Friends' Aperitif Wines 🍷

Rosado Cosecha Rosadito Rosé 2019

Bodegas Coruña del Conde
Natural wine without added sulphites.

Magnum L'As des Années Folles White 2015

Les Vignes de l'Ange Vin

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Jeune Tradition Red 2018

Bodegas Coruña del Conde

100% macerated Tempranillo, harvested from plots planted by Alberto López Calvo: an updated version of Julien's grandfather's work.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Nuria Muscat of Alexandria White 2018

Clos Lentiscus

This winery is located in Sitges, Catalonia, in the heart of the Garraf Natural Park. Manel Avinyo and his brother Joan took over the family estate, which Manel renamed Clos Lentiscus. Even though Barcelona is only a half-hour drive away, the beauty of the landscape is striking and the immersion in nature is complete: Mediterranean forests rub shoulders with Catalan scrubland (thyme, rosemary, rockrose, and the mastic tree, which gave the estate its name, etc.). The Penedès region also has a long winemaking history. Nestled in its gentle hills is Clos Lentiscus, in the Penedés appellation, on twenty hectares of sandy and clay-limestone soils facing due south at an altitude of 225 meters. According to historical documents, the family of Manel and Joan Avinyo has been established there since at least the 14th century. For a long time, the grapes were sold to local cooperatives, but since the two brothers took over the estate, organic and biodynamic farming has replaced conventional practices, the entire harvest goes into the house vintages, and organic and biodynamic practices have allowed this beautiful property to reconnect with its former prestige: in the 19th century, its wines were sold in France and as far away as the Americas. Very quickly, Manel received a nickname: The Bubbleman, a tribute to his talent for vinifying cavas, these sparkling whites characteristic of the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, from native varieties for which Catalonia holds the secret: sumoll, ull de llebre, xarel·lo, malvasia of Sitges, cartoixà vermell, cariñena (carignan), accompanied by tempranillo and muscat of Alexandria. The vines are old, sometimes centuries old. No synthetic additives are used in the vineyard, and operations such as planting, pruning, de-budding and harvesting are dictated by the lunar phases. Pollination is facilitated by the presence of beehives; sheep contribute to fertilization and control of the plant cover. Ringo, the white horse, is responsible for working the soil.

Elegance, purity and a crisp minerality due to limestone characterize the productions of Clos Lentiscus. The note of controlled oxidation, when it is felt, does not dominate the tasting and the wines are never deviant. Cavas are known for being exuberant, but those of Clos Lentiscus never have more than two grams of residual sugar per liter. The estate also produces still wines, red, white and rosé.

Núria is the name of Manel's daughter, who assisted her father in the creation of this beautiful aperitif wine that will be a marvel with all Mediterranean cuisines. 100% Muscat of Alexandria, a sweet, large-berry grape, this is a fresh and aromatic sparkling white wine from direct pressing. The first fermentation using indigenous yeasts takes place in 55-liter demijohns and the second fermentation takes place in bottles. Twenty-four months of aging on fine lees and manual disgorgement.

Les Poupettes Red 2022,

Clos des B

A remarkably bright color and an equally brilliant aromatic palette! Produced in the Vin de France category and under the Écocert organic label, Les Poupettes is an organic and natural red made from 100% Grenache with no added sulfites, sourced from the Grimaud terroir in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. It is the result of a three-week carbonic maceration of the destemmed harvest in a closed stainless steel vat. No sulfites are added, either during vinification or bottling. Les Poupettes offers beautiful aromas of fresh fruit on the nose: raspberry, cherry, but also plenty of minerality due to the schist sands. The finesse of Grenache with a touch of flint that fits well into the overall picture. A round and delicious palate, plenty of freshness and an incredible rich and brilliant grenadine color.

Why “Les Poupettes”?

Under this pretty name, dedicated to the six granddaughters of Jean-Jacques Granger, nicknamed “the poupettes,” here is a magnificent glouglou, a true gift from the schist terroir of Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Les Poupettes is a light, pleasant, easy-drinking wine, a cuvée that demonstrates the decision to reduce deliberate extraction as much as possible. You can pair it with a good piece of roast pork, for example a fillet or a rack of Black Pork of Bigorre/Collectif Padouen.

