Despite being one of the smallest growing regions in Germany, the Nahe is one of the most compelling. Combining the heft of the Rheingau with the elegance and minerality inherent in the Mosel, the region offers something no other can boast: winemakers Helmut and Cornelius Dönnhoff. That’s a lot of faith we hoist on the shoulders of this family, but anyone who knows the wines knows that it is well deserved.

Dönnhoff is one of our favorite German producers, and one we stock by the pallet-load. They excel with both dry and off-dry wines, producing some of the highest rated and most enthusiastically praised Rieslings in nearly every vintage. Their privileged location in the Nahe, includes some of the finest and most geologically diverse vineyards in all of Germany.

Côte Rôtie Sale
 

Côte Rôtie (“roasted slope”) is home to some of the most elegant Syrahs produced in all of France. The area is aptly named for the steep, terraced hillsides overlooking the Rhone River that are baked in the sun. It is the northern-most appellation in the Rhone, buttressed by the tiny Chateau-Grillet to its south-west and punctuated by the village of Vienne to the east.
 
Here, Syrah vines translate those long, sunny days into richly flavored and powerful reds tempered by a unique and elegant perfume. Look here for some of the most dynamic and aromatic expressions of Syrah that the Old World offers.
 
The region was largely ignored until the Guigal family poured their efforts into single-vineyard bottlings from the Côte Blonde (La Mouline), La Landonne, and Côte Brune (La Turque).

Kumeu River is one of the leading estates in New Zealand (the country is also commonly referred to by its Māori name Aotearoa). Much of what we think of as standard winemaking practice in the country is really thanks to their efforts. They led the charge on growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, pioneered the use of indigenous yeasts, and also pioneered the use of screwcaps.
 
The estate began as a dream brought to fruition by decades of hard work by the entire family. Maté Brajkovich, originally from Dalmatia in southwestern Croatia, emigrated with his mother and sisters to join their father in New Zealand’s North Island. The family purchased a farm in Kumeu after years saving money earned by digging for resin from indigenous kauri trees.