La Cadière-d'Azur · Bandol, Provence, France
The Tournier family
Six generations, one family, and a single hilltop village above the Mediterranean Sea. After Henri and Geneviève Tournier returned to their roots in 1989, their son, Guilhem, established his own path in 2004 at La Malissonne—the parcel his grandfather once farmed.
Guilhem's approach is defined by the "slow way": sixty-five-year-old vines, hand-harvesting, horse-drawn plowing, and biodynamic farming. By focusing on a blend that is 95% Mourvèdre - Bandol's king grape - he captures the power and distinctive garrigue-scented depth of Bandol.
"The first time I tasted with the Tournier's, the cicadas were singing right outside the cellar. Their wine is that place, in a glass." — Jon Tollefson
Vilobí del Penedès · Catalonia, Spain
Josep, Teresa & Arnau
In 1985, sixteen-year-old Josep Mitjans did what no one in four generations of his family had done before: he kept his grapes. By producing one thousand bottles of sparkling wine and aging them in his family's Spanish Civil War-era air-raid shelter beneath his farmhouse, he ended the family's tradition of selling their harvest in bulk. He named the winery Loxarel, an anagram of Xarel·lo, the iconic grape of the Penedès region.
Alongside his wife, Teresa Nin—who brought her own family's mountain vineyards into the project— and son, Arnau, Josep Mitjans farms his land biodynamically. By blending grapes from the limestone lowlands of Vilobí with those from the high-mountain plots at El Plà de Manlleu, the couple has successfully revived Catalonia's ancestral winemaking traditions, most notably the use of traditional, beeswax-lined clay amphorae. To this day, his finest bottles still rest in the bunker, aging in the dark for sixty months.
"When a family makes wine, and not a large production factory, you can taste the quality." — Jon Tollefson
The Importer
Jon Tollefson
My wine journey began in 2005 in France's Loire Valley, where I first discovered the joy of sharing European wine with family and friends. Over the past twenty years, I have dedicated myself to expanding my wine knowledge and experience. I am certified through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and am currently pursuing my Level 4 Diploma.
I have a passion for the Mediterranean. While living in Nice in 2007 & 2008, I learned from a local merchant who balanced a unique business model: he provided the finest wines to famous visitors while also offering excellent, accessible regional wines to the rest of us. It was there that I first discovered the complex flavors and aromas of the Mourvèdre grape cultivated in Bandol, a small coastal region in southern France. Since then, I have spent time getting to know winemakers at their homes and estates, and I am excited to share their authentic expressions of terroir with you.
Many people assume that all French wine is inherently fancy and expensive. While that may be true for certain prestigious estates, most French families expect affordable, high-quality wine for their daily meals and their biggest celebrations. Great wine doesn't have to be expensive.
The families I have grown to know share their wine with the world like a badge of pride or a love letter. I founded this company to share their gifts with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Set a place at your table.
Every membership is a direct line to a family estate that the big markets pass over. Help support small family, eco-friendly wine makers.
La Cadière-d'Azur · Bandol, Provence, France
The Tournier family
Six generations, one family, and a single hilltop village above the Mediterranean Sea. After Henri and Geneviève Tournier returned to their roots in 1989, their son, Guilhem, established his own path in 2004 at La Malissonne—the parcel his grandfather once farmed.
Guilhem's approach is defined by the "slow way": sixty-five-year-old vines, hand-harvesting, horse-drawn plowing, and biodynamic farming. By focusing on a blend that is 95% Mourvèdre - Bandol's king grape - he captures the power and distinctive garrigue-scented depth of Bandol.
"The first time I tasted with the Tournier's, the cicadas were singing right outside the cellar. Their wine is that place, in a glass." — Jon Tollefson
Vilobí del Penedès · Catalonia, Spain
Josep, Teresa & Arnau
In 1985, sixteen-year-old Josep Mitjans did what no one in four generations of his family had done before: he kept his grapes. By producing one thousand bottles of sparkling wine and aging them in his family's Spanish Civil War-era air-raid shelter beneath his farmhouse, he ended the family's tradition of selling their harvest in bulk. He named the winery Loxarel, an anagram of Xarel·lo, the iconic grape of the Penedès region.
Alongside his wife, Teresa Nin—who brought her own family's mountain vineyards into the project— and son, Arnau, Josep Mitjans farms his land biodynamically. By blending grapes from the limestone lowlands of Vilobí with those from the high-mountain plots at El Plà de Manlleu, the couple has successfully revived Catalonia's ancestral winemaking traditions, most notably the use of traditional, beeswax-lined clay amphorae. To this day, his finest bottles still rest in the bunker, aging in the dark for sixty months.
"When a family makes wine, and not a large production factory, you can taste the quality." — Jon Tollefson
The Importer
Jon Tollefson
My wine journey began in 2005 in France's Loire Valley, where I first discovered the joy of sharing European wine with family and friends. Over the past twenty years, I have dedicated myself to expanding my wine knowledge and experience. I am certified through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and am currently pursuing my Level 4 Diploma.
I have a passion for the Mediterranean. While living in Nice in 2007 & 2008, I learned from a local merchant who balanced a unique business model: he provided the finest wines to famous visitors while also offering excellent, accessible regional wines to the rest of us. It was there that I first discovered the complex flavors and aromas of the Mourvèdre grape cultivated in Bandol, a small coastal region in southern France. Since then, I have spent time getting to know winemakers at their homes and estates, and I am excited to share their authentic expressions of terroir with you.
Many people assume that all French wine is inherently fancy and expensive. While that may be true for certain prestigious estates, most French families expect affordable, high-quality wine for their daily meals and their biggest celebrations. Great wine doesn't have to be expensive.
The families I have grown to know share their wine with the world like a badge of pride or a love letter. I founded this company to share their gifts with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Set a place at your table.
Every membership is a direct line to a family estate that the big markets pass over. Help support small family, eco-friendly wine makers.