08/28/2024
My career/obsession with wine started 13 years ago. I knew essentially nothing about the beverage itself, but what I did know is that it brought people together. A bottle of wine is something that is meant to be shared - perhaps more than any other beverage. The format of a wine is intended to be on the table, often with food, and people to share it with,
When I think about my favorite bottles of wine I think of the people I shared them with and the time and place it was shared. Really good wine is really good, but it becomes excellent and unforgettable in the right company.
The number of wine people who have given me life over the last 13 years is countless - importers, servers, winemakers, bartenders, wine shop owners, guests/customers, sales reps, etc. Every now and then those people are people I have never had a personal relationship with. One of those people was Justin Chearno. Justin was a founder and wine director for the Four Horsemen, one of the most important natural wine spaces in the country (and the world). We've communicated over the years, but our paths never crossed. Last Thursday, at only 54, Justin unexpectedly passed away. For many of us who have worked in natural wine, Justin was the north star. Throughout the years I have listened to literally every podcast where he was interviewed and read every article with or about him. Whenever anyone I knew would talk to me about him, they would have the best things to say, even the most jaded people in the industry who don't love it anymore. He was the guy we all wanted to be.
He was respected and beloved by all. He was a champion for these wines, without pretense or ego. He was the validator, the person whose palate drove the nation. If he bought it, every NYC natural wine bar would have it within a couple weeks. He was the conductor, and so many that are revered were simply passengers on his train. And he would never accept that. But it's true.
He would taste with anyone; any new importer or sales rep. He would taste the wines from any new producer eagerly. He would meet at 8:30 am to taste wines with folks struggling to find a buyer for their wines. He was generous with his time. He was excited about wine, and despite all he knew, he was still curious. He was never jaded, or bitter. Never a know-it-all. He was never rude to sales people. He was beloved by all because what he did, what he stood for, and how he conducted himself was anomalous in wine. He was, again, beloved by all. Wine, unfortunately, attracts egos. They stick out sorely. Justin was known for not having an ego.
When I would read/listen to interviews with him there were so many notes that would sit with me; they'd resonate. He ran the wine program for what many would consider the most important spot for natural wine in the United States and yet I couldn't name a single person who has a similar reputation for humility and curiosity. Wine buyers love to brag about allocations - wine that they get that no one else can get. Justin did the opposite. I listened to an interview where he said he wouldn't ask for a wine he wasn't offered, and wouldn't be offended if he wasn't offered it, because he knew there were other people who bought more from that importer and deserved the wine. This was coming from the guy who ran what is considered by many as the best wine program in the country! In tandem, he talked about his favorite wine moments and how they have always been about sharing and discovering new and up-and-coming producers, not just the wines that everyone already knows about and covets. Without hyperbole, I think about these things every day when putting together the selection of wine at Golden Hour.
I'll never forget the day that two members of Justin's team at Four Horsemen came into Golden Hour and told me that Justin would love the shop. It was a really proud moment for me to think that someone I had looked up to for years might feel that way.
This has been a really sad and grounding week for the natural wine world. I know it is all I have been able to think about. So, today's tasting is in honor of Justin. We'll be tasting wines that I have in the shop that are presently represented on his, sadly, final Four Horsemen wine list. I hope more than anything we can gather together in a crowded room to share some great wines, from young producers that don't have hype surrounding them (but are really, really good), and just enjoy them as they are, and our time together. Today is important.
Very much hope to see you,
Heather
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