< Tasting Notes

Wines For Marching to the Beat of Your Own Drum
- August 2025

Anti-Mafia Wine? QABS-exclusive tiny plot Red Mountain Rosé? Catalan eccentricity in liquid form? The youth movement in Austria?
Hell yeah, sign me up!

(**NOTE - Links are embedded in each winemaker’s names to direct you to their respective websites. Know thy vintner!**)

VALDIBELLA ‘Ninfa’ Catarratto 2022 * Sicily, Italy
’Ninfa’ means ‘nymph,’ and this wine embodies that—wild, luminous, and intimately tied to its environment. It’s a true orange wine, made with extended skin maceration (around two weeks) and six months of resting on lees in stainless steel, bringing boldness and structure balanced by elegance. Composed entirely of Catarratto Extra Lucido (a rare, naturally soft-skinned mutation of the Catarratto family), the harvest is low-yield, all hand-picked, and organically farmed—a tactile experience in every glass that’s unfiltered, honest, and inviting. This is Catarratto with both grit and grace, a wine that feels like a Sicilian sunset caught in glass, grounded in the earthiness of its volcanic roots.

Valdibella is an organic cooperative rooted in social and environmental justice. Founded by a group of growers in Camporeale, they weave wine, olives, almonds, cereal grains, honey, and anti-mafia activism into their work. Their ethos is deeply collaborative, organic by mandate, and diversity-forward. Six growers share stewardship over 38 hectares planted to native varieties, embracing regenerative farming and community. ‘Ninfa’ is as much a testament to cooperative care as it is to this Catarratto’s shimmering skin-contact beauty.

NERD ALERT!! - Anti-mafia activism, you say? Valdibella is part of the ‘Addiopizzo’ movement, which resists the local mafia by refusing to pay extortion money (known as "pizzo"). Their organic products, including wine, olive oil, and almonds, are marked with a "No Pizzo" sticker, indicating their stance against mafia influence. In essence, Valdibella stands as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that sustainable, ethical, and anti-mafia agricultural practices can flourish in Sicily, empowering local communities and challenging the traditional stronghold of organized crime. How can you not need this wine?!

Grape(s) - 100% Catarratto Extra Lucido

Flavors - A deep golden color sets the tone. Aromas swirl with ripe yellow pear, apricot flesh, ginger, and lemon zest, threaded with herbs like fennel and fresh-cut grass. On the palate, it’s saline, textural, and gently tannic with lingering spice and vibrant acidity that begs for the next sip.

Serving - Perfect with grilled calamari, fennel-spiced roast chicken, or a plate of Sicilian citrus-meets-herb salad. Imagine sipping it under an olive tree in late afternoon—warm breeze, barefoot, carefree, with the kind of golden hour glow that makes everything taste just a skosh brighter.

** AUDIOPHILE LP OF THE MONTH CLUB VINYL**

Album Pairing - MONOPHONICS – ‘Sage Motel’ - 2022 * This record hums with retro-soul elegance—lush horns, psychedelic edges, and a warm, analog glow. Like ‘Ninfa,’ the album is layered, golden, and irresistible. Both have a nostalgic quality without feeling stuck in the past. rich and layered, they urge you to groove at your own unhurried pace. The wine’s saline brightness lifts the music’s velvety depth, while the album’s soulful swagger wraps around the wine’s orchard fruit and fennel spice. Together, they make a pairing that feels timeless, transporting, and just a little cinematic.

CLAUS PREISINGER ‘Kieselstein’ Zweigelt 2020 * Burgenland, Austria
’Kieselstein’ translates to ‘pebble,’ a nod to the small, rounded stones that carpet these vineyards and shape the wine’s mineral profile. Claus farms these plots biodynamically, with the goal of keeping the soils alive and full of microbial life—a philosophy that directly informs the wine’s precision and vitality. Harvest is done by hand, with the grapes gently destemmed before a spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in stainless steel. Aging is in large, neutral vessels, preserving the purity of the fruit and the clarity of the terroir. There’s no fining, no filtration, and just the smallest touch of sulfur at bottling. The result is a Zweigelt that trades bulk for buoyancy, offering a lithe, red-fruited expression that’s equally at home alongside a casual weeknight meal or as the star of a long afternoon picnic.

