Field Notes

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...
Pittnauer: Wild Austrian Refreshment
by Jonathan Kemp
Pittnauer: Wild Austrian Refreshment Delicious offerings from a pioneering natural Austrian producer Gerhard and Brigitte Pittnauer have been farming Biodynamically in Austria's Burgenland region since 2006.  Illustration by Jonathan Kemp Every week I feel like I taste or hear about...
The Best Long Island Garage Wines In The World
by Jonathan Kemp
The Best Long Island Garage Wines In The World A fantastic new release from Floral Terranes  Benford Lepley (left) and Erik Longabardi began making ciders in 2014 and wines in 2017. They continue to make everything in Erik's garage in...
DIRECT PRESS November 2021: ROOTS OF NATURAL WINE
by Jonathan Kemp
Direct Press November 2021 ROOTS OF NATURAL WINE Loire and Beaujolais producers all with over three decades under their belts Not a Direct Press Member? Sign up here today! This month we're going back to our roots with producers in...
Superior Nebbiolo: From California
by Jonathan Kemp
Superior Nebbiolo: From California A delicious surprise from Haarmeyer Wine Cellars Craig and Alex Haarmeyer are known for putting the Clarksburg AVA on peoples' radars with their Chenin Blancs. But their 2020 Nebbiolo shines a new spotlight on their amazing...
Goyo Garcia Viadero The Wild Soul Of Ribera del Duero
by Jonathan Kemp
Goyo Garcia Viadero The Wild Soul Of Ribera del Duero Goyo Garcia Viadero and wife Diana Semova Georgieva are making some of Spain's most revered natural wines by expressing the extreme climate of Ribera del Duero with  finesse instead of power....
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...
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...