Producers

Jean-Louis Pinto Languedoc, France Jean-Louis Pinto started Es D’Aqui as a project in 2010. He worked as a micro-négoce, buying his grapes from other vignerons and vinifying them from the garage underneath his house. A real garage winery based in Moulin Neuf in the Languedoc region of France. Since a few years now, he has acquired his own vineyards, planted new plots on a hill that you can see from his house and continues to buy grapes as a négociant. His winemaking and grape selection was strongly influenced by his friends Anthony Tortul from La Sorga and Remi Poujol, leading Pinto to only work with fruits from organic or biodynamic vineyards and only select the best of the best. The grapes are vinified separately as to ensure the terroir is best represented in each cuvée, but he also loves to blend varieties, such as his amazing M&M, which is a blend of white Muscat and Mourvèdre, one of our favorites. Pinto intervenes as little as possible in this process and does not allow any additives into his wines. There are no set of rules that Jean-Louis follows yearly. Because of this the wines of Es D’Aqui vary and surprise each year. Everything is tied together by the refined palate of Jean-Louis and his preference for fresh and fruit focused wines.

NADA - O&R Raphaël Baissas de Chastenet and Oscar Mancillas Calce, Languedoc-Roussillon, France Raphaël, NADA, sees wine making as a form of art and that is definitely the right way to describe his wines. Some of the best wines from the region, the small village of Calce nearby Perpignan. His old vines are from his grandfather, plants of Grenache, Macabeu, Lledoner Pelut. Next to his own line NADA, O&R was born a few years ago. A collaboration between Raphaël and Oscar Mancillas, two friends who during their fitst meeting decided that they had something important to say about the grapes of Calce. They started out making about 1,000L of wine which has now grown to 10,000L. Their wines reflect the evolution of the friendship between Raphaël and Oscar, an unlikely bond between a Frenchman from Calce and a winemaker from Ensenada, Mexico. They use their own grapes: Grenache noir, Grenache blanc, Carignan noir, Macabeu and Syrah in the wines, but also those of their neighbors in the surrounding vineyards: Roussanne, Muscat d'Alexandrie and Mourvèdre. The area of Calce is located exactly at the intersection of two different terroirs: old limestone with clay and river stones from the Corbières and younger slate from the Pyrenees. All the wines are full of energy and surprising with every sip. The NADA line consisting of our favorite, the amazing CR or Cristal as we still call it, but that is currently prohibited by the Champagne producer.. Wines that are unknown, limited but super, super good. Really something to try!

Valentina Passalacqua Puglia, Italy Valentina Passalacqua owns a large biodynamic farm with agricultural land and vineyards and has been the largest biodynamic producer of Puglia since the year 2000. Although being large, the enterprise seeks to look after their terroir, products and labour with passion. Valentina produces wine under her own name and label as well as under the Progetto Calcarius label, a project she started together with Danilo Marcucci a few years ago. Passalacqua felt the need to isolate a few of her parcels that are characterised by soils of the Kimmeridgien type, rich in lime. Thus a new line was born. Wines, originating from mineral terroirs, without compromise and only made of the native varieties Nero di Troia, Bombino, Greco, Falanghina and Negroamaro. No intervention whatsoever occurs in the cellar. Many of her wines are delivered in very drinkable 1 liter bottles, perfect for summery weather and to be shared between friends. This is natural wine that drinks as “juice for adults”. The numbers 20 and 40.08 are placed on the label. This is a representation of the chemical element Calcium (Ca). 20 represents the atomic number of calcium while 40,08 represents its atomic weight. NEW in from the Calcarius line are the orange and white key kegs, they come in 20 liter and are a great way to pour stable, juicy wines by the glass!

Nicola dal Santo Cinto Euganeo, Veneto, Italy Nicola dal Santo established his domain in 2010 in Cinto Euganeo, Veneto. Having had a career as an archeologist Dal Santo ultimately decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, who had been producing natural wine since the 80's. On the 3.6 hectares of the I Castagnucoli domain you can find vineyards, olive groves, vegetables, orchards and forest which are all certified organic since 1992. Dal Santo prioritises respect for the environment together with preservation of agriculture with various crops over mass production. Consequently, Dal Santo only produces a couple thousand bottles of wine per year. The grapes grown consist mostly of local varieties as Garganega, Glera, Marzemina Bianca, Raboso Veronese and Moscato Giallo. The wines of I Castagnucoli reflect the area and the person behind them to the extent that they are fermented grape must without any make-up or oenology. They remain an agricultural product, unpretentious and refreshing, nevertheless clean and with a bright expression. Now in limited stock; the 100% Glera with skin contact made in amfora and a few bottles left of his amazing rosato Quel che c’e.

