Summer Wine Club 2026
“This is the spring that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends” or however that song goes. It truly feels like we’ve been living in perpetual springtime since before I even got your spring wines to you in March. I’m not sayin’ I’m mad, just disappointed in the lack of winter weather and maybe a little nervous about a drought… I can tell you I’ve sold almost 20% more white wine so far this year versus last year, so folks are already getting creative with other ways to quench their collective thirst! For this summer’s wines, I sought wines that were refreshing above all else while still being able to enjoy them on a multitude of levels above “this is yummy and makes me feel funny.” Hey, it’s harder than it sounds, okay??
A few of these wines have actually taken months of planning and years of asking in order to bring in enough, so I’m very excited to get these bottles into your hands. There are old favorites and new discoveries, icons and fresh faces, experimental and classic wines, all in one package of six bottles representing the continued evolution of my wine journey that is still just beginning to unfold. So chill (most of) these down, crack them open with wanton abandon, and take in the many pleasures of life in Central Oregon. And just life in general, too while you’re at it. Watch a thunderstorm roll in, swim in the river, see some live music, just don’t forget the wine!
Peter Leipold - Silvaner “Muschelkalk” 2024
It’s very unusual for one of the representatives of a wine import company to outspokenly choose favorites due to how it may be perceived by the other producers under their umbrella. But when said “other” producers share the sentiment, it’s probably okay to stick your neck out a bit and highlight something truly special. Here’s a quote: “I suppose there is a clarity to Leipold’s wines, a very specific type of brilliance that makes the wines feel essential, honest, buoyant – like the sun shining in a winter sky and the warm sunlight falling upon your skin. They feel to me uncannily perfect…”
Their peculiarity, however, could not be understated. He’s making wines from grapes nobody on this side of the Atlantic has hardly heard of, in a region barely anyone outside of Germany knows anything about. Yet, people want these wines, probably due to having enlightening experiences their first time trying them, not unlike mine. This wine is unbelievably scarce - he only makes one barrel, or 25 cases, worth and imports ten cases to the US. The name “muschelkalk” refers to the chalky and fossil-rich hillside these 30-year old Silvaner (a native German varietal) vines are grown on. The bottle is a traditional shape called a “bocksbeutel” which comes strictly from this part of Germany. This wine is an absolute laser beam of freshness and concentration, a wine of saturation and evaporation. Drink at peak summer thirst with oysters on the half shell or hamachi crudo.
Martissima - Ribolla Gialla 2024
“Martissima is meant to be a provocation”, according to winemaker Marta Venica. The name comes from jokes among her friends - they added the “issima” to emphasize what she winkingly calls her “superlatively good, but above all, bad sides.” Marta launched her project in 2019 with the idea of giving fresh expression to practices rooted in tradition: organic farming carried out by hand and horse, and a focus on Collio’s native and traditional grapes vinified for freshness, texture, and verve. Collio, Italian for “hills”, is a region that straddles the border between Italy and Slovenia, tucked into the hills between the Alps and 10km from the Adriatic Sea. It’s a place of complex confluences, its diverse geology, topography, cultures, and traditions all mark the region’s wines. As Marta puts it: “Collio represents the geographical limit between the Mediterranean and central Europe in climate, tastes, agriculture, and way of life.” Prior to this, she only made a red and white that were too pricey to include in club, but 2024 marked the introduction of a new wine. Her Ribolla Gialla, a varietal with genetic roots in this part of Europe, is a vibrant and textural white to pair with a backyard feast around a table with string lights hung between Ponderosas.
Domaine Balansa - La Vinhota 2024
When it comes to chillable red wines, Southern France’s Grenache lives in the highest echelon. This version was farmed biodynamically by Céline Peyre and Alexandre Gressent in Villeneuve-les-Corbières, a picturesque vine-covered village in the Aude department of the Occitanie region in southeastern France. Theirs is a landscape of rugged Pré-Pyrénées shale-based hillsides framed by aromatic garrigue scrubland with a warm Mediterranean climate. The vines they farm have been family-owned for several generations, with biodynamics being introduced in 2018. By using organic and biodynamic farming methods, their goal is to produce fine wines enhanced by environmentally conscious viticultural practices, and to offer natural wines that reflect the precious and unique terroir of the Hautes Corbières. This careful, hands-on method of farming in tune with the cycles of nature means their land will be productive and sustainable for generations to come. La Vinhota, or the “little wine” is a blend of 70% Lledoner Pelut and 30% Grenache Noir that sees 5 days of carbonic maceration and 6 months of aging in stainless steel and large format old oak casks and barrels. Carbonic maceration is a technique which allows the flavors of the different parts of the grape to meld in the absence of oxygen, keeping them fresh and vibrantly fruity. This is a wine for day-drinking lakeside, pulled from a ice chest full of cheese and cured meats, fresh PNW cherries, and lots of pickles.
