Biodynamic

About the Winery

Olivier Riviere

With about 25 hectares of rented and owned vineyards in Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja, Rioja Alavesa, and splitting his time between his own wines and consulting with other producers, it would be an understatement to say that Olivier Rivière is busy. Originally lured to Spain in 2004 by Telmo Rodriguez to convert his vineyards to biodynamics, Olivier came to appreciate the rich history of Rioja and the diversity of its soils and grape varieties. In 2006 he started his own project, and owing to the high cost of land in Rioja, he traded his farming talents for access to grapes from the best sites he could locate.

Olivier was born and raised south of Bordeaux in Cognac. He later studied enology in Montagne St-Emilion, focusing on biodynamic farming, followed by practical experience there, and later in Burgundy. The list of estates where he has worked is impressive by any standards, from the most dedicated fans of natural wines (Elian da Ros & Domaine de Chassorney) to ultra-traditionalists (Domaine Leroy.) When his plans to set up a Domaine in Fitou fell through, Olivier decided to spend a few years consulting in Spain, and he’s never left.

In keeping with his education and advocation, nearly all of Olivier’s vineyard sources – whether owned or leased – are farmed organically with biodynamic practices. The fruit is harvested by hand, and each variety is fermented separately. Depending on the source, it may be partially destemmed or fermented whole cluster. Fermentations are with indigenous yeasts. Macerations are gentle and short. Aging takes place in stainless steel or cement tanks, foudre, and barrel with each container chosen to benefit the expression of the terroir. SO2 is kept to a minimum, usually added only before bottling. There really is no precise recipe, only the guiding principles of minimal intervention and taste. These are not your grandparent’s Riojas, nor are they your parent’s. These wines represent a novel approach that relies almost entirely on the specificity of the site and the transparency of winemaking necessary to capture it.

About the Winery

Vignoble du Reveur

Vignoble du Reveur (The Dreamer’s Vineyard) is a domaine founded by the immensely talented Mathieu Deiss (of Domaine Marcel Deiss) and his partner Emmanuelle Milan. While working with his father Jean Michel Deiss at the family domaine, Mathieu received an inheritance of vines from his uncle in the commune of Bennwihr, just outside the valley of Kaysersberg in Alsace. While continuing to work at Domaine Marcel Deiss, Mathieu and Emmanuelle saw the opportunity to use these 7 ha of vines as a home to experiment, push boundaries, and explore a new path for biodynamic viticulture and their winemaking dreams.

As with all things Deiss, it starts in the vineyards and their natural environment. After taking on the vines in 2011, they converted the domaine to biodynamics (it had been previously organically farmed before his uncle’s health problems) and received Demeter certification in 2013. Mathieu and Emmanuelle employ the same co-planting philosophy as the one at Domaine Marcel Deiss. As Mathieu explains, “We’ve chosen not to accentuate any particular grape, but rather the texture, consistency, depth, and minerality of the wine”. The wines in the stunning lineup show what this talented couple is capable of; from direct-pressed, co-planted Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc to skin macerated whites that set a new standard for the “orange wine” category. Mathieu and Emmanuelle’s intellectual curiosity pushes them to continue to experiment with new techniques in the cellar, including the remarkable “Rien en Bouge” cuvée, which is made with whole bunches of Pinot Noir macerated in direct-pressed Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc juice. Trailblazing is in the Deiss DNA, and in the future, we can expect many more paradigm-shifting innovations from this dynamic duo.

About the Winery

Weingut Heinrich

Gernot and Heike Heinrich founded their winery in 1990 with just one hectare and have steadily grown to 90 hectares today. Heinrich was one of the first in the region to transition from simple white wines to high-quality reds in the early 1990s and became famous for powerful red blends such as Salzberg, Gabarinza, and Pannobile. In recent years, the focus has turned to Blaufränkisch from the nearby Leithaberg DAC, and to “Freyheit,” a line of natural wines produced with minimal intervention in the cellar. Heinrich converted to biodynamics in 2006 and is a member of Respekt, a certifying body for biodynamic viticulture in Austria. Heinrich today is one of Austria’s most innovative wine producers.

