Flatiron Wines & Spirits NY

López de Heredia was founded in 1877 by Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, a Chilean immigrant of Basque origins, who came to Haro by way of France. After working as a wine merchant, he began purchasing vineyards that today are synonymous with quality Rioja. Like many producers at the time, his goal was to recreate the famous recipes of France with Spanish material — in essence, to make Bordeaux and Burgundy out of a hodgepodge of unfamiliar varieties, most notably Tempranillo.

Not too far away from buzzy Ibiza, the Spanish island of Mallorca is home to one of Spain’s most dynamic young winemaker, Cati Ribot. Cati’s father planted international grapes like Chardonnay and Cabernet (it was, after all, the ‘90s). But after a stint working as a somm in Barcelona, and getting the chance to taste wines from all over the world, Cati realized the potential of her small Mediterranean island and its unique indigenous varieties. And so, they said adios to the French varieties and began planting varieties like Escursac, the local Malvasía de Banyalbufar, Girò Ros and Prensal Blanc.

Regions like Burgundy and the Mosel are by-words for terroir. Part of the thrill of discovering those regions is exploring the subtle shifts in a wine that tiny changes in soil, slope, and exposure can make. But Burgundy and the Mosel don’t have a monopoly on that sort of terroir magic, as Giovanna Maccario’s two Rossese wines prove.