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Hello Le Midi subscribers!
This Saturday, come meet one of Rioja’s newest rockstar winemakers:
Manu Michellini of Dominio del Challao
Forget everything you have read about this historic region. Today’s Rioja is about the grower, not the négociant, and Manu’s wines are some of the most thrilling coming out of the region. Having Manu visit Chicago is a rare treat!
From 3:00 to 5:00, we're offering tickets for $35 to sit with Manu and taste a flight of his 3 wines (including his coveted Grand Cru bottling). Alternatively, you can enjoy full or half-glass pours of his wines separately at your own table throughout the day.
About Dominio del Challao
In 2019, young Manu began his dream project of owning his own winery. At 28 years of age he has worked thirty consecutive harvests across both hemispheres since the age of 12, and embarked on his first winemaking experience from start to finish at 19. Manu works with 6 hectares of biodynamically farmed vines, 2.2 of which he owns outright for his Grand Cru bottling. The overall Challao production is minuscule making around 4,500-6,000 bottles a vintage.
Manu’s infatuation of being a vigneron and winemaker stems from a rich upbringing in his native country of Argentina, where his family are amongst the avant-garde of the Uco Valley, Uruguay, and as of recently, Bierzo! However, it was in Rioja Alavesa that he felt drawn to make his mark, and specifically in the village of Labastida where a combe lures the Cantabrian wind coming off the sea, and blinding white calcareous marls set the stage for the most floral and elegant wines of the region. Manu has worked many harvests across the globe including Domaine Simon Bize, Domaine de la Borde, Domaine Clape, Rodrigo Mendez, Raúl Pérez studiously putting in the work to find the right spots to achieve his goals.
Follow the link below to secure your seat at the communal table for the flight, or just drop by for a taste of these rare gems!
Bottles will also be available for purchase.
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