Neusiedlersee, named for Lake Neusiedl, is a wine-growing area located north and east of the lake and is home to the Heinrich winery. The moderating effect of the lake combines with the warm Pannonian climate, and its alluvial soils provide ideal conditions for red grape varieties. The Heinrich estate consists of 90 hectares in three main areas: Heideboden (sandy-loam soils that stretch from the village of Gols to the shores of Lake Neusiedl); the Parndorfer Platte (low-lying hills with gravel soils located near the winery); and Leithaberg (a hill of limestone and schist soils on the northwestern edge of the lake).

About the Winery

Aphros

Founded in 2002, Aphros is a project designed to combine ecological and economical aspects to create true sustainability. Their belief is that nature and labour should combine in a meaningful way and they seek to capture this through Biodynamic viticulture, letting the uniqueness of the land shine through the fruit for inimitable wines. Loureiro and Vinhão have grown in these vineyards for centuries and serve as the reference point for the region.

The grapes are sourced from the Lima sub-region and the vines of Casal do Paço are situated in a south-facing amphitheatre north of the Lima River on gentle slopes with cool Atlantic breezes.

The winemaking is traditional, taking place in the basement beneath the main house. The cave is buried and naturally cool and damp. They once again straddle the line between a modern and traditional character with the addition of modern stainless steel equipment and traditional open-top lagars, and granite stone tanks, for red wine production.

Château Combel-la-Serre

Julien Ilbert is a young, charismatic vigneron with a fresh perspective on his native Cahors. Vines have been in the Ilbert family for generations, though grapes had always been sold to the local cave coopérative. In 1998, Julien decided to break off and start his own estate. Things didn't exactly go according to plan, and a chance meeting with Mathieu Cosse at a rugby match quickly led to a seven-year relationship, with Julien being Mathieu's main source for high-quality Auxerrois (aka Malbec, aka Côt).

After an amicable split in 2005, Julien was back on track to producing his own wines: Château Combel-la-Serre was born. 25 hectares of Auxerrois are planted on a diverse amount of terroirs, all within 5 kilometres of the cellar. Though a Cahors wine only needs to be 70% Auxerrois to get the appellation, Julien believes it is the only grape suitable for what he's trying to accomplish. As such he has consciously avoided planting the traditional Negrette and Tannat and completely eschewed the more recent trend of planting Bordeaux varietals.

The estate is certified organic as of the 2015 vintage, but chemicals have not touched the vineyards for quite some time. Everything was conventionally farmed from the advent of such technology, but the death of Julien's grandfather from Parkinson's deeply affected the family's agricultural philosophy. Convinced that the chemicals he'd openly exposed himself to day in and day out were at the root of his illness (on top of the vines, an additional 40 hectares of cereals were worked by the family at the time), the Ilbert stopped using these products on their land.

The wines have also evolved in the decade since Julien launched his own estate, culminating in what we now get to enjoy in our glasses. Though you should never judge a book by its cover, Julien has made the decision to design playful labels and bottle the wines in Burgundian bottles, two seemingly superficial details that are actually a very bold statement in the ultra-traditional mindset of most Cahors producers.

St. John

About the Winery

Parés Baltà

Parés Baltà is a family-owned winery in the Penedès region of Spain with traditions dating back to the 18th century. In 1790, the first vines were planted on the estate that now surrounds the winery. Today, however, more than 220 years later, almost everything is different.

The acquisition of the winery in 1978 by Mr. Joan Cusiné Hill, born in 1917 in Bellvei del Penedés, and the addition of the exemplary estates “La Torreta” and “Els Pujols” mark the beginning of the Parés Baltà of today. Mr. Joan Cusiné Hill comes from a family of vine-growers and, already from the age of seven, he helped his father to cultivate the vineyards.

His son, Joan Cusiné Cusiné, started to manage Parés Baltà in the '80s and released its first still white wine, which is still produced today, “Blanc de Pacs." At the end of the 80s, the first red wine from the company was produced, and since then he has enthusiastically been attempting anything that could raise the quality of the wines.

Since 2000, the management has been in the hands of the two grandsons, Joan and Josep Cusiné Carol. They have brought new and fresh ideas into the company, but also show respect for its tradition and have guarded the heritage. The wives of Joan and Josep, Maria Elena Jimenez and Marta Casas are the winemakers and oenologists. They have continued to develop new wines and increase the focus on quality.

Today, Parés Baltà produces a wide range of high-quality wines and Cavas that have been acclaimed both nationally and internationally. Every single wine is certified organic and the vineyards are biodynamic. Always keeping quality in view, the aim is to produce some of the best and most interesting wines in the world while protecting the environment.

