I am back into the swing of getting the newsletter out at the last minute after a whirlwind of a trip through parts of Southern Italy. It is incredible to me the history and community of the smaller towns I visited. In one village, Ostuni, a tour guide, called out an elementary school that his grandpa, dad, and he went attended. I can’t even get my head around three generations attending the same school. I can only imagine the stories, heritage, and legacy. I know it’s not all fun and games, but when I witness buildings that are way older than the United States, I can’t help but be in awe.

A couple of weeks back, I mentioned Hazelfern purchasing a new vineyard. Here are more details.

Gran Moraine did excellent at the TEXSOM International Awards.

If you are interested in James Suckling’s Washington Report, here you go!

While I was in Italy eating all the pizza, pasta, and enjoying all sorts of wine, Chosen Family made a fantastic announcement of bringing Tiquette Bramlett on board as the new Vice President. She will work closely with Channing Frye to expand distribution, find other wineries to collaborate with, and scout for vineyard properties.

I know there weren’t many links again this week, but I should be back in the groove next week. Jet lag, I tell ya……

It is a podcast week, meaning you get to watch a video of me having one heck of a conversation with Bruno from Domaine Divio. It was an absolute pleasure to sit down one on one with him. Over the years, I marvel at how he always has a smile on his face and is more than accommodating. At every single Domaine Divio event I have attended, he talks to every group multiple times throughout the night. When I brought this topic up during our conversation, he lightly mentioned how his wife, Isabelle, told him he should start taking it easy a little more.

There aren’t many Oregon winemakers I am aware of that are the fourth generation with children who will probably become the fifth generation to take over the family business. Growing up in Burgundy, his family owned vineyards which he now oversees. On his winemaking journey, he planted a vineyard in Tahiti, of all places (more details on that next week).

Before we get to all of the links, I have to give a massive shout-out to the sponsor for the podcast this week, Aubaine. This week I dive into the bees at the Anahata vineyard and why bees are essential to making high-quality wine. Speaking of high-quality wine, the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Anahata Aubaine Estate vineyard is the perfect gift for Father’s Day coming up. Be sure to visit Aubaine's website and use promo code WEINNOTES for 20% off to put the biggest smiles on your Dad’s face in a few weeks!

Here are all of the links for the podcast this week:

• ​YouTube​
• ​Apple Podcasts​
• ​Spotify​

Real quick, I have to share a memory of my first visit to Domaine Divio. I was with a group of friends and when I walked in Sara recognized me. I was more than a little shocked because, at that time, I hadn’t visited all that many wineries yet. It just so happened she used to work for another winery where I was a member. Today, every time I see Sara, we have to give one another the biggest of hugs. If you haven’t met Sara or Bruno, you must visit Domaine Divio and tell them, “A.J. sent me!”

With Gratitude,

A.J.

P.S. - Starting in August, this newsletter will come out once a month. I have been working on another wine-related project and need to dedicate more time to getting it over the finish line. If you are curious about the project, you know how to reply!