varietal, and aims to deliver an easy drinking, approachable style.

About the Winery

Villa Calcinaia

Villa Calcinaia is situated in the centre of Chianti Classico near the town of Greve-in-Chianti. This historic estate has been home to the Counts Capponi since 1524, and is maintained by Sebastiano Capponi and his brother Niccolo. In 1992, Count Sebastiano Capponi became the first in the history of the family to manage the winery personally, giving a new life to the vineyards and the cellar.

The family owns 200 hectares of land planted with olive trees, vines and pine trees. Organic farming is the standard at Villa Calcinaia where 75 acres of vineyard are planted with Sangiovese, Merlot, Canaiolo, Grechetto, Vernaccia, Trebbiano, and Malvasia. Through every vintage, the wines are crafted with food in mind. They are balanced, elegant, perfumed, and savoury yet refreshing with restrained vigour and intensity that ensures longevity.

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

Groupe Bellene

Led by Nicolas Potel in Beaune, Groupe Bellene is composed of the négociant arm Maison Roche de Bellene, the winery arm Domaine de Bellene, and a special back-vintage series under the Collection Bellenum label. 

• Maison Roche de Bellene offers a complete range of wines, with an emphasis on individual terroirs from old vines of more than 40 years. All of the growers that Nicolas works with are either organic certified or sustainably farmed.
• Domaine de Bellene represents the wines that are produced and bottled from Nicolas Potel's private vineyard holdings. 
• Collection Bellenum is a back vintage series that Nicolas Potel sourced from his friends in the region, offering a magnificent selection of bottled history. The wines have moved only twice in their lives, from the original cellar to Potel's and now to yours!

Nicolas Potel grew up at Volnay's Domaine Pousse d'Or, where his father worked. He trained abroad and returned home in 1996 to build a négociant business and started Maison Nicolas Potel, where he sourced grapes from good parcels, often working with the growers to improve the quality. By 2002, he was making 120 wines from 50 different appellations, and the rest is history!

About the Winery

Mesquida Mora

Bàrbara Mesquida Mora established the groundbreaking Mesquida Mora winery in Mallorca in 2012 near the town of Porreres, producing wines in the DO Plà i Llevant and Vins de la Terra de Mallorca designations in the southern and eastern areas of the island.

Bàrbara’s wines form a rich mosaic recalling the diversity of Mallorca varieties while also representing the history of her pioneering winemaking family, with her own unique futuristic vision. Upon leaving behind the winery created by her pioneering great-grandfather in 1945 in Porreres, Bàrbara started her project from scratch with historic vineyards inherited from her mother. Previously, Bàrbara managed the family winery for eight years, from 2004 until 2012, and was one of Spain’s first Demeter biodynamic certifications in 2007.

Bàrbara has not only been a passionate practitioner of organic and biodynamic viticulture for more than two decades; she has also introduced a regenerative agriculture approach through encouraging biodiversity within her estate vineyards. Prior to her winemaking career, Bàrbara studied Medieval literature and Catalan language in Barcelona. Comfortably multilingual culture, art, and language are like air and water for her, informing every aspect of her work. Bàrbara is among the vanguard of a wave of young producers recuperating and contributing to the unique cultural and viticultural matrix of traditional Mallorcan agriculture.

About the Winery

Elios

“Elios” was born from the passion of these two young Sicilian friends. With a true love for their land, they joined together to develop their families’ farms and to bring them to their full potential after finishing their university studies. The farm and vineyards are located near Palermo in north west Sicily.  Along with olive groves and an apiary, they grow the native Sicilian grapes Grillo, Catarratto, Zibibbo and Nero d'Avola on their organic vineyards.  

Elios prides itself on making minimum intervention, low sulfite wines with native Sicilian, organic grapes grown between Alcamo, Camporeale and Monreale; areas all located in the north-west part of Sicily. The wine making focuses on respect for the varietal, and aims to deliver an easy drinking, approachable style.

About the Winery

Domaine Baud Père et Fils

The history of Domaine Baud dates back to 1742, and it wasn't until 1950 when René Baud, the 7th generation, rebuilt the vineyard which had suffered from the phylloxera crisis and two World Wars.

Starting with only 4 hectares, the vineyard progressively expanded to 20 hectares with the help of successive generations. Now, managed by siblings Clémentine and Bastien, the 9th generation, the estate continues to flourish and grow, with a strong commitment to sustainable viticulture and preserving the traditions and style that makes the wines of the Jura so unique and incredible.

The estate achieved the Terra Vitis certification in 2014 for its eco-friendly work and environmental preservation.

About the Winery

Domaine Autrand

Christine Aubert and her son Aurélien, wine-makers in Vinsobres, at the heart of the Drôme Provençale, welcome you to their family estate. As a 80Ha estate, the Autrand Wine Cellar produces AOC Vinsobres (Côtes du Rhône vintage since 2006), Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC and Côtes du Rhône AOC in each color. Vinsobres, another little known Southern Rhône commune was awarded 'Cru' status in 2006. It’s relative anonymity outside France ensures exceptional value.

About the Winery

Mesquida Mora

Bàrbara Mesquida Mora established the groundbreaking Mesquida Mora winery in Mallorca in 2012 near the town of Porreres, producing wines in the DO Plà i Llevant and Vins de la Terra de Mallorca designations in the southern and eastern areas of the island.

Bàrbara’s wines form a rich mosaic recalling the diversity of Mallorca varieties while also representing the history of her pioneering winemaking family, with her own unique futuristic vision. Upon leaving behind the winery created by her pioneering great-grandfather in 1945 in Porreres, Bàrbara started her project from scratch with historic vineyards inherited from her mother. Previously, Bàrbara managed the family winery for eight years, from 2004 until 2012, and was one of Spain’s first Demeter biodynamic certifications in 2007.

Bàrbara has not only been a passionate practitioner of organic and biodynamic viticulture for more than two decades; she has also introduced a regenerative agriculture approach through encouraging biodiversity within her estate vineyards. Prior to her winemaking career, Bàrbara studied Medieval literature and Catalan language in Barcelona. Comfortably multilingual culture, art, and language are like air and water for her, informing every aspect of her work. Bàrbara is among the vanguard of a wave of young producers recuperating and contributing to the unique cultural and viticultural matrix of traditional Mallorcan agriculture.