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Nataša Černic, Castello di Rubbia’s owner and winemaker

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Nataša Černic, Castello di Rubbia’s owner and winemaker

Nataša Černicis one of those persons you could be listening talking about wine for hours. She is so passionate about her work she hypnotizes you with her conversation. She loves what she does and you feel it right away while she talks to you. As we recently talked about in the article about Azienda Agricola Castello Di Rubbia, Nataša has a passion for experimenting with her wines to produce different things. We tasted some of these experiments with Malvasia and they were so incredible. Today we will talk to her about her passion.

Buongiorno Nataša, and thank you for your collaboration. Where does your passion for wine come from?

I could not do anything without passion, I inherited this from my mother.

You have chosen Malvasia for experimenting rather than other varietal. Why this one in particular?

Malvasia grape is amazing, I know I haven’t understood its potential yet. So I like to play with it, in different ways, different times. When I feel there is something special, something worthy in the grape, I start going with my imagination. This is the way Cadenza d’Inganno was born.

You use longer periods of the must in contact with the skins. Do you decide the period by timeframe or by tasting?

By reaction of the grape on the skin contact, I try to understand where we are going.

We tasted your experiment with Malvasia 2011 and it was something really fabulous. Can you tell us how are you doing it?

I love white Passito. It’s a love affair, there is nothing more to explain. I believe Malvasia can be a great Passito. However making a Passito, this is still a mistery to me. It all started when I saw botrytis nobile, a unique phenomenon, on the Malvasia grape in late August/September 2011 and I wanted to try. We lost 70% of our grapes drying it on the plant.

Skin contact was a real experience, fermentation was even more… a life lesson. We decided to cool the must in fermentation, setting the temperature to -2. With more than surprise, tears in my eyes, I remember what I thought when I saw the slow and secure fermentation going on at that temperature. Strange aromas, but they were good, never felt before in our cellar. Yeasts were trying to survive, and I saw the power of life. This value was to me more important than any wine in my mind. More than that, that Sunday noon, bells were ringing, we switched off cooling leaving the wine going wherever it was meant to go and achieve. Wine fermented for months, many months, I will not tell how many, nobody would believe it, with strange but positive aromas. It stopped with a residual sugar too low for a Passito.

In the meantime, the malolactic fermentation was done. I didn’t care. I knew it would be great. When the wine was born, only one name came to my mind, which I associate from my music studies: Cadenza d’Inganno, a sequence of accords that determine a surprise, a music phrase that doesn’t end like it is expected. It indeed surprises you with a sense of “could not be, this is wrong!” before and “why not?” later on. It happens in music, in wine and in our lives. My imagination by the tasting of this wine, accepting the deviation it took, keeps me close to infinity…

What is your goal when you do these experiments?

Discovering life.

Have you thought of experimenting in this way with a red varietal?

The first Teran 2004 in the history of our winery was itself an experiment… but not in vinification… I tell you the story: 3-year-old vines gave their grapes, a barrel from Teran was forgot in the cellar, as not important, forgot by everyone, but no by me. I looked at it after some time, sure and proud of it. After 10 years, I decided to bottle it… no sign of age, a champion! Sorry… Not for sale.

My first, non-declared experiment, was Teran 2007, which name would be “Pure”, later on I found out it already existed as a registered name, so I left the idea, and took it as first step to my own wine universe…

One of our declared experiments, with historical result, is Teran 2011, whose story is very similar to Cadenza d’Inganno’s. I remember acidity before picking up the grape, as 15 was the alcoholic potential, not a Carso standard… but climate was changing. Grape still medium size, some of them dry. Harvest time, let’s go on action. Skin contact for around 24 days, fermentation very long, I won’t say how long, none would believe it. 7 different vinifications, because of a very difficult alcoholic and malolactic fermentation which didn’t end at an acceptable stage for bottling. But it ended for a time, finding its balance somewhere. So we bottled it, knowing it could start moving a bit again. Another champion was born, whose level of antioxidants was incredibly high. The wine is dark, so dark that you don’t see the other side of the glass… more than Teran… more than a wine. Alcoholic by volume is 14,77º. It happened; we are keen on having been part of it.

The DOC authority, considering Teran 2011, gave us a remarkable advice: the whole harvest of 2012 of Teran is RISERVA. Around 1300 bottles in 3 hectares (9000 vines/hectare), that year gave us 8 quintals per hectare, I remember my father furious… the result is still in our cellar, another great champion.

Would the Vitovska variety respond to this kind of experiments in the same way?

The lovely Vitovska is a totally different kind of grape, very slow always: in the vineyard, in vinification and ageing. Its thicker skin tells you it needs longer skin contact. Of course, every year we do 4-6 different vinifications, which are actually similar. The discriminant factor here is Time always, in the maturation of the grapes, in maceration, fermentation, ageing… all it is very slow for the long living Vitovska.

How are your Vitovska wines?

I feel our Vitovska as happy strong wines. I mean they went on all processes: fermentation, stabilization in a natural way and in the right time. The result is a stable wine, without the electricity we often find in young wines without malolactic fermentation, which are in tension to a result of a natural process, which has been stopped by the producer, to get something in-between, a compromise. I don’t like compromises…

You don’t work with Ribolla Gialla, a varietal really important here in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

No, I don’t. I believe everyone should express itself in his own terroir. We are in Carso – Kras, not in Collio – Brda.

You use Cabernet Sauvignon and Terran. The latter is a local variety.

Actually, the 7000 metres of Cabernet Sauvignon are slowly dying, climate is changing, the plants react very badly. Indigenous varieties are stronger, they can afford climate change. Teran is a selvatic vine, it needs place, we plant it very narrow and it is pushing up. We are considering the best way for it to be cultivated.

Which kind of oak barrels do you use?

Only Slavonian, oak and also acacia.

Which style of ageing do you prefer? Steel tanks, oak barrels?

Actually, what the wine needs is what we prefer.

Which of your wines gives you more satisfaction working with?

Teran.

What style of wine you drink when you are not working?

Reds, a deep Lagrein like.

Any new plan for the future?

Huge 🙂

Grazie mille, Nataša!

Cavallotto Fratelli, Tenuta vitivinicola Bricco Boschis in Barolo

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Cavallotto Fratelli, Tenuta vitivinicola Bricco Boschis in Barolo

Originally published in miamigoelvino.com 30/01/2017.

