Local wine importer Vine Farmer celebrates the disrupters in the industry.
Winemakers Luca Faccenda and Carolina Roggero farm Nebbiolo grapes at Vigna Valmaggiore.
Jace Chaffee, founder of the wine import company Vine Farmer (vfwines.com) is like a fan who joined the band. As a young professional, he worked in life sciences at various startups in the biotech and pharma industry, but he spent his free time and disposable income on wine. He’d hang out in Manhattan and discover what was being poured, his travels were European wine trips, he graduated from Boston University’s wine studies program for fun, gaining his certification, and eventually passed The Court of Master Sommeliers in 2014 to become a level two Certified Sommelier. The more entrenched in the wine industry he became, the more he realized that he should be a player and not an outsider looking in. “Around 2015 I started to fantasize about being in the industry full-time,” says Chaffee.
Founder Jace Chaffee.
And then he noticed something. In the shadows of the legendary industry names were regions that were hotbeds for younger producers coming up, disrupters who were doing things differently. Chaffee understood then that this was what he could build his business around. “I respect the legends but what was coming down the pike was more exciting. The deeper I went with the narrative, the richer the whole thing got. There was more opportunity than I could have imagined,” he says.
Female winemaker Chiara Condello’s vineyard in Predappio where she makes Sangiovese.
After several years of compliance, licensing and building a portfolio, Vine Farmer was launched in 2020. His brother Kaden, another wine lover who was laid off during the pandemic, also jumped on board. The brothers import wines mostly from Italy with a strong focus on the Piedmont region from winemakers who prioritize authenticity above all else. The brand’s ethos is to bring wines to the states that are singular in their expression of land and vintage. Chaffee imports the creations of farmers, people who regularly touch their vines and care for their land naturally resulting in biodiversity and balanced grapes. He celebrates the emerging names who are pushing the boundaries, doing things their way and risking it all for their wine. Currently, Vine Farmer delivers to roughly 100 high-end restaurants and stores in the state, places like Contessa, Urban Hearth, Haley Henry, SRV, Streetcar, Formaggio, the Urban Grape and Neighborhood Wines.
Of course, Chaffee’s goal is to sell wine. But he also wants to tell stories, both of the farmers and of their vines, to which they feel so connected. He yearns to spread the tales of the winemakers he admires and respects, hoping to gain many more fans along the way.
Photography by: BY JACE CHAFEE, DAUN CHAFFEE