About the Winery

Parés Baltà

Parés Baltà is a family-owned winery in the Penedès region of Spain with traditions dating back to the 18th century. In 1790, the first vines were planted on the estate that now surrounds the winery. Today, however, more than 220 years later, almost everything is different.

The acquisition of the winery in 1978 by Mr. Joan Cusiné Hill, born in 1917 in Bellvei del Penedés, and the addition of the exemplary estates “La Torreta” and “Els Pujols” mark the beginning of the Parés Baltà of today. Mr. Joan Cusiné Hill comes from a family of vine-growers and, already from the age of seven, he helped his father to cultivate the vineyards.

His son, Joan Cusiné Cusiné, started to manage Parés Baltà in the '80s and released its first still white wine, which is still produced today, “Blanc de Pacs." At the end of the 80s, the first red wine from the company was produced, and since then he has enthusiastically been attempting anything that could raise the quality of the wines.

Since 2000, the management has been in the hands of the two grandsons, Joan and Josep Cusiné Carol. They have brought new and fresh ideas into the company, but also show respect for its tradition and have guarded the heritage. The wives of Joan and Josep, Maria Elena Jimenez and Marta Casas are the winemakers and oenologists. They have continued to develop new wines and increase the focus on quality.

Today, Parés Baltà produces a wide range of high-quality wines and Cavas that have been acclaimed both nationally and internationally. Every single wine is certified organic and the vineyards are biodynamic. Always keeping quality in view, the aim is to produce some of the best and most interesting wines in the world while protecting the environment.

About the Winery

Aphros

Founded in 2002, Aphros is a project designed to combine ecological and economical aspects to create true sustainability. Their belief is that nature and labour should combine in a meaningful way and they seek to capture this through Biodynamic viticulture, letting the uniqueness of the land shine through the fruit for inimitable wines. Loureiro and Vinhão have grown in these vineyards for centuries and serve as the reference point for the region.

The grapes are sourced from the Lima sub-region and the vines of Casal do Paço are situated in a south-facing amphitheatre north of the Lima River on gentle slopes with cool Atlantic breezes.

The winemaking is traditional, taking place in the basement beneath the main house. The cave is buried and naturally cool and damp. They once again straddle the line between a modern and traditional character with the addition of modern stainless steel equipment and traditional open-top lagars, and granite stone tanks, for red wine production.

About the Winery

Raventós

Raventós i Blanc is the story of a family inextricably linked to their land, a winemaking tradition going back over 500 years, proven by ancient documents still held at the estate. The Raventós i Blanc estate, which has belonged to the Raventós family since 1497, covers 300 acres of vineyards, woodlands and a lake in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. Following this line of succession, in 1872 Josep Raventós Fatjó made the first bottle-fermented wine in Spain using native grapes from this estate. Raventós i Blanc, the longest, documented viticulture tradition in the world, owned by the same family since 1497.

Raventós i Blanc, loyal to its tradition, make the relationship between human and nature central to the winemaking philosophy. In order to achieve wines of the greatest authenticity and typicity, they returned to the traditional method of vine-growing, which was already being used on the estate in 1497: the interaction between the land, microclimate, vines, animals and the people who work in the estate. Their goal is to ensure that their estate is treated with the utmost authenticity and tradition, placing an absolute priority on soils, climate and native grape varieties.

About the Winery

Azienda Agricola Jasci

Located on the hills that rise 250 meters above sea level from the Adriatic Sea just above the seaside resort town of Vasto in Abruzzo, here the Jasci family has been growing grapes and producing wine for three generations. Starting In the early 1960s, Pasquale and Maria turned the focus of their farm to producing estate wines.

In 1980, their son Giuseppe decided to convert the farm to organic, becoming one of the first ten wineries in all of Italy to be certified. Today led by grandson Donatello Jasci and his wife Piera, the family is the second largest single grower in all of the region. Donatello’s approach in the cellar is consistent with his farming: clean and simple. The wines see little or no oak and have a purity of flavor that is rare at the price. In addition to his duties at the winery, Donatello Jasci has served as President of the local Organic Growers’ Consortium.

