In 2016, at an altitude of 923 meters in the village of Baldovar, in the mountains of Valencia, Spain, Baldovar 923 was born. Founders Nito Alegre and Francisco Bosco saw the tremendous potential to produce high quality wines given the purity of the soils, climatic characteristics, high altitude, and the old vine indigenous varieties of the area.

In need of a place to fulfill their dream, they transformed an abandoned wine cellar from a winemaking cooperative in the village built in 1958 that had no running water or electricity into a more modern workspace and tasting room.

Baldovar’s mountain vineyards are on calcareous soils, which is ideal for water retention and drainage, higher acids, root/vine development, and disease resistance. The high altitude up to 1,200 meters and cold climate with very little water means their 20 to 80 year old organically/biodynamically farmed vines produce small amounts of fruit, but what comes from them is exceptional.

Their main focus is on indigenous grape varieties of Valencia, such as Merseguera and Bobal, among others. There is little-to-no intervention in the vineyards, as well as in the winery. Nothing is ever added or taken away and the winemaking is very gentle, with no punchdowns or lees stirring. To ensure they showcase the pure expressions of the grapes, only large barrels, traditional Spanish clay tinajas, or stainless steel is used.

Winemakers in the region feel a responsibility to recuperate vineyards, ensure employment in the villages and to rebuild communities, and Baldovar is right there with them. They’re producing among the world's most terroir-driven wines and we respect their dedication to their land and community. We have a few of their wines in the shop at the moment and can’t wait to see what comes next!

-Michelle-

Owner, winemaker, and “Wizard of Hood River,” Nate Ready, grew up in Napa and spent several years as the sommelier at The French Laundry, finally becoming one of the few Master Sommelier’s in the world while at Frasca Food and Wine in Colorado. Recognizing he had a passion for wine but his wine knowledge was only from books, he wanted to do something more hands-on. So, he worked several harvests in Italy, California, and France.

This experience solidified his desire to be on the other side of the wine industry but before he could start farming vines, he was encouraged by a winemaker in Italy to first learn how to farm everything else. In 2008, Nate and his wife China Treseme, who grew up on biodynamic farms in Vermont, went to Oregon to look for a small property so they can experiment on their own. The property they settled on in Hood River had been a farm since the late 1800’s and was now becoming home to pigs, cows, chicken, ducks, and geese, in an attempt to make agriculture look a little more like nature. Instead of mowing or tilling, Nate only rarely clears weeds with a scythe, and allows the animals to do the rest of the work as they happily graze and fertilize all day.

The vineyards on the property were originally planted to other varietals and instead of ripping them out and disturbing the land to plant new vines, Nate grafted field blends onto the vines that were already growing. Some even have multiple varietals growing from the same vine. This would be a scary scene for most winemakers but Nate finds that it actually creates more resilience overall and deep complexity and intensity in the finished product. Their 14 acres are divided up into 1/2-1 acre parcels, each dedicated to a unique field blend based on what they imagined some of the vineyards throughout history would have been like and on the grapes genetics. For example, their wine ‘Cratageus’ is from a parcel completely dedicated to Syrah and its genetic cousins, Teroldego, Lagrein, Marzemino, Mondeuse, Viognier, Roussanne, all co-planted, untouched during the growing season, harvested by hand and fermented together.

Being in the high rainfall region that Nate is in, they are more susceptible to mildew in the vineyards, which is embraced and not fought as it can enhance flavors. Nate doesn’t sort clusters like most wineries - this allows what was out there in the fields to shine through so you get a better idea of what existed in the vineyards. No treatments that are common even on organic farms are done here. In fact they use 85% less material in the vineyards than most Biodynamic farms. Their sprays are based on cinnamon oil and fermented teas which creates microbial competition in the canopy. And the native yeast biome ferments everything, so Nate only cleans with water and no chemicals to encourage a diverse microbial environment in the winery, just like they’re encouraging it out in the field. All bottles are hand-filled with gravity, then hand-labeled with China’s watercolor landscapes.

