International Women's Month
Transparency by illimis wines: Lucinda Heynes
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We’re excited to welcome the very talented, Namibian-born winemaker Lucinda Heynes to the Wine for the World family. Lucinda is the founder and winemaker of illimis wines, the smallest winery that we’ve worked with to date, making less than 500 cases of wine a year. While her production is small, her pedigree is massive. She has as worked at Screaming Eagle and Sandhi in California, among others over her decade of professional experience as a viticulturist and enologist. A viticulturist at heart, she believes that everything starts with the vines. Every vintage is unique, and her hope is that every wine is a tribute to the endless pursuit of refining the potential of each site the Illimis wines are made from. Her many experiences have helped hone a crystal-clear vision for her wines and process. With Illimis, the Latin word for clarity, the intention is to honestly and gently harness what nature offers and be a window to where its vineyard is rooted. Lucinda follows a minimal intervention principle as far as possible, allowing the wine to express its origin with clarity, finesse and complexity.
Transparency Cinsault: Grapes for this wine are sourced from an old bushvine vineyard that was planted in 1974 on well drained, red, loam soils with granitic origin. This Cinsault is made in a more delicate style. Pair with seared tuna, dim sum, or a magnifying glass.
Solar del Alma: Maricruz Antolin
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Winemaker Maricruz Antolin has helped shepherd in a new era for Argentina, as her winery is the first to make organic and biodynamic grapes in a certified organic winery. She believes these gentle, sustainable practices offer an important blend of nature and human touch and allow a pure representation of terroir. Her description of the winery is transportive:
“When you get into our estate, you can feel, hear, smell and see the Nature. You can see and hear the birds flying or resting in the trees and also different kind of animals grazing. At the same time the wind embraces the trees and its sound come through our ears. The environment is so healthy that you can see wild flowers all over the vineyards, with different native weeds that are a needed part of our farm. Then we can smell the wet organic soil at the same time with the rest of the flowers. It is very nice when the nature get into your pores, into your eyes. Is a detoxifying experience. ”
Natural Malbec: One week before harvesting Maricruz harvests a small quantity of grapes to make a natural "pie de cuba" – a winemaking method used by some winemakers to quick-start fermentation. Early harvested grapes are allowed spontaneously ferment for a few days, to which the rest of the grapes are subsequently added. The idea is to start the fermentation with less risk, as stuck fermentation is every natural winemakers’ nightmare. Quite the opposite, what we have here is a dream. Pair with grilled meats, seasoned salads, or spa music.
Bodega Chozas Carrascal: Maria Jose Lopez
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Chozas Carrascal emerged through the joint passion of wife and husband team, María José Peidro, an enologist, and Julián López, an entrepreneur, In 1990 they became fascinated with a unique, high altitude location in a nature preserve and saw the potential for
making special wines. Now helmed by their daughter María José, this Valencian bodega – which has achieved the elite Vino de Pago status - utilizes modern techniques, many invented by the matriarch herself, to create wines with a singular sense of Mediterranean purity. Now herself the mother of two children, Maria Jose is the #ladyboss that calls the shots around the winery, and is leading Chozas Carrascal into the future.
Las Dos Ces Blanco: Elegant and aromatic, this is a blend of 80% Macabeo and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Grown organically in a single vineyard located between 750 and 800m above sea level. The soil contains a clay layer that preserves freshness, limestone at the root level that provides minerality, and sandy soils underneath, which helps greatly with draining. Enjoy with scallops, crab cakes, or your favorite hiking album.
BOSMAN FAMILY VINEYARDS: Corlea Fourie and Natasha Williams
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What’s better than one super talented woman winemaker? Two! Led by the impressive Corlea Fourie and Natasha Williams, Bosman Family Vineyards has seen a complete transformation in the approach, wines, and capabilities during their tenure. Equally impressive is how they have quietly built a reputation for outstanding wines in a very raw and unknown appellation. Female empowerment does not stop at the winemaking - efforts have been implemented on the farm to offer skills and entrepreneurial development among female farmworkers through the Bosman Farming Woman Club.
Optenhorst: Confession- this is a very special wine to me personally. I enjoyed an old vintage of this wine at my wedding. I’m obsessed with Chenin Blanc, and this is perhaps one of the best ones around. The vineyard was planted in 1952, making it
the third oldest Chenin vineyard in South Africa. Organically farmed from a single vineyard bush vine plot, natural fermentation followed by brief maturation in older barrels has allowed the gentle, multi-layered fruit to come through. Pair with chicken casserole, or as I like to say, a Monday. Do yourself a favor – while cellaring wine can be fun, and this wine will certainly evolve for another several years, enjoying a great wine like this on a Monday night with whatever can be thrown into an instant pot is also one of my favorite ways to enjoy the here and now.