Melsolo

Melanie Kroeber pivoted from a career in media and economics to follow her original passions, first becoming a cheesemonger and then expanding her horizons into winemaking. Mel traveled for a year to different domaines (including multiple in Australia, 2Naturkinder, Kitzingen and La Garagista, Vermot) studying cheese and wine before ultimately moving to France to learn in Arbois and Galliac. 

Mel draws her inspiration from the lesser-celebrated Southwest region where she has settled, using native and often-forgotten varieties. The majority of the terroir is clay limestone at low elevation; farming is transitioning organic, and production is small. Grapes are hand-harvested early morning; all destemming takes place by hand, all stomping by foot. Macerations typically range from six days to three weeks, followed by pressing and aging in fiberglass tanks on fine lees for a minimum of seven months. No fining or filtration is used, and racking occurs only before bottling, which is done by hand. Each cuvée is an embodiment of Mel’s precision, intellect, and strive for perfection, creating wines that are refined expressions of the unique varieties and region they come from.