Today, around 112 different grape varietals along with fruits, vegetables and animals live at the farm allowing health, beauty, and energy to emerge from the relationships between them. They’ve created a true paradise of biodiversity where natural wine, food (directly from the vegetable garden) and nature mix. Even though they’ve been on the property for over a decade now, they only released their first wines in 2017 and feel very much like they’re at the beginning of their journey. We’ll always be supporters of Hiyu and it’s a true pleasure to be able to get our hands on a few releases whenever possible. These are among some of the most interesting wines we’ve ever carried and will be gone in a flash. So if you see something Hiyu, get it! You will not be disappointed.

-Michelle-

Raicilla, ([raj.ˈsi.ʝa]], meaning "little root") is often referred to as the "hidden jewel" of agave spirits. It originates from the hills of Jalisco, Mexico and has a heritage dating back at least 5 centuries. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, this artisanal beverage is deeply rooted in local traditions and cherished by generations. In the 1780’s the Spanish crown decided to levy at tax on all alcohol including Raicilla but the people of Jalisco said “No! This is not alcohol. This is our medicine.” Raicilla represents a true embodiment of Mexican culture.

Although sharing similarities with tequila and mezcal, Raicilla distinguishes itself through its origin, agave varietals, and distinctive cooking methods. Crafted exclusively from six specific varietals - Angustifolia Haw, Chico Aguilar, Maximiliana, Inaequidens, Rhodacantha, and Valenciana - puts Raicilla in a league of its own. In 2019 Raicilla received its Denomination of Origin and is now recognized by the TTB as an official category of agave spirits.

Raicilla De Una is a perfect expression of this amazing, under-recognized spirit, and is one of the coolest new products to hit the shelves at Stanley’s.

Made from 100% Maximiliana and fermented via wild native yeasts with zero flavors or additives involved. The flavor profile is beautifully fresh and reminiscent of your our old trusted friends, Tequila and Mezcal but boasting brighter more verdant herbal notes and warm green spice. A smooth slightly chocolatey body and a long sweet creamy finish with a wisp of smoke. A great substitute in any Gin cocktail and pairs beautifully with bright fresh and spicy foods.

-Charlotte-

Jumbo Time is back! Founded in 2020 in Los Angles by Omar Koukaz and Jonathan Yadegar, this dynamic duo works with organically grown fruit and practices zero-intervention winemaking in the cellar.

They enter harvest with an eye on varietals they love and a loose idea of what they will end up bottling. By experimenting with blends that are as playful as their hand-drawn labels which highlight characters in the brand's universe, they make wines in synch with  their love for gathering around the table with friends. They’re equally as delicious as they are fun and eye-catching, so as you can imagine..they go quick. Find them on the shelves and chilling in the fridges now!

-Michelle-

Onward Wines

Faith Armstrong-Foster was born on a tiny island in Canada and took a little boat called the "Onward" to school each day. This boat served not only as her metaphorical inspiration but was a natural choice when it came to eventually naming her brand.

Before discovering her interest in winemaking, Faith was in marketing and sales, coincidentally for the boating industry. Deciding this wasn’t the right industry for her, she took a wine marketing job in California, and the more she learned about wine, the more her love for it grew. She went on to study at UC Davis and earn a degree in Viticulture and Enology, soon becoming the Assistant Winemaker at a Napa winery, though she was drawn to a more delicate style of winemaking than what she was exposed to at the time. In 2009, she set out on her own to do what she wanted to do, convinced that vineyards express unique characteristics at earlier stages of ripeness.

Today, she operates out of Sonoma and continues to work only with vineyards whose growing practices she admires. Onward wines are single-vineyard, site-driven wines from places which are special to Faith. Each vineyard was carefully sought-out, and her connection with the vines and with those who tend to them shines through in her wines.

Her style is about letting the vines speak with decisions driven by the vineyard and the vintage. Her portfolio includes various expressions of Pinot Noir, Carignane, Zinfandel and Malvasia Bianca, all of which are picked early to preserve the bright and vibrant fruit qualities. We’re excited to have a growing selection of Onward Wines here at the shop! There might even be a new addition to the bar in a few weeks…stay tuned! (It’s the Carignane)

-Michelle-