From sparkling summer crushers (whether easy drinking refreshing or funky, interesting natural wines) to thoughtful, sommelier-curated wine clubs for the savvy wine drinker, I’ve got 12 bottles to suit a range of palates, meals or occasions, including standout non-alcoholic wines.
The name might feel a bit silly but Stompy’s hip, breezy website and cheeky humor feel fresh in the latest sommelier-curated wine club from Master of Wine Stephen Wong.
He curates small production wines, also carefully scrutinized based on environmental practices, including some natural wines, many biodynamic, all sustainable. Their “taste technology algorithm” measures over 900 personalized flavor variables after you fill out the easy questionnaire, recommending bottles accordingly, which you also have a couple chances to switch out. My initial 6 bottle box was a smart lineup, although being a professional who tries thousands of wines a year and at the world’s best restaurants, a few of my initial selections I was well familiar with/had before, so had to switch them out for other personalized algorithm recommends (easy as the click of a button).
I can confirm some of my longtime favorites are in the lineup, including wines from California’s fabulous Forlorn Hope and Gut Oggau wines from Austria.
Vine Drop
The best part of the new Vine Drop is that it’s sommelier-curated, text-to-order natural wine featuring lots of rarities. It’s easy: you get a daily text with a wine offer/description, respond with # sign and number of bottles desired and the order is placed for direct shipment. I tried a fruity, zesty 2020 Pinke Pinke Weingut Scholossmuhlenhof rosé from Germany (a blend of 50% Müller-Thurgau, 35% Sankt Laurent, 15% Gelber Muskateller grapes) and a peppery-cherry-floral 2019 Deu Pinote Bojo Do Luar from Portugal with light tannins. Each recommend was smart, interesting and the ordering process is a breeze.
Cider-Gamay Blend from France: 2020 Domaine des Grottes Scideration ($25.99 via SF’s Tofino Wines)
Hailing from France’s crowd-pleasing wine region of Beaujolais, known for wines that pair with everyday beloved foods, from pizza to burgers. But this is an unusual Beaujolais: 2020 Domaine des Grottes Scideration is a certified organic/biodynamic Gamay Pet-Nat wine blended with fresh apple juice. Savory, fresh, tart and soulful, it sings with food.
Pet-Nat from France’s Anjou Region: Agnes & Rene Mosse Moussamoussettes Petillant Rosé ($25.99)
A fab Pet-Nat you can have delivered via Drizly when available, Agnes & Rene Mosse Moussamoussettes Petillant Rosé is fermented in stainless steel, tangy with raspberry, lemon, even candied violet, and a nutty hint on the finish. This is the kind of natural rosé sparkler I crave: subtly funky enough to be interesting, but with elegant restraint.
Russian River Sparkling: Copper Cane Steorra ($25)Copper Cane Steorra Russian River Sparkling is a classic Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Brut-style sparkling from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, making an affordable brut wine exuding aromas of lemon, cream, citrus blossom, pear, baking spices and a whisper of toastiness.
Provence Rosé: Chateau de Berne Rosés ($15.99–23.99)
A great everyday-drinking line from everyone’s iconic rosé wine region, Provence, Chateau de Berne is also a Relais & Châteaux hotel. Their rosés: 2021 Chateau de Berne Romance ($15.99) and 2021 Inspiration ($21.99) are affordable quality, but my favorite is the slightly higher-priced, though still affordable, 2021 Ultimate Provence UP ($23.99), with its soft raspberry balanced by citrus acidity with striking bottle design.
Sicilian White: Cantine Ermes Quattro Quarti Grillo ($17)
Cantine Ermes Grillo Quattro Quarti is an affordable everyday-drinking Sicilian white, steely and mineral as it is soft with orange blossom, stone fruits, almond and melon. Pairs ideally with grilled fish and shellfish.
Paso Robles Rosé: Alta Colina Grenache Rosé ($35)
While they also win red wine fans with their 2019 Old 900 Estate Syrah ($64), Rhône-style wine producer Alta Colina’s 2021 Grenache Rosé is a bright summer sipper from the 30-acre, organically-farmed, family-run estate vineyard, run by Bob Tillman and his daughter Maggie. Food pairing possibilities of the bone-dry, delicate, wild strawberry-laden rosé are versatile, whether seafood, cheese or roasted chicken.
Napa NA Chenin Blanc: Sovi Sparkling White ($28 4-pack)I raved last year about sommelier-owned, Napa Valley-based Sovi’s non-alcoholic (NA) Rosé as one of the best “alcohol removed,” NA sparkling wines I’d ever tasted. They did it again with their just launched NA Sparkling White, a brut-style Chenin Blanc exuding floral citrus and green apple, using only certified sustainable grapes. It’s a happy partner on picnics and pairs with a wide range of foods.
Standout NA Sparkling Wine: Prima Pavé ($24)
Prima Pavé is another standout in the burgeoning 0.0%, non-alcoholic (NA) wine category. The line is gaining steam at notable restaurants as a strong zero proof sparkling alternative. Hospitality entrepreneur and Certified Specialist of Wine, Dejou Marano, partnered with a Northern Italy winemaker after her first pregnancy, finding no strong NA alternatives to fill the palate void. Together they developed a Rosé Brut (blend of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer), Blanc de Blancs (Pinot Grigio, Sauv Blanc, Gewürz) and slightly sweet Rosé Dolce (same grapes as Rosé Brut). I prefer the former two with their tart fruitiness and floral ripeness respectively. They’ve also teamed up with the great NA All The Bitter (more on the line) to create signature cocktails.
LGBTQIA+-Owned Napa Wines: Gentleman Farmer ($35–105)
2020 Gentleman Farmer Napa Valley Rosé ($35) is a Pinot Noir rosé imparting the depth their reds do, from vintner Joe Wolosz and his husband/partner Jeff Durham, with their sustainably farmed vineyards mostly in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll region. 2019 Gentleman Farmer Napa Valley Red Wine ($77) pays homage to a classic Bordeaux blend, this year with 93% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. It’s tart with cherry, earthy with black currant and herbs. 2019 Gentleman Farmer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($105) is their dark fruit signature, exuding black plum, blackberry, fig, clove and nutmeg complexity, ready to age for many years.
Napa Cab: 2018 Adaptation Cabernet Sauvignon ($77)
From PlumpJack Family member, Jeff Owens, winemaker of award-winning Odette Estate, Adaptation shows off Napa Valley’s varying terroirs. 2018 Adaptation Cabernet Sauvignon (80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Petite Sirah) is lush with notes of creme de cassis, flowers blackberries, Luxardo cherries and silky tannins.
