Lisa Denning
Lisa’s love of food and wine has led her on the path to many culinary adventures. Leaving her position in advertising at The New York Times to attend the French Culinary Institute was the first step in this journey. After years in food styling, recipe development, catering and restaurant work, she landed in the world of wine. Studying at the Sommelier Society of America then led her to four years selling wine and spirits at the venerable Sherry-Lehmann. Most recently Lisa started writing about wine and food on her blog, The Wine Chef. Follow her instagram, @nycrestaurants to see all of her mouth-watering experiences.
June 19, 2026
Georgia: The Birthplace of Wine Looks to the Future
It's known as the Cradle of Wine, yet many Americans think of a U.S. state when they hear its name. The country of Georgia, located in the South Caucasus between Europe and Asia, is home to the oldest known evidence of winemaking. Archaeologists discovered traces of grape residue in Stone Age clay vessels south of what is now Tbilisi, dating…
June 9, 2026
Chris Walsh: Winemaker at the End of Nowhere
Chris Walsh makes wine in a garage. Not the two-car garage at his grandparents’ house, where he launched End of Nowhere in 2016, but a larger one: his father’s former auto shop. After years spent working in New York City, first in lighting design and then in the wine world, Walsh returned home to Amador County in the Sierra Foothills,…
May 28, 2026
Beyond Barolo: Discovering Alta Langa, Italy’s Oldest Sparkling Wines
The hills of Alta Langa
May 21, 2026
Tenuta di Castellaro: Windswept Wines of the Aeolian Islands
Today’s wine drinkers are increasingly gravitating toward fresh, drinkable wines: acid-driven, lower in alcohol, and free of interventions that mask their origins. When I discover bottles like these, my heart skips a beat. So my first sip of Tenuta di Castellaro Bianco Pomice nearly gave me full-on cardiac arrest! This white wine comes from the tiny island of Lipari, part…May 8, 2026
Sem Igual Wines: Where Data Meets Terroir
As a winemaker, João Camizão thinks like an engineer—unsurprising, perhaps, given that engineering is still his day job. That income allows him and his wife, Leila Camizão Rocha, to pursue their family wine project, Sem Igual, in Portugal’s Vinho Verde. Camizão applies a systematic mindset to his winemaking as well, tracking fermentations hour by hour and analyzing every curve. But…April 10, 2026
Site, Soil, Soul: Chris Mullineux Makes the Case for South African Wine
Few modern South African producers have helped redefine the country’s wine narrative quite like Chris Mullineux and his wife, Andrea, founders of Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines. From humble, first-generation beginnings to becoming leading voices of the Swartland, their work centers on low-intervention winemaking and site-expressive wines from old vines. Based at Roundstone Farm on the slopes of the Kasteelberg mountain, they’ve helped…
April 8, 2026
A Bold Bet in Rioja: The Bodegas Ontañón Story
Some of the best wine stories begin with a leap of faith. Leticia Pérez Cuevas grew up among vines her parents planted in Rioja Oriental (then called Rioja Baja), on high-altitude hillsides few believed held much promise. That bet has paid off. Today, Leticia heads viticulture at Bodegas Ontañón, her family’s winery founded in the 1980s, working alongside her three…
April 2, 2026
Kumeu River: Rethinking New Zealand Through Chardonnay
New Zealand is known worldwide for its Sauvignon Blanc. One whiff of this pungently herbaceous wine and you know what you’re in for. But here’s something you may not know: until 2002, Chardonnay was the most widely planted grape in New Zealand. It overtook Müller-Thurgau and held the top spot until Sauvignon Blanc surged ahead. Today, Chardonnay makes up only…March 13, 2026
Made to Last: Federico Radi on Biondi-Santi’s Enduring Legacy
Founded in the mid-19th century in the hill town of Montalcino, Biondi-Santi is considered the birthplace of Brunello di Montalcino. In 1888, the estate bottled the first Brunello, an ambitious, long-aged wine made entirely from Sangiovese at a time when most wines from the area were blends. More than a century later, the estate still follows that same philosophy: letting…February 13, 2026
Maxime Aubry on Family Legacy and Champagne’s Forgotten Grape Varieties
Champagne Aubry is a family-run grower estate with a winegrowing lineage dating back to 1790. Located in the Premier Cru village of Jouy-lès-Reims in the Petite Montagne de Reims, the domaine is among the few producers cultivating all seven grape varieties permitted in the Champagne AOC—the ancient, rare varieties of Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, and Fromenteau alongside the traditional…January 30, 2026
