Revolutionary Wine & Spirits Producers
A revolution can be defined as “a great change in conditions, ways of working, or beliefs that affects large numbers of people,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Here at Wine & Spirits, we continually support makers who not only make great beverages, but who also stand for something—be it innovation, sustainability, equitable labor practices, or giving back to the community. Forget about those ol’ traditional rockets, this July 4th put your glasses in the air to celebrate these American producers who have started their own “revolution” in wine and spirits.
A Tribute To Grace
Named for winemaker Angela Osborne’s grandmother, A Tribute To Grace is the culmination of a winding road to winemaking. Once Angela discovered Grenache, she fell hard for the grape that would later become the singular focus of her winemaking. Angela’s search for graceful Grenache has led her to vineyards from Santa Barbara to the Sierra Foothills. A Tribute to Grace is made from sustainably-farmed grapes with an eye towards biodynamics. Angela’s mindfulness continues to her delicate handling of wine, which includes the use of neutral oak and only small sulfur additions at bottling for stability. Her wines are ethereal and sheer, allowing the land to shine through the nuanced flavors.
Spear Vineyard Grenache 2019
Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard Grenache 2020
Day Wines
Founded by winemaker and owner Brianne Day, Day Wines is a producer of boutique, artisanal bottlings made from fruit sourced exclusively from a small group of Oregon growers who utilize biodynamic, organic and/or sustainable vineyard practices. To create distinct expressions of this corner of the world, Day Wines focus on fruit harvested from the esteemed Willamette Valley to exotic varietals found in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley AVA.
Hock & Deuce Syrah 2019
Lemonade Rose 2022
Vin de Days l’Orange 2022
Empire Estate
The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York has a long, storied history of grape-growing and winemaking, but its sparkling wine production in the late-1800s is what initially put the area on the world’s wine map. With vineyards planted on mineral-rich soils, on slopes that hug the glacially-carved lakes, and a cool climate similar to many of the finest Old World wine regions, the Finger Lakes is an ideal terroir for making world-class wines. This project by sommelier Thomas Pastuszak, formerly of The Nomad Hotel, and winemaker Kelby James Russell of Red Newt Cellars, was created to showcase an incredible winemaking region that New Yorkers have right in their own backyard.
Brut Rose NV
Dry Riesling 2019
Dry Riesling Reserve 2019
Elijah Craig
The Reverend Elijah Craig was a Baptist minister, educator, agricultural capitalist and pioneer in western Virginia's Bourbon County, in what is now Kentucky. In 1789 he founded a distillery and started aging corn whiskey in charred white oak barrels. The efforts of Rev. Craig—known forevermore as the Father of Bourbon—and others led to the creation of an economy and a market for surplus grain for the newly colonized region.
Barrel Proof 12 Year Bourbon 750ml
Single Barrel 18 Year Bourbon 750ml
Small Batch Bourbon 750ml
Harridan Vodka
Female-owned and thoughtfully crafted, Harridan Vodka aspires to be “everything the spirits industry says [they] shouldn’t be.” Founded in 2020 by Bridgette Taylor and distilled from organic, locally grown corn in Ovid, New York, by Joe Myer, President and Master Distiller of Myer Farm — one of the oldest continually operating organic farms in the Northeast — Harridan Vodka is complex and interesting, breaking molds and upending industry norms in honor of its rebellious namesake. Harridan Vodka doesn’t use any single-use plastic during its production. Their bottles are crafted in Mexico from recycled glass, meaning no two bottles of Harridan are alike, and each is hand-dipped in their signature black wax. Please reuse or recycle the bottle!
Neversink Spirits
Originally a passion project between longtime friends Noah Braunstein and Yoni Rabino, Neversink Spirits has grown into one of the most distinguished New York Craft Distilleries. Always seeking to marry the youthful spirit of New York with old world traditions, Neversink has succeeded in making beautifully nuanced spirits that feel familiar while still being entirely their own that are distilled using NYS fruits.
Apple Apertif 750ml
Orchard Blend Brandy 750ml
Stolpman Vineyards
When Tom Stolpman purchased the land that is now Stolpman Vineyards, which stretches across 220 acres on a rare limestone outcropping in the hills of California’s Central Coast, he declared that he didn't want his winemaking dreams to come true on the backs of people being taken advantage of. He asked vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano to employ vineyard workers year-round, so the team members could have a steady job, a career, and raise their families with security. Ruben started a training program in which he gave one Cuadra - a small vineyard block - to his team so they would take responsibility for their land. Meanwhile, Maria Solorzano, Ruben’s wife, and the Patrona of the vineyard, trusts the women of the crew with the most meticulous, detailed tasks within the vineyard. Stolpman Vineyards is dedicated to natural, sustainable farming and making fresh, terroir-driven, vibrant wines with minimal manipulation.
Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah 2021
Ballard Canyon Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Love You Bunches Red 2021
Uncle Nearest
This award-winning whiskey was created to honor the legacy and skill of the greatest American distiller the world never knew. Nathan "Nearest" Green, today known as the “godfather of Tennessee whiskey,” pioneered the Lincoln County Process, a unique filtering of bourbon through sugar maple charcoal, a process that has been historically proven to have been brought to Tennessee by enslaved people. Green taught this process to Jack Daniel, who went on to build the Jack Daniel’s whiskey empire, leaving Green and his work to fade into history, until now. Today, the Uncle Nearest brand is wholly owned by Uncle Nearest, Inc., an all minority-led business, whose whiskies are all mellowed using the Lincoln County Process. Now that’s what we call a revolution!