It is really interesting to search and discover new things about wine. There is so much about it out there that it seems to be a sin not to taste new things, just to stay true to one particular style of wine. It is also said that to some wines, you arrive to them only when you are ready. Maybe it is a matter of getting a good wine education in terms of tasting and tasting, maybe it is about age, who knows… They say you arrive to Burgundy wines in France, Jerez wines in Spain and Barolo wines in Italy in due time. And it seems to be true.

We are still in our way arriving to Barolo wines. We haven’t tasted that many yet, as with other DOs, but we have started educating our palate and our tasting buds to Barolos. In the beginning it was no easy, a persistent acidity in them, but when you have valuable help it becomes easier. And with help we mean when you find a winery that produces wines you instantly fall in love with. In one of our Wine Tasting Club sessions last year we had the privilege of enjoying two of their wines: Barolo Bricco Boschis 2010 and Barolo Riserva Vignolo 2008. Two excellent wines.

Tenuta Viniviticola Cavallotto is this winery. Two things call our attention about them. The first one is that it has always been run by one family and after the first generation, always by siblings. The second one is that part of the property is carved inside one hill, the one that gives name to the Barolo Riserva wine: Bricco Boschis.

Giacomo Cavallotto acquired the property in 1928. Giacomo’s sons, Giuseppe and Marcello, started working in the estate and they were of key importance for the development as winemakers of Giuseppe’s sons, Olivio and Gildo, as they began to vinify the estate’s entire grape production in 1948 to be sold as Cavallotto wines. Years later, in 1967 the first bottle of Barolo wine named Bricco Boschis came to the market, labelled after the name of the hill the estate is located. After Olivio, his children took care of the business: Laura, Alfio and Giuseppe.

In 1970 more vineyards were acquired for the estate: Vigna San Giuseppe, Colle Sudovest, Punta Marcello and Vigna Cuculo.

The family owns now 25 hectares of vineyards. More than half of that (17 ha) is planted with Nebbiolo for the Barolo wines. The average yield is of 38 hl/ha. Then three hectares are planted with Dolcetto and two more with Barbera. The rest of the vineyard land is planted with Freisa, PinotNoir, Chardonnay and Grignolino.

The vines are trained according to the traditional Guyot Basso method. Each hectare has a density of around 5000 vines.

In 1976 the Cavallottos introduced an agronomic practice that would allow them to abandon the use of chemical pesticides: the use of predatory insects to control the destructive red spider mites. Since then, the vineyards of Bricco Boschis have produced healthy, ripe fruit without using any kind of pesticides. They also use natural grass growing between the rows of vines as native cover crops. This brought two major benefits: the use of herbicides and tractor for tilling were discontinued and at the same time the grass and lack of plowing helped reduce the erosion of the vineyards due to water runoff during thunderstorms. The grass is mowed twice a year and it also serves as natural compost allowing the growth of bacterial microflora underground. Alfio and Giuseppe Cavallotto are both enologists and all their work is done according to a deep respect for the land. All labor in the vineyards is performed by hand.

In the cantina, the four major rooms are carved inside the hill. The Vinification Room, the Fermentation Room with both concrete and steel tanks, the Ageing Cellars with untoasted Slavonian oak botti (from 20 to 100 hectoliters) and the Bottling Area.

Cavallotto makes wines from two Barolo cru. The first cru is the Bricco Boschis from where the Barolo Bricco Boschis and the Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe come. The second cru is the Vignolo, where the Barolo Riserva Vignolo is produced.

They also produce Langhe Nebbiolo, Barbera d’Alba Vigna del Cuculo, Dolcettod’Alba Vigna Scot, Langhe Freisa, Langhe Grign made with Grignolino, Langhe Chardonnay and a Pinner made from Pinot Noir.

We will talk soon to the winemaking Cavallotto brothers.

This is the story of one family, one cellar and one unique hill: the Bricco Boschis and the Cavallotto Winery.

Photos © by Tenuta Cavallotto

Joško Gravner, the search for excellence with amphorae

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Joško Gravner, the search for excellence with amphorae

Few things give you more satisfaction than discovering people who are passionate about their job. Wine producers, for instance, who investigate and go long distances to make things the best way they can. They use different methods, they study the terroir, the grape varieties and the aging procedures to make wine the way they envision it. They gain the respect of their peers and also of us wine lovers who discover them and enjoy so much with their creations.

Joško Gravner is one of these wine producers. He is the owner of Azienda Agricola Gravner, a winery located in Oslavia, (Gorizia) in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italia. Joško Gravner is the man everyone talks about when the topic of the conversation is wine undergoing longer periods of aging than what other winemakers do.

The winery was established in 1901 by his ancestors. Joško took over the family business in the 1980s. In his beginnings he followed the modern vinification techniques, using steel tanks and French oak barrels, opposing the traditional ways his father employed. In 1996 two hailstorms destroyed his vineyards and all but a small quantity of Ribolla Gialla vines, so with the harvest almost gone he decided to try to macerate the grapes he could save. The experiment turned out well so with the following harvest all varieties were macerated in large wooden vats with no temperature control for a period of time between one and two weeks.

In 2000 Gravner traveled to the Caucasus area, to the Kakheti region where, following a traditional production method, wine macerates in large terracotta amphorae buried underground. He then realized that the authentic way of elaborating wine was the traditional one they used here and not the more commonly one found in the New World. He saw the way wine tasted here was his calling. So he took amphorae with him to Italy and changed completely his cellar in order to produce all his wines with the use of terracotta. He thought that if terracotta was the right way, it would be the right way for all his wines, not only for part of them. Nowadays he has 46 buried amphorae in his cellar.

The experiment he started in 1996 took another step with this use of these terracotta amphorae in 2001 and the extended periods of maceration. And with this, he started developing Orange wines, or as he prefers to call them, Amber wines. But opposing to what other producers were doing, with maceration periods of around one-two months and aging in oak for one year, he took it to the extreme. Firstly he was using Pinot Grigio, coming from the Njiva Vineyard. After harvest and fermentation, the grapes were macerated with their skins in the terracotta amphorae and buried for one year. Then the wine was aged in oak barrels for six years. Yes, six years of oak for a white wine. Three more years in the bottle and the wine was ready to be commercialized. Of this Pinot Grigio, the last vintage in the market is the 2006. To this one will follow the 2007, 2009 and 2011 vintages as Gravner decided to discontinue the production of Pinot Grigio to focus on Ribolla Gialla and Pignolo.

