Cinzia Bergaglio remains the matriarch at the heart of her estate, with vineyards in the famous Piedmontese communes of Tassarolo and Gavi. Their verdant rows of Cortese, Barbera, and Dolcetto are farmed sustainably and vinified with care into bright and fresh wines. The viticulture involves minimal use of fungicide alongside green manure and a farm-produced fertiliser mix of herbs and vegetables. These are classic expressions of Piedmont wine.

Marco and Giorgio Perego dreamed of re-establishing their great-grandfather’s wine estate, a beautiful vision driven by natural winemaking, respect for their local terroir, and Oltrepo Pavese’s ideal climate for viticulture. The Perego & Perego farm is their realisation of that dream, covering an area of approximately 10 hectares, and is based in Rovescala the area where the borders of Emilia and Lombardy meet. During the time of the Greeks and Romans, it was written that the Oltrepo was a luxuriant land where the vine grew spontaneously in its natural habitat, and it seems as true today as it was over two millenia ago. Farming is organic with minimal pruning and tilling, and the wines have less than 10mg/L of added sulphur overall.

Antica Fratta is one of the most famous estates in Franciacorta, heralded for “el cantinù” – the local nickname for the remarkable underground cellar constructed by wealthy local merchant Luigi Rossetti in the mid-1800s to store many gently ageing bottles in perfect conditions. Today the estate is owned by Franco Ziliani, who has worked hard since 1979 to restore the former glory of this Italian icon. All of the wines are made with Chardonnay and Pinot Nero in varying proportions, with free run juice and only first pressings for added structure. Ageing on lees lasts a minimum of 24 months, up to 60 months for the flagship wine Quintessence, encapsulating the pursuit of quality above all else.

The roots of the Hauck family go deep, with the earliest ancestral records dating back to the year 1727. These origins lie in Bermersheim vor der Höhe, a small wine village in Rheinhessen and birthplace of Hildegard of Bingen, a renowned 11th century saint. Led by the father-daughter team of Jana and Heinz Günter Hauck, they tend daily to approximately 140,000 vines across 28ha of land in the middle of Rheinhessen, Germany’s largest wine region. Across the villages of Bermersheim vor der Höhe, Albig, and Ensheim, the vines grow on limestone, clay and loam-loess soils and they have a clear focus on sustainable viticulture. This is why they keep their carbon footprint as low as possible, including enhancing the vineyard soils by biodiverse greening to create more carbon-storing humus. Also, the energy needed in the wine cellar and warehouse is entirely supplied by solar power gathered from solar panels on the roofs of the winery buildings. As Jana summarises neatly, “You simply cannot produce good wine without a single-minded fixation for it. One thing is for sure, we‘re not lacking in the fanaticism department!”

The lands of Provence were first carpeted with grapevines by the Romans as they spread into France, likely by those who inhabited the fort of Rocca Fortis, now the castle of Roquefort. Nearby, and in ruins at the time, Château Barbanau was lovingly restored by mountain guide Lucien Cerciello and his wife Claude Bodin in 1989, and they painstakingly converted the land to organic and biodynamic farming. Lucien still lives on the grounds but today the estate is cared for by Romain Tchénio and his wife Barbara. With 27 hectares spread across the rare Cassis AOC and Côtes de Provence AOC the spirit of Barbanau symbolizes their love and respect for nature and terroir. The style is a little darker and gutsier than classic Provence poolside pink, to better reflect their warm, dry, coastal scrubland home tucked in amongst the Côte d’Azur.

Founded in 1773, Chateau de Callac was originally a farmhouse with the surrounding land planted to 4 hectares of grain and vines. In the present day, Callac now tend to over 40 hectares of vines in the Graves appellation, producing dry white and red wines. They produce traditional styles, including an oaked white, and began conversion to organic viticulture in 2022. Chateau de Callac is owned by Mathieu Gufflet of Chateau Guiraud, who has recently added a Sauternes, Chateau Saint-Michel, to his winemaking properties. This is a 3 hectare estate atop the Bel Air plateau, producing a traditional style of botrytised sweet wine solely using Semillon.

The winery showcases its wine making skills using the philosophy of “nothing added, nothing taken away,” which minimizes unnecessary intervention in the process, and makes use of the incredible variety of the many vineyard “terroirs.”

Château des Bachelards is one of the most acclaimed estates in all of Beaujolais, with origins dating back nearly a millennium to the time of the Benedictine monks. Today the estate is also well-known in organic and biodynamic circles across Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, and Saint-Amour as their wines have been certified organic since 2007, and biodynamic since 2015.

The vines span 12 hectares with 6 hectares situated in Fleurie in a unique holding around the Château called Le Clos des Bachelards, enclosed by walls first constructed in the 11th century. It is considered the estate’s crown jewel due to its exceptional terroir with vines planted as far back as 1910 and is one of few monopole clos vineyards in Fleurie. Low-intervention cellar work and
sustainable viticulture are the watchwords of the estate, and they champion Gamay planted to high density (10,000 vines/ha), made with native yeast fermentation, and long, gentle ageing.

The winery showcases its wine making skills using the philosophy of “nothing added, nothing taken away,” which minimizes unnecessary intervention in the process, and makes use of the incredible variety of the many vineyard “terroirs.”

The family owned winery of Domaine Gayda is located in the foothills of the Pyrenees, surrounded by its organic vineyards. It is situated in the village of Brugairolles, 25km southwest of Carcassonne, making it a unique destination in the heart of the Languedoc region. The vineyards are treated with the utmost respect for the natural environment, with a focus on biodiversity to create a balanced ecosystem that is essential for sustainable production.

The winery showcases its wine making skills using the philosophy of “nothing added, nothing taken away,” which minimizes unnecessary intervention in the process, and makes use of the incredible variety of the many vineyard “terroirs.”