Meet Pineau d’Aunis: the obscure, peppery Loire Valley grape that once captured the heart of English royalty. Producing pale, light-bodied, energetic red wines bursting with wild raspberry, watermelon, and a signature crack of white pepper, it is the ultimate substantive alternative to rosé. Dive into the fascinating medieval history of this grape—connected to Eleanor of Aquitaine herself—and discover the low-intervention producers spearheading its modern revival.

Why are we so obsessed with epic medieval fantasies like Game of Thrones or The Witcher? They give us a simple, cathartic narrative—a hero’s journey where hard work yields a clear reward. It turns out that Nouveau wine, most famously Beaujolais Nouveau, offers that exact same brain candy. Traditionally rushed to tables immediately after harvest, these fresh, quaffable wines were born to fuel humanity's oldest unbroken tradition: the harvest festival. Take a journey back 12,000 years to discover how Nouveau wine satisfies our deepest ancestral needs for community, survival, and pure joy.