Field Notes

DIRECT PRESS October 2021: NATURAL AUSTRIA
by Jonathan Kemp
NATURAL AUSTRIA   Good, clean fun Anna and Martin Arndorfer in the Kamptal region of Austria. Their wines are a great example of the crowd-friendly profile found in the country's best natural wines. The Arndorfers' shift from more technical wines to...
Virginia Is For Wine Lovers
by Jonathan Kemp
Virginia Is For Wine Lovers The team at Early Moutain continues to impress Maya Hood White (left) and Ben Jordan of Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison, Virginia. They are making leaps and bounds each vintage and proving the immense potential...
New Arrivals From Christian Venier
by Jonathan Kemp
New Arrivals From Christian Venier These Loire beauties will go fast Christian Venier, in Cheverny, combines Pinot Noir and Gamay per the local appellation rules. But he also manages to combine wild pleasure and nuance while using zero sulfur like...
Finding You More Wines Under $22: The Importance Of Everyday Wines
by Jonathan Kemp
Finding You More Wines Under $22 Take 15% off our best values when you pick up Danièle Bonnardot flexes her ability to still make affordable Burgundy. Her Haute Cote de Nuits Blanc and Rouge may be some of the best...
DIRECT PRESS September 2021: MOUNT ETNA
by Kirk Sutherland
MOUNT ETNA  WINES OF VOLCANIC INTENSITY AND DEEP HISTORY The conclusion of our three month exploration of Italy's mountains, coasts and islands, wrapping up with Sicily's Mount Etna. Pictured above: Chiara Vigo, of Fattorie Romeo del Castello, holds a volcanic rock...
Mosel: The Next Generation
by Jonathan Kemp
Mosel: The Next Generation New releases from Philip Lardot, Ulli Stein's heir-apparent The future of Mosel wine is unclear. Though it's reputation is held to the highest esteem by yours truly, it's seen as old-fashioned in Germany, a region making...
A Journey Into Atlantic Freshness With Laura Lorenzo
by Kirk Sutherland
A Journey Into Atlantic Freshness With Laura Lorenzo Galician wines of purity and poise A couple months ago, I had the pleasure of writing about Manuel Moldes, one of my favorite Galician, Albariño focused, producers. Today I get to dive...
Hiyu's Ongoing Search For Beauty And Magic
by Jonathan Kemp
Hiyu's Ongoing Search For Beauty And Magic Back on the East Coast for the first time in over a year   Nate Ready of Hiyu Wine Farm, in the shadow of Mt. Hood in the Columbia Gorge. Before Hiyu he...
Our Prayers Have Been Answered
by VWM Staff
Our Prayers Have Been Answered Kirk Sutherland's "Prayers For Rain" Is Finally Here At long last — Kirk Sutherland's third wine of the 2020 vintage is now in stock. Back in May we announced the launch of my colleague Kirk...
DIRECT PRESS August 2021: ITALIAN ISLANDS AND COASTS
by VWM Staff
DIRECT PRESS | AUGUST 2021   ITALIAN ISLANDS AND COASTS TASTE THE SEA, FEEL THE SUN The second part of a three-part series on Italy, this month we're going to the beach to explore Italy's islands and coastlines. Above: Irene...
Oregon Update: Johan's Big Leap Forward
by Kirk Sutherland
Oregon Update: Johan's Big Leap Forward New limited wines from Oregon's leading Biodynamic vineyard Founded in 2005, the fruit from Johan Vineyards has been used to produce some of the best wines coming out of Oregon's Willamette Valley. With new...
Olivier Cousin: Breaking The Law
by Jonathan Kemp
Olivier Cousin: Breaking The Law A Loire legend who has stood trial for his methods Olivier Cousin is as uncompromising a natural winemaker as they come, even fighting the French government in a suit a few years ago where he...
DIRECT PRESS July 2021: Italian Mountain Wines
by VWM Staff
direct press | july 2021 CLIFFHANGERS Italian Mountain Wines The first part of a three-part series on Italy, this month we're focusing on some of the highest-altitude regions — not just in Italy, but in all of Europe. Above: Elisabetta...
Finding You The Best Wines Under $22
by Jonathan Kemp
Finding You The Best Wines Under $22   Emmanuel, Laurie, and the late Stephanie Caslot of Domaine de la Chevalerie in Bourgueil make one of my favorite wines under $20, a Cabernet Franc called "Diptyque." The tariffs of the past...
Beyond Albariño: The Remarkable Wines of Manuel Moldes
by Kirk Sutherland
Beyond Albariño: The Remarkable Wines of Manuel Moldes Galician wines that do justice to the lush beauty of "Green Spain"  Manuel "Chico" Moldes (above) is embracing the challenges of Galicia's climate to make wines full of tension and excitement. They...
Bichi Is Back!
by Jonathan Kemp
Bichi Is Back! Limited, as always, and possibly better than ever. If there's any wine we get asked about year-round but only have for a few weeks, it's Bichi, an exciting project of Mexican wines led by Noel Téllez (pictured...
DIRECT PRESS June 2021: Greece Is The Word
by VWM Staff
DIRECT PRESS | JUNE 2021 YOUR MONTHLY WINES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP JUNE 1ST.  Not a member yet? Join today! View Previous Months' Selections Brooklyn Delivery: we will deliver Wednesday (6/2).   Manhattan / Queens Delivery: we will deliver on Thursday (6/3).  Free local delivery: we...
SUENEN: The Champagne We All Need Now
by Jonathan Kemp
Aurelien Suenen left a career in basketball to take over his family's Champagne estate, which he has taken in exciting directions. It doesn't hurt to have neighbors and mentors like Pascal Agrapart and Anselme Selosse. "Champagne in victory and defeat"...
ERDE: Kirk Sutherland's Delicious Oregon Project
by Jonathan Kemp
ERDE: Kirk Sutherland's Delicious Oregon Project New wines from our new team member! Kirk Sutherland, former beverage director of Roberta's & Blanca, turned a one-off exclusive wine for Roberta's into his own full-fledged project, called Erde.   It's not often...
Triumphs of Terroir: Clos Saron, Frenchtown Farms and La Onda
by Matthew Hawkins
Gideon Bienstock (above), Dani Rozman, and Cara and Aaron Mockrish bottle wines from one of California's most isolated appellations, called Oregon House. If this wild appellation is known for anything, it's for making wines that age for decades, though the wines are distinctive...
Sensational Skin Contact Jura Savagnin from Domaine De La Loue
by Jonathan Kemp
  Catherine Hannoun of Domaine de la Loue had a successful career in film. Working on the documentary Mondovino led her to working with the revered Emannuel Houillon of Maison Pierre Overnoy fame. She started with her own vines in 2009. For...