Wine Down Thursday: Wild, Happy, and Fun!
July 16 from 6 to 7:30pm
Sampler $20/person
Every wine for this week’s Wine Down comes from producers who believe in doing less, minimal or no additions, native yeasts, gentle handling, and a lot of trust placed in the vineyard itself. These are low-intervention wines: alive, a little unpredictable, sometimes cloudy, always honest.
We're pouring three exciting wines that showcase the beauty of low-intervention winemaking. Each offers a completely distinct style while sharing a commitment to expressing place, grape, and vintage with minimal manipulation. From the shores of West Michigan to the mountains of Lebanon and the vineyards of California, these wines are vibrant, thoughtful, and full of personality.
Featured Wines:
2023 Wine Pirati Bottino
The 2023 Wine Pirati Bottino blends Pinot Grigio and Grüner Veltliner into a brisk, heat-defying sparkler defined by precision and lift. Aromatically, it leans into green pear, lime zest, and alpine herbs, with Grüner’s signature spice threading through the palate. Pinot Grigio contributes texture and subtle stone fruit, while vibrant acidity drives a clean, saline-tinged finish. A true example of zero-zero (nothing added, nothing taken away) wine that has been guided carefully by Mimmo and Elise Musumeci.
2025 Mersel Wine Jaffa Crush
Founded by Eddie and Michelle Chami, Mersel is dedicated to reviving Lebanon's high-altitude winemaking traditions through low-intervention winemaking and the use of indigenous grape varieties that reflect the country's unique mountain terroirs. Jaffa Crush is an amber wine composed of 70% Merwah and 30% Muscat. The native Lebanese Merwah undergoes 10 days of skin contact before being blended with whole-berry Muscat for an additional 10 days of carbonic maceration in amphora. The result is an expressive, energetic wine with aromas of mandarin, white flowers, and orange peel. The palate offers notes of apricot, citrus, gentle tannins, and lively spice, all wrapped in a juicy, incredibly drinkable style.
2025 Les Lunes Astral Red Blend
Shaunt Oungoulian and Diego Roig founded Les Lunes with a mission to honor California’s historic vineyards through organic farming and thoughtful, low-intervention winemaking. As they like to say, “We do very little in the cellar because we spend time in our vineyards.” Astral is sourced from five vineyards and crafted from five grape varieties: Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Grenache. Each variety plays a distinct role, creating a wine that balances bright red fruit, savory earth, fresh acidity, and the subtle structure the Syrah brings. Light, vibrant, and beautifully aromatic, Astral is an effortlessly drinkable wine that’s best enjoyed with a slight chill.