At the vanguard of sustainability in an era of climate change and uncertainty, Deirdre Heekin launched Domaine La Garagista Farm and Winery in 2007 with a mission of caring for her lands - orchards, farms, gardens and vineyards from plots in the Green Mountains and the Lake Champlain River Valley - in creative and natural ways with plantings of cold hardy hybrid grape vines and cross pollinations between European wine grapes and varietals that are indigenous to the northeast.

Flora, an Alpine Solera Rosé is part of a project called ‘Lost Causes and Desperate Cases,’ a collaboration between La Garagista and disciple/partner, Camila Carrillo of La Montañuela. 100% Frontenac Gris, a cold-hardy and pink-fleshed hybrid bred in the labs of the University of Minnesota, the fruit is picked and sorted by hand before fermenting with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in glass demijohns where flor, a film of yeast develops like Fino Sherry, before being transferred to a 100-year-old Amontillado barrel from Jerez for two years. Reminiscent of Vin Jaune, the nose shows off handsome and robust oxidation while the palate swims with layered herbal and botanical notes punctuated by under ripe peach, mandarin peel, minerality and pronounced salinity. This incredibly vibrant wine pairs perfectly alongside Tarentaise - a semi-firm cheese from Vermont made in an Alpine style using raw cow’s milk or Spanish-inspired tapas.