You’ve probably heard the term “volcanic wine” thrown around lately.  As in, “I only drink volcanic wines these days,” from your hipster friend, or “I heard about this volcanic wine from Etna called Susucaru from Action Bronson, but I can’t find it anywhere,” from about a million followers of Action’s Vice show, F**ck That’s Delicious.  […]

I love finding new California winemakers who are making clean, delicious and extremely interesting wines that are actually affordable. The Living Wines Collective, a band of four young winemakers based in Orinda, California, are doing just that, with several edgy brands under their umbrella (among them, Populis, Elizia and Les Lunes).

Jair Tellez, chef/owner of the progressive Laja Restaurant in Valle de Guadalupe (Mexico's wine country), is the guy behind Tecate-based Bichi, the only known natural winery in Mexico. A few years ago, he decided to make the kind of wine he wanted to pair with his food, and began resurrecting old vines in Baja to make delicious, authentically-made wine from grapes suited to Mexico's hot, dry climate - with awesome label art (bonus!).

Those lovely, inexpensive summer rosés that go down like water?  Most are industrial products, with conventional farming, high sulfur levels and who knows what else. Not these.  Super clean, from smaller, family-owned estates or even smaller mom & pop shops.  They’re all practicing (or certified) organic, with a few taking it one step further to biodynamics, […]