Bastian Wolber’s négociant project challenges the traditional ideas of what defines terroir and geographical limitations linked to wine production. He oozes the confidence of a young, curious winemaker, who is as comfortable producing wines in the south west of Germany as he is in the Jura. Whilst working harvest with the iconic Jean- Francois Ganevat in 2019, Bastian suffered an injury to his hand that frustratingly put him out of action in the cellar. It was a devastating blow. However, Bastian’s determination to still produce some wine from the vintage meant that he now had the opportunity to source a few small parcels of négociant fruit from trusted friends and family, and make some wine under his own label. His first vintage leaned into this: Mondeuse from Haut Savoie, Spätburgunder from Baden, Gewürztraminer and Riesling from Alsace. The nature of the brand then was such that he was not tied to any one appellation or region, and that shone through in the intrigue in the wines. Bastian describes his style as “wines you want to drink at the start of your night”. They are fresh, lifted and energizing. Excitingly, he now crafts wines from his own Pinot Noir vineyard in Burgundy while purchasing additional fruit, as well. You will find Pinot Noir and Gamay from France and Germany, often produced a la Beaujolais in a carbonic or semi-carbonic style that propels the aromatics sky high. Bastian is many things, namely one of our favorite people, and a superstar winemaker we could not be more humbled to work alongside.