August 2025 Wine Club
Francesca Castaldi 'Lucia' Vino Bianco 2023
The vibe: Erbaluce! No, we didn’t sneeze into the keyboard. This is a rarely encountered Piedmontese varietal (pronounced air-bah-loo-chay). Fun to say, even more fun to drink. Piedmont is legendary for their red wines; Barolo and Barbaresco are household names, and command premiums (though whether that’s earned or not is very case by case). There are plenty of obscure varietals here though, especially white varietals, that remain relative underdogs. Originally dating back to the 17th century for use in sweet wines, Erbaluce, also known as Greco Novarese, is yet to be fully genetically traced back to its grape ancestors, though it’s similar to Arneis. Legend has it there was a goddess called Erbaluce, the love child of the Sun and the Dawn. The goddess wept tears, which caused the soil to produce Piedmont’s first Erbaluce vines. No one knows if the legend is true or not but one thing is for sure, Erbaluce is delicious! Naturally high in acid, especially in cooler years, this wine is the perfect food wine to pair with savory or spicy dishes and it’s so friggin’ refreshing, which we can appreciate this time of year!
The winemaker: Azienda Francesca Castaldi is a small estate based in the Alto Piedmonte’s Fara DOC. This is the first slope heading north from Novara that starts the Alto Piedmonte region. The Castaldi family has been farming this region since the 1700’s, but it was Francesca’s father Pierino who really threw his passion and innovations into the vineyards and wines. He was a smart and tenacious man. After World War II he managed to build his first tractor- naming it “Nobody’s son” because he built it by putting together recovery parts he took from other machines. In 1997, his daughter Francesca took over the family vineyards and started a project of renewal. In the vineyards, she changed the vineyard plots from the traditional pergola pruning system to Guyot, which was in line with some more modern growing techniques happening in other regions of Italy and beyond. She then eliminated all use of chemicals and fertilizers and is now practicing organic viticulture.
The geeky details: 100% Erbaluce (aka Greco Novarese). Harvest started during the first days of September, the grapes were hand-picked and collected in baskets. Fermentations are conducted in stainless steel tanks and the aging process happens in neutral wood barrels.
Serve: With a chill.
Food pairing: Seafood risotto! Clam spaghetti! Bucatini all’amatriciana!
Album pairing: Sven Wunder - Late Again
Domaine Philippe Tessier 'Grain Noir' VdF Rouge 2024
The vibe: You could be forgiven if Cour-Cheverny isn’t the first appellation that comes to your mind at Loire Valley trivia night. A relatively small outpost, it’s been home to some of the most formative natural winemakers to grace the French scene (see: Clos du Tue-Boeuf). Among these ranks, one would certainly place Domaine Philippe Tessier highly, as their wines have guided the region’s now-trademark “buvabilité.” This is a (very) French term for, basically glou glou, or drinkability. It goes beyond that though, because a wine can’t just be easy to drink. It has to be enjoyable too, a perfect harmony of depth, alcohol, tannins and acidity lending a sessionable quality. And boy, is this a sessionable red. It’s the perfect example of the fresh, downright nutritious, terroir-meets-crunchy-fruit Loire Valley light reds. Roger Tessier passed his winery to his son Philippe, who has since handed the reins to his son Simon Tessier. The 2024 vintage marks the 3rd release since his taking over and ‘Grain Noir’ is the first release inspired by his father’s ‘Coganis’ which had a cult like following. It was an extremely limited run due to a tiny harvest and we managed to claim the allocation just for you clubbers. Lucky you.
The winemaker: Domaine Philippe Tessier began in 1960 when Philippe’s father, Roger Tessier, began planting vines among his asparagus farm. In 1981, Philippe joined his father and eventually took over the domaine expanding it to 24 hectares spread over two appellations, Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny. After 15 years of traditional viticulture, Philippe began transitioning the vineyards to strict organic viticulture. By 1998 the domaine was farming using only organic methods and in 2002 became Ecocert certified. Today the domaine has been handed down once again, with Philippe’s son Simon Tessier now taking hold of the reins. After completing his studies in 2019 Simon returned home to work alongside his father, and by 2020 the domaine was essentially his.
The geeky details: 60% Gamay, 20% Pineau D'Aunis, 20% Cot (Malbec).
Serve: With a light chill.
Food pairing: On a scale from smash burger to duck confit, how much time do you have?
Album pairing: Surprise Chef - Education & Recreation
Miles Garrett ‘Amarillo’ Pét Nat 2023
The vibe: We shared Mr. Garrett’s Chardonnay in the club back in May when his wines first arrived to the Seattle market and TBH we’ve been obsessed with them ever since. Located in a remote region of Humboldt County, California, Miles does all his own farming and winemaking himself, with assistance from friends and family during harvest. His approach to winemaking is guided by nature, always using native yeast for fermentation, and abstaining from any filtration or sulfur additions in an effort to allow the terroir and fruit to do the talking. This pét nat is a collab between three white varietals, with a brief skins-on co-ferment lending texture and depth in the form of a bright, bubbly, light orange wine. Like every other MG bottle we’ve tasted, Amarillo strays from varietal typicity and status quo, defying all expectations in favor of letting the wine express its true nature. It’s like nothing else and we stand by our original statement. We’re obsessed.
