The inspiring projects of Les Lunes and Populis were started in 2014 by four UC Davis grads: Shaunt Oungoulian, Diego Roig, Sam Baron, and Martha Stoumen. Before long, Sam and Martha split off to start their own projects, but Shaunt and Diego have continued with their venture and continue to make delectable wines under one simple principle – good wine is made in the vineyard.

The dynamic duo spends most of their time in their leased vineyards, employing proper ecological farming techniques to preserve the indigenous microbes on the grapes from their naturally farmed soil: these grapes are then used for the Les Lunes wines. They also buy grapes from farmers practicing with the same mindset for the Populis label. With the spotlight centered on the vineyards, there is minimal intervention in the cellar and the resulting wines contain a mosaic of flavors bursting with lively energy.

While both the Les Lunes and Populis projects have the same holistic wine making mentality, the main difference lies in their final products. Les Lunes wines generally have longer macerations and a serious air surrounding them, with fine acidity and grainy tannins; they benefit from cellaring or decanting, and ask to be approached with contemplation and a nice meal. By contrast, the Populis wines are fresh, expressive and ready to be enjoyed right away by anyone, without breaking the bank. The cellar of Les Lunes and Populis is located in the basement of Shaunt’s parents home in Orinda and easily allows Shaunt and Diego to cellar their wines until they believe them to be ready for public consumption.

Shaunt and Diego have an impressive combined experience of working with legendary winemakers, including Julie Balany (Beaujolais), Giusto Occhipinti (Sicily), and Philippe Valette (Burgundy), and are producing wine that I look forward to tasting year after year. Not only are the wines stunning, but I await with pleasure each time I meet up with Shaunt as it gives me yet another chance to try and beat this scratch golfer. I’ve also been told that Diego has an insane kick serve that, being a lefty, will kick right into a very uncomfortable spot for my backhand (think Rafael Nadal). Next time we meet, I plan to bring along my racket to see if the legends are true.

Cheers,

Jean-Paul

Here is what we currently have in stock:

Populis:
2018 French Colombard Pét-nat - $24 (out)
2020 Mendocino County Rosé - $23
2020 Mendocino County Sauvignon Blanc - $23 (out)

Les Lunes:
2019 Barra Vineyard Chardonnay - $29 (out)
2020 Astral Blend - $25
2018 Zinfandel - $30 (out)
2017 Cabernet and Merlot - $40