Casa Los Frailes

Casa Los Frailes is located in the valley called “land of Alforins”, south west inland province of Valencia, with average altitude of 650-700 meters above sea level. The valley is located between two mountains range, on the east the Mediterranean Sea (50km) and on the west the main “plateau” of La Mancha. Casa Los Frailes (“Cals Frares” in old valencian local language) takes their name from the Jesuit Friars that used to live in the Estate over two centuries (XVII to XVIII). The Casa Los Frailes estate now belongs to the Velázquez family and has for over 250 years, today the 13th generation runs the winery.

Frontrunners in organic agriculture and biodynamics, the estate consists of 162 hectare with vineyards, Mediterranean forest, almond and olive trees and a unique terroir. The main variety was (and still is) the Monastrell, cultivated in bush vines. "As inheritors of such legacy, we believe our wines should be part and transmit the history of our estate, as this history is obviously unique. In today's interconnected world, wines are more and more uniform, but we are committed to elaborate authentic and different wines, loyal to our personality and our history."

Pearce Predhomme

Pearce Predhomme is a collaboration of like-minded individuals from around the globe. Founded with a mission to build and import wines from our favourite appellations while offering an unequaled value/quality ratio for the sommeliers & wine buyers in Ontario. This is a project between Toronto Sommelier and entrepreneur Will Predhomme and Ontario wine importer Nicholas Pearce they have partnered with Radford Dale in South Africa and NorthWest Wine Co in Oregon to create these special cuvées.

About the Winery

Stéphane Aviron

Stéphane Aviron can be considered a pioneer in his approach to winemaking in Beaujolais, however he would just tell you that he’s simply returning to the traditional practices that have always made fantastic Gamay wines. Sustainable viticulture, extremely old vines and classic Burgundian techniques. He focuses on the Beaujolais village crus, all but forgotten gems of vineyards when the nouveau craze took over, which are the best sites for unique, expressive and terroir driven wines. All of the fruit is sourced from old vines (40+ years), so seeing Vieilles Vignes on the label is a rite of passage, not a privilege. Authenticity and a distinctly Beaujolais style of winemaking is what sets Stéphane apart from the rest.

About the Winery

Štekar

The Štekar family has been growing grapes in Goriska Brda since 1985. With 6 acres of vines planted in the stunning hills of western Slovenia, along with cherry orchards, Jure Štekar has committed to make wine the way his grandfather Emil taught his father: respecting tradition and avoiding invasive technologies.

Certified organic since 2006, Jure likes to play with long macerations, spontaneous fermentations and tiny SO2 amounts. His goal is to produce genuine wines that tell the story of his land and family.

About the Winery

Punset

About the Winery

Matthias Hager

The Hager Matthias winery is located in the small village of Mollands in the Kamptal area of Lower Austria. Matthias took over the 12-hectare land and the family business at an early age. He aims to produce the best quality wine possible and to focus on being in balance with nature. The lands are cultivated according to biodynamic principles and are certified Demeter. Matthias has a vast knowledge about plants and insects, and about keeping the flora and fauna in harmony with the vines. Matthias Hager is one of the most experimental winemakers in the Kamptal region, Austria. He understood early how to work with different soil types from loess to clay. He established different product lines to highlight these differences: the blue one representing fresh, lively wines including Grüner Veltliner and Sauvignon Blanc; and the brown line gravitating towards more earthy, flavourful produce and the red line stands for no sulphites!

About the Winery

Mas des Agrunelles

Frédéric Porro was an aspiring Motorcross rider until an accident left him in a wheelchair. This led him to a new passion - wine - after his sister asked him to put together the wine list for a restaurant. From that moment on, he became devoted to the grape. Mas des Agrunelles came about from his collaboration with Stéphanie Ponson – owner of Mas Nicot – in 2005 near Murles in Languedoc. Stéphanie and Frédéric met in 1999 while studying enology in Montpellier. The name of the estate comes from tall the wild sloe trees that surround the vineyards and sloe is ‘Agrunelles’ in old occitan.

The couple make wine with the same diligance and passion as other biodynamic winemakers have before them, it all began with experimentation, trial and error- but they quickly moved from organic vines to a fully functioning biodynamique vineyard and winery. They are proud to produce natural wines of high quality. Located 20 km to the northwest of Montpellier in the communes of Argelliers and La Boissiere, at an average altitude of 200 m, influenced by a cold wind coming from the Cevennes via St Martin de Londres, where both Mistral and Tramontane reach top speeds.

