Pino Roman, ‘País Pet Nat’, Pais, Itata, Chile

We begin our wild journey with a spicy, savoury treat from an ALL-TIME favourite, and all too often overlooked region. Until just a few years ago, the wines available in Ontario from Chile were mostly cheap, international varieties and blends (think cab-merlot). Those wines aren’t BAD, but it has been one of the most exciting things to see the story of Chile expand to include more of its rich history and artisanal producers like this one! Here, we travel to the southern Itata Valley, where grapes have been planted sine the 1550s. This is one of the rare places in the world where the vine louse phylloxera did not strike, resulting in 100 to 200-year-old vines being the norm. Of all their grapes, país is the most alluring: smoky, savoury and singular. Winemaker Ignacio Pino Román (aka NACHO) is one of the best makers in the region: quiet, humble and incredibly dedicated. His país pet nat is bottled with 8g/L of sugar, which metamorphosed in the bottle into a soft bubble that wanders around your tongue like a tourist without a map. Strawberry juice, spiced papaya salad, rubbed herbs, roses & tannins that drag down your tongue like they don’t want to leave just yet. Pour alongside your favourite cold-weather roasted vegetable dishes, howling at a beaming winter’s full moon.

Domaine Ruhlmann-Dirringer, ‘Grain de Sable’, Riesling, Alsace, France

Up next, we enter the towering, mystical Vosges Mountains! Here, fourth-generation winemaker Leo Dirringer biodynamically farms his family’s stunning land in the historic wine region of Dambach-La-Ville. Cultivating near forty organic plots – like the sandy-granitic ‘Grain de Sable’ – his property is fragmented over 13 hectares of rolling, ruching hillsides. This type of mineral driven, electric and zero-zero riesling is dripping with magnetism and simply ready to steal the show in any situation. Grapes were handpicked from 45 year-old vines, direct pressed and aged for 20 months in large, old oak barrels to collect its thoughts. Sharp edges, salt crystals, verdant richness, flinty affection, mountain air & a salivary inducing flawlessness. Meant to enliven you for the oddest hobby & the latest night or perfectly pair with most obscure recipe from the Middle Ages. What we mean is, great riesling can meet you where you’re at, ready to give you the focus you need to paint, in painstaking detail, your miniature garden made of play-dough OR simply charm a tough crowd at a dinner party! See you tomorrow for a GLOWING, galavanting surprise.

Glow Glow, ‘Rays of Red’, Regent, St. Laurent, Pinotin, Portugieser & Dornfelder, Nahe, Germany

No matter the season, we are always after the perfect LIFTED red that demands a chill and makes you let out a little ‘mmm’, that is unfortunately beyond your control. Meet our first contestant, a shimmering German hybrid blend. For those new to hybrids, welcome! This is not a genetically modified product, but an example of different grape species crossed together naturally over long periods of time, combining desirable flavours with disease and climate resistance. Hybrids are an essential part of the future of wine: presenting the joy of a different flavour profile with true environmental sustainability; even organic wines can require a lot of spraying, where hybrid grapes naturally thrive even in cold wet seasons. All this to say, come chat with us in shop or send us an email with your thoughts, this is one of our favourite topics!!! But for now, enjoy this TOP example from Glow Glow. Working in the town of Nahe, between the prestigious Rhine and Mosel valleys, sixth generation winemakers and siblings, Pauline and Carl are bottling their own unique view of the region. ‘Rays of Red’ is a blend of destemmed, floral, spiced dornfelder, dark-berried regent and pinot noir-esque pinotin blended with earthy st. laurent and red-berried portugieser. FUN FACT! Pinotin is a hybrid variety developed in 1991, and a new grape for Pauline and Carl, and it’s parental lineage includes cabernet sauvignon, riesling & silvaner! Cranberry, salt shake, moving glacier, cola gummy, herb breeze, rain on suede patterned tannins & a red ring pop aftertaste. Momentarily leave your body (astral projection or otherwise) and pour alongside all manner of gnarly gourds, be they stuffed, roasted or in pie form!

La Villana, ‘Fuoriluogo’, Viognier, Vermentino & Moscato, Lazio, Italy

We have been warming you up so far in this FREAKY lil game of ours, and now we are tossing you into the DEEP END with this rich n’ raucous white, positively brimming with volatile acidity commonly short-formed to VA. Natural wine earth angel (and winemaker) Joy Kull is an American who has settled in the volcanic region of Lazio, outside Rome. She famously can sniff out sulphur addition on any wine, and for her, zero-zero (or no additives at any point in production) is the only way to make true, authentic product. 'Fuori Luogo' translates to “out of place”, perfectly adorable and appropriate since the aromatic, citric trio of viognier, vermentino, and moscato that make up this bottling are not endemic grapes to this area of Lazio or Joy’s home vineyards. The vineyard, located in Farnese, was originally planted 20-years-ago for a cooperative cantina, but the coop stopped paying for the grapes and miraculously Joy was able to convince the owner to keep farming the vineyard just as he was about to rip out the vines (!!!); today he continues farming the two hectares for her, #thereishope. A transportive retreat in a bottle, think a full garden in bloom, apricots fresh from the tree, peach jam, salty fingertips & an earthy mesquite warmth. Enjoy alongside your newest unorthodox holiday tradition – taping mistletoe to a ceiling fan for a slobbery sporting endeavour of sorts, building your own snow-mansion in the backyard or carving your own Blair Witch-esque twig doll ornaments or decorations.

