Heavy Rotation: Newness from Broc Cellars + Sweet Songs by Fana Hues
The leaves have hit the ground. Fall in New England is the reason we put up with the winters here. Let's relish the season.
Hi, pals. We have a note from Lauren before we get to the goods:
A quick message of thanks to those of you who came out to join in the Rosé for Resistance fundraising effort—y’all are real ones. I’ve been in touch with MAMAS, and it sounds like at least a dozen families in our community will have groceries next month because of you. If you’d like to continue your community impact, MAMAS is facing a pretty serious funding shortage at the moment, and there are many, many (very easy) ways to help out if you check out their website. I really can’t stress the importance of this local organization when it comes to picking up where our government falls short, so please consider lending a hand (or a dollar!).
Speaking of the government, I do just want to continue to acknowledge how weird it feels to be promoting anything right now, but also we’re a small business and this is how we keep the lights on. So. Just wanna say that out loud. Let’s all continue to be gentle with ourselves and each other. (Loving a shower cry right now, highly recco.)
We have a few things coming up I want to let you know about:
Monday 11/4: East West Wines is taking over the board at Rebel Rebel, showcasing some exciting new producers from Serbia and Bulgaria. These have been some of my favorites recently—come indulge in a little escapism with us, we’ll have good music and the light will be low. No tix needed.
Tuesday 11/12: Cookbook author (and Sunset Rubdown band member!) Camilla Wynne is in conversation with local author and baker Andrew Janjigian at Dear Annie to discuss her new book, Nature’s Candy. I can’t wait to see the Venn diagram of recovered hipsters and fruit nerds at this one (I am both). Tickets are already going pretty fast, so grab yours here.
And then we have a busy week of winemaker visits!
11/13 at REBEL REBEL: Max from Chertok Wines is pouring some of Vermont’s finest coferments. If you missed our farm visit this summer, now’s your chance to talk hybrids and qvevri with our pal. 8PM ‘til late, no tix required.
11/14 at REBEL REBEL: Terah Bajjalieh of Terah Wine Company is taking over the board! We love Terah’s wines, and we love that Wine Enthusiast recognized her with a “Future 40 Tastemaker” nod. It’s truly and honor to be hosting her, and we hope you’ll join us. 6ish ‘til late. No tix required!
11/14 at DEAR ANNIE: A rare double-header! We’re hosting Italy’s answer to natural wine Johnny Appleseed at Dear Annie for another Pizza & Red Wine night. Danilo Marcucci has probably had a hand in at least one of your favorite Italian natural wines (Furlani, Rabasco, Collecapretta, to name a few), and his own project has been evolving over the years. He’ll be at Dear Annie pouring through his new Umbrian selections (there will be more than just red wine) and chatting and being generally charming. You don’t *have* to make a reservation to join, but it’s probably a good idea. 5 ‘til 9ish. Book here.
What We’re Listening To:
LA artist Fana Hues has curated the perfect transitional summer-to-fall album with Moth. Sexy and slinky, even some of the song lyrics align with this time of year. “Apple Picking” gives crunchy leaf and latte, while “Sweet Life” gives sticky apple on a stick ("sweet like caramel on your tongue” is such a bar).
What We’re Drinking:
This week, we have a staff pick from Dear Annie’s Assistant Wine Director, Corinna Wallace:
2023 Broc Cellars ‘Fox Hill Vineyard’ Vermentino, Mendocino, California
Corinna says: ”Broc Cellars is a producer we love to work with–you'll frequently see their bottles lining our shelves or popping up on our BTG lists. Chris Brockaway started this Berkeley, CA based winery in 2002 with the intention of making lighter, fresher wines from sunny California (as opposed to the 'bigger is better' style that had come to define the state's winemaking at the time). Now, over 20 years later, we'd say he's achieved that goal and shown us the versatility of California terroir. We're especially excited about this new Vermentino because it represents a new chapter in the Broc Cellars story.
In 2023, Broc became the official owners of the Fox Hill Vineyard in Mendocino, fulfilling their dream of having their own vineyard and being able to produce wines with estate grown fruit. But, Fox Hill Vineyard isn't just any ol' vineyard. It's an esteemed oasis for at least 25 different Italian varieties (some rare, some a little more familiar), as well as a few Iberian varieties thrown in for good measure, making it one of California's most unique and diverse vineyard sites. In the 1980s, longtime Fox Hill owner Lowell Stone decided to rip up the Chardonnay and Riesling vines that were planted in Fox Hill and replace them with suitcase cuttings of Italian varieties that he preferred to drink (yes, you read that right, he brought many of the original vines over from Italy in a literal suitcase). In many ways, the motivation behind Chris starting Broc Cellars mirrors Lowell's approach to shaping Fox Hill Vineyard 20 years earlier–both were somewhat defiant acts at the time, all in an effort to make California wines that these two pioneers wanted to drink.
Chris started purchasing fruit from Fox Hill in 2013 and started to help with farming alongside Sam Bilbro and Evan Lewandowski (yes, the Evan Lewandowski of Ruth Lewandowski Wines) in 2020. Since its purchase in 2023, Fox Hill has become CCOF certified organic, only furthering the vineyard's legacy as an important site for thoughtful and intentional farming practices. Several other producers we work with also source grapes from Fox Hill, which makes this whole thing kind of feel like one of those best kept secrets that everyone's actually in on (and, if you weren't before, now you are too!).
Just a few months ago, Broc Cellars released 4 new cuvees, all made with fruit from Fox Hill Vineyard, to commemorate their first year of vineyard ownership and celebrate this new chapter as stewards of their own grapes. This Vermentino is one of those wines and, aside from the really cool backstory, it's just really effing delicious. A wee bit of skin contact gives this wine texture and body, while amplifying Vermentino's naturally herbal and—to me—pineapple-y flavors and aromas. It's the perfect white-ish wine to help us navigate whatever weather New England is throwing our way this week (and the week after that, and the week after that).”
We have several of Chris’ new wines for you to check out at both Rebel Rebel and Dear Annie!
What We’re Reading (via audio):
Feminist Food Stories provides us a beautiful reading by Shena Cavallo. In it, Shena speaks on using your gut as a barometer for life, grief, and longing. This is a great listen for a 30 minute jaunt around your neighborhood or the commute to work. Be sure to follow their Substack!
ONE MORE THING
We’re getting ready to relaunch Wild Child’s wine club, just in time for the holidays. Paid subscribers will be getting first dibs on limited spots, so consider a little upgrade—Substack is offering a free month of a paid subscriptions for folks who sign up before 11/4. (If you were a club member in the past, we already have you on the list).
