Field Notes

DIRECT PRESS May 2022: PORTUGUESE POSSIBILITIES
by Jonathan Kemp
Not a Direct Press Member? Learn more here PORTGUESE POSSIBILITIES The rapid changes coming to Portugal's wine culture are bringing attention back to the country's viticultural heritage and dynamic natural bounty. We're featuring wines from the Pato family (Luís Pato and...
The Quest For The Best Under $22
by Jonathan Kemp
The Quest For The Best Under $22 15% our favorite everyday wines Inexpensive wines for everyday drinking: a concept that should ennoble human societies, if you take my word for it, anyways. If not for industrial wine and aggressive chemical...
Oregon's Brianne Day: Growing With A Conscience
by Kirk Sutherland
 Oregon's Brianne Day: Growing With A Conscience  Scaling-up without sacrificing priciples For the last decade, Brianne Day has made low-intervention wines on her own terms while working hard to develop long-term relationships with her grape growers. Illustration by Jonathan Kemp...
Lewandowski: Fainting For Feints, Swooning For Rosé
by Jonathan Kemp
Lewandowski: Fainting For Feints, Swooning For Rosé Ruth Lewandowski's most crushable bottles are back     There are few wines that signal the start of Spring to me like the Ruth Lewandowski wines. Twice a year we get Evan's wines,...
Jauma: Wizardry In Oz
by Jonathan Kemp
 Jauma: Wizardry In Oz The pinnacle of Australian natural wine — in tiny quantities As natural wine leaves behind the humble, affordable pricing of its early days and begins to occupy the rarefied space of "fine wines" and fought-over allocations,...
DIRECT PRESS April 2022: WOMEN WINEMAKERS
by Jonathan Kemp
Not a Direct Press Member? Learn more here Download the PDF of this month's newsletter DIRECT PRESS APRIL 2022: WOMEN WINEMAKERS Wine throughout its history has always been propelled by women. From early archaeological research it is likely that women...
Subversion In Plain Sight: Ridge Grenache Blanc
by Jonathan Kemp
 Subversion In Plain Sight Ridge's Grenache Blanc Paul Draper, the winemaker at Ridge from 1969 to 2016, stayed true to his vision despite many changes in styles, technology, and financial fortunes. His vision lives on. The Ridge wines are a...
Nightshade, Thomas Monroe's Piedmont-Inspired Side Project
by Kirk Sutherland
 Nightshade, Thomas Monroe's Piedmont-Inspired Side Project Nebbiolo from the Co-owner & Winemaker of Portland's Division Winemaking Company Thomas Monroe founded Division Winemaking Company with Kate Norris in 2010, producing some of the best wines coming out of the Pacific Northwest....
Report From France: L'Ostal Levant
by Jonathan Kemp
Report From France: L'Ostal Levant Favorite wines from a visit to France last month Louis and Charlotte Pérot left behind their literary careers in Paris to restore an abandoned farm in the South West of France. Illustration by Jonathan Kemp...
DIRECT PRESS March 2022: GARNACHA IN THREE COLORS
by Jonathan Kemp
Not a Direct Press Member? Learn more here Download the PDF of this month's newsletter DIRECT PRESS MARCH 2022: GARNACHA IN THREE COLORS  For a grape that is one of the most widely-planted in the world, you’d think Garancha (aka...
Buona Notte: A Taste of Italy in the Pacific Northwest
by Kirk Sutherland
Buona Notte: A Taste of Italy in the Pacific Northwest Graham Markel's outstanding take on American-grown Italian Grapes   There is something magical about the Columbia Gorge. Nestled on the banks of the Columbia River, riding the border of Oregon and Washington...
Get Schooled On The Best Albariño
by Kirk Sutherland
Get Schooled On The Best Albariño A fresh drop of wines from Nanclares y Prieto   The first time I tasted a wine from Alberto Nanclares was one of those "ah-ha" moments for me. I was in a tasting group,...
DIRECT PRESS February 2022: FIELD BLENDS
by Jonathan Kemp
Direct Press February 2022 FIELD BLENDS What grows together goes together Not a Direct Press Member? Sign up here today! Jutta Ambrositch and her dog in the vineyards inside the city limits of Vienna, where it was a tradition to plant a...
Holger Koch Is Making Us Fall In Love With Baden
by Jonathan Kemp
Holger Koch Is Making Us Fall In Love With Baden Holger Koch is one of Baden's most refined craftsmen in the cellar and vineyard, rivaling the team at Wasenhaus while offering more affordable options. If you haven't heard of Germany's...
Good Old Bordeaux
by Jonathan Kemp
Good Old Bordeaux Extremely limited library releases and cellar selections, along with our favorite current classics Stephanie and Michel Theron of Clos du Jaugueyron are inviting a whole new group of wine drinkers back to experience the historic appeal of...
Michel Couvreur's Burgundy-Aged Scotch
by Jonathan Kemp
Michel Couvreur's Burgundy-Aged Scotch Whisky for Wine People Michel Couvreur brought the magic of Burgundy to scotch whisky, but passed away in 2014. His project has been continued by protégé Jean-Arnaud Frantzen and son-in-law Cyril Deschamps.  Illustration by Jonathan Kemp...
DIRECT PRESS January 2022: NEW YEAR, NEW WAVE
by Jonathan Kemp
Direct Press January 2022 NEW YEAR, NEW WAVE The stylistic shift in American wine in the past 10 years Not a Direct Press Member? Sign up here today! This month is all about "new wave" American wines. The concept started with winemakers like Steve...
End The Year With A Thirst Quencher
by Jonathan Kemp
End The Year With A Thirst Quencher A small quantity of Marie and Vincent Tricot's Auvergne Gamay Marie and Vincent Tricot are bringing back the reputation of the Auvergne region.  Illustration by Jonathan Kemp I'm all for drinking Champagne or...
The Best Kept Secret In Sparkling Wine
by Jonathan Kemp
The Best Kept Secret In Sparkling Wine Limited Release Alpine Bubbles From Ermes Pavese Ermes Pavese is the master of the obscure Prié Blanc grape from Val d'Aosta, the least-populous region in all of Italy. Illustration by Jonathan Kemp Pleasure...
DIRECT PRESS December 2021: STAFF FAVORITES
by Jonathan Kemp
Direct Press December 2021 STAFF FAVORITES An end-of-year roundup of what we're into now Not a Direct Press Member? Sign up here today! This month we are featuring wines beloved by the Vanderbilt Ave staff. Illustration by Jonathan Kemp It's become a...
Wines to Bridge the Generational Gap
by Jonathan Kemp
Wines to Bridge the Generational Gap Impressive American offerings to satisfy humans of all (legal drinking) ages. Laura Brennan Bissell of Inconnu shows that it's possible to make California Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon without compromising natural wine values or the...