Learn more about Clos des B

Clos des B (initials of the two owners) is an organic and natural wine estate located in Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Gwendolyn Berger and Jean-Jacques Branger are the happy producers of the very first natural cuvées from this geographical area. Before the two Bs bought these three hectares of vines, all these wines went to the cooperative cellar of the Vignerons de Saint-Tropez. Driven by a "thirst for vines," as they say, Gwendolyn and Jean-Jacques overcame administrative difficulties, restored the vineyard, and soon produced reds, rosés, and even a blanc de noirs. Their grape varieties are typical of the region: Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, growing on schist sands crisscrossed by quartz veins. The property benefits from a microclimate that protects the vines from humidity, disease, and frost. The viticulture and winemaking approach resolutely embraces organic (the estate is under the Écocert label, applied for in 2020), biodynamics, and natural methods. The wines are made without added sulfites, fining, or filtration. The wines of Clos des B are a true reflection of their terroir and climate: fresh, fruity, and very pleasant to drink, beautiful natural wines from the terroir of Provence.

I'm Natural Don't Panic #7 Red 2018

Bodegas Coruña del Conde
Julien López's I'm Natural, Don't Panic range consists of macerated wines. This 100% Tempranillo red is powerful, dense, and generous, but not lacking in freshness, the result of a high-altitude climate that subjects the vines to significant temperature variations. A lovely bouquet of red and black fruits. Decanting will allow it to express its full opulence. For grilled meats, roast lamb, grilled octopus, stews, cocido.
Ideally a wine to be decanted.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Ti'Blanc Blanc 2021,

Paul Estève


It's good, it's white, it's aromatic, it's light, it's fresh, and it's easy to drink, to say the least. The color is distinct, tending toward orange, due to a brief maceration of one of the grape varieties. Ti'blanc stands out as an ampelographic synthesis of the Domaine des Miquettes for the simple reason that it brings together all of its white grape varieties. 2021 was, in fact, a very rainy vintage with a heavy harvest: the resulting wines had low alcohol content. Chrystelle and Paul therefore gathered all their Viogniers, Marsannes, and Chasselas and made Ti'blanc instead of making their usual cuvées. It is therefore a unique wine, exclusive to this vintage. Only the Chasselas is macerated for two days, which gives it a distinct orange color and a certain structure. The Viogniers and Chasselas were pressed directly. Ti’blanc has a low alcohol content (10.5°) but a nice acidity; it will therefore keep a little, but we recommend enjoying it young.

To find out more
Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specificity is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about this country in the Caucasus, the cradle of wine, where eight-thousand-year-old winemaking techniques are still used. At the heart of this viticulture is the qvevri, the buried jar where all the winemaking takes place: fermentation with skin maceration and aging. They set out to discover this country and returned with the decision to age all their wines in buried jars. They have twenty-six, but distinguish between tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation-maceration and buried "amphorae" for aging. No sulfur is added. For both reds and whites, the terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple material.
The estate, located in Ardèche, is south of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two ares of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, the red grape varieties are planted on steep hillsides, between 300 and 450 meters above sea level. The plots rest on a granite base with light soils: black mica granite, schist, and gneiss. Everything is grown organically (Ecocert) using biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified using plant decoctions and clay. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.

Le Litre Arbitre White 2019

Château Lafitte

Pairs with: Oysters and Shellfish, Raw Fish, Cooked Fish, Grilled Fish

Le Coste Red 2010

Le Coste

Le Coste Rosso is a blend of Grechetto and Sangiovese grown in the basalt terroirs of Azienda Le Coste. With lovely acidity, fresh and pure, it's an excellent table wine for all occasions, just as the Italians know how to make it: 100% pleasure. Intensely indulgent.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Magnum Les années folles Sparkling White 2010

Jean-Pierre Robinot

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Vino Rosso Rossetto Red 2021,

Corva Gialla

Fruit and drinkability above all: Rossetto was designed to be joyful and easy to drink. Azienda Corvagialla sought to promote maximum acidity in the harvest to obtain a pleasant wine with a very present fruity note: cherry and strawberry, on the nose as well as on the palate. This wine is a distinguished gurgling wine, a wine for pleasure and relaxation with friends that you will love to return to on any occasion. Rossetto is a 100% Sangiovese from the most vigorous plot of the vineyard: made up of volcanic soils, it faces west and is located at an altitude of 450 meters. The harvest is destemmed and macerated for about three weeks with daily pumping over or punching down as needed. After fermentation, Rossetto is aged in fiberglass vats until bottling in March.

