Owner/Winemaker, Wild Arc Farm, Pine Bush, NY
Grapes of trash
Cavallo sent ripples through America’s beverage industry when he crafted an age-old, “waste-based” drink called piquette at his sustainable farm winery in New York’s Hudson Valley. He became the first producer to make a commercial version in the U.S. Created by pressing leftover grape pomace, the low-alcohol pour made fast fans of consumers and fellow winegrowers, and a dozen or so wineries across the U.S. soon began planning similar releases. Cavallo has also proven he’s no one-hit-wonder, with equally enticing bottlings that include a carbonic Marquette and Cab Franc rosé. —Inset photo by Alfie Alcantara