As the Loire River winds through the region known as le jardin de la France, it creates a myriad of microclimates and a rich variety of soils, yielding impressive diversity even among the same grapes...

It’s a bit funny to write about two equally fantastic Bandols made by men with quite opposite personalities. I don’t imagine their interpretation of the métier is that different—make wines that express their terroir—but a vigneron always leaves their mark, and that fascinates me…

Vouvray’s wine is a product of what we call the Chenin Blanc grape, but I prefer the local name, Pineau de la Loire, and [René] Loyau is of the opinion that the original plantings of Pineau were Pinot, the Chardonnay, imported to Vouvray from Burgundy. Over sixteen centuries or more, the plant evolved ever so slowly as it adapted to Vouvray’s soil and climate. Even today, Loyau says, certain Vouvrays show a striking aromatic kinship to the Chardonnays of the Côte d’Or…

In the Adventures Club bulletin from 2011, where I found Chef Chris Lee’s recipe for beef braised with red wine and chocolate, Chris muses that rustic French stews are typically quite soupy and made to be sopped-up with lots of country bread. The French actually have a word for the act of sweeping bread across one’s bowl or plate to capture every last bit…

On a Friday afternoon last month, as a winter storm closed in on my mountain town, I made a few last-minute stops to stock up on provisions for what promised to be a snowed-in weekend. The final stop on my checklist was my local butcher, to pick up a cut of pork I’d never considered preparing before Chez Panisse chef Gary Podesto created a recipe he called “Coppa à la Matignon” for our Adventures Club last winter…

The magnificent Aeolian Islands are a string of volcanic islands north  of Sicily that include Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli (an active  volcano), Filicudi, and Alicudi. Capers are a primary local export, particularly from Salina and Lipari—the two largest and most populous of the islands— but Antonino “Nino” Caravaglio is at once the caper champion of the region and its wine maestro. He has built what is unquestionably the most qualitative collection of vineyards and wines in this little slice of Italy…

Here is a collection of recent arrivals. Every week, we’ll be adding a dozen or more new arrivals, so check back often for your favorite classics or new discoveries!

An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.

When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!

Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.