Jorge Rosas Takes the Long View at Ramos Pinto
Jorge Rosas keeps a bottle of 1815 Port in his office. Just one. Nobody touches it. "When do you open a 210-year-old Port?" he asks as we begin tasting his wines. "That's the million-dollar question." The wine, called "Waterloo Port," was made in the year Napoleon lost at Waterloo, and the 1815 vintage is considered one of the best of…December 19, 2025
Gaetana Jacono on Six Generations, Seven Soils, and Sicily’s Future
Gaetana Jacono has made it her life’s work to tell the story of Frappato, a light-bodied yet full-flavored red wine produced for centuries in southeastern Sicily. A sixth-generation winemaker at Valle dell’Acate, she’s continuing a family story that began in 1870, shaped by the region's wines: Vittoria Frappato DOC and Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, the historic blend of Frappato and…November 21, 2025
Better Together: How Alto Adige’s Cooperatives Set a New Standard for Collective Winemaking
When Julia Springeth travels the world as sales manager for Cantina Terlano, she always starts with the same disclaimer: “Please don't run away when I mention the fact that we’re a cooperative winery.” She is referring to how “cooperative” is often shorthand for bulk production, average quality, and supermarket shelf-fillers. However, in the Italian region of Alto Adige, home to…September 26, 2025
Rising Above Climate Change: Alto Adige’s High-Altitude Advantage
Framed by the striking limestone peaks of the Dolomites, Alto Adige may be one of Italy’s smallest wine regions, with less than 1% of the country’s vineyard area, but it’s also among its most multifaceted. The region, also known as South Tyrol (or Südtirol), occupies a unique geographic and cultural position in Italy's wine landscape. Located in the country's far…August 29, 2025
Central Otago’s Crown Jewel: How Felton Road Is Redefining New Zealand Wine
Central Otago’s story is one of extremes. Tucked into the far south of New Zealand’s South Island, this mountainous, glacially carved landscape was once thought too cold and rugged for serious winegrowing. Yet, in just a few decades, it has become one of the world’s most highly regarded cool-climate regions, defined above all by Pinot Noir, with pioneering estates like…
August 21, 2025
Sicily’s Red Darling: Frappato’s Time to Shine
Wine regions find their voice slowly, shaped by generations of growers. In Sicily’s southeastern corner, among the sandy, limestone-rich soils of Vittoria, one grape’s voice is rising: Frappato. Once valued mainly as an aromatic blending partner, it’s now recognized as one of the island’s most exciting reds. This rare indigenous variety covers fewer than 2,000 acres worldwide, nearly all in…
August 6, 2025
From Chile to the Heights of Sonoma: Rodrigo Soto’s Vision at Far Mountain
High up in Sonoma’s Moon Mountain District, where rocky soils and steep slopes shape the vines, winemaker Rodrigo Soto has found what he calls a perfect balance between nature and intention. After years making wine in both Chile and California, Soto and his wife, Mai Errazuriz, launched Far Mountain in 2018, a project rooted in old vines, volcanic soils, and…
July 29, 2025
From Baja to Brooklyn: Mexican Wine’s Journey to American Tables
At La Contenta Oeste in downtown Manhattan, the scene is lively. Tables are packed with shareable plates like tacos, ceviche, and chicken mole poblano, all washed down with salt-rimmed margaritas and icy cold beers. Amid the buzz, the wine list often goes unnoticed, even though it tells a different kind of story. It’s entirely Mexican, curated by chef-owner Luis Mota…July 21, 2025
Brunello, the Old-Fashioned Way—And Why It Still Works
When it comes to Italy’s great wines, few carry the gravitas that Brunello di Montalcino does. Hailing from a picturesque hilltop town in southern Tuscany, Brunello has long been seen as a benchmark for ageworthy, structured, and noble expressions of Sangiovese. But like many great wines, its identity has evolved, shaped by commercial pressure but, increasingly, a return to its…June 6, 2025
Inside NYC’s Wine Retail Apocalypse: How Tariffs, Pot and Ozempic are Decimating Wine Retailers
The American wine retail scene is going through major changes driven by shifting tastes, economic challenges, new technology, and evolving cultural trends. This evolution is perhaps nowhere more evident than in New York City, long considered the epicenter of fine wine commerce in the United States. From the dramatic fall of storied institutions to the rise and subsequent struggles of…
