Natty: June 2025
Marcel Deis
Ribeauville
White Blend
Alsace, France
Jean-Michel Deiss has always been a trailblazer. After an old man on his deathbed entrusted him with one of Alsace’s gems, the Schoenenbourg vineyard, Jean-Michel found that it was planted to an old field blend, or “co-plantation”, instead of any single variety. He quickly realized that this was the missing link in his quest for terroir expression and, to much controversy at the time, replanted every one of his top vineyards to such blends.
Ever since Jean-Michel took over this historic domaine in 1981, he has been known as a passionate man with strong beliefs that buck to no trend. Under his stewardship, he installed organic farming practices, before switching to biodynamics in 1998, eventually becoming one of the region’s loudest proponents of the practice. Through his forward-thinking viticulture and perfectly orchestrated winemaking, he is considered one of the unquestionable qualitative leaders of the region. Now with his son Mathieu leading the domaine, with his father at his side, this domaine is reaching new heights with absolutely stunning wines that show off the old-vine magic of the beautiful rolling hills of Bergheim.
Pairing: Your favorite spicy takeout.
Fun fact: Deiss was the first biodynamic producer in Alsace.
Pielihueso
Primero
Rosado
Uco Valley, Argentina
Pielihueso. Spanish for “skin and bones”, this estate began in 2017 when father/daughter combo Celina and Alejandro Bartolome planted vines in Los Chacayes and Los Sauces (both subregions of the Uco Valley located within Tunuyan). The wines are all farmed organically and made with no corrections, fermented with native yeast and a low addition of sulfur is added just before bottling. Alejandro comes from a long background in organic farming and this is the family’s first foray into wine.
The labels were created by the family too! Carmela, the other daughter designed the labels from their brother’s artwork. The wineries style is making light, bright, clean and vibrant wines!
This Rose is 100% Petit Verdot from a high elevation vineyard in Los Chacayes. Fermented and aged with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel. Unfined, unfiltered. 2,500 bottles produced.
Pairing: Patio Pounder!
Fun fact: Cows are kept in the vineyard year round.
Fedellos
Bastarda
Trousseau
Galacia, Spain
The terroir of Ribeira Sacra is not as ancient as you might think. What little flat land that may have once existed here was submerged with the damming of the Sil and Miño well over 40 years ago. During that time, Spain was also witnessing a mass migration from rural areas into the cities. Recently several young growers started looking to those long abandoned, unheralded, and under-appreciated sites: north- or east-facing, randomly planted, difficult to farm, and difficult to reach.
Fedellos do Couto is such a project. For generations, the Taboada family has owned the Pazo do Couto, an ancient manor dating to the 12th century.
Luis Taboada, recognizing the value of his ancient, north- and east-facing vineyards, teamed up with viticulturalist Pablo Soldavini,to found Fedellos do Couto in 2011. The winemaking at Fedellos is minimalist: grapes from 20-70 year old vines,native co-fermentations, long, gentle macerations in concrete, neutral French oak barrels, or small fermentation bins with aging in concrete and/or various neutral French oak barrels and foudres, but mainly 500L demi-muids. Four wines are currently produced: Bastarda, Cortezada, and Lomba dos Ares and a field blend of white varieties, Conasbrancas.
Pairing: Doenjang Salmon Rice Bowl
Fun fact: Bastarda is the native name of Trousseau from the Jura, after it was planted by a not-so-loved Frenchman.