One of the most beloved figures in the California natural wine movement is opening her first tasting room.
Martha Stoumen Wines, a small Sonoma County label that highlights offbeat Italian grape varieties farmed organically with minimal additives or intervention, will open its doors Thursday in downtown Healdsburg. It’s the first major investment enabled by Martha Stoumen Wines joining the Overshine Collective, a new company with major financial backing that also includes the wineries Reeve, Idlewild, Comunitá and Overshine.
The space also marks the latest high-profile opening in downtown Healdsburg, which recently added a luxury hotel and tasting room for a prestigious Pinot Noir producer. Martha Stoumen Wines is the downtown’s first destination solely dedicated to natural wines. “We make grapes that people don’t have a strong reference point for,” said founder Martha Stoumen, like the inky southern Italian Negroamaro and the peppery Sicilian Nero d’Avola.
Stoumen has wanted to open a tasting room for years, but prior to the Overshine acquisition lacked the necessary capital. She hopes that the six-wine flight ($40) at the walk-in-friendly venue will be a helpful introduction. The initial lineup will include her citrusy Vermentino, earthy Syrah and other pours. Customers can also order any of those by the glass ($16-$19), or choose from a more extensive bottle list ($29-$70)…