Haw River Wine Merchant

Le Fraghe was founded in 1984 by Matilde Poggi, a small but mighty winery located near both Lago di Garda and Monte Baldo. It is here that she interprets both the lake, the mountains, and the valley where her vineyards sit. Matilde has been a leader in independent winemaking for decades, culminating in her presidency of FIVI, the independent vigneron association of Italy. The vineyards sit on soils of glacial schist, that also created the beautiful lake, and imbue her wines with precise minerality. She works with Garganega for her steely, crisp white wines and Corvina and Rondinella for both her Bardolino Classico reds and the quintessential wine of the region, Chiaretto Rosato. I first met Matilde through our mutual friend, Luca Ferraro of Bele Casel, several years ago. We are very proud to represent her wines in the Carolinas and are excited to share them with you all.#fivi #bardolino #chiaretto #lefraghewine

We are excited to introduce you to our newest French Direct Import @lermitedauzan! The current proprietor is Jerome Castillon, whose father moved to Saint Gilles in the Costieres de Nimes in 1973 from Cognac. It’s a large property of 80 hectares planted primarily but not exclusively to vine. Costieres de Nimes is the coastal border of the Rhone and the Languedoc. Though it’s classified as a Rhone Valley appellation, the wines have some Languedoc-y vibes. From their vineyards, you can see Montpellier to the east, and Nimes to the west. While they cultivate 9 different Mediterranean varieties, the star of the show is Mourvedre, a grape that can only thrive within about 50 miles of the sea. Jerome’s son Tanguy is a biodynamic specialist, who now travels to consult for other wineries. The family converted the whole property to biodynamic about 5 years ago. They grow and produce all their own tisanes, decoctions, essential oils etc ... and are studiously measuring the results of their labor. In 2024 when so many French growers were afflicted by powdery mildew, L’Ermite had none 🚫 We can’t wait to taste these wines with you!

A short but very SWEET visit with the charming, eloquent and passionate @chiara_lvny who shared the rich history of her family estate and the beautiful wines they produce. Thank you to everyone who took the time to taste with us these few days!

These days, the small wins must be celebrated! We bring in and ship out A LOT of high quality, certified organic wine and food items from our humble warehouse in Burlington. We value the hard work it takes for our producers to achieve these organic standards, and believe it is also our job to ensure transparency in how the product is handled from delivery to our door to yours. #ccoforganic #hawriverwinemerchant

The sudden passing of our best friend Brian Canipelli has struck everyone that crossed paths with him. For me, it began about 16 years ago over our immediate bond of food, wine, and a deep love of Italy. Subsequent trips abroad and so many countless meals together created a friendship that I coveted and that I cannot comprehend not having anymore. Brian was one of the most generous and selfless people in my life. He had a clear mission in life to make people happy, to see the enjoyment they derived from his passion and brilliant art that he honed daily. Long meals around the table were his specialty. It was what connected all of us; not just our tight circle of friends but the community at large. You could say he was humble, yes, but I saw that quality as his deep understanding of the culture around the table. This was his intention, not for awards or personal recognition. All of his time spent in Italy and other destinations further shaped the man that I loved and called a best friend. I will miss him everyday and I will honor his memory by practicing what I’ve learned from him. - Mike Tiano