Patrick Cappiello, a New York City sommelier-turned-California winemaker, put up an Instagram post in March, challenging his followers to drink American wine exclusively for 60 days because, he said, many small U.S. wineries are in danger of going out of business.
That got us thinking about our own wine consumption. While we are proud champions of small wineries, we do drink a lot of French and Italian wines at home. So, we’ve been making a more conscious effort to drink domestic wines, and we thought we’d share some of our favorite producers.
When choosing wines, we look for freshness, balance, food versatility and a Tuesday-night price. Stylistically, our selections represent both classic and offbeat styles. Of course, while wine is made in all 50 states, you won’t find a lot of, say, Michigan wines at our Lark Winespace shop in Athens. The wines in our regular rotation come from California and Oregon, as well as Virginia and New York. Here are some recommendations:
New York: Osmote. While winemaking is nothing new in the Finger Lakes region of New York, we’ve been consistently delighted with the wines from relative newcomer Osmote. They make lively pet-nats from regional grapes, as well as classic still wines, such as their 2022 Seneca Lake cabernet Franc, a juicy yet earthy red wine that easily fits into most dinner plans, be it roasted chicken with a bitter green salad or burger night.
Virginia: Lightwell Survey. With 10 different regions and 8 distinct appellations, Virginia has more diversity of wine styles than you might imagine. A new favorite for us is Lightwell Survey, a producer based in the northern region of the Shenandoah Valley. Everything we’ve tried from them has been delicious and distinct; we recommend seeking out one of their delightful co-ferments, such as Dos Idiots, a blend of cabernet Franc and petit manseng.
California: Monte Rio. Operated by Patrick Cappiello, Monte Rio has been a consistent favorite since we opened our shop in 2020. His wines — both experimental and classic — are a nod to old California, and his zinfandel is the perfect embodiment of that dichotomy. Grab some bottles for spring and summer grilling.
Oregon: Day Wines. Brianne Day is a winemaker with a mission: to express the distinct terroirs of Oregon, using fruit from seven vineyards in the state. Her portfolio is broad, but we especially appreciate the Vin de Days label for easy weeknight wines. Both the blanc and rouge are great, but the white — a heady blend of pinot gris, riesling, pinot blanc, Müller-Thurgau and muscat — goes with spring vegetables and seafood dishes and is available for under $24 a bottle.
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