Dante Minutello Wine tours with a sommelier who knows the winemakers by name
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Winemaker stories

Portraits of the winemakers behind my wine tours: natural and classic cellars in Armenia, Georgia, Italy, France, Czechia and Austria, and what to drink there.

Every story here is about a cellar I go back to, between Armenia and Austria. Some winemakers work naturally, some classically, several sit in between, and I do not rank them. What interests me is the choice: why Areni Noir goes into clay at 1,400 metres in Vayots Dzor, why a Barolo house keeps its casks large, why a farmer in South Moravia bottles his field blend before the fizz has finished.

I write these the way I tell them at the table: the village, the vessel, the dish, the person. Read them before a tour, or instead of one. Where natural and classic disagree, I have set out what I pour and why.

By country
By approach

Austria · Styria NaturalBiodynamic

Sepp and Maria Muster and the Opok above Leutschach

Sepp and Maria Muster, Leutschach, Styria, Austria: Demeter vines on Opok, Gräfin and Erde on skins, and the Schmecke das Leben farms on a private wine tour.

Weingut Sepp Muster7 min read

Austria · Burgenland Biodynamic

Claus Preisinger and the green roof above Gols

Claus Preisinger in Gols, Burgenland, Austria: a biodynamic winemaker of Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and St. Laurent in casks and amphorae above the Neusiedlersee.

Claus Preisinger6 min read

Austria · Burgenland NaturalBiodynamic

Gut Oggau and the family with faces on the label

Gut Oggau, Burgenland, Austria: Eduard Tscheppe and Stephanie Tscheppe-Eselböck's biodynamic wines with faces on the label, on my Neusiedlersee wine tour.

Gut Oggau7 min read

Austria · Wachau Classic

Lucas Pichler and the precision of the Kellerberg

F.X. Pichler, Oberloiben, Wachau, Austria: Riesling and Grüner Veltliner from the Kellerberg, Loibenberg and Steinertal, a 2009 cellar and a wine tour visit.

F.X. Pichler7 min read

Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Natural

Richard Stávek and the field blends of Němčičky

Richard Stávek in Němčičky, Velké Pavlovice, Czechia: a farmer-winemaker with 15 hectares, five of them vines, foot-trodden field blends, pet-nats and sheep.

Richard Stávek6 min read

Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Classic

Miloš Michlovský and the textbook cellar of Rakvice

Vinselekt Michlovský in Rakvice, Velké Pavlovice, Czechia: a grape breeder, professor and classic Moravian winemaker with 125 hectares and eight textbooks.

Vinselekt Michlovský6 min read

Czechia · Mikulov Classic

Oldřich Drápal Jr. and the sunny hill of Popice

Sonberk at Popice, Mikulov, Czechia: Josef Pleskot's winery above the Nové Mlýny reservoirs, and its Pálava, Riesling and straw wine on my Moravia wine tour.

Sonberk6 min read

Czechia · Znojmo Biodynamic

Petr Nejedlík and the qvevri buried near Znojmo

Dobrá Vinice at Nový Šaldorf, Znojmo, Czechia: winemaker Petr Nejedlík farms 16 hectares biodynamically in Podyjí and ages Grüner Veltliner in Georgian qvevri.

Dobrá Vinice7 min read

Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Natural

Petr Koráb and the living hill of Boleradice

Petr Koráb in Boleradice, Velké Pavlovice, Moravia: a 100-metre hillside cellar, pet-nats, skin-contact whites and sekt from a chef turned natural winemaker.

Petr Koráb, Živá Hora6 min read

France · Loire Biodynamic

Domaine Huet and the whole of Chenin in Vouvray

Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Loire, France: Chenin Blanc from sec to moelleux, three vineyards, biodynamic since 1988, tuffeau cellars and a wine tour visit.

Domaine Huet7 min read

France · Champagne Biodynamic

Pierre Larmandier and the chalk of Vertus

Larmandier-Bernier in Vertus, Champagne, France: biodynamic grower champagne from Côte des Blancs chalk, wild yeasts, oak foudres and dosage close to zero.

