Natural Wines

The two cuties in charge of bringing the world Bodegas Frontonio are the perfect mish-mash of dreamers, drinkers and doers. They really are an exciting and very welcomed addition to the organic wine movement in and around their precious Valdejalón vineyard. Their values align with ours in that they understand that rules are meant to be broken, but before you break anything, make sure that your foundation is strong and that you respect the folk who came before you.

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.

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!

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.

This tiny operation, started in 2007 by the spirited Sardinian Antonio Berritta, operates out of the basement of a grocery store. Antonio, his wife Maria Paola and their kids, Serena and Francesco are all involved in the operations of the winery – under the meticulous direction of the grandkids. Antonio’s family has been cultivating olives and vines using traditional methods for generations. This stuff really is in their blood!

Minimus started as the experimental arm of the Craft Wine Company, where the winemaker can bottle their experiments each year. Some bottles are good enough to be produced every year, others are one-offs - and numbered according to which experiment number it is.

Chad and Bree Stock, a husband-and-wife team, have merged their superpowers and unique backgrounds in wine to create Ltd. +, which emerged as a collaboration with farmers in the area, inspired to develop a diverse and sustainable wine landscape. The wines, often made from less common grape varieties adopting innovative techniques, are changing preconceived notions of Oregon wine. 

The Glover family farm spent four generations building its reputation as a dairy farmer. When, in the late 80s, Owen realized his four children were not inclined to get up at 5 am, he took inspiration from his pioneering neighbours and planted vines. That was a good call since 2 of his sons ended up working in wine. The wonderfully amiable, and perhaps a little eccentric Ben Glover now runs the farm, after more than 2 decades of making wine for some of New Zealand’s most acclaimed wineries. Gardener, janitor, chef, and dad are titles he carries along with winemaker. With the help of his beloved wife, Suzie, they’re converting the farm to organics to further their emphasis on wine growing through soil health, biodiversity, regenerative farming, and ultimately mindful consumption.

Humble, hardworking and patient – hallmarks of the donkey, and according to Francesco Follador, the winegrower as well. Stubbornness is another. Francesco holds tradition and heritage extremely close to his heart, refusing to take the easy road on anything – from the location his of vineyards on hard-to-farm hills, to insisting on growing much less popular native grapes. All in the name of being true to what he strongly believes is the best the region can produce and preserving the deep heritage of Valdobbiadene. It’s because he shares so many of these qualities with the donkey, that he chose it as his logo. To quote his website, “Yes, we are donkeys and we are proud of it”.

We know Radford Dale winemaker & managing partner, Jacques de Klerk from his beautiful Reverie wines. Radford Dale began in 1998 when Alex Dale and Ben Radford decided to not just drink wines together but make them too. Since the beginning, they’ve focused on a light-handed, lower-intervention approach. The Thirst range is the live rock show to the studio albums of the rest of their wines – a little more edge, a little more fun and a whole lot of wanting to take another sip!

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.

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!

This tiny operation, started in 2007 by the spirited Sardinian Antonio Berritta, operates out of the basement of a grocery store. Antonio, his wife Maria Paola and their kids, Serena and Francesco are all involved in the operations of the winery – under the meticulous direction of the grandkids. Antonio’s family has been cultivating olives and vines using traditional methods for generations. This stuff really is in their blood!

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.

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.

Melissa Nelson is a self-taught winemaker who fell in love with the Bot River region and the camaraderie amongst the winemakers in the region (her grapes grow just down the way from Luddite). Her aim was pretty simple – to make more than they could drink. More than a decade later, that simple aim has led to some simply amazing bubbles!

Chad and Bree Stock, a husband-and-wife team, have merged their superpowers and unique backgrounds in wine to create Ltd. +, which emerged as a collaboration with farmers in the area, inspired to develop a diverse and sustainable wine landscape. The wines, often made from less common grape varieties adopting innovative techniques, are changing preconceived notions of Oregon wine.

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.