Eastern Europe/Balkans

Slightly waxy, with bright herbal aromas, and a focus on orchard fruit and melon. Volcanic soil imparts an intense minerality. This wine is a bit of an outlier for Lenkey; done in stainless steel rather than oak and aged for ”only” 3 years. I guess he wen

As Slovakian wines continue to enter the NYC market, we find ourselves becoming more and more impressed. The texture is viscous, with fresh earth and characteristic Riesling tones of petrol and minerality. A bit of skin contact lends depth, while maintain

Assyrtiko is perhaps best known from the island of Santorini, but it is also divine in the southern mainland of Greece. Fine, bright citrus notes of the nose lead to a bone-dry, supercharged mineral wine with great acidity. Perfect with so many seafood di

Juhfark is a smoky, rich white variety that excels on Somlói’s volcanic soils. Juicy, white tropical fruit with an ashy, earthiness and some decided funk.

Georgia is the oldest known winemaking country in the world, and so Terra Initia, Latin for “original land”, is an apt name for this line of wines. This wine is informally referred to as “Euro-style”, meaning it does not see any skin contact, contrary to

Lenkey’s first fully independent vintage as a winemaker was ‘08, but it was a difficult one. He managed to pull together enough healthy grapes to craft just 3,000 bottles of this inimitable wine. Full-on lavender and apricot skin on the nose, with muddled

Chiseled minerality and a hint of smoke characteristic of Welschriesling. The acidity is singing. The Kovács family runs this winery and have a long history of winemaking, owning some of the best vineyards in their tiny village of Csopak just north of Lak

A truly inimitable white wine. Think Greek Retsina but without the pine resin tones. There’s richness and depth, wonderful acidity…it’s a wild ride. The grapes grow on volcanic soil in the single vineyard of Sadowie, and only 845 bottles are produced per

Armenia neighbors Georgia, a country whos wine reputation has quickly blossomed. Production in Armenia is smaller, but the quality of the wines are absolutely on par. This is a lovely, bright white with earthiness and melon fruit on the palate, and spice

Whether you’re curious about oxidative whites or you’re an afficionado, this is the wine for you. Škrlet is an obscure grape native only to the hills of Moslavina and was recently revived by young winemaker Ivan Kosovec. Beautiful complex nuttiness is con

White wine made from red grapes is sadly an all too rare treat, but one worth seeking out. Aromas of lush pear, apricot and citrus blossom shine through, with balances acidity and freshness… silky textured with a fine zing of mineral. Serve this with summ

Rouvalis is one of the few wineries in Greece with north-facing vineyards. At high elevation, the days are hot and the nights cold; ideal conditions for grapes. Clean as a whistle, with bright acidity, minerality, and salty seaside tang. I can’t think of