Larmandier-Bernier6 min read

France · Jura Biodynamic

Stéphane Tissot and the parcels of Arbois

Domaine Tissot in Montigny-lès-Arsures, Jura, France: biodynamic single-parcel Chardonnay, vin jaune and Trousseau in amphora from a winemaker mapping Arbois.

Domaine Tissot7 min read

Italy · Piedmont Traditional

Luca Roagna and the slow cellar of Barbaresco

Roagna in Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy: Nebbiolo macerated 60 to 70 days under a submerged cap, five years in old botti, and a winemaker who never hurries.

Roagna7 min read

Italy · Piedmont Classic

Giuseppe Vaira and the stained glass of Vergne

G.D. Vajra in Vergne, at the top of Barolo, Piedmont, Italy: Bricco delle Viole Nebbiolo, Freisa and Riesling from a winemaker family under stained glass.

G.D. Vajra7 min read

Italy · Friuli Natural

Saša Radikon and the slow Ribolla of Oslavia

Radikon in Oslavia, Collio, Friuli, Italy: Ribolla Gialla months on its skins, years in old oak, half-litre bottles, and the winemaker son who keeps the pace.

Radikon6 min read

Italy · Friuli Natural

Joško Gravner and the qvevri of Oslavia

Gravner in Oslavia, Friuli Collio, Italy: Ribolla Gialla six months on skins in Georgian qvevri, six years in botti, and a winemaker who lets time do the work.

Gravner6 min read

Georgia · Imereti Natural

Baia Abuladze and the churi of Obcha

Baia's Wine, Obcha, Imereti, Georgia: Tsitska, Tsolikouri and Krakhuna from churi buried in a village yard, and the young winemaker who put Obcha on a label.

Baia's Wine6 min read

Georgia · Kakheti Classic

Gogi Dakishvili and the two cellars of Kisiskhevi

Schuchmann Wines in Kisiskhevi, Kakheti, Georgia: winemaker Giorgi Dakishvili makes Saperavi and Kisi in steel and oak, and as Vinoterra in qvevri, near Telavi.

Schuchmann Wines7 min read

Georgia · Kakheti Natural

John Wurdeman and the qvevri of Pheasant's Tears

Pheasant's Tears in Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia: a painter, a grower, amber Rkatsiteli from buried qvevri, a 117-grape field blend and a winemaker who sings.

Pheasant's Tears7 min read

Armenia · Vayots Dzor Traditional

Armen Khalatyan and the old bridge over the Arpa

Old Bridge Winery, Yeghegnadzor, Vayots Dzor, Armenia: a family winemaker since 1998, five hectares of Areni Noir and Voskehat, and a 13th-century bridge.

Old Bridge Winery6 min read

Armenia · Aragatsotn Classic

Voskevaz and the karas hall of Aragatsotn

Voskevaz Winery, Aragatsotn, Armenia: a state winery from 1932, a hall of working clay karas, and the Voskehat I pour on my Armenia wine tour from Yerevan.

Voskevaz Winery6 min read

Armenia · Vayots Dzor OrganicTraditional

Hovakim Saghatelyan and the organic vines of Aghavnadzor

Trinity Canyon Vineyards, Vayots Dzor, Armenia: organic Areni Noir at 1,300 metres, karas in the cellar, and a harvest afternoon on my Armenia wine tour.

Trinity Canyon Vineyards6 min read

Armenia · Vayots Dzor Traditional

Zorik Gharibian and the buried karas of Rind

Zorah Wines in Rind, Vayots Dzor, Armenia: Areni Noir aged in buried clay karas at 1,400 metres, and a winemaker who came back from Milan to make it.

Zorah Wines6 min read

Tell me where you want to drink

Write in any of my five languages. I answer personally, usually within a day.

Dante replies personally, usually within a day, in English, Russian, Czech, Armenian or Italian.