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Their story began in 1971 when Susan Sokol and Bill Blosser first planted vines in Oregon’s Dundee Hills. Now second generation winegrowers, siblings Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser are passionately committed to their family’s legacy of creating world-class wines, through organic and sustainable methods, which express their distinctive hillside vineyards.

Take her out of the fridge an hour or so before serving, you’ll thank us.

They say, quite simply, that they are raising handcrafted wines along with their two daughters. But we think John & Tasha Seccombe are doing so much more than that! They’re raising the profile of forgotten grapes, reflecting on the heritage of a complicated wine-producing country and thoughtfully capturing a new narrative of what that could become.

They say, quite simply, that they are raising handcrafted wines along with their two daughters. But we think John & Tasha Seccombe are doing so much more than that! They’re raising the profile of forgotten grapes, reflecting on the heritage of a complicated wine-producing country and thoughtfully capturing a new narrative of what that could become.

Blair and Caroline Guthrie are making honest wines, farmed responsibly. Their baby side project (only 600 cases a year) is filled with so much love – their wines are comforting and lighthearted as a Sunday morning dance party in your bathrobe. Beneath that, they are strongly focused on preserving and encouraging the good in the world – environmentally, ethically and everything in between.

XECO is the brain-child of three 30-something 'fino fiends' who have long shared a love of fine sherry - and frustration that this love wasn't shared by their friends. The solution? Find better friends (kidding!) OR - find a way to bring a ‘Next Generation’ sherry to their friends and the world, finally giving this marvellous drink some long-overdue recognition. With 30 combined years of experience in the drinks industry, the trio set out to create a new brand of Sherry to put a contemporary edge on an age-old product, and in doing so help to dispel some of the myths around the category, while encouraging a new generation of discerning drinkers to give Sherry a second look.

The Montagne de Reims boasts some of the best Pinot Noir in the Champagne region, and Bouzy is its capital. The village of Bouzy and Champagne Paul Bara are practically synonymous. Many argue that he is their most renowned producer, being one of the rare Growers in a region inundated with the mass-produced wines of the large, corporate champagne houses. Although the property was built in 1860, it wasn’t until after the Second World War, Paul Bara began making his own champagne. Today Paul has retired, the winery is now in the hands of his daughter Chantale Bara.

Switzerland has a mild climate - not that we’re looking at extremes in New Zealand, but the opportunity to grow interesting and varied grapes was limited, at best, in Hans and Therese’s home country. In Marlborough, they’re free to grow almost anything they please (29 varietals and counting) - and by golly, do they do a good job of it!

The Lamiable family decided to start making wines under their own labels in 1955 after spending years growing and selling their grapes to other producers. Today Ophelie Lamiable has taken over from her father, and along with her husband, she is slowly upgrading the winery with each harvest.

The very first winery in the Southern Hemisphere to farm using biodynamic practices, James and Annie Millton have stayed true to their practice since establishing The Millton Vineyard in 1984. Truly experimental, Libiamo represents the next generation of the Millton family, taking the reins and looking toward something that is completely un-manipulated and doesn’t leave a debt or burden on the planet.

Maori-owned and operated, this winery is taking sustainability to a whole other level. They are passionate about preserving their heritage which blends in beautifully with their philosophies around environmental conservation. Every member of this winery owns a small part of it, giving way to more than 4,000 owner families! What can we say, it takes a village to raise a beautiful wine baby!

“A dope-smoking political anarchist meets an upstanding young goody-goody sportsman at a mutual friend's 21st” – 35 years and 3 kids later, they are the family behind Luddite Wines. After a few years abroad, Niels and Penny returned to South Africa and found their plot of land in Bot River. Niels had a definite plan as to how he wanted to make wine and Penny knew that she wanted to farm as “green” as possible. Everything had to be about the wine. No intervention, no shortcuts and staying true to only bottling what, hand on heart was the best.

“A dope-smoking political anarchist meets an upstanding young goody-goody sportsman at a mutual friend's 21st” – 35 years and 3 kids later, they are the family behind Luddite Wines. After a few years abroad, Niels and Penny returned to South Africa and found their plot of land in Bot River. Niels had a definite plan as to how he wanted to make wine and Penny knew that she wanted to farm as “green” as possible. Everything had to be about the wine. No intervention, no shortcuts and staying true to only bottling what, hand on heart was the best.