About the Winery

Elios

“Elios” was born from the passion of these two young Sicilian friends. With a true love for their land, they joined together to develop their families’ farms and to bring them to their full potential after finishing their university studies. The farm and vineyards are located near Palermo in north west Sicily.  Along with olive groves and an apiary, they grow the native Sicilian grapes Grillo, Catarratto, Zibibbo and Nero d'Avola on their organic vineyards.  

Elios prides itself on making minimum intervention, low sulfite wines with native Sicilian, organic grapes grown between Alcamo, Camporeale and Monreale; areas all located in the north-west part of Sicily. The wine making focuses on respect for the varietal, and aims to deliver an easy drinking, approachable style.

About the Winery

Domaine Muré

The Muré family have been winegrowers in the region of Rouffach since 1650. In 1935, Alfred Muré, René’s grandfather, bought Clos St Landelin, a 32 acre family-monopole vineyard. Nowadays it is Alfred’s grandson René, together with his children Véronique and Thomas, the 11th and 12th generations of the family, who are responsible for running this exceptional, wholly-owned vineyard and its neighbouring terroirs, using biodynamic methods. To express the “terroir” in the wines and to preserve the heritage is the Muré family’s credo. Their wines are known for power, elegance and age worthiness.

About the Winery

Casa Los Frailes

Casa Los Frailes is located in the valley called “land of Alforins”, south west inland province of Valencia, with average altitude of 650-700 meters above sea level. The valley is located between two mountains range, on the east the Mediterranean Sea (50km) and on the west the main “plateau” of La Mancha. Casa Los Frailes (“Cals Frares” in old valencian local language) takes their name from the Jesuit Friars that used to live in the Estate over two centuries (XVII to XVIII). The Casa Los Frailes estate now belongs to the Velázquez family and has for over 250 years, today the 13th generation runs the winery.

Frontrunners in organic agriculture and biodynamics, the estate consists of 162 hectare with vineyards, Mediterranean forest, almond and olive trees and a unique terroir. The main variety was (and still is) the Monastrell, cultivated in bush vines. "As inheritors of such legacy, we believe our wines should be part and transmit the history of our estate, as this history is obviously unique. In today's interconnected world, wines are more and more uniform, but we are committed to elaborate authentic and different wines, loyal to our personality and our history."

About the Winery

Abbia Nòva

Located in the town of Pilio, about thirty miles east of Rome, Abbia Nova is the project of cousins Daniele and Pierluca Proietti. They farm 7 hectares of vines, mostly inherited from Daniele’s father, with many of the vines being indigenous varietals to the area. Some of these vines are at least eighty years old.

The cousins follow a combination of natural and traditional methods both in the vineyards and in the cellar, starting with organic and then moving to biodynamic principles. They avoid treatments like sulphur and copper and instead use natural resistance methods that they produce themselves. Their wines are vegan-friendly and organic certified from vintage 2020 on.

About the Winery

Abbia Nòva

Located in the town of Pilio, about thirty miles east of Rome, Abbia Nova is the project of cousins Daniele and Pierluca Proietti. They farm 7 hectares of vines, mostly inherited from Daniele’s father, with many of the vines being indigenous varietals to the area. Some of these vines are at least eighty years old.

The cousins follow a combination of natural and traditional methods both in the vineyards and in the cellar, starting with organic and then moving to biodynamic principles. They avoid treatments like sulphur and copper and instead use natural resistance methods that they produce themselves. Their wines are vegan-friendly and organic certified from vintage 2020 on.

About the Winery

Pearce Family Wines

In the early 2000's Nicholas Pearce was exposed to the garagiste movement in Bordeaux and was particularly inspired by négociants like Jean Luc Thunevin (Saint Emilion), James Sichel (Margaux) and Nicolas Potel (Beaune) from Burgundy.

After returning home to Ontario and starting his own wine company, he has had a hand in making 10+ wines in two hemispheres, 3 countries and 5 different appellations since the 2013 vintage.

Pearce Predhomme

Pearce Predhomme is a collaboration of like-minded individuals from around the globe. Founded with a mission to build and import wines from our favourite appellations while offering an unequaled value/quality ratio for the sommeliers & wine buyers in Ontario. This is a project between Toronto Sommelier and entrepreneur Will Predhomme and Ontario wine importer Nicholas Pearce they have partnered with Radford Dale in South Africa and NorthWest Wine Co in Oregon to create these special cuvées.