10 Small Producers to Support Right Now

When we visit Oliviera Sant’Angelo on our Tuscany biking trip, the owner’s mother cooks lunch that’s served under the olive trees just outside the mill. The meal is comprised of prosciutto that’s been aged in the estate’s cellar, veggies from the garden, and pecorino produced mere kilometers down the road. It’s one of the few remaining examples of Tuscany’s self-sufficient, rural family farms that date back thousands of years. Keeping Sant’Angelo in business is truly an act of cultural preservation. Their olive oil shines on its own over grilled vegetables or as a simple salad dressing with nothing more than flaky salt. We recommend buying a dozen or more and giving the beautiful tin bottles as a gift for any occasion.

Marin French Cheese Company is the longest continually operated creamery in the United States, and uses the same techniques and traditions introduced by its founders in 1865. Instead of heading to your chain grocer, place an order for their truffled brie, camembert, or creamy schloss. Then, practice safe social distancing and host a virtual après velo with friends: prepare a picnic like our guides and make a mean cheeseboard.

We love Chêne Bleu—producer of whites, reds, and rosés—because of its sustainable, symbiotic environment which includes vineyards, olive groves, apiaries, and vegetable gardens. It’s the setting for a wine tasting on our 4-Day Provence cycling tour, but the variety of wines works just as well for an at-home apéritif. Pick up a bottle of the family-owned estate’s Côtes du Ventoux rosé from this small online retailer, and find one of Chêne Bleu’s red blends here. As you sip, envision the terroir: high-altitude vineyards basking in the Provençal sunshine, encircled by centuries-old oak trees and the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains. You may find yourself transported to the Rhône Valley using your imagination alone, which will make an eventual visit to Provence so much sweeter.

MacRostie’s reasonably priced wines are a great expression of California wine country. Every single biking trip DuVine takes to Napa and Sonoma pays a visit to MacRostie’s estate and tasting room, which are temporarily closed in accordance with California’s stay-at-home orders. You can continue to support wine production by purchasing from them directly online. Stock up on Chardonnay for all your virtual happy hours, or purchase one of MacRostie’s Pinot Noirs to save for a rainy day. Their vines are planted across Napa and Sonoma—from the coast to the Russian River Valley to Carneros—which means MacRostie wines offer a great breadth if you want to get acquainted with California varietals from wherever you are in the world. Shipping is available to most of the U.S.

In addition to hosting a cooking class on DuVine’s Puglia bike trip, Masseria Salamina runs a farm, olive oil mill, and farmhouse hotel. They produce a range of products, from jams to soaps to jarred sauces. Another reason to love Masseria Salamina is their advocacy work on behalf of Italy’s farmers—a group of people whose importance is emerging now more than ever, and who keep delivering the beautiful products that Puglia is known for. This family-run business is taking orders via email for their most popular olive oils, including their Apluvia: a style of oil cultivated since ancient times, with flavors of fresh grass, almond, and artichoke. Pad your pantry with a three-liter can for about $40 USD.

Coffee culture meets the cycling world at this Southern California roaster owned by two former pro riders. Our California guides suggest recreating an essential café stop from our Santa Barbara tour by brewing a cup at home after a spin on your Peloton, training bike, or other stationary cycling workout. Handlebar is offering free priority shipping in the United States on all orders over $25—or, sign up for their subscription program and stay well-stocked while you’re at home. Whether you take an espresso or a cup brewed in your Chemex, every bag of Handlebar’s single-source beans and blends supports a small business.

Towards the end of our cycling tour in Napa Valley, we make a surprising stop in California wine country: a micro-brewery. In the sweet small town of St. Helena, a tasting at Mad Fritz provides a break from all the Pinot Noirs and California Cabs. Small business owner Nile Zacherle brews right in Napa Valley, and offers exclusive memberships for first-taste access to his innovative pilsners, IPAs, ales, and stouts. While their taproom is closed due to COVID-19 and the local bars and restaurants that normally pour Mad Fritz have suspended service, the brewery ships within California and is offering curbside pickup in St. Helena. Read more about Mad Fritz.

Thanks to a robust online shop, it’s easy to support Moulin Castelas, a husband-and-wife producer we visit near the perched village of Les Baux-de-Provence. Their AOP-certified aromatic oils add something special to your stay-at-home culinary creations: try the basil and mint blend drizzled on a watermelon and feta salad, or use the espelette pepper oil to make marinated beans from your stock of canned goods. Their creamy lavender honey evokes the aromatic summertime fields of France, or you can shop a selection of hand-crafted housewares to bring some Provençal flair into your home—we love the olive wood bread basket for all your newfound adventures in baking.

The most memorable lunch of our Umbria Bike Tour takes place at Enoteca Properzio, where the owner, Roberto, personally shaves hand-selected truffles over plates of fresh pasta. Roberto retails Umbrian products online, so you can bring the region’s culinary heritage into your home kitchen. Try his salsa tartufata, a mix of black truffle and mushrooms, on pasta and bruschetta, or make ceci di Spello—a chickpea variety unique to Umbria—the star of your next legume dish. If you’re seeking a special indulgence during these funky days at home, add a bottle of Sassicaia to your cart; Roberto’s inventory reflects his infatuation with this very-special Super Tuscan.