Find out more
The Azienda Corva Gialla ("yellow crow") is a wine estate in Lazio, Italy, located on the edge of Umbria in the Alta Tuscia Viterbese. A volcanic region considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and characterized by its calanches, tall tuff rock formations delimiting deep valleys carved by numerous streams and torrents. Corva Gialla is located in Lubriano, opposite Civita di Bagnoregio. Alta Tuscia is proving to be a breeding ground for young winemaking talents devoted to nature who are promoting these lands deprived throughout history. Founded in 2017, the estate comprises four hectares cultivated by Beatrice Arweiler, originally from another wine-growing region, between the Rhine and the Moselle. The new owner also planted an olive grove (Frantoio and Leccino varieties) and developed the estate into a mixed crop and livestock system. The vines were planted with the help of Gian Marco Antonuzzi of the Le Coste estate. The friable volcanic soil lends itself beautifully to viticulture and the planting of grape varieties such as Grechetto d'Umbria, Trebbiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Ciliegiolo. The estate's wines are quintessentially Italian, meaning they are crafted primarily for enjoyment. They are straightforward, deep, and easy to drink, expressing the strong minerality of their soils.

Mensonge à Papa Red 2021

Belly Wine Experiment

Fresh, supple, fruity, light, and easy-drinking, Mensonge à Papa is a delicious wine for aperitifs, sharing, thirst quenching, meals, and good company. It proudly carries the banner of Gamay from two regions: Auvergne (from Châteaugay, near Riom, on calcareous-volcanic soils) and Beaujolais (from Rivolet, on blue granite). It is the result of a blend of equal parts of these two origins of the same grape variety, with a shared family resemblance, but also a marked difference: the Gamay from Auvergne has more acidity. Lie to Dad is therefore, in a way, an ode to Gamay. The grapes are first slowly pressed, then their must is added to whole bunches (of Gamay, surprise!) for a fifteen-day carbonic maceration. The aging takes place for a year in fiberglass vats. No chemical inputs are added during the cultivation and vinification, and in particular no sulfites. Classified as a Vin de France and with an alcohol content of 13.5%, it will be wonderful as an aperitif or with food, or just to have a good time.

To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as a winemaking business. The creative duo has a lot to live up to: Claire is the sister of Daniel Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne, and Jura grape varieties, readily found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason, and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The uniqueness of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia, for example, being able to sit alongside Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme with the utmost naturalness. The wines are made using semicarbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The house is also known for its very high-quality, vinous perries.

Cuvée Expériment Rosé 2020,

Belly Wine Experiment
A rosé with a lot to tell, somehow bridging the gap between Catalonia and Auvergne. Fruit, freshness, liveliness, vivacity, and a beautiful light ruby ​​color. Officially classified as a red wine because it contains white wine, this rosé Experiment cuvée is made from equal parts Gamay from Auvergne and Xarello from Catalonia. The Gamay undergoes semicarbonic maceration in whole bunches for fifteen days, then it is blended with crushed Xarello, along with its stems, and macerated for five days. Classified as Vin de France and with an alcohol content of 12.7%, the wine is produced without any chemical additives, either in the vineyard or in the cellar. It is aged in fiberglass vats.

To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as it is a winemaking business. The creative duo has a lot to offer: Claire is the sister of Adrien Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne, and Jura grape varieties, often found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason, and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The unique feature of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia, for example, blending naturally with Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme. The wines are made using semi-carbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The winery is also known for its high-quality, vinous perries.

Jaen Touriga Encruzado Red 2021,

Ladidadi/Pinheiro
It's all in the title: Jaen Touriga Encruzado is made from the red grape varieties Jaen and Touriga on the one hand, and Encruzado and Cerceal on the other, all characteristic of the Portuguese wine region of Dão where this red wine is produced. The blend, vinified by Hugo Pinheiro and Florian Tonello in Penalva do Castelo, possesses the richness of a red wine with the fluidity provided by the white grape varieties. This results in a sumptuous gurgling of a vermillion color, deliciously crisp and full of sap. On the palate, it is well balanced between body and lightness, fruitiness and acidity, offering sweet notes of red fruits and blackcurrant. The tannins are nicely melted, giving a supple and velvety texture.

