Vine Farmer

09/17/2026

This fall felt like the right time to debut an idea we’ve had for a bit — to host open door trade tastings at our office in Franklin, MA.

It’s a central location between Boston and Providence. For those not driving, our office is only a 5-minute walk from the Franklin Dean College stop that comes in directly from Boston!

RSVP at the link in our bio. Although it’s not required, it’s helpful for us to get an idea of who is coming, even if it’s last minute.

Our first tasting is on Monday, September 28th, from 11–4. Hang out for a bit and deep into the people and stories behind our w**e, all shown with great glassware.

We’ll have a Colin curated playlist and probably a few snacks.

Hope to see you there!

09/16/2026

08/20/2026

Nicolò Grippaldi’s 2023 Il Vino di Pico has landed.

Nicolò is the only grower in Gagliano Castelferrato, in the province of Enna, in Sicily’s high-elevation, mountainous center west of Etna. Introduced to biodynamics by close friends at Castello dei Rampolla while studying philosophy in Florence, and mentored by the founder of modern European biodynamics, he replanted 2.63 hectares of Nerello Mascalese and Nero d’Avola on his great-grandfather’s abandoned land in 2015.

He makes fewer than 10,000 bottles a year. Four two-hundred-year-old vines still grow at the entrance to his cellar, and he took grafts from them for the young vineyard, alongside a massale selection of library clones.

Only a handful of vintages in since his first release in 2018, Nicolò is already considered the most significant new grower in Sicily in quite awhile. He self-distributes to some twenty of Italy’s top restaurants, among them Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana.

He works almost entirely alone, with the part-time help of a childhood friend, Giuseppe. Fermentations are fully spontaneous, with sixty days of maceration in unlined concrete, no oak ever, and three to four years of bottle conditioning before release.

Asked to describe his w**e in a commercial way, he says it doesn’t fit neatly in any box, and he does not like the labels. He works strictly and even dogmatically in a natural manner, yet is respected for expressions that have the character and stability of fine w**e. He speaks of his w**es simply as a pursuit to purely express terroir and vintage.

The rest of Nicolò’s new releases are due this fall. Our full refresher on Nicolò is out now, with a link in our bio. The offer to our Massachusetts restaurant and retail clients went out this week.

Ultimately, Nicolò Grippaldi is a forward-looking play and a name to know well, as the market and the producer landscape keep evolving quickly.

This arrival includes:
2023 Il Vino di Pico

08/12/2026

Our first Contrada Contro allocation has landed.

Contrada Contro is Andrea Polidoro’s young project in Gualdo, in the Marche: high-elevation, old-vine field blends, bottled contrada by contrada, from the Monti Sibillini, a place whose exceptional white-w**e terroir has been all but abandoned and therefore forgotten by the modern market.

Only a handful of years old, it is already regarded as one of Italy’s most important and interesting white-w**e names (although Andrea makes a few reds too). The w**es are clearly of the land and made in a low-technology manner, yet they are unique to most other Italian whites.

The style: fine and nuanced whites of texture, freshness, and drive, at about 12%. The whites are direct pressed and do not see skin contact, yet derive a gastronomic tannic structure from a technique during pressing where the ripest stems are layered throughout the press bed. Contrada Contro is a name to follow as it has opened fault lines that will be felt for years, in the local appellation and throughout Italy.

Our first allocation is one pallet across five w**es. There are fewer than 100 bottles each of Contrada and a tiny amount of Vino di Sante. Only about 500 bottles of Vino di Sante are made a year, primarily off ungrafted Malvasia Bianca di Candia vines 130 to 150 years old that remarkably grow up maple trees.

Our full intro to Contrada Contro went out this week, with a link to it in our bio. The offer to MA restaurant and retail clients went out yesterday.

Ultimately, Contrada Contro is a forward-looking play and a name to become very familiar with, as the market and the producer landscape continue to evolve quickly.

This arrival includes:
2025 Case Sparse
2024 Contrada Contro
2024 Contrada Tomassucci
2024 Contrada Biordi
2024 Vino di Sante

08/12/2026

Our first Contrada Contro allocation has landed.

Contrada Contro is Andrea Polidoro’s young project in Gualdo, in the Marche: high-elevation, old-vine field blends, bottled contrada by contrada, from the Monti Sibillini, a place whose exceptional white-w**e terroir has been all but abandoned and therefore forgotten by the modern market.

Only a handful of years old, it is already regarded as one of Italy’s most important and interesting white-w**e names (although Andrea makes a few reds too). The w**es are clearly of the land and made in a low-technology manner, yet they are unique to most other Italian whites.

The style: fine and nuanced whites of texture, freshness, and drive, at about 12%. The whites are direct pressed and do not see skin contact, yet derive a gastronomic tannic structure from a technique during pressing where the ripest stems are layered throughout the press bed. Contrada Contro is a name to follow as it has opened fault lines that will be felt for years, in the local appellation and throughout Italy.

Our first allocation is one pallet across five w**es. There are fewer than 100 bottles each of Contrada and a tiny amount of Vino di Sante. Only about 500 bottles of Vino di Sante are made a year, primarily off ungrafted Malvasia Bianca di Candia vines 130 to 150 years old that remarkably grow up maple trees.

Our full intro to Contrada Contro went out this week, with a link to it in our bio. The offer to MA restaurant and retail clients went out yesterday.

Ultimately, Contrada Contro is a forward-looking play and a name to become very familiar with, as the market and the producer landscape continue to evolve quickly.