Slobodne, ‘Majer 3’, Frankovka (Blaufrankisch), Cabernet Sauvignon & Alibernet, Trnava, Slovakia

Lucky number five. A big day, in numerology, five represents change, freedom and adventure, all of which we KNOW you are ready for, you sweet freaks! Wine is deeply political. Who gets to grow what, where, and what can they charge for it is inextricably linked to money and power. Few wineries are challenging these conventional ‘rules’ more that Slobodne or ‘Freedom Winery’, in western Slovakia. Today run by sisters Agnes and Katarina, along with Katarina’s husband Miso, their family farm was seized during the Soviet Union, and only returned to the family in 1977, after finding paperwork that proved ownership of the then ransacked property. For them, restoring the farm and making wine from their family home is a privilege they do not take for granted. It calls to mind a central idea that we often ask ourselves: are the world’s most famous regions famous because they are the most worthy, or famous because they had money and influence when it mattered? If these regions aren’t inherently the best, doesn’t that make exploring off-the-beaten regions, particularly those with long histories of production like this one incredibly thrilling? ANSWER, YES, as you crack this bottle. ‘Majer 3’ is a blend of freshly pressed darkly-fruited frankovka, spiced cab sauv and earthy alibernet juice married to previous vintages from a solera, a holding of past wine that adds depth and complexity. It’s the ultimate, it-takes-a-village, cool-climate, and deeply expressive red. Blackcurrant picking, dark cherry juice, pepper grinder, forest’s edge, dried plum, pomegranate molasses, sturdy, homey tannins & an herbal bath. Enjoy alongside reading your favourite historically accurate period piece, we love a little perspective and understanding of the past so we can better enter the future. Xoxoxo

Elements, “Sa” 2022, Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley, France

Human skin contact releases DOPAMINE and OXYTOCIN, while drinking a skin contact wine releases JOY and WONDERMENT, so get into it, you spirited, skin-craving misfits! We cannot even talk about natural wine without swimming in the rivers of the famed Loire Valley. The Loire, in central France, is a hotspot for small producers making delicious, diverse and interesting things. Here there are many classic stars, but also a solid crew of freaks like this one. Winemaker Guillaume Noire tends to his vines between Rablay and Champ-Sur-Layon with a desire to show “elemental” or fundamental expressions of the region’s grapes with minimal intervention. The 35 year-old vines were hand harvested from their schist soils and spent a short time on skins to draw out tactility and encourage aromatics. A Jura-feeling-meets-Loire-sensibilities, super aromatic with orange blossom and peel, dandelion, lemon zest, warm, fleshy apricots, fine herbs & a salt-scrub ending. So many wild, wonky and stunning movies that involve SKIN, may we suggest pouring alongside 2013’s ‘Under The Skin’, 2004s ‘Mysterious Skin’, possible Joseph Gordon-Levitt at his most moving or make it a marathon with the 2007 British TV series ‘Skins’.

Mosse, ‘Bangarang’, Grolleau, Pineau d’Aunis, Cot & friends, Loire, France

We are hanging around the Loire for one more wine to explore an iconic producer’s BANGIN’ chill-able red, that can only be here to STEAL this Rocky Horror Holiday Show. Like Jessica Paré’s iconic rendition of Zou Bisou Bisou in Mad Men, this blend is naughty & nice in the best way, a wide-eyed proclamation of love for powerful, yet featherweight reds with nerve & verve. This blend of berried, peppery grenache noir, citric, floral grenache gris, spiced, berried pineau d’aunis, deeply-featured cot, juicy gamay and verdant cabernet franc is a combination of purchased grapes that were carbonically macerated for optimal fruit-forward jubilation! Strawberry kirsch, chewing on a rose, pink and white peppercorns, zippy canned cranberry acid and a suave, Pink Panther in ultra-suede-pants texture that’s here to party. A true GLOU-GLOU, pour alongside your holiday RAGER featuring pin the tail on the manticore, metal covers of holiday classics & assembling a family of snow-goblins on your front lawn.

Clos Lentiscus, ‘Perill Blanc Amphora’ 2022, Xarel-lo, Penedes, Spain

Dearest darling oddballs, may we introduce you to one of the world’s best natural producers, Clos Lentiscus. Winemaker Manel has all the ease of a hobby gardener, with multigenerational experience, a caring heart & years of hard work behind him. The vineyards are beloved, crops are pollinated by their bee hives, fertilized and grazed upon by their small sheep herd, plowed by their horse Ringo, and treated as the living, breathing entity that it is. The 1938-planted xarel-lo comes from their El Buschet vineyard, in the mineral-laden Garraf Mountains sub zone. After picking and leaving with stems on skins for 15 days, ‘Perill Blanc’ spends six months in amphora tuning into the rhythms of the Earth. Textured like a vintage alligator boot, pear skin crunch, bergamot plumes, kumquat jam & peeling rambutans in a studded leather club chair. Utterly lucid, enjoy alongside plotting your moves of 2026, utilizing tarot cards, ouija boards, zoom-call psychics and everyone else at your disposal.