Vincenzo Angileri  Marsala, Sicily, Italy On the western side of Sicily, previously renowned for mainly producing Marsala, you find Viteadovest. Two families that have been farming organically and making low intervention wines for over 100 years with the vineyards positioned to the west. For the past 10 years Vincenzo Angileri has been the winemaker. He makes powerful wines filled with personality from old vines of Grillo, Catarratto, Nero D’Avola, Nerello Mascalese and other indigenous varieties. The 7 hectares is spread out over two areas: Marsala and Mazara del Vallo. About 60,000 bottles are produced every year from this land. All the wines are made out of the grapes from vines that are cultivated without pesticides, heribcides or chemical fertilisers. Also in the cellar no additives or other oenological tools are used. Next to his own wines, Vincenzo helps a lot of other wineries on the island as an enologist so you can find his style in more projects. For now, we only work with his own line, that for us is the perfect balance between natural and classic Sicilian wines. Overall, Angileri makes beautifully deep orange wines, fresh white wines and greatly layered matured red wines. The wines are very precise and stable with possibilities to satisfy everyone’s palate.

Luka, Richard and Alex  Burgenland, Austria JOiSEPH isn't a classical winery. It’s a “new” winery with traditional standards. It stands for everything that makes wine what it is. Three passionated winemakers that spend a lot of time and love to the vines. Started in January 2015 by Richard Artier, Alex Kagl and Luka Zeichmann. Back then without a cellar, tractor or other machines to start making wine with but they had three scissors and some rubber boots. And vines. At this moment they have their cellar in the small town of Joïs, with 5,5 hectares of vineyards on limestone and shale soils. It’s at the foot of the Leitha mountain with stunning views of the lake. Which of cours, you can taste back in their wines. They are passionate about producing wines as authentic as possible, they are just the tool. This way they create wines with their own individual character and their own unique expression of the area. After a few years now, Luka has left Joiseph as a partner to start his own domaine together with his wife, nevertheless, the wines are still impeccable and in the same style as the head winemaker used to make them. Alex and Richard take very good care of the process and release the wines when ready. Hence the older vintages available, all ready to drink. Light and fresh Burgenland wines in the cheaper category ,gastronomic, balanced and elegant in the higher price range. All amazing things to not miss out on.  

Jan Klein Mosel, Germany Probably one of the oldest wineries in Germany, seeing as Weingut Staffelterhof exists for over a thousand years. The Klein family has been making wine for over 100 years here in the Mosel area themselves. Nowadays it’s Gerd and Gundi Klein that, together with their son Jan, tend to this winery. The estate is situated in the beautiful landscape of the Mosel valley and its steep gradients. The main grape variety here obviously being Riesling. The Klein family owns 7 hectares of vineyards spread around the villages of Kröv, Dhron and Piesport. About 75% of their yields is Riesling, however they also produce some Muller Thurgau, Kerner and Spätburgunder. The specialties of the family are refined and concentrated Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein. While Gundi tends to the guestrooms and makes sure every guest feels welcome at the Staffelterhof, Gerd maintains the vines as to ensure every harvest is a success. Son Jan however, started making his own wines since a few years, 100% wild and natural. Jan started experimenting with the production of natural wines through their most beloved Riesling variety. Having acquired experience in multiple wineries throughout the world, from New Zealand to France, Jan has much knowledge to offer on how to run the 1150 year old winery of his family. He uses no sulphites throughout the entire winemaking process, making use of spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Needless to say all his grapes are organically farmed. It all started with just Madcap Magnus and Little Bastard. However, over the past years Jan kept on making more wines, so every year he gives us a new, wild surprise. The Staffelterhof nowadays became famous for being 100% regenerative, having solar panels, water sources and pumps but mostly for planting many new vineyards full of hybrid grape varieties, according to Jan, the future. Something to look out for, they are prepared!

Massimo Marchiori & Antonella Gerona Bonastre, Penedes, Spain Massimo and Antonella make splendid wines in the town of Bonastre in the Penedes region of Spain. The Italian couple, both architects and originally from the north of Italy, left their jobs and home to make wine in a natural way in the area around Barcelona. They moved to the small town of Bonastre, where they bought an old building that they transformed into a cellar made of recycled materials. Massimo sought out old and abandoned vineyards with the intention to give them a new life. Hence the couple primarily uses indigenous grape varieties as Sumoll, Garrut, and Xarel.lo as well as varieties as Cartoixa Vermell that were disqualified or not accepted at all by the DO due to a lack of colour. Pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals do not have a place in their vineyards, all the grapes are organically farmed. Similarly, they use the same natural method in the cellar, giving 100% pure wines. No sulphites, no filtering and no interventions. Wherever Partida Creus is there is a crowd, not only because of the charm of Antonella and the knowledge of Massimo, but also because their wines are just extremely good. Happy and energetic and super well made. Do not forget their fantastic vermouth: MUZ!