I continue to love tasting with the small, artisanal importers in the US, and this brief report focuses on the latest releases from Hand Picked Selections out of Washington, DC. Founded in 1985 by Dan Kravitz, Hand Picked Selections has consistently championed smaller growers, family-owned wineries, and top co-ops throughout Europe, and I’ve always been happy to review their wines. The company was recently purchased by Sunil Khanna and business partner Chris Desor, who both have a history with the company. Sunil has worked closely with Dan at Hand Picked Selections over the past 14 years and Chris has been working with the company since 2020. Dan continues to stay on board, and based on this tasting, there have certainly been no massive changes or any drop in quality.
The vast majority of these wines were tasted at the Hand Picked Selections office in DC earlier this year, with a few last-minute samples reviewed in my office in Colorado.