Claus Preisinger has been rewriting the script for Burgenland wine since he started his own estate in the early 2000s. Growing up in Gols, he worked alongside his father in the vineyards from the age of 14, but his worldview shifted after traveling and working harvests abroad—including time in California. Today, his 17 hectares are farmed biodynamically, with an emphasis on biodiversity, cover crops, and the long-term health of the land. Claus’s cellar is as minimalistic as his farming is meticulous—no new oak, a preference for amphora and large neutral casks, and a total reliance on wild yeasts. He often bottles without any added SO₂, embracing wines that are alive, unpolished, and unafraid to show their edges. Beyond his technical skill, Claus is part of the younger generation pushing Austrian wine toward greater transparency, sustainability, and authenticity—making him a central figure in the country’s natural wine movement.

NERD ALERT!! - Burgenland is the natural wine epicenter of Austria. The region has always been known for its exceptional wine production, thanks to Lake Neusiedl and a unique microclimate with breezes and a variety of different soil types. Over the years, several natural wine producers have emerged from this region, each with their own innovative and sustainable approaches to winemaking. Notable examples include our boy Claus Preisinger, as well as Koppitsch, Gut Oggau, Christian Tschida, Weninger, Meinklang and Judith Beck.

Grape(s) - 100% Zweigelt

Flavors - Bright cherry, pomegranate, and elderflower blossom leap from the glass, layered with a gentle herbal lift of rosemary and thyme. On the palate, it’s juicy and crisp—cranberry and red currant framed by refreshing acidity and a fine, stony grip. Total ’kieselstein’ grip. Just checking if you’re reading. If you skipped ahead, see above for the pebble reference. Light in body but not in character, the wine finishes with a subtle earthiness and the kind of tension that keeps you reaching back for the bottle.

Serving - Serve slightly chilled with grilled chicken thighs, herb-forward charcuterie, or roasted beet carpaccio. An delightful red that feels like a breeze, the wine is best enjoyed outdoors, maybe with a blanket and book or a sunset kayak session.

Album Pairing - BEIRUT - 'The Rip Tide' - 2011 * Warm, textured, and quietly adventurous, ‘The Rip Tide’ mirrors this Zweigelt’s balance of charm and subtle complexity. The album’s brass and strings lift its folk-rooted melodies much like ‘Kieselstein’ takes bright cherry fruit and layers it over stony minerality. Both are approachable yet intricate, carrying a sense of place while leaving room for discovery.

UPSIDEDOWN Tremasi Estate Rosé 2024 * Red Mountain, Washington
QABS EXCLUSIVE!! This is the definition of a stealth rosé: low-intervention, deeply personal, and not listed on any public website. Made using hand-harvested estate fruit, native yeast fermentation, and minimal fining or filtering, it’s the sort of wine that feels more secret handshake than run-of-the-mill release. The estate fruit comes entirely from a small plot that surrounds Upsidedown’s production facility in Benton City, located within the tiny Red Mountain AVA.

Seth Kitzke of Upsidedown Wine is known for crafting tiny-batch wines that center on site, precision, and minimal intervention. He maintains SLOW certification (Sustainable, Local, Organic, Wine), farms with intention, and shares many of his vineyard-level wines almost exclusively via club allocation—making this rosé a true insider’s treasure. His tiny-batch approach and commitment to minimal intervention mean wines like Tremasi Estate Rosé are not just rare—they’re snapshots of a single place and moment, shared almost exclusively with those who’ve earned a spot on his (or in this case our) list.

Nerd Alert!! - As far as we’re concerned, Seth is making some of the coolest and most exciting wines in Washington State. We are stoked to be working with him and look forward to sharing many more of his wines with you in the coming months. You won’t be disappointed!

Grape(s) - 100% Grenache

Flavors - Rich, ripe red fruits and creamy texture layer seamlessly over savory undertones. Delicate floral edges and a lifted, raspberry gelato-like balance of acidity and silkiness give the wine elegant structure, tension, and body. So many layers, so little time.

