With one eye on making stellar organic wines and the other on uplifting women entrepreneurs, Mary Anna Ossa, Founder and Proprietor of Partners and Grapes, announced today the availability of their wine portfolio to several new cities in South Carolina, including Columbia, Greenville, and Charleston. This announcement builds on the recent expansion of Partners and Grapes to the North Carolina market.
The wines under the Partners and Grapes label include a refreshing White, a robust Red Blend, and a crisp Rosé, which is set to debut later this year. Each wine is certified 100% organic by the Catalan Council of the Organic Production (CCPAE) and vegan by the European Vegetarian Union (EVU). The result is expressive, elegant wines without a nasty headache the next day.
“We have worked tirelessly over the last two years to make the perfect organic wines, using minimal intervention farming techniques and no additives. We have found the perfect source of grapes and combined them with traditional winemaking techniques to produce wines that are excellent paired with food or on their own,” said Mary Anna.
The inspiration behind Partners and Grapes came during a family vacation to Spain.
“My family and I had gone to Spain on vacation, and one evening, my friend Nathalie and I went out for tapas and wine. Midway through our conversation, we joked about how bad we would feel the next day after only drinking two glasses of wine,” said Mary Anna.
What started as a conversation between two friends quickly emerged as a vision to create high-quality wines with a healthier and cleaner wine-drinking experience.
“Many wines today are made with added sugar and sulfites that contribute to day-after headaches. We are on a mission to create wines without the additives to create a more elegant and cleaner wine.”
To qualify as organic, the winery must meet strict conditions during the production, processing, transportation, and storage process. The Catalan Council of the Organic Production monitors each step to ensure compliance. Wines certified as organic must contain at least 95% organic ingredients, and the same ingredient cannot be present in organic and non-organic forms. This tight quality control ensures that Spanish wines are genuinely organic, which also meets the strict guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) own organic standard.
Launching a wine company during a pandemic is risky, and deciding to pursue 100% organic certification would make a seasoned vintner nervous. However, it illustrates Mary Anna’s passion beyond winemaking; her journey serves as inspiration and a platform to support and uplift women worldwide, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and turn them into reality.
“In addition to making wine, I wanted to create a platform to support women worldwide and celebrate their achievements. I believe it is never too late to go after what you want, and amazing things can happen when we all come together and support one another,” said Mary Anna.
Before launching Partners and Grapes, Mary Anna worked for over 20 years in sales and marketing. She now loves traveling and spending time with her family seeking new destinations and adventures. Mary Anna is also pursuing her lifelong dream of writing a novel.
For distribution or to learn more about where to buy Partners and Grapes wines, please contact Mary Anna Ossa via email or phone.
2020 WHITE – AVAILABLE NOW
The 2020 White is made with organic Xarel-lo grapes native to the Penedes region in Catalonia, Spain, and is certified organic and vegan by the CCPAE and EVU.
Upon harvest, grape skin contact is macerated at 46 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve aroma and flavor. Batonnage (stirring) of the fine lees in stainless steel tanks occurs for three months to help the wine gain structure and unctuosity. No sugar is added.
The result is a delightful, balanced, fruity wine with aromas of citrus and orange blossom; the taste is fresh, with notes of peach, mango, and elegant minerality.
2020 RED BLEND – AVAILABLE NOW
The 2020 Red Blend is made with selected grapes located in the Alt Penedes region in Catalonia, Spain, where the average altitude is 1,150 feet above sea level.
The grapes are de-stemmed and slightly crushed upon harvest before cold skin maceration. Fermentation lasts for 16 days at 73 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by malolactic fermentation.
The blend is 85% Tempranillo and 15% Syrah and is aged for four months in second-year French Oak barrels.
The blend is 85% Tempranillo and 15% Syrah and is aged for four months in second-year French Oak barrels. The result is a lively nose of red fruits with hints of truffles and sweet spices. On the palate, it’s fresh, silky, and structured.
2021 ROSÉ – AVAILABLE IN LATE 2022
The 2021 Rosé, an equal blend of half Tempranillo and half Garnacha, is a fun and versatile wine guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser among casual wine drinkers to oenophiles alike. Similar to the White and Red Blend, the Rosé is certified organic by the CCPAE and vegan by EVU. No sugar or sulfites are added.
Upon harvest, skin-contact maceration is at 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit. After fermentation, the juice is bled off the skins (the saignée method) and takes place in stainless steel tanks at 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit. On the nose, expressive floral aromas (rose, violet) with hints of strawberry and cherry. The palate is intense and slightly unctuous, exhibiting notes of fresh red fruits.
ABOUT PARTNERS AND GRAPES
Partners and Grapes is a Latina and Woman-owned boutique wine company on a mission to create a cleaner and healthier wine-drinking experience. Located in Fort Mill, South Carolina, all wines are made with 100% organic grapes as certified by the Catalan Council of the Organic Production (CCPAE) in Spain. The wines are imported and distributed to retailers in South Carolina.
For more information about Partners and Grapes, visit their website.
For more about the wines, click here for the Red Wine tech sheet and the White Wine tech sheet.
Follow on Instagram @partnersandgrapes.
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