April 9, 2025
San Felice’s Vitiarium: A Taste of Heritage, Terroir, and Exploration
The revival of nearly extinct native grape varieties is one of the most exciting developments in Italian wine today, fueled by history, biodiversity efforts, and growing consumer preferences. Many of these forgotten grapes fell out of favor due to shifting agricultural practices and the global rise of high-yield international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. But more and more, wine…
March 17, 2025
A New Team, A Timeless Elegance: Biondi-Santi’s Latest Release
In the world of wine, few names carry the weight of Biondi-Santi. The estate gave birth to Brunello in 1888, setting the standard for the wines of Montalcino. For over a century, generations of the Biondi-Santi family produced austere, long-lived wines at their prized Tenuta Greppo estate that delivered the area's finest expression of Sangiovese Grosso. When the Biondi-Santi family…
February 14, 2025
Forward Thinking: How Cab Franc is Changing New York’s Red Wine Conversation
"Cab Franc is an immigrant success story," says John Leo of Onabay Vineyards, describing how this classic European variety has found a proper home in New York State. A new coalition, Cab Franc Forward NY, agrees and is championing it as the state's signature red variety. Their inaugural Grand Tasting in Manhattan on February 4, 2025, brought together thirty-five wineries…February 1, 2025
Weingut Carl Loewen: Where Old Vines Tell New Stories
Christopher Loewen stopped by Grape Collective to share his thoughts on working with old vineyards, the challenges of low-intervention winemaking, and the lessons learned from generations before him.December 22, 2024
Inside Parés Baltà’s Organic Vineyards With Winemaker Marta Casas
Parés Baltà is a family-owned winery located in the Penedès region of Catalonia, Spain, with a winemaking history dating back to 1790. The winery is currently managed by the third generation of the Cusiné family, specifically Joan and Josep Cusiné, along with their wives, Elena Jiménez and Marta Casas, who serve as the lead winemakers.
November 26, 2024
Social Equity at Santa Julia: A Conversation With Julia Zuccardi
When you pick up a bottle of wine, do you ever stop to consider the values of the people behind the label? For most of us, it’s all about the taste—but there’s often a deeper story to discover. At Argentina’s Bodega Santa Julia, the Zuccardi family goes above and beyond, creating eco-friendly wines while making a meaningful impact on their…
October 29, 2024
Bringing Wine to Life: Inside Daniel Johnnes’s World of Wine Celebrations
"Wine is all about celebration,” said Daniel Johnnes during a recent wine pairing dinner at Charlie Bird in lower Manhattan. "The joy is in sharing it with neighbors and the community." Johnnes is the man behind the world-renowned La Paulée festival and its affiliated events: La Fête du Champagne, La Tablée, and Convivio del Vino. Additionally, he oversees Pressoir, a…September 23, 2024
Weed & Wine: Love, Legacy, and Land—A Conversation with Filmmaker Rebecca Richman Cohen
Weed & Wine is a documentary that explores universal themes of family, legacy, and sustainability. Emmy-nominated filmmaker Rebecca Richman Cohen invites viewers into the lives of two families: the Jodreys in Humboldt, California, and the Thibons in Rhône Valley, France. As the Jodreys transition from black market to legal cannabis cultivation, the Thibons continue to care for their biodynamic vineyard,…
September 17, 2024
The Malbec Maverick: Paul Hobbs’ Vision for Argentine Wine
The story of Malbec in Argentina is one of dramatic ups and downs. From its introduction in the mid-19th century to its near disappearance in the mid-20th century and its subsequent resurgence as Argentina's flagship wine, Malbec has shown itself to be resilient and adaptable. One of the key figures in Malbec's comeback is Paul Hobbs, a visionary winemaker, consultant, and…
August 16, 2024
Domaine Mont Bessay: Rethinking Excellence in Beaujolais
Since we last spoke with Philippe Pascal, founder of Burgundy's Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, he and winemaker Guillaume Marko have started an exciting new venture in Beaujolais. The new project, Domaine Mont Bessay, located in the heart of the Juliénas Cru, includes not only its Juliénas "En Bessay" but also a Moulin-à-Vent labeled "Le Vieux Bourg." Pascal and Marko…
