Walter's World, Edition No. 6 (February 2025)
Hey friends, February is here! We’ve made it through the thick of the Big Dark, and spring is on the horizon. With the weather starting to tease us with spring, we’ve been on the hunt for fresh, unexpected takes on some of our favorite regions and grapes -- and that’s exactly what this release is all about.
From a rock-n-roll, single-vineyard Vinho Verde Albariño to a surprisingly fresh (and dare we say, delicate?) take on the typically plush and powerful Priorat, we’ve lined up some real gems for you to explore this month.
Cheers to new discoveries!
the Walter's team
I | Quinta de Santiago & Mira do Ó 'SOU'
2020 | Monção e Melgaço, Vinho Verde, Portugal | Alvarinho
This is not your average bottle of Vinho Verde. While the bulk of wines from this region will be spritzy, light, and modest, you’ll find this effort to be anything but.
Joana Santiago was challenged by her grandmother to take the family’s harvest and make wine rather than sell the fruit to the local co-op, and, after a few vintages, she really started to find ways to coax the best out of their meticulously farmed Alvarinho. Just north across the Spanish border, in Rias Baixas, the variety is known as Albarino and makes similar wines. With Joana’s and a couple of other producers, I generally find the expressions here in Vinho Verde, and in particular the sub-region of Moncao y Melgaco, to be more fine tuned and delicate in the best of ways. She harvests everything by hand and ferments, with native yeast, half in steel while the other half gains a bit of roundness from neutral large barrels. Both here and in Rias Baixas the seafood is next level, so I’d drink this with steamed crab, uni, or steamed clams in miso. 🙂
II | Terroir al Limit 'Històric' Negre
2019 | Priorat, Galicia, Spain | Grenache Noir, Cariñena
I’ve been a fan of these wines for some time now, but they’ve always been reserved for special occasions due to the fact that they generally focus on single vineyards and command a pretty penny. Each site has its primary variety shifting from Garnacha (Spanish for Grenache) to Cariñena to Pedro Ximenez. The “Les Manyes” bottling is an amazing example of Garnacha as a varietal wine that encompasses not only typicity of the variety but a crystal clear snapshot of the mountainous vineyards of Priorat. Jump at the chance to taste it if ever the opportunity arises ($305/bottle).
The winemaking at Terroir al Limit draws heavily from Burgundian techniques, using whole-cluster fermentation and minimal new oak. In 2015, they set out to create this wine that captured the essence of Priorat as a whole, supporting their grape growers while offering a more accessible introduction to their style. Made from 75% Garnacha and 25% Cariñena, this wine is crafted with a hands-off approach—fermenting with stems and aging in steel to let the fruit shine without oak influence. The result is a beautifully pure, deceptively simple expression of the region.
Make sure to decant it for 30 minutes before drinking. It can pair with a wide range of dishes, from braised beef ragu cavatelli to a cast iron roasted head of cauliflower.
III | Peter Dipoli 'Voglar'
2019 | Alto Adige, Italy | Sauvignon Blanc
The Dolomites are a magical place. Google it, I’ll wait! It’s a place where you can don a squirrel suit, jump off the most beautiful vista imaginable, land in a bucolic valley next to a handsome cow, walk to a hike in only hotel/restaurant to have an epic lunch, and finish the day sitting in a natural hot spring. Now, picture what kind of wines such a ridiculous place could produce…and Dipoli captures that with the very familiar variety Sauvignon Blanc.
This wine is explosive in the glass like only Sauvignon Blanc can be. It’s like walking through a field of wildflowers strewn with wild herbs and eating a perfectly ripe guava topped with lillikoi. Two things that absolutely don’t belong in the alpine scenario but Sauvignon has that ability to seamlessly meld the two locales. I (Chris) often refer to Sauvignon Blanc as the daiquiri of the wine world. The daiquiri may well be the perfect drink with its freshness, its richness, its thirst quenching ability. It’s like grown up lemon-lime gatorade, and Sauvignon delivers all the same qualities. I honestly don’t need anything to eat with this... but if I was to nosh on something, it would be the chicory caesar on the menu here at Upwell with the anchovies added (of course).
IV | Piedrasassi 'PS'
2021 | Santa Barbera County, California | Syrah
Syrah tends to be a bit polarizing, as it can be punchy and opinionated. But when grown and made well, it evokes the feeling of a hunter sitting around an open fire, carefully basting dinner with rosemary, black pepper, and warm spices. There’s something primal about it—perhaps why some find it comforting while others find it, well, gross! Haha.This fine example comes from one of California’s most versatile winemakers, Sashi Moorman, who specializes in Santa Barbara wines. In addition to crafting Syrah, he produces outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay under sister labels Domaine de la Côte and Sandhi. He also owns a bakery, consults for other wineries, and is (possibly) a killer pickleball player.Piedrasassi is his passion project, dedicated entirely to Syrah, as he believes the region’s cool climate brings out the best in the variety. His wines consistently carry an olive tapenade character and a texture that is both broad and silken—perfect for fireside contemplation.