Born in Beaune and raised in the heart of Burgundy's famous vineyards, Oliver Lemstra Bake was always destined to have an appreciation for wine. His initiation into the wine business came early and was a memorable experience: one day, as a three-year-old, he wanted to find out how the tap on the large wine tank in his neighbour's wine cellar worked. The curious Oliver managed to release the safety catch, causing the Burgundy to gush out at a great rate. Drenched from head to toe in Pinot Noir, the little boy came running out of the cellar calling for help. Fortunately, he has retained his curiosity and his fascination for Pinot Noir to this day. Growing up in Burgundy had a powerful influence on Oliver: "As a child, you don't care whether you are playing in the vineyards of Montrachet or somewhere completely different. But what did make a big impression on me was the way people worked. Burgundy winegrowers were absolutely bursting with passion and pride."

When Oliver was 12 years old, his family moved to the south of France. But the young winemaker has not forgotten his Burgundy roots. In 2017, he fulfilled a dream with the purchase of a 12 hectare vineyard in Limoux. The terroir is perfect for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Oliver enthuses. Does he want to challenge the great Burgundy vintners? "For me, it's more of a friendly game — we can both learn from each other," says the young winemaker. Domaine d'O, for example, is an excellent role model when it comes to the carbon footprint of wine. Oliver favours lightweight bottles, CO2-negative corks and recycled packaging material. He also offsets emissions by planting trees. Long-term sustainability is being redefined by Oliver's wines. Santé!

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Twenty years ago, Olivier Ramé's life all seemed very different. He was living in Paris and working as a financial advisor. It's true that he enjoyed drinking wine, but he would never have imagined becoming a winemaker himself. After all, his career as an expert in company mergers was going very well — why would anyone rock the boat? But Olivier was finding himself increasingly disillusioned with the big city and the world of finance. When his father-in-law announced one day that he was selling his vineyard, the young Frenchman was jolted into action. He quit his job and trained as a winemaker. But it soon became clear that he did not want to simply follow the beaten track when it came to producing wine. So he travelled the world for two years and visited almost 200 wine regions. "I wanted to gain as much experience as possible, to see how wine is made elsewhere and find my own style," he explains, looking back on his ambitious career change.

Today he lives as an organic winegrower in the south of France. His wines are characterised by bold decisions and a penchant for rebellion. For example, by choosing to give his Merlot the name "L'idiot". What is that all about? It's a dig at the supposed wine connoisseurs who refuse to drink Merlot because they think it lacks complexity. The most famous example is Miles Raymond in the comedy "Sideways", especially his iconic outburst: "No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f*** Merlot!" Olivier Ramé shows that when a Merlot is naturally fermented and matured in concrete tanks, it is indisputably one of the finest wines on offer. One thing is for sure: if you serve this fine, lively wine, your guests will want to stay until the bottle is empty!

We love late summer! This is when the sun shines in warm golden tones, while the last summer flowers are in full bloom. There is already a hint of autumn in the clear morning air ... winegrowers live in constant awareness of nature. Austrian organic winegrower Christoph Edelbauer goes one step further. He has made this changeability his guiding principle. For example, by building a wine cellar that blends harmoniously into its surroundings and changes with them. The walls of the building are made of concrete dyed with iron oxide, so when it rains they turn a darker brown colour like damp earth, and when the sun shines the shade is paler and like the loess soil of the vineyard. While the rhythm of the seasons is by and large always the same, the individual notes sound a little different every year: "I love nature, its beauty, its power — but also its unpredictability," says Christoph Edelbauer. That is why he has rejected ordinary labels for his wine, opting instead for a screen printing process, so he can constantly create new designs. Because every year is unique and produces a unique wine.

The new rosé from Christoph Edelbauer invites you to take your time and enjoy the last warm days to the full. A smile, a sunny evening, fine food, friends and family ... what more could you want?