‘Natural wine’ can be a polarizing topic. A slippery term surrounded by strong feelings, the distinction is defined differently depending on who’s talking. Yeast and sulfur are natural, but their addition divides some camps. Organic farming and minimal intervention are shared tenets, but canopy management, green harvesting, temperature control, crushing, and bottling do not happen ‘naturally’; there are times when the winemaker must intervene.

It is not difficult to make natural wine, but it’s very hard to make it balanced and delicious. The latter requires pristine fruit harvested at just the right time, a fastidiously clean facility, and careful attention at every step of the winemaking process. Natural winemakers tend to agree that the quality of the fruit is the most important element in making good wine - you can’t make good wine from bad grapes. Alas, not every winemaker is blessed with their own vineyard, so vintners the world over buy grapes from farmers they trust, and when they really want to ensure they’re sourcing optimal fruit, they get involved in the farming themselves.

Les Lunes and Populis are bay area wine labels started in 2014 by four UC Davis grads: Shaunt Oungoulian, Diego Roig, Sam Baron, and Martha Stoumen. Baron and Stoumen have since split off to form their own brands, but Roig and Oungoulian have continued their partnership, moving their production from Shaunt’s parents’ basement in Orinda to a proper winery in Richmond. Shaunt and Diego have worked with renowned organic grape farmers in California, like Larry Venturi, as well as highly esteemed European natural winemakers, including Julie Balany in Beaujolais, Giusto Occhipinti in Sicily, and Philippe Valette in Burgundy, and for many years now, they’ve been leasing and farming more than 8 hectares of vineyards in Sonoma and Napa and are committed to restoring and preserving these old, historic vineyards. We hope you’ll join us in welcoming winemaker, and farmer, Shaunt Oungoulian to Oakland Yard this Saturday for flights of his and Diego’s current releases.

But first...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Chilean reds and California whites
2022 Viña Maitia Aupa Pipeño Tinto
2022 Louis-Antoine Luyt Quenehuao Tinto Pais
2020 Maturana Negra San Francisco
2022 Monte Rio Cellars Sauvignon Blanc
2021 Phantômé Cellars Gruner Veltliner
2022 Subject to Change Chill Pill Chenin Blanc
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm
And if you see my friend Daniel today, be sure to wish him a Happy Birthday.

SATURDAY 4/13: Special guest winemaker Shaunt Oungoulian from Populis and Les Lunes pours flights of red, white and rose.
2022 Populis White Wine
2023 Populis Rosé
2023 Populis Wabi Sabi
2022 Les Lunes North Coast Claret Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

Cheers,
Max