North American Press

Matt Niess worked alongside Eric Sussman @ Radio-Coteau for almost 10 years before starting his own project, North American Press. Over the years, Matt became curious about working with native grapes and had a lot of unanswered questions: 

Why are these grapes stigmatized? And should they be? Can authentic American wine be more than just European grapes planted in American soil? Shouldn’t we be utilizing these naturally mildew-resistant vines? What would these wines be like to taste when responsibly farmed in world class terriors and treated in the cellar with the same attention European grapes receive?

North American Press is a project from California that attempts to answer some of these important questions regarding our own American grapes and their associated hybrids. Matt is crafting transparent wines and co-ferments without the use of any sprays and showing that great American wine, even in California, can (and maybe even should) include some our own “ignoble" grapes.