Wines included in this set:

2021 Högl, J&G, Grüner Veltliner, Federspiel, Wachau, Austria

100% Grüner Veltliner

The Högl winery, located at the Western edge of Austria's renowned Wachau region, where the Spitzer Graben meets the Waldviertel, is known for producing wines characterized by precision and refreshment. Situated at the edge of the Wachau region, Högl benefits from this area's unique microclimate and terroir, where the steep Spitzer Graben valley opens into the Waldviertel. The proximity to the Danube River also influences the vineyards, contributing to the distinctiveness of their wines. The wines from the Högl J&G Series are crafted by Joseph and George Högl, a father and son winemaking team, and are fresh and lively, showcasing the best qualities of the grape variety. Grüner Veltliner is celebrated for its versatility and food-friendly nature, making it a perfect choice for pairing with meals and enjoying on its own. This classic wine is chock full of notes of ripe and crunchy apple, celery leaf, radish, and white pepper, complemented by exotic fruit. Pure summer drinking pleasure!

2023 Crespaia, Bianchello di Metauro, Marché, Italy

100% Bianchello di Metauro

Established in 2011, Crespaia is the creation of Rossano Sgammini, a passionate producer full of energy and ideas and cherishes the Marche’s ancient wine-making values and traditions. This picturesque estate is perched among olive trees and vines in the rolling hills on the Adriatic coast. The name combines the Italian words expressing the rippling of the sea (crespe) + the honest integrity of the farm (aia). Bianchello is an ancient white grape variety and one of the most traditional white wines of the Marché. The wine is pale yellow with delicate notes of ripe apricot, white peach, citrus, and river stones minerality. It’s dry, medium-bodied, with medium-plus acidity, balance, and finesse. Such a treat!

2020 Tranche, Pape Blanc, Blue Mountain Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, Washington

Picpoul, Roussanne, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne

This wine is a blend of classic southern French varietals grown in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, east of Walla Walla AVA. The vineyard climbs as high as 1265 feet and provides a heart-thumping, bird’s-eye view of the entire Walla Walla Valley. The unique aspects of terroir that give each wine a sense of place—such as soil, elevation, aspect, and rainfall—make the Blue Mountain Estate Vineyard truly one of a kind. The wine is a medium concentration of straw with delicious aromas of ripe melon, white peach, and Asian pear with honeysuckle, toasted almond, and freshly baked brioche. This wine is dry and rich with a creamy texture, full-body, and fresh medium-plus acidity with a delicious, rich, and lingering ripe orchard-fruit finish.

2020 Ossian, Quintaluna, Verdejo, Vino De La Tierra De Castilla Y Leon, Spain

100% Verdejo

Ossian’s origins go back to 2005 when Ismael Gozalo and Javier Zaccagnini decided to take on the project of producing exceptional Verdejo wines in Segovia. It became renowned for its commitment to quality wines—some from very old vineyards that survived phylloxera, some of which are over 100 years old and at an altitude of 900 meters above sea level with very complex soil, which gives the wines special character. In 2013, the Ruiz Aragoneses family, founders of the Pago de Carraovejas in Ribera del Duero, became owners of the winery, investing in a large project to make Verdejo wine special to the entire region. We first tasted this wine on our Fall 2022 Small-Group Trip to Spain while visiting Pago de Carraovejas. We enjoyed it so much that we began the work to bring it into Maine. It’s here! Their 2020 Quintaluna is pale yellow-green in the glass with notes of tangerine, lemon zest, chamomile, golden currant, anise, and savory herbs. It is dry on the palate, rich in minerality, chalky texture, medium body, and refreshing acidity with balance and finesse.

2022 Blažič, Jakot, Goriška brda - Brajda, Slovenia

100% Jakot (aka Tokaj Friulano, Sauvignonasse)

The history of the Blažič family dates back to 1890 when Borut’s great-grandfather, Peter Blažič, came from Austria-Hungary and bought the farm with old, terraced vineyards. The geo-political history of where this farm was founded drastically characterized the identity of this family estate. Throughout the past hundred years, the family’s passports changed nationalities: Austrian, Italian, Yugoslavian, and then Slovenian – but they always found ways to maintain their farm through generational changes and border shifts. The grape varietal for this wine was historically called Tokaj Friulano, but Hungary disputed this usage, citing their historic Tokaji appellation. In a slightly salty response, Slovenians now call it “Jakot” (Tokaj, spelled backward!) This delicious wine has a medium concentration of yellow-green with notes of ripe apricot, orange blossom, and Mediterranean herbs. The palate is dry, bright, and elegant, with medium+ body and acidity and a lingering and harmonious finish of minerality, fresh apricots, and herbs. Only 2,000 bottles made.

2022 Seméli Estate, Moschofilero, Mantinia, Greece

100% Moschofilero

This classically produced native variety Moschofilero is grown in vineyards at Zevgolatio in the Mantinia region of Greece’s Peloponnese Peninsula at an altitude of 650m. The estate is a formidable winery up the hillsides from the Gulf of Corinth. The vineyard has mastered slow, low-intervention winemaking with hand-harvesting techniques (the label of this wine is a nod to that!), which allows each wine to develop fully into the best expression of the grape in its terroir. This wine is aged in stainless steel and matured on its lees for four months, contributing to its palate-pleasing texture. It is star bright, yellow-green in color, and aromatic with notes of ripe tangerine, apricot, mandarin, lily, and abundant minerality that transports you to the Mediterranean Sea. It’s dry, with a perfect marriage of minerality, ripe fruits, medium body, and refreshing minerality, with a lingering finish.