Isabella, Rias Azores, Portugal 

A volcanic, herbaceous hybrid wine with a Portuguese backdrop! Worldly winemaker Antonio Maçanita works to capture the essence of regional terroir and traditions through the grapes that move him. For this cuvée, he wanted to pay tribute to the old isabella vines that had been abundant on the volcanic island over the last 200 years before the vine louse phylloxera changed everything. Known for its earthy, irony and salty character, isabella is an officially BANNED hybrid grape in the region, as it is actually responsible for bringing that famous vine-eating louse PHYLOXERA from North America to Europe. #offtheguestlist! Regardless of its past crime, that was the fault of humans not understanding isolation times needed for plants, this grape is absolutely delicious and we love Maçanita’s cheeky celebration of this prohibited beauty. Green herbaceousness, young raspberry, catmint, thorns, the brisk brightness of crunchy cherry & sticky tannins served up with a saline polish. Enjoy alongside heavy, rustic dinners and fiddle music.