The winemaker: Miles Garett makes natural wine in Humboldt County with a focus on minimal intervention and never adds sulfites or any other additives during any part of the process. Everything is done by hand by him and his family, friends and volunteers. The resulting wines are honest and expressive yet light and extremely drinkable, reminiscent of California wines of the 70s, when temperatures were lower and wines had higher acid and lower levels of tannins. Growing grapes in a relatively remote area also means he avoids overspray from neighbors, and being in a cooler microclimate means all his wines have bright acidity and crunchy fruity tones.
The geeky details: 65% Riesling, 25% Gewürztraminer, 10% Sauvignon Blanc cofermented on skins for 4 days, bottled during fermentation to capture bubbles, ancestral method. No S02 additions or filtration or any other modifications.
Serve: With a chill.
Food pairing: Hoo boy. Salty, crunchy, cheesy, creamy, spicy, zesty, sweet, savory. Pick your combo. A Thai curry with lots of coconut milk. An aged cheddar grilled cheese sando. Tinned fish with bread and EVOO. A lemon meringue pie!!
Album pairing: Thee Sacred Souls - Got a Story to Tell
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WHAT THE FUNK?!
Franc Kačičnik 'Skinzy’ 2022
The vibe: SKINZY. One of our favorite adjectives for a wine that has a kiss of texture and grip without going full bore into the tannic realm. This wine from a tiny vineyard in Slovenia gets its skinsy nature from a few weeks of skin contact (that’ll do it) and is representative of an ancestral style in Eastern Europe and the Balkans in general, being neither a white wine nor a proper amber-hued orange. This skinsy nature is exactly what makes it so irresistibly refreshing and aromatic, with fleeting whiffs of white flowers and nectarine skins followed by tongue-tickling acidity, peachy sweetness, savory umami and even a touch of herby brine. It’s as complex as its blend (every grape in the vineyard goes into the vat) but remains light on its feet and refreshing as hell.
The winemaker: Posestvo Bela gora (White hill estate) is a small family-owned vineyard and winery that is producing vibrant and authentic wines from Štajerska grape varieties. Radojko Pelengic and his wife Martina have a small 1-hectare vineyard planted on the hill in the region of Štajerska, northeastern Slovenia. The winery was planted in 1950 by Martina’s grandfather, Franc Kačičnik, whose name is on the wine bottles today. Franc was a local constable and prominent figure in the village whose portraits adorn the walls of the small cottage and estate and inspired the design you see on the labels. The oldest plants are more than 70 years old as the vineyard was never replanted, which is extremely rare in Slovenia.
The geeky details: Field Blend - unfixed %s of all indigenous varietals in Dramlje vineyards: the varieties are mixed, Chasselas both white and red, Traminer, Riesling, Javor, Welschriesling, Šipon, Kraljevina, Ranfol, Miška, etc. Manual harvest of totally clean, healthy grapes, de-stemmed, all co-fermented and macerated on the skins in small open vats for the entire fermentation (approx. 3 weeks) then pressed into inox and settled down for 4 months until bottling. Bottled with very little sulfur addition and without filtration.
Serve: With a chill.
Food pairing: If you’re feeling adventurous you could try your hand at Balkan grill, pizzas or dumplings! More internationally, this would pair great with teriyaki or curry glazed salmon. Sweet/savory desserts would also pair perfectly.
Album pairing: Tuamie - Repeated Sequence of Events
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EASYYYY
Francesca Castaldi ‘Pianazzi’ Nebbiolo 2023
The vibe: We had to put another of Francesca’s beautiful wines from Alto-Piemonte in the club for you easy-drinkers! This Nebbiolo is a reminder that Italian reds don’t have to be big scary tannin monsters. In fact, Pianazzi is the gentlest wine Francesca makes, shying away from maximum extraction and mouth-drying astringency in favor of a quick 5 day maceration lending a chillable, bright and cheery demeanor. Tons of cranberry and raspberries up front, with subtle white pepper and some very delicate tannins lingering on the finish. It’s the perfect summer cooldown to pair with an alfresco salumi board.
The winemaker: Azienda Francesca Castaldi is a small estate based in the Alto Piedmonte’s Fara DOC. This is the first slope heading north from Novara that starts the Alto Piedmonte region. The Castaldi family has been farming this region since the 1700’s, but it was Francesca’s father Pierino who really threw his passion and innovations into the vineyards and wines. He was a smart and tenacious man. After World War II he managed to build his first tractor- naming it “Nobody’s son” because he built it by putting together recovery parts he took from other machines. In 1997, his daughter Francesca took over the family vineyards and started a project of renewal. In the vineyards, she changed the vineyard plots from the traditional pergola pruning system to Guyot, which was in line with some more modern growing techniques happening in other regions of Italy and beyond. She then eliminated all use of chemicals and fertilizers and is now practicing organic viticulture.
The geeky details: Grapes are handpicked in late September. Short maceration on the skins (5 days) with alcoholic fermentation followed by malolactic. All vinification happens in stainless steel.
Serve: With a light chill.
Food pairing: Salumi! The acidity in this wine would also be a great fit for tomato or vinaigrette-forward dishes as well as anything spicy that might need a mouth cooldown.
Album pairing: Dorothy Ashby - Afro-Harping