This arrival includes:
2025 Case Sparse
2024 Contrada Contro
2024 Contrada Tomassucci
2024 Contrada Biordi
2024 Vino di Sante

06/22/2026

Walter Speller of Jancis Robinson just said it plainly about the 2023 Roero (Nebbiolo) from Casa Tallone, one of the growers whose w**e we import: “It’s a stunner of a w**e, the colour of crushed rubies, and lithe and elegant with cranberry and raspberry note. It’s all elegance and energy. Something that neither Barolo nor Barbaresco can create, and what makes Roero unique.”

That praise points to something bigger. Roero is not a value play to Barolo or Barbaresco. Value for money is a secondary consideration, and out of touch with what Roero is starting to be recognized as.

For a while, Roero earned its lagging reputation. With Nebbiolo, too many producers chased Barolo: darker, more powerful w**es the region was never built to make. That buried what its terroir excels at. Lift and energy, with an ageworthiness built on tension and balance. That’s changing.

A small but expanding number of growers are redefining Roero through true w**e of place. They’re putting the region where it belongs: alongside Barolo and Barbaresco, an equal celebrated for its own character.

We’ve championed this for five years. We bet on Roero before the market did, and built the deepest terroir-driven Roero book in the world around the growers actually changing it. This was never a trend play. It’s a read on what a few growers can reveal about a misunderstood region, with the terroir to back it up. Roero also holds a full MGA classification of its vineyards. It’s one of a small group of EU regions mapped in that detail, proof of its historical quality.

When talk turns to other regions where elegant expressions of Nebbiolo excel, the US market looks to those with volcanic soil. They are great regions. But Roero’s calcareous and sandy soil is the same family as the Langhe’s, the soil Nebbiolo is most at home on. True Roero does the “elegance” thing finer than any other Nebbiolo appellation. The market just hasn’t recognized it yet.

That’s the point. The potential here is real, and the market gap is closing fast as these emerging names get known.

06/17/2026

Our 2026 Lalú allocation has landed. This is one of our most important imports of the year because Lalú embodies so much of what we built Vine Farmer on. A bottle of Lalú tells a foundational story to better understand what is unfolding in Barolo. Lara and Luisa are right at the heart of what’s changing there — one of the few names epitomizing the mentality and potential of the finest newcomers, and bringing larger themes into focus.

A practical note for Massachusetts clients: writing on Lalú that includes a vintage/w**e summary was sent out this morning. A link to that writing is also in our bio. Allocations for MA will be sent out on Friday. Although w**e is allocated, we purposely leave a touch available for new clients to get in on. Keep an eye on your inbox for details.

This arrival includes:
2024 Barbera d’Alba
2024 Langhe Nebbiolo
2022 Barolo del Comune di Monforte d’Alba (750ml and magnums)
2022 Barolo Le Coste di Monforte

05/12/2026

A few years ago, we introduced Manuele Priolo to the U.S. market with the inaugural release (2021) of his Roero Nebbiolo from MGA Anime Nere, Vigneto Eroico (Heroic Vineyard). His w**e is all about presence through extreme finesse — a direct reflection of the steep, sandy soils of Vigneto Eroico and a unique Nebbiolo clone planted there that offers drought resistance and full phenolic ripeness at low alcohol levels, commonly under 13%. Today, we’re happy to present Manuele’s 2023 release — a genuine step up from the 2021, which was recognized as a top w**e in the region and one of Piedmont’s most anticipated local releases.

Beyond Massachusetts, much has changed with this release. The market is responding — wholesalers from other states have been seeking Manuele’s w**e out. Recent allocations went to Colorado, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Below is a full list of availability.

The full writing for this release is available via link in bio or at the following: vinefarmer.com > The Edit > Original Content Library

Availability
Massachusetts — Contact us directly for allocation details.
Rhode Island — Available through W**e Bros.
Connecticut — Available through Henry Provisions.
Colorado — Available through W**e Down Selections.
New York — Available through Classica W**e Merchant.

04/08/2026

As anticipated from our Fall/Winter Collection Pt. I email and post, our annual allocation from Piero Busso has landed and rested.

We’re a little late in getting this out, as some w**es have come and gone. However, ok stock remains of some core w**es.

This import includes the 2024 Langhe Nebbiolo and the entire range of 2022 Barbaresco bottlings, along with 2024 Langhe Chardonnay — a pure and ambitious expression of Chardonnay that could come from nowhere else but Langhe.

We were also fortunate (they are now sold out) to have received a case each of the rare V.V. (old-vine) Gallina and Albesani Vigna Borgese bottlings from the 2019 vintage, which is the current release.

If you are a MA based client, details were emailed directly to you. That information is also available on our web site at the path below, and via the link in our bio.

Piero Busso is also available in RI. If you are from a restaurant or w**e shop in RI, please inquire with **ebrosri

If you are a w**e lover interested in finding these w**es, DM us or send an email to [email protected].

Vinefarmer.com > The Edit > Original Content Library

**e **escene

01/07/2026

As anticipated from our Fall Collection Pt. I email and post, our annual allocation from Chiara Condello has now landed, including 2021 Le Lucciole and 2021 Lo Stralisco! This is basically our favorite annual import and represents so much of what we value in the fine w**e world.

This import also marks the start of 2023 Predappio - a vintage style full of clarity and tension that we love.

If you are a MA based client, details were emailed directly to you. That information is also available on our web site at the path below, and via the link in our bio.

Chiara Condello is also available in RI. If you are from a restaurant or w**e shop in RI, please inquire with **ebrosri

If you are a w**e lover interested in finding these w**es, DM us or send an email to [email protected].

Vinefarmer.com > The Edit > Original Content Library

**e **escene