Jaen, the equivalent of Mencia in Spain, is a red grape variety frequently grown in the Dão, although it is tending to fade away because it requires a lot of attention. Fragrant and fruity, it deserves to be preserved. Touriga Nacional is a quintessentially Portuguese grape variety and one of the country's main grape varieties, even playing a key role in port blending. It is a dark-colored bunch, with small grains and a low yield. It produces full-bodied and balanced wines with notes of black fruits and flowers.

These two grape varieties represent half of the blend, the other half being made up of Encruzado and Cerceal, local white grape varieties of great delicacy, known for producing exceptional white wines. They are used here to add to the fluidity of the red wine. The vines, around thirty years old, grow on granite and clay-sand plots facing south at an altitude between 420 and 460 meters. The harvest is destemmed and, depending on the color of the grapes, receives a different treatment: the red grape varieties macerate for 5 or 6 days under slow pressing in a concrete vat. The white grape varieties go through direct pressing. Fermentation, using indigenous yeasts, takes place in stainless steel vats which are blended before bottling. After malolactic fermentation, aging lasts ten months. No filtration, no chemical inputs in the vineyard or in the cellar.

To find out more
The duality of the name Ladidadi/Pinheiro is simply due to the fact that this winemaking entity is the result of a friendship: that of Florian Tonello, creator of the Ladidadi Wine brand, wine merchant-DJ-globetrotter who devotes his life to making natural wines known and loved, and Hugo Pinheiro, winemaker at the head of a small estate of two and a half hectares in Penalva do Castelo, district of Viseu, Dão appellation (central Portugal). Together, they decided to produce several vintages of natural wines, obtained through organic farming, manual harvests, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, without filtration or the addition of sulfites, from the emblematic grape varieties of the appellation on an estate planted around thirty years ago, with a small part planted in the 1980s. We therefore find Touriga Nacional as the main grape variety in red, followed by Clarete, Jaen and Encruzado, and in white Malvasia, Cerceal, Bical and Terrantez. Vibrant, lively wines, and a great opportunity to discover Portugal's wine-growing region in natural mode.

Coteau Libre Red 2016

Domaine Le Temps retrouvé

A beautiful macabeu with a strong personality, vinified by Michaël Georget in the Albères region. This grape variety has often been used as a blending ingredient; it deserves to shine on its own. The nose already announces the wine's structure and velvety texture, and the palate appreciates the clarity and tension, which doesn't prevent it from being very delicious.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Borgonon Granate Red 2006,

Barranco Oscuro

Borgoñón Granate is an organic and natural red wine from Andalusia made from Pinot Noir. Classified as Vino de Mesa (table wine), it is vinified by Cortijo Barranco Oscuro. As its name suggests, it draws inspiration from Burgundy. This 2006, which has had time to reflect, is one of the best vintages of this cuvée.

Vinification

This wine comes from Pinot Noir vines planted at an altitude of 1,280 meters on schist soils. The wine is aged for one year in old barrels.

Tasting

Borgoñón Granate is a beautifully atypical wine that displays remarkable density while being relatively clear and not very concentrated (a reference to Burgundy). Intense red fruits, cherries, melted and velvety tannins, and a long and seductive smoky finish. It ages well. Great balance, melted tannins, pair it with a beautiful grilled prime rib or Spanish canned fish. A pata negra ham? Certainly, it's a compatriot.

Learn more about Cortijo Barranco Oscuro

Manuel Valenzuela cultivates the highest vines in the world (1,368 meters), in Andalusia, on the Sierra Contraviesa. Barranco oscuro means "dark valley," a reminder of the original site of the property, which was moved at the end of the 19th century after the phylloxera crisis. In 1979, the estate was taken over by Manuel, who decided to use natural methods in preference to those of modern oenology.

A drop of 1,400 meters

At first, he bought grapes, but his goal was to replant vines. Currently, the twelve hectares of Cortijo Barranco Oscuro extend over a drop of almost 1,400 meters. On a poor, dry, schistose terroir, two localities concentrate the plots: Cerro Las Monjas at the very top and Hoyo y Cerro de Las Gayumbas lower down, near the winery buildings.