Joško believes in the moon cycle of life and its influence in the wines he produces. Therefore, the wine is always bottled under a waning moon. He also believes Nature takes care of the wine, so he doesn’t do anything to change or alter it. He doesn’t use chemicals or add extra yeasts, he doesn’t control the temperature of the wine while the fermentation takes place and he doesn’t filter, fine or clarify the wine.

The Gravner family owns three vineyards with a total area of 18 hectares: One in Italy: Runk, in Oslavia, and two more in Slovenia: Hum and Dedno. Ribolla Gialla and Pignolo are planted in 15 of those 18 hectares while the remaining 3 hectares are international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. It has to be mentioned that in the vineyards, Gravner set up a pond, so plants, insects and other animals could enjoy again their living environment so much needed for the vines to grow.

Gravner produces 6 wines:

Ribolla, with the traditional local variety, which has undergone a long maceration process in Georgian amphorae buried underground with wild yeasts and no temperature control. After pressing the wine, it was poured back into amphorae for at least five more months before it started ageing in large oak barrels, where it was left for six more years. The last vintage in the market is 2008.

Bianco Breg, a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and Riesling Italico which are fermented separately and aged together. The elaboration process is the same one as of the Ribolla’s. The last vintage in the market is 2008.

Rujno is truly a special red wine. A Merlot wine, produced only in the best years. The must is fermented on the skins in open oak vats for five weeks with wild yeasts and no temperature control. Then the wine is aged in oak barrels for seven years and subsequently in bottle for another seven years. As you can see, it has an aging period of 14 years. The last vintage in the market is 2001.

8.9.10 is Joško Gravner’s new wine. Produced with a selection of individual bunches of Ribolla grapes fully covered in noble rot. This wine is made with the best grapes harvested during three different years, precisely on 23 November 2008, 12 November 2009 and 15 November 2010. Hence the name 8.9.10. While fermenting in amphorae buried underground, it underwent a long maceration along with the skins. After this, it aged in small oak barrels.

Rosso Gravner is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The must is fermented on the skins in open oak vats for 21 days with wild yeasts and no temperature control. Aged in oak barrels for four years. The last vintage in the market is 2004.

Rosso Breg is produced with Pignolo grapes and the fermentation on the skins in wooden vats was done until 2005 and in amphorae buried underground since 2006, with wild yeasts and no temperature control. The wine was aged in oak barrels for five years and in bottle for at least five years. The last vintage in the market is 2004.

Joško Gravner is an amazing wine producer who believes in the traditional way of elaborating wine with long periods of skin maceration and years of ageing in oak and bottle before releasing the wines to the market. His is a truly special philosophy and his wines are highly appreciated and sough after.

We will talk soon to Joško about his wines and winemaking philosophy.

You can watch the following videos of Joško Gravner here:

The Man: Amphora

The Cellar

The Land

Photos © by Azienda Agricola Gravner

Boris Primosic, wine made art with the native Ribolla Gialla

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Boris Primosic, wine made art with the native Ribolla Gialla

Our recent visit to Azienda Agricola Primosic in Friuli-Venezia Giulia was based on two motives: the extreme quality of their wines produced with the Ribolla Gialla and the superb Orange wine they also elaborate with the same variety. We enjoyed so much their wines we had to go visit them. Today we talk to Boris Primosic, the winemaker.

Buongiorno, Boris, and thank you very much for your cooperation. We fell in love with your wines produced with the Ribolla Gialla. What does this variety have so special to make these wines?

Buongiorno Aitor, thank you for visiting us and for appreciating the quality of our wines. Ribolla Gialla is a native grape from Friuli Venezia Giulia region, and it is a beautifully rich fruit, with a juicy pulp, and thick golden skin. It grows preferably on terrains that are very poor in organic substances, like our marl-sandstone called “ponca”. For this reason, Ribolla Gialla is a wine characterized by minerality and sapidity, balanced by a pleasant acidity. The thick skin of Ribolla grape makes it perfect for maceration. The macerated Ribolla Gialla was made by our ancestors and we still produce it nowadays: we call it Ribolla di Oslavia.

Oslavia is a small village where Primosic winery is located: we are in the heart of Collio, a DOC area characterized by gentle hills and beautiful landscapes. There is a unique bond between Oslavia and Ribolla, that for us is a symbol of attachment to our territory. Historically, Ribolla was not the wine of noblemen and it was not influenced by the political happenings of the XIX century: it was just “our” Ribolla.

It adapts very well to be a spumante wine, as the RibollaNoir Brut shows.

In the Nineties we started the first experiments for the creation of a sparkling Ribolla Gialla. Thanks to continuous research, this wine had a remarkable evolution during the years, and finally we found the magic that permits us to create a product that enhances Ribolla Gialla characteristics at its best. Today, Ribolla Noir keeps the main characteristics of Ribolla united with the gentle aromatics of Pinot Noir. It’s zesty and citrus in the nose, with hints of fragrant flowers. It’s good for aperitif and it’s the perfect match with raw fish starters.

Also as young and fresh wine such as the Think Yellow one.

“Think Yellow” is the classic version of Ribolla Gialla. Vinificated only in steel, it has all the features of Ribolla Gialla grape: characteristic flavor, dry, slight citrus, pleasant acidity, and gently mineral. Its smell is reminiscent of freshly cut hay, Golden Delicious apples, and acacia flowers. The words “Think Yellow” are a slogan, a catch phrase that wants to convey the idea of a fresh, young, funny and glamour wine.

And of course to the Orange wine Ribolla Riserva di Oslavia.

As I said before, Ribolla di Oslavia is a macerated Ribolla Gialla. This means that the must is put in contact with skins for 4 weeks, in open vats, in contact with oxygen, without sulphites and without temperature control. Ribolla di Oslavia is an Orange wine, produced in a very natural way, and for us it is an important bond with our grandparents’ winemaking tradition. However, Ribolla di Oslavia is produced after many years of experience and with the mixture of ancient and modern winemaking techniques, and the result is a very well balanced wine, really pleasant to drink. Ribolla di Oslavia can be paired with white meat, fat fish like eel, and it is amazing with Japanese food.