Khayelitsha, located on the fringes of Cape Town, is a sprawling township a hangover from the Group Areas Act of the Apartheid regime. Lindile Ndzaba, who was born and raised, and still lives in Khayelitsha is looking to transform the narrative of wines in South Africa. In a country where the vast majority of citizens don’t have access to transport to visit wine farms or the money to spend in expensive city restaurants or bars – he realised he needed to bring fine wine culture to his community, and by doing this also start shifting the mindset of wine for consumption to wine for appreciation. Good wine he believes should be available to all South Africans and not just the privileged. And so, he launched Khayelitsha’s Finest Wines.

The vision of KFW is to see the townships develop and have their own resources to produce products without outsourcing. Not only does Lindile aim to grow his business internationally, but he also wants to encourage the community to work together to further the mindset of “supporting local brands.” He aims to continually provide jobs and, in essence, fight unemployment in the community of Khayelitsha.

A tale as old as time, women in wine baby! Matilde Poggi’s first harvest, on her family-owned 15th-century farmhouse, happened in 1984. She worked tirelessly at a time when large, quantity-driven firms and cooperatives dominated local production. Rather than following the masses, Matilde chose to concentrate on quality, revamping her vineyards to better express the area’s native grapes. Today, she is one of Italy’s most respected producers, and, in 2013 was elected President of the Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (Italian Federation of Independent Grape Growers or FIVI). More recently, she became the first Italian and first female president of the European equivalent, the European Confederation of Independent Winegrowers (CEVI).

Matilde has three daughters, to whom she’d like to pass on Le Fraghe one day (but we’re volunteering in case her girls don’t want it – wanna come?).

A tale as old as time, women in wine baby! Matilde Poggi’s first harvest, on her family-owned 15th-century farmhouse, happened in 1984. She worked tirelessly at a time when large, quantity-driven firms and cooperatives dominated local production. Rather than following the masses, Matilde chose to concentrate on quality, revamping her vineyards to better express the area’s native grapes. Today, she is one of Italy’s most respected producers, and, in 2013 was elected President of the Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (Italian Federation of Independent Grape Growers or FIVI). More recently, she became the first Italian and first female president of the European equivalent, the European Confederation of Independent Winegrowers (CEVI).

Matilde has three daughters, to whom she’d like to pass on Le Fraghe one day (but we’re volunteering in case her girls don’t want it – wanna come?).

Dynamo-duo, Pauline and Hanneke (pH – see?) are friends first and foremost, but they also make some pretty sensational wines – Paulette for Paulus Wine Co. and Hanneke for AA Badenhorst. On the side, they team up to make magic under their Vino pH label. They’re championing underdog grapes and making them into some of the coolest wines to come out of South Africa at the moment.

Khayelitsha, located on the fringes of Cape Town, is a sprawling township a hangover from the Group Areas Act of the Apartheid regime. Lindile Ndzaba, who was born and raised, and still lives in Khayelitsha is looking to transform the narrative of wines in South Africa. In a country where the vast majority of citizens don’t have access to transport to visit wine farms or the money to spend in expensive city restaurants or bars – he realised he needed to bring fine wine culture to his community, and by doing this also start shifting the mindset of wine for consumption to wine for appreciation. Good wine he believes should be available to all South Africans and not just the privileged. And so, he launched Khayelitsha’s Finest Wines.

The vision of KFW is to see the townships develop and have their own resources to produce products without outsourcing. Not only does Lindile aim to grow his business internationally, he also wants to encourage the community to work together to further the mindset of “supporting local brands.” He aims to continually provide jobs and, in essence, fight unemployment in the community of Khayelitsha.

“A dope-smoking political anarchist meets an upstanding young goody-goody sportsman at a mutual friends 21st” – 35 years and 3 kids later, they are the family behind Luddite Wines. After a few years abroad, Niels and Penny returned to South Africa and found their plot of land in Bot River. Niels had a definite plan as to how he wanted to make wine and Penny knew that she wanted to farm as “green” as possible. Everything had to be about the wine. No intervention, no shortcuts and staying true to only bottling what, hand on heart was the best.