As much as our importing business is built on decades-long relationships Kermit has formed with dozens of producers throughout France and Italy, we refuse to rest on these laurels. While one could in theory be very happy to continue working with only the classic domaines in our portfolio, it is simply too exciting to discover and support a producer whose reputation is nowhere near—not yet, anyway—the level of his or her talent. All of the wines in this sampler are made by such vignerons. Take Roch Sassi at Clos Saint-Joseph, for example, who crafts a preternaturally elegant Côtes de Provence rouge in his tiny and unique slice of the AOC, just thirty minutes north of Nice. Or Carmelo Vecchio, who produces unusually refined Etna rosso from ancient vines planted along the northern face of Mount Etna. And Federico Staderini, who—against all odds—has taken Pinot Noir and found a perfectly conducive home for it in the eastern stretches of Tuscany. These producers as well as the other three featured in this sampler are doing incredible work in their vines and cellars, and we could not be more thrilled and honored to be along for the ride.