It blends so well into the Klin wine. This is a very special wine using Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Friuliano and Ribolla Gialla. How do you elaborate this wine?

Like Ribolla di Oslavia, Klin is one of our Reserve wines and it is an organic wine. “Klin” is the name of the vineyard where the grapes are grown: 4 different grape varieties in the same vineyard. This means that our Klin is a bit different every year, depending on the weather conditions and on the productivity of the vines.

All grapes of “Klin” are harvested together: when harvest takes place, Sauvignon is not ripening yet, but Chardonnay is fully mature and it balances Sauvignon’s acidity.

After the harvest, the grapes are destemmed and softly pressed. The freerun must is then separated from the press must and put into small wooden barrels of 500-600 liters, where fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts. The “Tumultuous fermentation” phase lasts around 15-20 days until malolactic fermentation is almost complete. The temperature of the small barrels does not rise above 26-28°C. The wine is then transferred, and the Ribolla Gialla part is added to the bulk. The wine is aged in wood for 24 months, and finally bottled without sterile filtration. We recommend to age the wine in bottle for at least 12 months.

I haven’t seen it used in sweet wines. Is it not a good variety for it?

It’s a work in progress (in near future).

Why do you produce an Orange wine and how do you elaborate it?

We produce an Orange wine because this is part of our tradition, and at the meantime we noticed that Orange wines are more and more appreciated nowadays. In fact, our Ribolla di Oslavia has been awarded with Tre Bicchieri by Gambero Rosso(the most important award in Italy), and for this reason it is becoming more and more known (and loved) all over the world.

Production technique: The overripe grapes, manually harvested in crates, are destemmed and placed in open vats, where fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts, without sulphites, and with frequent punching down. The must remains in contact with the skins for 24 days without temperature control. The must is then separated from the skins and placed in small wooden barrels of 500-600 liters and casks of 1500 liters to continue the fermentation. The aging on fine lees lasts 24 months during which the wine almost completes the malolactic fermentation. After bottling, which takes place without sterile filtration, the wine is aged in the bottle for more than 12 months.

We were able to visit the cellar and see the Bottiglia Numero Uno, the first ever DOC Collio wine, a 1967 Tocai Friulano. You also treasure many vintages of your white wines. How do you manage to age them this well?

We age them in our barrel cellar, at the underground floor, where a well keeps the right humidity in the room (very important for the conservation of the wooden barrels and the wine).

You recently did a vertical tastings of your white wines. Can you tell us how well did they perform?

We did a vertical tasting of our Klin Collio Bianco, from vintage 1990 to vintage 2010, with Vinum, the Swiss magazine. Klin performed really well and even older vintages gained high scores. This is very rare for a white wine and for us it’s a great satisfaction, because it means that we produce time-resistant, high quality wines.

We saw an old bottle of the Riesling 1968. How come you don’t produce it anymore?

It’s a too late harvest for our region. Riesling in our region is not Riesling Renano but Riesling Italico (the poor brother).

How are your vineyards in terms of varieties in each one and how’s their type of soil?

We have in total 32 hectares of vineyards. We dedicate some of them to four different local grapes (Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso). All the other vineyards are planted with international grape varieties: Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet, etc.

We also have some special and ancient vineyards that we use for our Selection and Reserve wines. They are called Belvedere, Murno, Gmajne, Klin… all these names come from oral tradition and identifies also the wines that are produced in these vineyards (for example Friulano Belvedere, Merlot Murno, Sauvignon Gmajne…).

The soil of all our vineyards is the so-called “ponca”, a marl-sandstone very poor in organic substances.

What’s the influence of the Bora wind in your vineyards?

Bora is a wind that comes from North-East and ventilates the vineyards.

Primosic is one of the members of the Associazione Produttori Ribolla Di Oslavia. What are the objectives of this association?

Promoting Ribolla di Oslavia (i.e. macerated Ribolla Gialla) and make Orange wines known as much as possible. We want to demonstrate that organic and natural winemaking techniques can live with high quality wines.

Which is the wine you are more satisfied with?

Ribolla di Oslavia and Collio Bianco Klin.

Which wines do you drink when you are not at work?

Ribolla Gialla (old vintages) and in summer Ribolla sparkling.

Grazie mille, Boris!

Castello Di Rubbia, where the Malvasia is more than a wine

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Castello Di Rubbia, where the Malvasia is more than a wine

Nataša Černic is one of those persons in WineWorld that when you meet you instantly know they are for real. People who love what they do and have such a passion about it you are able to perceive it listening to them. I recently had a chance to meet her and taste some of her wines, but especially, a chance to listen her talking about them. And it was amazing.

Azienda Agricola Castello di Rubbia di Nataša Černic is a small winery located in Friuli, the Northeast part of Italy, close to the border with Slovenia, in the outskirts of a village named San Michele del Carso. She produces wines under two DOs: Carso-Kras and IGT Venezia Giulia.

A visit to her winery is an amazing experience. Maybe you go there thinking you will find the typical building housing cellars, ageing and bottling areas and the like, but it is quite the contrary. In what once was the entrance to a gallery of WWI shelters, you see a big metal door giving way to the inner part of a hill, and when you access it, you have the feeling of being in a medieval fair: tables with artisan products, tables with cheese and prosciutto, wine bottles all around the place in boxes, pallets and steel cages. The ceiling is rock with brick arches and here you can see oak barrels, there you can see steel vats, and over there, an ancient pressing machine. Around the main room there is a corridor excavated in the rock with different paintings hanging from the walls, artifacts and more steel tanks.

She elaborates two red wines: Cabernet Sauvignon (IGT Venezia Giulia) and Terrano(Carso-Kras). Some years she also produces Rosso Della Bora (Teran and Cabernet Sauvignon in the past, Teran only after 2011, IGT Venezia Giulia). Then in the white wines department, she produces Trubar (Vitovska, Carso-Kras), Malvasia (Carso-Kras), Vitovska (Carso-Kras), all of them single varietal wines. Bianco Della Bora (Vitovska and Malvasia, IGT Venezia Giulia). . She trains the vineyards in the Guyot system and harvest is always done hand-picked.

Today we will talk about her Malvasia wines because this is a topic that gives a lot to talk about.

