Alto Adige,  the tiny region bordering Austria, only became part of modern-day Italy in 1919—it is a living example of just how recently the country united under one flag. Upon arrival in Bolzano, the capital of the region, you might wonder if you’ve crossed a border…

Time is of the essence for squeezing every last drop out of summer. I’m soaking up the late-season ease of it all, and in the way of wine, drinking rosé with urgency. But I’m not reaching for the sundress and flip-flop rosés of July—I’m craving ones with a bit more edge as temperatures drop a notch. To me, rosé from Italy meets this moment of transition perfectly…

No one crafts wines that burst with Piemontese flavor and character for under $20 like Marco Tintero. If you gave him a few plots of prestigious vines in Monforte or Serralunga d’Alba, he would no doubt make world-class Barolo, but instead he uses his steep and stunning backyard vines twenty minutes east of Barolo to make the best weeknight table wines the region has to offer…

There is no region in the world where growers are as granularly focused on terroir as they are in Burgundy. This spirit is what makes the region so special, and it has trickled down in recent years even to many village-level and regional Bourgognes…

Maxime Magnon is among the rare vignerons in each generation who redefine what’s possible for a given region. Having relocated to the Corbières in 2002, he was blown away by its trove of old vines, many of them abandoned due to their dwindling yields. But yields weren’t Maxime’s concern—quality was—so he embraced these old vines and began to treat them with the devotion they deserved…

It’s a rare occurrence to have the wines of Famille Savary, Domaine Roland Lavantureux, and Domaine Costal in stock at the same time, but a happy one indeed. To mark the occasion, we’re highlighting new arrivals from all three, and providing a few pointers to help you find the perfect bottle—or more likely, bottles…

The crescent-shaped Languedoc-Roussillon, which skims the Mediterranean coastline of southern France, is home to a number of trailblazing producers whose wines we’ve imported for decades. Their wines are not unlike those of the Rhône Valley to the north, or Provence to the east; reds are soulful and firm, offering complexity and in many cases longevity, while the whites are generous and joyful, beaming with sun-kissed fruit…

Daniel Chotard has long been a master of fine, terroir-driven Sancerre—clean, stony expressions of Sauvignon Blanc imbued with the racy minerality of the appellation’s famous Kimmeridgian limestone soils. With his son, Simon, now at the helm of the family domaine, the Chotards’ flagship Sancerre blanc remains a timeless classic, all while Simon takes the domaine in an exciting new direction…

Harvest — the hardest and happiest time of year for our winemaking friends—is coming to close. But even though the 2026 vintage is months or even years away from arriving here in Berkeley, the last few weeks have brought us a flurry of exciting bottles from France and Italy…

An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.

When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!

Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.