Glug, glug, glou
ISABELLE LEGERON, RAW WINE
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
ISABELLE LEGERON • founder • RAW WINE
Neighborhood you work in: Bushwick when I’m in NYC (where the fair is)
Neighborhood you live in: Ridgewood (this weekend), but Tourrettes sur Loup most of the time
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
This Friday afternoon is particularly special as we'll be getting ready for the 7th edition of RAW WINE New York (tickets here), taking place Sunday and Monday at 99 Scott. Lots of our growers and makers will be arriving in town Friday to pour all over the city in advance of the fair itself, so I'll be running around saying hi and tasting some of their newest wines. Since RAW WINE doesn’t have an office anymore and we all work remotely from different countries around the world, the NYC fair is always a double joy for the team as we’re not just getting to see all the natural wine community at large but also each other IRL.
Where are you dining this weekend?
When I come to New York for the fair, I always make sure to stop by some of the institutional wine bars that have been a huge part of defining natural wine in NY (Ten Bells, Wildair, The Four Horsemen are a few I love) but I'm also looking forward to trying newer spots that have sprung up recently — top of my list to try this weekend are Frog Wine Bar, Bar Vinazo, Place des Fêtes, and Margot.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Whenever I visit NYC, I like to sneak off for a pick me up: a two-hour, full-body massage in Chinatown. It really is the best way to get rid of jet-lag quickly, and since our autumn tour is pretty full-on (after NYC, we head to Toronto then Montreal then Berlin), it’s a great idea to start out full of bounce.
Any weekend getaways?
Having recently returned to mainland Europe after nearly a decade in the UK, it’s been a joy to rediscover how easy it is to get around, seeing great growers without having to even change currency. For some of my favorite grower getaways (all wines guaranteed delicious), check out:
The holistic Valli Unite in Piedmont — an agricultural cooperative community that set itself up in the ‘80s — has a rustic restaurant and agriturismo onsite, and a farm where they grow all sorts, and produce some of the best honey around.
The stargazing at the unique La Maliosa in Tuscany. It’s one of the darkest spots in Italy and you get to stay in a roofless StarsBOX in the middle of a vineyard on top of a hill (plus they are one of the few wine farms in the world that is actually a carbon sink, i.e., they absorb more CO2 than they produce).
The charismatic duo that is Steffi and Edi from Gut Oggau in Austria. They have a delicious Heuriger (wine tavern) open in summer, as well as Root Time weekends where you can spend lots of time with them understanding the natural world through their eyes. And if you need somewhere to stay, Steffi’s equally charming family have a boutique hotel, a guesthouse, and a three-starred Michelin restaurant all about five minutes away.
What was your last great vacation?
We have family in Bermuda, so we go there often. With the exception of the odd cruise ship, the island is surprisingly un-touristy given how spectacular the sea is. We’re big into swimming and snorkeling, so we spend all our time in the water, and one of our firm favorites is a fish sandwich from St George’s and a moreish glass of salty, mineral Albariño Viñas Vellas from Constantina Sotelo in Galicia at Jobson’s Cove (ideally on a Tuesday or perhaps Friday evening when no cruise ships disembark). Unfortunately, there’s no natural wine on the island, so we come with suitcases fully stocked.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My new home! The house itself needs quite a lot (read “masses”) of work (we currently have no heating, for example) but the views of the Med and the Massif de l'Estérel are breathtaking, and we’re literally surrounded by wildlife — owls, toads, scorpions, snakes, wild boar, deer, eagles, and vultures. Our neighbors were sitting in their hot tub when two wolves trotted by.