As we said, Nataša is a passionate winemaker. And she has a passion for experimenting with her wines. And experimenting she does. I was attracted to her wines after having recently tasted her Malvasia 2013, a wine whose must after harvest rests in the steel vats in contact with the skins for up to six days. The wine remains over its lees for 12 more months in steel vats and then it is bottled. It stays another 12 months there before being released. It is an incredibly smooth wine that has a lot of texture and it is amazingly full bodied in your mouth. Yet, this wine is the most “regular” or “basic” Malvasia she produces.

There you can find this 1,100-liter tank in the corridor with the Malvasia 2015 still resting inside. We tasted it and it was really good. Had Nataša weren’t around, I would have bottled up a bit to take home with me (maybe 20 or 40 liters), but I was unaware of what was coming ahead. Close by, another tank, with the same Malvasia 2015, but in this case, one experiment she was doing. Instead of the five-six days of the must in contact with the skins, the must spent two months with the skins. The result? Well, the word amazing can’t describe it well enough. Then she said she was thinking about splitting the tank content and putting half of it in oak barrels for a few months and let the rest in the tank to see what would happen. I can only dream about the experience of tasting the product of her experiment. By the way, the name she is going to put in the label of this wine is Cadenzad’Inganno, a musical term, the one she uses for her experimental wines.

By now we were on a roll. Nataša opened a bottle of Leonard 2009. Malvasia coming for vines producing only three-four bunches. A superb wine with a really smooth structure and a texture that makes you fall in love with it. The name comes after her father, who instilled in her the passion for wine. This is an incredible wine.

We hadn’t finished the tasting yet. Then we moved to the far end of the corridor where another 1,100-liter tank rested. It was another experiment Nataša was doing with the Malvasia 2011. In this case, the must stayed two years in contact with its yeasts, then resting in the tank ever since. The wine had a deep orange color and in the mouth it was delicate and at the same time amazingly potent, with a structure that you can only find in special wines. This wine will be bottled very soon and I’m sure it won’t last too long in the market as it is a wine so special it will be chased by winelovers around. It is not a wine for everybody, but those who appreciate this style of wine will sure love it. Remembering the wine now is still possible for us to taste it again. This wine will be also called Cadenzad’Inganno.

Nataša produces also a line of Vitovska white wines. We will go over this line in the future. And we will also talk to her soon about her passion for winemaking. As we mentioned, you can listen her talking for hours. Courtesy rules made us finding our way out since she was busy with some other visitors, but we could still be there sharing her passion for wines for hours.

Soon we will talk to Nataša about her wines.

Roland Tauss, biodynamic winemaker in Styria, Austria

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Roland Tauss, biodynamic winemaker in Styria, Austria

Recently we run a feature on Weingut Roland and Alice Tauss, the Austrian winery producing Orange Wines., among other really nice wines. Today we will talk to its winemaker Roland Tauss.

Guten morgen, Roland, and thank you for your collaboration. Why did you decide to start producing wine in Styria, and especially Orange Wines?

My parents lived here and I took the winery from them. I continue the work of my parents. The taste of my biodynamic grapes is very special and so I wanted to have much taste of the grapes and the soil in my wines and the best way was to make a longer maceration with skins.

A prolonged time of skin contact takes away the wine’s acidity and provides it with more texture. Which is the process for this to happen?

In the grape is the whole life force of a vegetation year and through a longer maceration I get also more into the wine.

Are there some varietals that adapt better to this method than others?

For grape varieties which have less acidity, this can be very exciting.

Would it be possible to obtain a similar result with a red varietal?

Yes and there are the red dyes and tannins.

You employ biodynamic agriculture. Can you explain us how this works?

It is a holistic work to bring the vital forces of nature back to balance. We use biodynamic preparations and take into account the constellations of the planets.

Orange wine is an old tradition coming from Georgia. Centuries ago they used amphorae for burying the wines underground. Some producers use nowadays kvevri. Do you use these ageing recipients?

No, I am working with little wooden barrels. There remains more light energy in the wine. 

How long is the period in which you keep the must in contact with the skins? Does it vary from year to year or variety to variety?

Two to three weeks is for me enough and there could be some days difference from year to year.

Which red and white varietals are easier to grow here? Any one giving you a great satisfaction working with?

Blaufränkisch and Sauvignon Blanc are a little easier. There are not so big differences between the varieties and I am satisfied if there are all vines and grapes healthy.

Which wine is giving you the highest satisfaction working with?

It is the wine where I find vitality, ground aromatics and a certain dynamics.

What is your approach to winemaking?

The vital forces gather in the grape and conserve in the cellar. That in wine is all that inside what nature has provided for him.

What’s your personal touch in your wines?

This is me. Without the people there is no wine.

Tell us about Taste Of Life, the group of winemakers you belong to.

We are five wine individualists that live their dream. Our collective path of researching holistic nature understanding leads us to new lifestyle – a new style of wine. We are making living wine – wine with soul.

What kind of wines do you drink when you are not working?

Vivid natural wines and wines from our group Taste Of Life.

With which one of your wines would you advice me to start tasting first?

Sauvignon Blanc vom Opok. This wine comes from the lower part of our vineyard and shows very much character.

Danke, Roland!!

Photos © by Weingut Roland and Alice Tauss

Spottswoode Winery, the Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley

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Spottswoode Winery, the Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley

Originally published in miamigoelvino.com 09/01/2017.

Passion is something you can find around wine quite often. It can be the passion for a piece of special land where to grow grapes, passion for experimenting with different winemaking methods or the passion for pursuing your dreams. When all of them come into place, you find stories like this of Mary Novak.

In 1972 Mary and her husband Jack moved to St. Helena, California, to raise their family. They found an estate with vines growing and decided to plant more vines starting a new business. The estate they purchased, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard, was previously owned by four families dating back to its creation date, back in 1882. They were the fifth family running it and they soon were established as growers of great quality grapes. They began selling their production to famed winemaking people such as Joe Heitz and Chuck Wagner (Caymus Vineyards), and later to others, including Dan and Margaret Duckhorn and John Shafer.