Danila Pisano - Rossese di Dolceacqua 2023
Apologies for the low-quality picture here, I’ve never struggled so hard to find a photo of a producer before. But I think this embodies her personality incredibly accurately, as she’s not interested in recognition or accolades, she simply stays in her lane. She founded her estate in 1990 with the goal to restore her ancient family property of vineyards and olive groves. Believing in traditional methods, she immediately began to work organically and has been certified since 1996. Making a whopping total of 2 different wines each year, she works exclusively with the Rossese grape, a variety native to Western Liguria. Her 2 acres (!!!) of vineyards are at an altitude of 150-250m with southwest exposures. Vines are terraced and supported by the traditional stone walls (the producer photo is of her rolling a cigarette in the vineyard); this promotes ventilation and keeps the grapes healthy. Introduced to this region in the 13th century (most likely from France), Rossese di Dolceacqua is named after the coastal Italian village of Dolceacqua in Liguria, known for its beautiful castle ruins. The vines are traditionally grown in "trees" so that during the summer the top of the plant shades its foot and root, protecting them from the sun during the hottest hours. Danila's Rossese wines are full of charm: ruby red with delicate aromas of rose, violet and currants. This cuvée is from the vineyards that she and her partner Tino own and is an incredibly special wine, a reference point for the region despite its low production. A perfect summer red, pair this with a cool-down on the porch after sunset with aromas of Central Oregon scrub and the sound of nighthawks “peenting and booming” above.
Cameron - Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024
John Paul Cameron, the irrepressible owner and winemaker emeritus, founded his winery in 1984. In 1985, after working out of a roofless warehouse in McMinnville, he moved the winery to its current location in the hills above Dundee. Here, he planted Clos Electrique, a 4 acre dry-farmed vineyard which included Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Indeed, he was instrumental in founding the Deep Roots Coalition, DRC for short, in the WIllamette Valley, an organization dedicated to vineyard longevity and sustainability via not irrigating the vines. This makes the vines sink their roots deeper into the source material below them, accessing water reserves other plants can’t and making them more resilient to climatic stresses like drought and heat. Without added irrigation, this also means spraying synthetic chemicals is forbidden, as there’s nothing to wash them away. Over the years the vineyard has expanded to 7 acres, with varietals now also including Nebbiolo and a field blend of white Italian grapes. John Paul came to winemaking from an academic background. After receiving a PhD in Marine Biochemistry, he realized that winemaking offered opportunities to use the right side of his brain and to drink at work. He therefore jumped academic ship and began working in the wine industry, with stints in Oregon, New Zealand, and California. After working as an assistant winemaker at Carneros Creek Winery in the Napa Valley, he took the high road north and started Cameron with his wife, Teri Wadsworth and partners, Bill and Julia Wayne of Abbey Ridge Vineyard. His wines are polarizing for some, as they can be distinctly “funky” or “flawed,” a term I’ve learned to take with a grain of salt. I love them for their concentration, rusticity and honesty while simultaneously paving the way for sustainability and expression across the Willamette Valley. This is a wine I’ve asked repeatedly for the proper quantity to get it into your hands and am stoked to finally get to do so. 2024 was an exemplary vintage in the Willamette Valley, making this an ideal wine to introduce you to his style. This is your camping wine: to drink with cast-iron seared burgers or OONI-baked pizza, depending how boujee you are.
Grosgrain - Mourvedre XL Vineyard 2023
Matt and Kelly Austin left their careers as an attorney and fashion designer in California In 2014, setting out for a new life in the Pacific Northwest. After Matt returned to school to study enology and spent time working with several Washington wineries, they stumbled upon the auction of a small vineyard on the Southside of the Walla Walla Valley. Planted with uncommon varieties, these first 5 acres became Grosgrain Vineyards, a winery dedicated to organic farming and wines of freshness and elegance. The development of a subsequently acquired 80-acre property has allowed them to expand our range of grape varieties, with many unique or rare to our region. This wine is made from one of those rare varieties: Mourvedre. Also called Monastrell in its native Spain, or Mataro in Australia, it is grown in warmer climates, producing wines similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but with a more “meaty” herbaceous quality. Here, grown in a high-elevation vineyard on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla, diurnal shifts preserve acidity while soaring daytime temps increase ripeness; this is all about balance and power. The name Grosgrain stems from a type of rough, ribbed fabric which is used as decoration such as hat bands, tuxedo lapels, or ribbons. So use this to adorn the table of your next barbecue to pair perfectly with virtually anything grilled, smoked, or perfectly charred.
Weingut Kögl - Wermut (optional seventh bottle)
Tamara Kögl is a deeply passionate, creative, optimistic winegrower and it shows in all aspects of her endeavors. Whether walking in her vines and tending to her goats, to showing the ultimate in hospitality at her buschenschank (wine tavern) and b&b, to snuggling with her kids and finding time for art, there is nothing Tamara dreams about that doesn’t live on the spectrum of beauty and discovery. Located in Ratsch an der Weinstraße, South Styria, Austria, this 25 acre certified Biodynamic vineyard absolutely teems with life and energy. This white vermouth is made from Gelber Muskateller, otherwise known as yellow Muscat, known for being a more complex and enjoyable varietal than the one which produces Moscato. As with most vermouths, the recipe is closely guarded but we can tell you this: it is open-hearted, spicy, sensual, essential and grounded with notes of wormwood, lemon verbena, lemon balm, and orange peel. Enjoyably low in alcohol and beautifully balanced, enjoy it pure, with tonic or soda, or in your favorite vermouth-based cocktail for something refreshingly original.