The glow up

This month is all about expectation versus reality. Familiar grapes in surprising places, famous regions showing a different side, and under-the-radar producers making wines with an abundance of personality.

Austria, Hungary, Spain, Uruguay, Corsica, and Chile are all showing up with wines that feel fresh, expressive, and a little unexpected. Think sparkling Grüner, dry Furmint, youthful Rioja, Uruguayan Albariño, Corsican rosé, and beautifully chaotic Chilean reds.

We can’t wait for you to try August’s lineup.

Cheers,
The Halfseas Team

Stift Klosterneuburg Grüner Veltliner Sparkling

Grape
Grüner Veltliner

Region
Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria

Retail
$30

Why it’s cool
Stift Klosterneuburg is Austria’s oldest winery, founded in 1114, and was Austria’s first climate-neutral winery. It also helped establish Austria’s wine education tradition, which is a casual little résumé for a bottle of bubbles.

Made from Austria’s signature white grape, this sparkling Grüner Veltliner comes from Klosterneuburg, just northwest of Vienna. Loess, clay, and weathered sandstone soils, combined with a cool continental climate, give the wine bright acidity, freshness, and Grüner’s classic white-pepper snap.

Why it’s here
Grüner Veltliner may be Austria’s calling card, but sparkling Grüner is a much less expected expression. It’s zippy, crisp, peppery, and ready to celebrate. The Austrian party guest who showed up in sneakers.

Try it with
Wiener schnitzel or Austrian potato salad

Evolúció Furmint 2022

Grape
Furmint

Region
Tokaj, northeastern Hungary

Retail
$22

Why it’s cool
Evolúció is part of a project focused on bringing indigenous Hungarian varieties into fresh, accessible styles. The producer partner is one of Tokaj’s oldest, with centuries of winemaking history behind it.

Furmint is a high-acid, mineral-driven grape that lands somewhere between dry Riesling and Chenin Blanc: bright, versatile, and seriously food-friendly. In Tokaj, ancient volcanic soils like rhyolite, andesite, basalt, and loess add mineral complexity and keep the wine electric.

Why it’s here
Tokaj is famous for sweet wines, but dry Furmint is the region’s underrated side hustle. This one is citrusy, mineral, mouthwatering, and much more fun than people expect. The nerdy kid who turns out to be wildly fun.

Try it with
Hungarian lángos with sour cream and garlic

Bodegas Bagordi “Navardia” Tinto Joven 2023

Grapes
Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Graciano

Region
Rioja Alavesa, Spain

Retail
$25

Why it’s cool
Bagordi is a family-owned Rioja winery committed to ecological farming, and Navardia is made specifically to showcase youthful, fruit-forward Rioja rather than oak-heavy aging.

The wine comes from Rioja Alavesa in northern Spain, near the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria. Higher elevation and continental influence help preserve acidity while still allowing the grapes to ripen fully. The result is juicy, spicy, fresh, and completely uninterested in wearing a suit.

Why it’s here
Rioja usually makes people think oak, age, and vanilla. Navardia asks a much better question: what if we just drank the fruit? It’s Rioja’s fun younger sibling.

Try it with
Chorizo grilled over a fire

FAAAA! Albariño 2025 | 6-bottle exclusive

Grape
100% Albariño

Region
Canelones, Uruguay

Retail
$26

Why it’s cool
The Deicas family began planting Albariño in Uruguay in 2009 and now has about 12 acres dedicated to the variety. This bottle comes from a single vineyard in Juanicó, in Canelones, just north of Montevideo.

Chalky-clay soils and nearby coastal influence create slow ripening, natural acidity, and a salty mineral edge. Albariño already brings citrus and freshness, but in Uruguay it picks up extra texture and a bright coastal snap.

Why it’s here
Albariño from Uruguay is not the obvious move, which is exactly why we like it. It’s an unexpected coastal expression of a grape most people associate with Galicia. Galicia’s adventurous cousin who moved to Uruguay: citrusy, salty, juicy, and ridiculously refreshing.

Try it with
Uruguayan grilled prawns or seafood parrillada

Domaine Vetriccie Île de Beauté Rosé 2025 | 6-bottle exclusive

Grapes
Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, and Grenache

Region
Île de Beauté, Corsica

Retail
$20

Why it’s cool
The Barcelo family has been producing wine at Domaine Vetriccie for nearly 60 years, farming roughly 120 hectares of sustainably managed vineyards between the Corsican mountains and the sea.

This rosé comes from Île de Beauté, the mountainous Mediterranean island southeast of mainland France. Warm sunshine, cool nights, and sea breezes preserve freshness and give the wine a subtle saline character. It has the easy-drinking charm of Provençal rosé, but with a distinctly Corsican accent.

Why it’s here
Corsica’s indigenous grapes make this much more than generic French rosé. It’s sunny, juicy, crisp, slightly salty, and has just enough attitude. Rosé with a passport.

Try it with
Grilled whole fish with lemon and herbs

Lomas de Llahuen “Desorden de Tintos” | 6-bottle exclusive

Grapes
50% País, 15% Syrah, 15% Garnacha, 10% Cinsault, 10% Cariñena

Region
Itata Valley, Chile

Retail
$26

Why it’s cool
Lomas de Llahuen is based in Chile’s historic Itata Valley, a region known for old-vine, dry-farmed vineyards and traditional varieties. “Desorden” means “disorder” or “chaos,” but here it’s used in a playful, artistic sense: expressive, unstructured, and full of personality.

This traditional Chilean red blend comes from south-central Chile, inland from the Pacific. Dry-farmed, old-vine vineyards and cooler coastal influence make for fresh, earthy, rustic reds with plenty of character.

Why it’s here
Itata is one of Chile’s oldest and most overlooked wine regions, and this bottle is a chance to explore Chile beyond Cabernet and Carmenère. It’s beautiful chaos in a bottle: juicy, rustic, earthy, and gloriously unpolished.

Try it with
Chilean empanadas de pino

Looking for past lineups? We got you.

REMINDERS

• As always, our food suggestions are just starting points. Wine is nostalgic and we’re big fans of making what you like, drinking what you like, and not giving a damn if they “go” together.

• Email us at info@halfseaswine.com to buy more single bottles or a 12-bottle case with special pricing.

• Wine pairs best with friends. Tell your friends.