Mingaco, ‘Murtilla’, Paìs & Murtilla, Itata, Chile

We cannot WAIT for you to try this next one with your most open-minded pals - you know the ones in polycules that collect vintage taxidermy and know endless facts about Vivienne Westwood. FRUIT BELNDS and infusions are on the rise. These beverages made using everything that grows in the area are interesting, delicious, and practical; if one thing doesn’t thrive in increasingly unpredictable climates, another ingredient can shine. We’ve returned to Chile to explore one of the wilder examples of this style we’ve ever encountered. Winemakers Daniela De Pablo and Pablo Pedreros, plus their children Luan and Mayra, are the beautiful family behind Mingaco, a regenerative farm & winery in the village of Checura, along the Itata river. Their vision of the future in the Itata Valley extends far beyond growing grapes and fermenting wine, as they are actively reforesting the valleys around their vineyards with regional plants, leaving grape monoculture in the rearview. FUN FACT! This allocation was so small that we’ve been holding the entirety of it since spring for this very occasion! Murtilla is a regional fruit from the south of Chile that grows mainly in wild coastal forests and mountains and offers antioxidant, pain-killing and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as tasty polyphenols and tannins. The berries are utilized here in a steeping manner, infused into the punchy paìs juice to extract all it has to offer. We can’t even fully form words to describe this supernaturally delicious marvel, like Ratatouille’s ‘AHA' moment, a coming together to create something altogether new and fire off thousands of synapses in our brains. Enjoy with your group of open-minded companions, chanting, dancing and embodying all this berried beauty makes you think and feel.

Cinque Campi, ‘Rosso Frizzante’, Lambrusco Grasparossa & Friends, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

After the excitement of yesterday’s cross-pollinated cuvée, we move into a steadfast standby of unbeatable bubbles churned by talent and time. If we were the Hinge algorithm, we would recommend Lambrusco, Italy’s famous sparkling red, and the holidays, as most likely to get along. Thankfully, we are not a cursed app, and we do not require your permission to make the match! We trust you’ll agree with us upon first sip. Drinking Lambrusco vis-a-vis any other sparkling wine just has a special treat-yourself magic to it, it’s like a holiday, snow day or mini-birthday in a glass. Vanni Nizzoli’s family began making wine on five plots, that’s ‘cinque campi’, over 200 years ago, in the foothills of the Reggiano Appennine Mountains. His sights set on showcasing regional grapes to their peak, he eliminated techniques that could cloud their voice, like sulphuring, fining and filtration. Frothy blackcurrant soda upheld by a rip-roaring fruity mainline, loud & dry, scrubby herbs damp from crispy rain in the morning, & fancy Italian liquorice. The crowd-pleaser to end all crowd-pleasers, infinitely satisfying to all palates, take to any function, family, work, friends or otherwise, and share with reckless abandon. #LAMBRUS-GO #BABY!

Hajszan Neumann, ‘NATURAL Grüner Veltliner’ 2023, Vienna, Austria

You cannot call yourself a natural wine FREAK without being on a first name basis with the top wines of Austria’s Burgenland, one of most thrilling regions in the world for LOW-intervention bottles with personality to spare. Hajszan Neumann refer to themselves as an urban winery, as their vineyards essentially sit arm-in-arm with the metropolis that is Vienna – a potentially unfamiliar concept to many, the closeness is in fact a longstanding tradition in the area. FUN FACT! They clock 1900 hours of grape harvesting per year, that’s like picking for 2.6 months STRAIGHT! Biodynamically cared for, the grapes are hand harvested, mashed and left on skins for over four months to extract a fine, FINE texture. Generous apricot skin, lightly fermented apple, light through stained glass windows, salt and white pepper, elderflower honey & pleasing green almond astringency. Enjoy at midnight on the longest night of the year, stars shining bright above you, whispering “I love you” and really meaning it.

Gut Oggau, ‘Antanasius’, Red Field Blend, Burgenland, Austria

You’ve had the Burgenland apetizer, now prepare yourself for the MAIN COURSE. One of the most coveted and beloved wineries in the world, full stop. When Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe are not busy being the darlings of the natural wine scene, they’re meticulously working the vineyards, doing more by hand every year with the help of some recently acquired horses. On his Kerouac journey, Antanasius is an irreverent wild child red blend who drove to California to sleep in their ’89 Land Cruiser next to the ocean and smoke hand-rolled ciggies, while mesmerized by the crashing waves. Cassis, scraped vanilla pod, dark cherry and pomegranate pith with a whiff of green tobacco leaf, the floral lining of a dusty tuxedo jacket & lean, equine tannins with a touch of saddle leather. Pour any day or night to turn it into the most fantastical on celebrations.