Byron’s Bottle Shop
AAPI Wine Producers And Owners to Explore This Summer.
At our team retreat this spring, our Digital Marketing Manager, Byron Lo, put together a wine tasting for our team during our team retreat. It was informative (and delicious) so we had to share his musings here in our resources. Read on to learn more about Byron, the wines he chose, and how you can support AAPI producers and owners.
Hello, fellow wine lovers!
I’m Byron! During the day, I do all things digital marketing here at Oyster Sunday, and at night, I’m a certified wine lover. Last month, we celebrated AAPI month at Oyster Sunday, and I wanted to share four special bottles our team tasted together made by AAPI producers and owners that you should try to snag from your local wine shop on your next beverage run.
First up, let’s pour the 2019 Folk Machine Valdiguié.
This wine comes from California’s Redwood Valley and is crafted by Kenny Likitprakong of Hobo Wine Company. He’s a former pro-skateboarder turned winemaker after growing up in a winemaking family - his dad and great-uncle managed an operation in Healdsburg. Kenny is a supporter of sustainable farming. All vineyards he partners with are organically certified. His wines are often small production, and the flavors he coaxes from the grapes are clean and bright. This particular bottle comes from the Valdiguié grape, often referred to as Napa’s Gamay. It’s absolutely chillable - a light-bodied red with bright acidity and flavors of red berries and herbs. Find me sitting on a picnic blanket on a summer day, pouring this wine with good company.
Next up, here’s the 2021 Sandhi Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay.
This wine was made by highly acclaimed master sommelier and producer, Rajat Parr. He comes from a career in renowned restaurants, where he developed a deep appreciation for the nuances and complexities of wine. In winemaking, his philosophy is rooted in minimal intervention, often showcasing the importance of sustainable farming practices and high-quality grapes. One of Parr's notable contributions to the wine industry is his focus on cool-climate regions, particularly Santa Barbara County, where this exceptional Chardonnay is from. We tasted lemon peel and green apple on the nose and found salinity and nuttiness on the palate. Next comes subtle vanilla notes from the oak - just enough to balance with the fruit. Really delightful stuff here.
We head to Burgundy next! Here’s the 2020 Simon Bize Savigny-les-Beaune Rouge.
When I asked my local bottle shops in Brooklyn about AAPI producers, many of them replied, “Well you simply must try Bize.” Chisa Bize’s story began as a banker in Japan before moving to Savigny-lès-Beaune to support her husband Patrick Bize, who was running the long-revered and family-run Domaine Simon Bize. When Patrick passed away in 2013 Chisa took the reigns, and has been instrumental in bringing organic farming and biodynamics into their operation, along with Patrick’s sister Marielle. The quality of their Pinot Noir has been long regarded as simply phenomenal and of remarkable value. This particular bottle is well balanced with delicious flavors of red berries and cherries, along with fine tannins and bright acidity to meet it.
Our last stop takes us just a few hours away in the Loire Valley with a bottle of 2020 Domaine Huet Vouvray 'Le Mont' Moelleux.
Domaine Huet was founded in 1928 by Victor Huet, a Parisian bistro owner. His son Gaston took over and grew Domaine Huet into what is now regarded as one of the most iconic white wine producers in the world. In 2002, near the end of Gaston’s life, he brought in a new financial partner, Anthony Hwang from New York. Today, his children, Sarah and Hugo Hwang, own and manage the estate, along with winemaker Benjamin Jolivesu. Together, they continue to produce incredible and age-worthy Chenin Blanc wines that honor the legacy of one of the greatest estates in the world. We were able to taste the 2020 Le Mont Molleaux - an elegant sweet wine that’s full-bodied with great acidity and notes of candied fruits, honey, and blossom.
Beyond the aromas and tasting notes, these four producers and owners are keepers of incredible stories and values that represent aspects of the AAPI experience. They have honored tradition but do so in their own voice, have left home or moved to build a new life in an unfamiliar place, and above all, work hard every day to create something beautiful that’s worth sharing. And when wine tastes this good, I’d like another glass of that, please.
If you’d like to support more AAPI producers and owners, check out this list of others to explore:
→ B Kosuge Wines
→ Wonderwerk LA
→ Cho Wines
→ Kunoh Wines
→ RD Winery
→ Heirloom NY
→ Kanpai Wines
→ Tinto Amorío
If you would like to purchase any of the above bottles we suggest asking your local bottle shop for them! If shopping online is your best option, check out each producer's website to learn more.
