In case you missed it, there was an excellent piece on SLATE the other day about importers who bring in wines that, according to the article, will guarantee you a good bottle every time. I urge you to read it. This is somewhat selfish, because I do a lot of business with most of these characters, but I do it because they have great palates and a true sense and appreciation of natural wines and wine-making. When I got into this business ten years ago, vin naturel was one of the best kept secrets in the business. Fortunately, the guy that I bought the store from had a few wines left from a guy named Joe Dressner of Louis/Dressner. These bottles had been purchased by a former employee who really knew her wines. At the time Joe, and probably Neil Rosenthal, were the only guys in the market that were going around with these “oddball” wines mostly from France.
Flash forward ten years, and the marketplace abounds with a number of savvy importers. If you’re at all tenuous about selecting wines, the names mentioned in this article are great guideposts. Just turn the bottle around and read the back label. There, sometimes in small print you’ll find the importer’s name, which in the case of any of the guys mentioned, is a great seal of approval.