In 1977 Jack passed away and Mary decided to take the reigns of the family company. Five years later, in 1982, arrived a time to change the direction of the business. Mary ceased selling their grapes and started producing their own wines. She officially founded Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery, and made her first vintage of the Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, one hundred years after the estate was originally founded. The Cabernet is where they put all their passion and the variety that shows the soul of their terroir.

Since then, her daughters Beth Novak Milliken as now President and CEO, and Lindy Novak, as National Marketing Director, are in charge of the family winery.

The 45 acres of planted vineyards are devoted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Sauvignon Blanc. They elaborate three main wines every year: one of the most iconic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: the Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Its appellation is St. Helena, Napa Valley and it has an aging period of 20 months. The second wine is another Cabernet, produced in a limited number of bottles: Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon. 73% of its grapes are homegrown while the remaining 27% comes from Darms Lane, Oakville Ranch, Knightsbridge and Young Inglewood Vineyards. Its appellation is Napa Valley. Their third wine is a white one: the Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes come Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and also from Farina Vineyard, Hyde Vineyards, Ink Grade Vineyards, Pelkan Vineyards and Murray Vineyard. This wide array of vineyards makes the appellation to be Napa Valley 34% and Sonoma Mountain 66%.

The Field Book is their area for experimentation. Annually they produce a Syrah. The blend is Syrah 88% and Viognier 12% and the grapes come from Griffin’s Lair Vineyard. It is aged in French oak barrels for 16 months. Its appellation is Sonoma Coast.

For the Spanish reader it has to be noted that one of the wines they produced in the Field Block in 2015 was an Albariño. The vineyards are in Rusty Gate Farm in Western Sonoma County and its appellation is Russian River Valley.

These Field Book wines are produced in very limited quantities, normally less than 1,600 bottles.

Spottswoode became one of the first wineries to introduce organic farming practices. In 1985 they embraced organic production methods and in 1992 they received the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) certification.

In addition to being organic, Spottswoode also cultivates its vineyard biodynamically. Spottswoode’s holistic approach also embraces biodiversity as a method of ensuring the energetic health of the vineyard. To promote this biodiversity, the vineyard is farmed using cover crops and the estate includes owl boxes, bluebird boxes, green-winged swallow boxes, bee boxes, a raptor box, restored riparian areas and numerous year-round insectaries. The property is also home to chickens and goats, which further contribute to the vitality of the estate.

Since the Novaks decided to start producing wine, they have had six winemakers, each of them giving their expertise during their tenures to build on Spottswoode’s status as one of Napa Valley’s first female-run wineries. Tony Soter was the winery’s first winemaker and Spottswoode became an incubator for great women winemakers, including Mia Klein, Pam Starr, Rosemary Cakebread and Jennifer Williams. Thanks to all of these individuals, and current winemaker Aron Weinkauf, Spottswoode has stayed true to its trademark style.

Soon we will talk to Aron Weinkauf about his winemaking philosophy and what’s so special in Spottswoode to produce these wines.

Photos (c) Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery

Alexander Barzen, Riesling wines in the Valley of the Mosel River

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Alexander Barzen, Riesling wines in the Valley of the Mosel River

Originally published in miamigoelvino.com 05/01/2017.

We have recently talked about the wines Weingut Barzen produces in the Valley of the Mosel River in Germany. Today we talk with Alexander Barzen, owner and winemaker of the winery.

Guten morgen, Alexander, and thank you very much for your collaboration. I am an enthusiast of the Riesling and your wines for years. To begin with, where does your passion for wine and the Riesling come from?

It comes from my family. The passion is in my blood! We have 500 years of tradition in my family making wine in the Mosel Valley.

You have a vineyard planted in 1886. You elaborate a Trocken, an Auslese and a Beerenauslese with their grapes. How are these wines as compared to the same wines of other plots you have?

Looking at the vineyard is looking back in time to the 19th century, with the question: how are the grapes planted at this time? This type of Riesling was intended for another type of climate. How does it endure the climate change?

When I produce the wines from this plot I have in mind the differences. To carry out or find the distinction, I ferment the grapes spontaneously, with their own yeasts, and I employ used oak barrels for the Riesling Old vines dry 1886. Old vines 1886 wines are still marked by the typical characteristics of the Riesling grape, but they make a difference, they are deeper and more minerality is present. Normally it takes them to get open, but once past this point, they can age many years in the bottle, especially the Beerenauslese 1886 dessert wine.

What is the yield of this plot in average?

It depends on the type of wine we produce, but it is a very small yield. For the Trocken it is 20-30hl/ha, which is approximately 1 kg per vine. For the Auslese and Beerenauslese is still lower.

What kind of soils do you have in these vineyards?

They are stone slate, Devon style, a mixture of brown, grey and red slate. The soils are very rocky; we reach a percentage of 70-80% of stone, so there is very little soil between the stones. It has a great importance for the mineral character of the wines.

You also produce a barrel Auslese. How is this wine?

The Auslese barrique takes just a little barrel. It has fermented and aged in barrels for three months. The barrels are 225-liter German and French oak, in their second year of use. The main character of the wine is typical Riesling. It is very elegant, mineral and fruity; the acidity is notable, but very well integrated and makes this wine a perfect companion to a dessert or a mature cheese, especially a blue cheese!

Our 2005 vintage in particular still looks like a young wine! 15-20 more years of life left in the bottle. The barrel gives it an “extra” complexity and subtle aroma. If you don’t know, you not perceive the oak in the wine. We still have the vintages 2001 and 2003 of the oaked Riesling Auslese perfect for a vertical tasting!

How is your Riesling Sekt?

Our Sekt is made without coupage of varieties or vintages, it is Riesling 100%. In 2018 we will present a Brut Nature Reserve. Riesling Sekt has a great capacity of ageing in the bottle and the ageing on its lees is incredibly goodl! It has a very fine and elegant bubble, of reductive character. I would put it, speaking of character, between Champagne and Cava. But it is especially marked by the Riesling grape. Drinking the Sekt is eating fresh grapes straight from vine. The profile is more direct and fruity, elegant and feminine.

What is the process for producing the Eiswein? When do you normally do the harvest?

The harvest is made when it is really cold. For this purpose the clusters are left to freeze on the vine at temperatures between -6ºC and -8°C. They are subsequently carefully collected one by one. The elaboration in the cellar is a special one. The grapes are pressed when they are still frozen and this produces an exceptional concentrated must. A prudent and careful fermentation in small deposits is carried out to obtain the unique character of the Eiswein. In normal years, we have to wait until December or January before they freeze well! If they do not freeze in the vine, all the grapes are lost!

