Contemporary international tastemakers have largely consolidated opinions about what makes a great red wine: boozy, rich in dry extract and glycerol, heavy with fruit and oak. Fortunately for those wine lovers with more eclectic tastes, many talented makers around the world resist homogeneity and preserve historically-prized grapes that produce light wines of mineral and spice character, aromatic punch, and high drinkability. Substance without weight, complexity without ponderousness, these and other gravity-defying sensations are on offer for the adventurous. Enter the almost-forgotten world of Poulsard, Pineau d’Aunis, Grignolino, Caiña Longo, and more.
A native New Yorker, Oliver Longwell caught the wine bug in 2012 after a number of years working in government and politics. He has worked for leading wine retailers in New York and Los Angeles, with a particular focus on organically-farmed and natural wines. Oliver is a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers and works as a freelance wine consultant. He enjoys experimenting with fermentations, especially ciders. He and his wife moved to Northeast Portland in 2021 and welcomed a daughter in 2022.