Seeking beauty in artisanal wines
What is MVA?
The mission of MVA (Maison Vernhes Alliance) is to discover the most delightful and original artisanal wines from the best wine-producing regions in the world and share them with a wider audience — all at a fair price. If you’re looking to go beyond predictable and overpriced wines, MVA is for you. The wine universe is mysterious and always expanding. Trying to find something new and delicious can feel like looking for life outside the solar system. But there is life out there.
MVA members receive seasonal collections of six artisanal wine collaborations. Each wine is chosen after passing through our rigorous blind tasting selection process, conducted every 3 months at Maison Vernhes in Tuscany. Crucially, each wine is sourced directly from the producer. This means we’re not limited to wines that have already been imported. By importing the wines ourselves we ensure fair prices for our members.
Members can choose to receive one or two cases per collection. A handful of extra bottles will be set aside so individual favorites can be reordered for as long as the limited supply lasts. Once featured, a wine will never be included in future collections. The adventure continues.
What is Maison Vernhes?
Maison Vernhes is a farmhouse on a hillside in Val d’Orcia, a corner of Tuscany where the magical landscape has inspired artists for centuries. It’s here that - all year long - we receive wine samples from artisanal vineyards scouted by our network of enthusiasts around the world. And it is there that - every 3 months - we put these samples through our ritual blind tasting week for selection.
With its free and open views over the countryside, the Maison symbolizes the clear-headed integrity that we put into the curation process. Participants include the founders of MVA (the Elders), winemakers of previously selected wines, guest chefs we admire, and a couple of invited MVA members. The maximum number of participants at a given blind tasting day is eight. You never want too many cooks in the kitchen (and the farmhouse only has eight bedrooms!)
At the end of the week, we’ll have selected a list of six cuvées, and we’ll order from their producers as much as they have left. Since these are artisanal wines, quantities will always be limited. This is why membership to MVA must be capped.
Where are the wines from?
The first three collections are anchored in France and Italy, focused on regions where wine production is inspired and ambitious. Starting with the fourth collection, we’ll expand to new worlds and dive deeper into old. Once selected, each wine is imported directly from the producer. One thing we know from our tastings so far is that there will be no shortage of fairly priced artisanal wines ready for their turn in the spotlight. We’re proud to help get them there.
Why are we doing this?
Everyone wants beauty in their life, but finding it takes perpetual exploration and a little help from others. At MVA, we seek beauty in the world’s most thrilling artisanal wines, and our mission is to share the fruits of that quest with you. We believe that wine is all about sharing — sharing moments, sharing friendships, and sharing the satisfaction that comes from tasting a beautiful and original wine for the first time.
That’s why our ambitions go beyond curation and are rooted in community. We strive to create a community of wine lovers who can help each other experience more beauty, more often.
Speaking of community…
Our vision is to make you a part of MVA, not just a fan. As a wine lover, you probably know a few wines that encapsulate the qualities we’re looking for. You probably even maintain a list of them. We want to harness your passion and the collective passion of MVA and spread it amongst all our members, rewarding those members who are most willing to share. Our upcoming mobile app will be the tool that gets us there, making it clear why we call MVA an alliance.
Who we are…
MVA and Maison Vernhes were founded by Laurent Vernhes. In 2000, Laurent co-founded Tablet Hotels (TabletHotels.com), an unbiased, expert-curated selection of the world’s most unique and extraordinary hotels. Sound familiar? In 2018, Tablet was acquired by Michelin, becoming the official hotel selection and hotel booking platform for the MICHELIN Guide.
The grandson of a winemaker from the southwest of France, Laurent’s mission is to do with artisanal wines what he’s done successfully with independent hotels: discover little-known gems and share them with fellow enthusiasts. In his own words:
“Winemaking is an art form that relies on love and respect for nature and the land. It’s not about using any means necessary to match a perceived popular taste. In its purest essence, winemaking is about artisan vine growers who dig deep into their souls to create elegant, honest, balanced, and beautiful expressions of the terroir. This is what we aim to celebrate with MVA.”
Go to our collections