Wild Bush "Star Pilot" Nero d'Avola, Bush, Louisiana 2024

FROM WILD BUSH:

THE WINE: 100% Nero d'Avola. Bright-eyed and ready for launch. We took Nero d’Avola and gave it the semi-carbonic treatment, so instead of brooding and heavy, it’s all lift and propulsion.

Think crushed blackberry with that faint herbal edge that keeps it interesting. The tannins are soft, the vibe is electric, and there’s just enough structure to keep it from floating off into space.

THE PRODUCER: Southeast Louisiana’s premiere vineyard and winery, Pontchartrain Vineyards, has been purchased by Neil Gernon and Monica Bourgeois of Wild Bush Farm + Vineyard. Monica and Neil have extensive history in the Louisiana wine market, dating back to their starts within the New Orleans restaurant arena, before moving on to retail wine management, then wine distribution, before starting their first wine company out of California, Vending Machine Wines.

When we realized Pontchartrain Vineyards was for sale, instinctively we were curious. Quarantine had given us the rare opportunity to take stock in what we wanted for our future, and we found ourselves investing our time in ways to better ourselves and our quality of life. LSU had offered an online gardening course that basically set everything in motion as we found ourselves more drawn to learning about self sufficiency and sustainability within our community, and the desire to be more involved in the creation of something fresh and interesting in Louisiana. And while we know the path to winemaking is a bit of a struggle in Southeast Louisiana, we feel the time is right and people are open to trying new styles of wines, and that we have the support of the community to be those people to bring a new perspective to this business.