High-altitude wines

Strong thermal contrasts explain the freshness of the wines, produced without the addition of exogenous yeasts and without inputs in the vineyard or cellar. Although the estate is not certified organic due to the disillusionment that fraud in this area has brought Manuel, his estate is a member of the Spanish Association of Natural Wine Producers. His wines are straightforward and clean, without compromise: they give joy through the seriousness of the work that was necessary to produce them.

Magnum I'm Natural Don't Panic #7 Red 2018

Coruna del Conde
Julien López's I'm Natural, Don't Panic range consists of macerated wines. This 100% Tempranillo red is both powerful and supple; its freshness is the result of a high-altitude climate that subjects the vines to significant temperature variations. A lovely bouquet of red fruits and a beautiful balance of sweetness and minerality. Serve with tapas, grilled meats, or poultry.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Casilla de las Flores Red 2014

Bodega Marenas

A 100% Pinot Noir from Spain.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Crac Rosé 2021

Belly Wine Experiment
Fresh, fruity, and pleasant, Crac is a vin gris, a still rosé wine made entirely or partially from black grapes. It generally undergoes a very short maceration, hence its light color. This is obtained by slow direct pressing (forty-eight hours) of Auvergne Gamays "sur limagne," or on the dark-colored sedimentary and volcanic soils that make up the Auvergne plain. This slow pressing, replacing a short maceration, allows for a gentle extraction of the grape's constituents and gives the wine its color. To these Auvergne Gamays are added a proportion of Pinot Gris from Alsace. Categorized as Vin de France, free from any chemical or sulfite additives in the vineyard or in the cellar, Crac spends a year aging on lees before bottling. This wine is produced using organic farming methods and has received no chemical or sulfite additives, in the vineyard or in the cellar. It will go very well with charcuterie, cured meats, and tapas of all kinds.

To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as it is a winemaking business. The creative duo has a lot to offer: Claire is the sister of Daniel Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne and Jura grape varieties, readily found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The specificity of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia being able to rub shoulders, for example, with Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme with the utmost naturalness. The wines are made using semicarbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The house is also known for its very high-quality, vinous perries.

Vino Rosso Poggio Pastene Red 2016,

Corva Gialla
Poggio Pastene is a superior red from the Corva Gialla range; it is produced only in the finest vintages and comes from the finest plot on the estate. It is dense and full-bodied, with a supple texture and well-integrated tannins, and superb accents of leather and tobacco. The nose is intense and persistent—notes of red fruits, rose, and violet. On the palate, the olfactory sensations are confirmed, supported by a beautiful structure. Poggio Pastene is dry and straightforward, well-balanced between roundness and acidity. This is a single-variety Sangiovese whose vines are planted at an altitude of 450 meters on a west-facing plot with volcanic soils. The harvest, done by hand, is destemmed and macerated for about three weeks on the skins in fiberglass vats, with daily pumping over or punching down as needed. Aging is twenty-four months in old oak barrels. Poggio Pastene is kept in bottle for two years before being marketed.

Find out more
The Azienda Corva Gialla (“yellow crow”) is a wine estate in Lazio, Italy, located on the edge of Umbria in the Alta Tuscia Viterbese. A volcanic region considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and characterized by its calanches, high tuff rock formations delimiting deep valleys carved by numerous rivers and torrents. Corva Gialla is located in Lubriano, opposite Civita di Bagnoregio. Alta Tuscia is a breeding ground for young winemaking talents dedicated to nature, who are reclaiming these historically neglected lands. Founded in 2017, the estate comprises four hectares cultivated by Beatrice Arweiler, originally from another wine-growing region, between the Rhine and the Moselle. The new owner has also planted an olive grove (Frantoio and Leccino varieties) and converted the estate into a mixed crop and livestock system. The vines were planted with the help of Gian Marco Antonuzzi of the Le Coste estate. The friable volcanic soil lends itself beautifully to viticulture and the planting of grape varieties such as Grechetto d'Umbria, Trebbiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Ciliegiolo. The estate's wines are quintessentially Italian, meaning they are made primarily for enjoyment. They are straight, deep and easy to drink, expressing the strong minerality of their soils.