Serving - Ideal with ceviche, grilled shrimp tacos, or burrata caprese. You’ll sense a big ol’ picnic theme to this month’s wines. Can you guess why? Grab a baguette, some cheese, 2 or 3 or zero friends, crack this bottle, and just indulge your summer vacation vibes.

Album Pairing - AIR - ‘Moon Safari’ - 1998 * Effortlessly smooth and quietly sophisticated, Moon Safari is the sonic equivalent of a perfectly chilled glass of this rosé—layered, sunlit, and endlessly replayable. Its mellow French electronica grooves mirror the wine’s balance of brightness and calm, while the subtle complexity reveals itself sip by sip, track by track. This is music (and wine) for slowing the afternoon down in the most stylish way possible.

RECERCA ‘Garnatxa’ 2022 * Catalunya Nord, Roussillon, France
’Garnatxa’ is a graceful embodiment of the possibilities of southern French Grenache—fermented whole-bunch, crushed underfoot, then macerated for five days before aging for nine months in fiberglass to preserve the grape’s freshness and vibrancy without added heaviness. Winemaker Jess Albero and Laurent Pujol approach production with a light touch and curiosity, mirroring the winery’s name—Recerca, which means ‘research’ in Catalan. They aim for wines that feel alive, and this one sings with clarity, restraint, and that untamed Catalan sunshine.

Jessica Albero and Laurent Pujol co-lead Recerca with hands-in-the-earth passion and a commitment to terroir representation—both through their vineyard stewardship and their natural, low-intervention winemaking. Founded in 2018, their 7 to 10 hectares now span vineyards with vines up to 80 years old, all farmed organically across Roussillon’s clay, schist, and marne soils. Jessica's leadership as a woman at the forefront of natural wine in this historic region helps diversity and perspective to a segment continuing to broaden its voice. Harvest is early; fermentation is native; SO₂ is minimal; and the goal is authentic wines that reflect place, not manipulation.

NERD ALERT!! - ‘Catalunya Nord’ refers to the northern part of the Catalonia wine region, specifically where it stretches beyond the border of Spain and into the Roussillon in France. This is border wine for sure, and the Catalans are definitely ones to buck tradition and do things their own way. Hence the Catalan spelling of ‘Garnatxa’ and the wild freshness from the relatively brief maceration period.

DOUBLE NERD ALERT!! - Yes, we went back to back Grenache here. And they couldn’t be more different! Grenache is a beautiful grape.

Grape(s) - 100% Grenache

Flavors - The wine glows with sour cherry and wild berry fruit at center, undercut by a whisper of black olive brine and fresh thyme from the garrigue. Medium-bodied and energetic, it’s lifted by a gentle herbal note and framed by balanced tannins—a poised portrayal of southern Grenache with character, not weight.

Serving - Try this with Provençal tomato tart, herbed goat cheese, or a charcuterie board featuring tapenade and summer salami. It’s made for sitting outside amid wild thyme-scented air, starlight dappling through trees, and conversation that leans late into the night.

Album Pairing - GNARLS BARKLEY - ‘St. Elsewhere’ - 2006 * Playful, layered, and instantly engaging, St. Elsewhere captures the same bright energy and sly complexity as this Grenache. Just as the album leaps between funk, soul, and left-field pop, the wine bounces between red fruit, savory herbs, and mineral lift—keeping you intrigued with every turn. It’s a pairing that invites curiosity, rewards attention, and doesn’t mind getting a little weird along the way.

REMINDERS

• To celebrate our valued club members we offer 20% off all food ordered on the day you pick-up. 

• If you can not pick up on the pick up dates please contact mckay@barmiriam.com and we will hold your allotment offsite and can arrange for a future pick up.

• Email mckay@barmiriam.com to buy more single bottles or a case with special club pricing.

• Queen Anne Bottle Shop is open Tuesday-Saturday from 3:00pm — 8:00pm.

• Wine pairs best with friends. Tell your friends.