Is the harvest manual?

Yes, we do harvest all our grapes manually!

How is the control of botrytis cinerea on the grapes so they are not lost?

We cannot control the botrytis. Everything depends on Nature and weather. We try to train the vines with their leaves, branches and grapes in a loose way, so they are well ventilated. Producing great botrytized wines always carries the risk of losing part of the grapes. The weather is very unstable at this time of the late harvest (late October/early November).

What is your philosophy as a winemaker?

My philosophy is to work in the most natural possible way! A few years ago I went back to use oak casks (one thousand-liter foudre and barrels), because it is a material and a form of natural deposit that complements adequately my wine vision. It is not to disturb the must on its way, only to influence it subtly when it is necessary. It is a very soft winemaking with the aim of representing the character of the grapes, the vineyard and the soil! We do not use large machinery nor extended coupages or transferring.

Which is the wine you are more proud of?

Sure, Riesling Auslese and Riesling Auslese barrique 2001, 2003 and 2005. They are wines that have been produced in the beginning of my “new” old way of working with the Riesling grape. We still have stock to check the power of aging in bottle of these wines.

What is the wine that best represents Weingut Barzen?

The wines Riesling Spätlese Trocken and the Riesling Spätlese Feinherb (late harvest dry Riesling and late harvest fruity dry). They are wines that perfectly represent the grape Riesling from the Mosel Valley and my philosophy of wine. They are examples of great harmony between the varietal, minerals and the way we prepare them. They are very suitable wines to accompany light fish, rice and Asian cuisine dishes, which personally I like, even if not eaten every day in Germany!

What wines you like to drink when you’re not working?

Especially red wines from Spain! Then, depending on the food, a Riesling from the Mosel. If I have, I love also the white wine which is produced in the Spanish Priorat. I am always interested in taste new and interesting wines. Thus, if someone wants to exchange interesting wines from other areas and countries, they can contact me with pleasure!

Thank you very much for your collaboration, Alexander.

Photos © Weingut Barzen

Marco Felluga Russiz Superiore, the Pinot Grigio made art in Collio

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Marco Felluga Russiz Superiore, the Pinot Grigio made art in Collio

Originally published in miamigoelvino.com 02/01/2017.

We have talked in the past about the well-deserved fame the region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia has of producing some of the best white wines in Italy. We had already visited Azienda Agricola Castello Di Rubbia producing excellent Malvasia wines and Azienda Agricola Primosic producing awesome Ribolla Gialla wines. Of course they produce more white wines, and also red wines, but we were delighted by the wines they produce with these two varietals. It was time now to continue discovering more white wines in the region and one of the varieties that also excels here is the Pinot Grigio. For this, there is no better place to do it than Tenuta Marco Felluga. Felluga is a family who owns two different estates both producing excellent wines. They are not far from each other, and each of them produces its own line of wines, not being one of them the top one and the other the second line, but on the contrary two different styles of winery. Tenuta Marco Felluga is located in Gradisca d’Isonzo, Gorizia, and it owns 100 hectares of vineyards spread around the surrounding villages, while 15 kilometers down the road it is Russiz Superiore, in Capriva Del Friuli, Gorizia. We headed to this second winery.

Russiz Superiore is a winery built in the mold of the French Bordeaux Châteaux, with 50 hectares of vineyards surrounding the main building, which lays on top of a small hill and where besides hosting the cellar and a small Relais, it is also the family residence. The name of the winery doesn’t refer to a quality of being superior or inferior but rather to the hills in which the estate is located, named like that since many centuries ago.

The Felluga family has a winemaking tradition of over 100 years. Marco Felluga, the patriarch, is the fourth generation of the family while his son Roberto is the one commanding nowadays the business. He oversees both estates at the same time he is the chief winemaker for both.

For our visit, Camilla Manzato took really good care of us. We visited the steel tanks area in an auxiliary building and then we moved on to the main house. We accessed the inner parts of the hill through a big wooden door protected by an eagle, the emblem of Russiz Superiore since the times of the Roman Empire. Here we visited the aging rooms and also a fantastic small room, the Wine Library, where you can find bottles of every vintage produced here in the last 50 years. Camilla got us so jealous telling us that couple of weeks earlier they had tasted a bottle of Russiz Superiore Collio Pinot Bianco 1985 and it was superb, fully alive. Imagine drinking a white wine aged more than 30 years and still in its plenitude.

Then we went to the house, where by a cozy fire there was a big dining table. This was the place for our wine tasting. But before we started, Don Marco and Don Roberto joined us for a fantastic time together. With every wine we tasted they gave tasting notes and information about the way they produce each of them.

Camilla made a great selection of wines from both Marco Felluga and Russiz Superiore, all of them DOC Collio. We started with the Ribolla Gialla 2013 by Marco Felluga. Being a loyal reader as you are know that we love Ribolla Gialla, and this Ribolla is really wonderful. Fruity, well-balanced, and really smooth, a wine to drink for ages. We continued with another local variety, Russiz Superiore Friulano 2015. Again, a great wine. Really young, with a nice acidity and a fruity nose. In the mouth really balanced in acidity and fruit. These two wines stay over the lees for at least eight months before being bottled.

For the third wine we continued with Russiz Superiore, this time the Sauvignon 2011. 15% of this wine ferments in wood, while the rest does it on steel tanks. Smooth wine again as the first two. Superb wine, with a great balance and really round in the mouth.

Then the star of the night. A wine really complex with an unbelievable structure. Marco Felluga Pinot Grigio Riserva Mongris 2013. The name Mongris comes from the contraction of “monovarietal” and the Friulano word for Pinot Grigio, Gris. 30% of the wine ages in oak barrels. Then, when the two parts are put together the wine stays on the lees for two more years. This is an amazing wine, complex and well-structured, smooth as silk and so much enjoyable.

We finished the tasting with a red wine, Russiz Superiore Merlot 2013. We love Merlot, and this one is a great example of a Merlot that we love.

