I started Farmstead Wines to share the experience of tasting wines hand-crafted by the very farmers who cultivate the grapes. In French, these people are known as vignerons, a word inseparably meaning farmer and winemaker. Farmstead Wines works with known and trusted farmers in Europe, to bring their unique connection with the earth to your supper table.

As a chef, I sought out local, seasonal ingredients for my dishes, establishing relationships with the local farmers in order to trust in the quality and freshness of the produce. It was unclear to me why the same standard was not applied to the wine paired with those meals.  The idea for Farmstead Wines grew out of a series of visits to the small, family vineyards of Europe – to meet with the farmers and understand the story behind the wine.

I sat at the kitchen table of Renato and Milva Fenocchio, sipping delicious wine from their cellar, and wondered why they were having trouble selling every last drop. How was it possible that this family of beautiful, hard working, passionate people could have any difficulty selling some of the best wines I had ever tasted?  The explanation says a lot about globalization and the nature of the wine business.  This small, family vineyard couldn’t produce enough wine for a brand.

The solution was not just a different way to sell wine, but a movement. Farmstead Wines was conceived to support small, family farms.  However, our goal can only be accomplished by creating a movement of people who understand that wine is grown, not made. This is why Farmstead Wines enthusiasts are known as Vinaroons, the British equivalent to vignerons that was used in the time of Shakespeare but fell out of favor as agri“culture” gave way to industrialized culture.

The wines in the Farmstead Wines collection are each hand-made, through natural methods, in small quantities.  We work with the farmers who grow the grapes themselves AND make the wine. We use a set of strict selection criteria that are very difficult to meet individually, let alone together. It makes our search for great wine difficult, yet immensely pleasurable.

Vinaroon-crafted. Each wine in the Farmstead Wines collection is hand-made by the same people who cultivate the grapes. Our farmers are masters of their craft and have an intimate connection with their land. This passion and knowledge are mirrored in the wine.  Great wine is made in the vineyard, not the laboratory.

Small, family farms. Our wines come from small, family vineyards. These farms are known in their local communities for their long-standing, traditional approaches to winemaking.  Whether farming for generations or just a few years their approach respects and delicately tends the earth.

Natural methods. Our farmers utilize practices associated with sustainable agriculture and biodiversity, not limited to environmentally friendly practices like natural pest control and natural irrigation. Following the success of the artisan food movement, Farmstead Wines values the pleasures of the table and protects our food heritage against homogenization in what is becoming an increasingly fast food culture. Our approach includes a conscious effort towards taste education and sourcing of unique wines and varietals.

Delicious. Every bottle in the Farmstead Wines collection is delicious and delivers value for its price. Farmstead Wines are balanced and harmonious with a focus on depth and complexity of flavors.

Wines marked with the Farmstead Wines seal guarantee authenticity, in that they are handcrafted by farmers, through natural methods. Our wines are food-friendly and meant to be shared around a table, not scored in a competition.

Wine is about the story, the experience, the people. And it is the telling of those stories and the family traditions that go into the wine growing that should be shared and savored.

Salute,

Anthony Nicalo