He’s the winemaker at one of the more famous Italian natural wineries, called La Stoppa, and this is a side project of his. “This one is made by Giulio Armani, who is in Emilia-Romagna. Texturally, it has some richness and fullness to it but doesn’t lack for acidity at all.” NV Denavolo Catavela ($25) It’s spicy with this almost honeyed, beeswax-y quality. In this case it’s Romorantin, which is only grown in a tiny pocket in the Loire Valley, in the appellation of Cour-Cheverny. He’s not adding enzymes or any agents, but the wines are super clean, well made, and very much speak to the grape variety. “Philippe Tessier’s wines are farmed organically and biodynamically, and the wines ferment naturally. This is his sparkling version of Chenin Blanc, done in a pétillant naturel style-it’s such a good springtime-in-Tennessee wine, sort of lightly effervescent, and like all his wines, it has this crackling energy.” 2014 Domaine Philippe Tessier Cour-Cheverny ($28) The wines were fresh and vibrant, spicy, and energetic, and I immediately fell in love. “Chris Brockway first came to the store maybe six or seven years ago, and he was one of the first people I met who seemed to be on a different vector in terms of his vision. Here, Motley discusses six wines from his shop that he thinks deserve more attention. “It took stores like us and a number of restaurants telling them that the thirst for those wines is here.” “These guys don’t have a lot of wine to sell, so being in Nashville wasn’t essential for them until recently,” Motley says. As more wine directors, sommeliers, and buyers are filling their lists with small producers, boutique importers like Zev Rovine and Savio Soares are willing to send selections from their portfolios to the market. The rest of Nashville has caught up with imports, too, thanks to the now booming restaurant scene. They aren’t scared by grapes they’ve never heard of or wines from far-flung regions.” “They’re willing to try unfamiliar waters. “There seems to be a sense of adventure with our customers,” says Motley. When he opened Woodland, the neighborhood quickly latched on. He later moved to California to work in production at Kenwood Vineyards for several years before returning to the South. Motley stumbled into the wine world when he found work in a wine shop in Nashville after college. The one constant: Motley’s focus on family-owned domestic producers, as well as labels from small importers and estates around the world. East Nashville is now one of the city’s fastest-growing neighborhoods, and tastings are not only allowed but have become a primary vehicle for Motley and his team to spread the story about their wines. In fact, the city wasn’t all that welcoming to the idea either, with tight retail regulations that didn’t even allow for shops to offer their customers in-store tastings. When Will Motley opened Woodland Wine Merchant in 2007, Nashville wasn’t exactly a destination for small-production wines.
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