They produce white and red wines in both estates, some young and some Riserva. Most of them are single varietals coming from vines producing only over one kilogram of grapes. They do produce one special blend: Collio Bianco Col Disôre. 40% Pinot Bianco, 35% Tocai Friulano, 15% Sauvignon and 10% Ribolla Gialla. The fermentation took place in 15 to 30 hectoliter oak casks. The wine aged on the lees for about 12 months and was bottle-aged one more year.

Marco Felluga is a producer worth knowing and tasting their wines. Both estates produce great wines, and the white ones are so enjoyable.

Soon we will talk to Roberto Felluga about his wines and his winemaking philosophy.

Photos (c) Marco Felluga Russiz superiore

 

Andreas Tscheppe, winemaker of Orange wine in Styria

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Andreas Tscheppe, winemaker of Orange wine in Styria

Recently we run a feature on Weingut Andreas Tscheppe, the Austrian winery producing Orange Wines. Today we will talk to its winemaker Andreas Tscheppe.

Guten morgen, Andreas, and thank you for your collaboration. You established your winery in 2006. Why did you decide to start producing Orange Wines?

Guten morgen, Aitor! In 2004 we made a wine with skin contact for the first time, our Stag Beetle/Earth Barrel. After I have gotten acquainted with different wines of this type (mainly from the Slovenia and Friuli in Italy), my interest for Orange Wines was increased. I also had the opportunity to taste amphora wines, which also piqued my curiosity and I began to research. It became clear how important the influence of the earth energy is on the vitality and agility of the products.

What is the reason for a prolonged time of skin contact taking away the wine’s acidity and providing it with more texture?

There are many reasons. As a result of longer skin contact, especially the structure of the tannins changes and other flavors are initiated in the wine.

Do the varietals you grow adapt to this method in a difference way?

No. The weather conditions play a prominent role there. For example 2016: After the hail I had to use grapes of other vineyard than the years before. Because of the extreme frost in spring and the hailstorms in summer, I had to select the grapes especially for the orange wines.

You employ biodynamic agriculture. Can you explain us how this works?

I have my own connection to this topic. For me it is a “total work of art” with regards to our earth, a kind of mosaic. I try to understand the individual mosaic stones and to use and connect them accordingly. With the help of the biodynamical vision I try to equilibrate the nature, which is out of balance. I want to support the important power and energies of our earth and cosmos, and the resulting synergies. However I’m of the opinion that the human bears the most responsibility. Your character and spirit influence your environment!

What is the reason for burying the oak barrels underground for around six months?

My intention is to give the wine the opportunity to be stored in a place without electromagnetic pollution, vibration, noise and without variations in temperature. Additionally there is the maximum of “soil energy”. These conditions are found underground during the winter months, when nature and vegetation outside conclude and they go back under the Earth’s surface.

When spring comes, the nature awakens and when everybody can feel that, then it is time to dig out the barrels. Then they will be taken to the cellar again and stored until bottling. Although this is not a fixed ritual, it also happens that we have buried the barrels underground on January 6thand have digged them out in May. For the 2014 vintage, it never was the right time to move the wine underground, so we left the barrels in the cellar and we called this wine Hirschkäfer, not as Earth Barrel.

Orange wine is an old tradition coming from Georgia. Centuries ago they used amphorae for burying the wines underground. Do you plan on using these ageing recipients in the future?

No. In collaboration with my brother Ewald Tscheppe (Weingut Werlitsch) and Sepp Muster we bought three amphorae from Georgia. At that moment, it was the second time I already had my Earthbarrel in the cellar. So I decided instinctively not to use the amphorae. Three years later I bought two little amphorae, but I didn’t fill them either. Today I know the reasons why. In history, people used the amphorae only in that region, where they have less or no oak-trees. In our area, the oak grows wonderfully and I think the oak is more associated with the wine grapes than an amphora.

How do the white varietals you grow adapt to the cold weather of Southern Styria?

It is precisely because of this cool, fresh weather that the white wine fits well into Styria. However, with the climate change new challenges are coming to us.
Only in exceptional years it is possible to produce red wines with a warm “sun character”. We have planted Pinot Noir. This is the red wine that is most similar to the white wine! Pinot Noir can fit here very well; this variety was historically always native in our region.

Which varietal is easier to grow here? Any one giving you a great satisfaction working with?

Actually, there are several varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Welschriesling and Muscat (this is the most difficult variety). The Burgundian varieties grow well. We have planted Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, two variations of Muscat and Pinot Noir.

Could it be possible to produce a red wine like the orange wines?

Yes, I think this is possible with the Pinot Noir. However, some friends of mine have the varieties Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Blauen Wildbacher and they make really good wines with them!

How many bottles do you produce of each of your wines per vintage?

It is hard to say. I started in 2006 and expanded in 2012 and 2016, so I can’t refer to experience. Unfortunately, since 2009 we have had hail every year. Then the worst year was 2016. We had both frost and hail. The harvest was not even 1,000kg per hectare.

Which wine is giving you the highest satisfaction working with?

All! All of them have their personality. Because I have established more than 90% of my vineyards, I know every m² of soil and location there. The vines develop year to year their own character and I try not to destroy it in the cellar – I love my grapes and my wine!

What is your approach to winemaking?

I am careful not to destroy the ground when I set up a new vineyard. I want to keep the ground that is developed over the centuries and to maintain the surface tension. That is so important. For this reason, I make gentle vineyard terraces, where 70-80% of the upper floor is still the upper floor even after terracing. Then I immediately work with bio-dynamic preparations, supported by copper tools. So I can maintain the surface tension – for me it’s very important. And when there is this energy in my grapes, I try not to destroy it in the cellar. So I can accompany the wines in their development in wooden barrels in the cellar while elaborating their character without adding any technical assistance. Filling is happening without filtration.

What’s your personal touch in your wines?

I can only say what the customers and critics tell me. They describe the wines as fine, elegant and energized. The wines have always a stimulating acid structure, and they are fresh and clean.

What kind of wines do you drink when you are not working?

That depends on the mood. Since I am more and more guided by the spontaneous, individual input, I’m open to all wines. Indeed, I have problems with technical wines, because I miss the love of handcraft. Important is the salubriousness of a wine!

With which one of your wines would you advice me to start tasting first?

Usually with the Blue Dragonfly – Sauvignon Blanc. It is difficult to taste, because the first wine is tasted it is always underestimated.

Danke, Andreas!!

Photos © Weingut Andreas Tscheppe

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