Libertine Wines Pop-Up featuring Alex Neely, Winemaker
Libertine Wines is the collaborative vision of Alex and Veronica Neely, a husband-and-wife winemaking team rooted in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Before founding Libertine, Alex Neely helmed a successful high-end cheese and wine shop, but his passion ultimately led him away from retail and into the vineyard. Today, the duo embraces a hands-on, intuitive approach to winemaking—one that values responsiveness to vintage over rigid technique. Their philosophy is rooted in stewardship: As they put it, they are “merely shepherds” guiding a process of “controlled spoilage.” They embrace inconsistency as a virtue, capturing the singular truth of each vintage with honesty and intention.
Before the Neelys produced wine, they worked in vineyards, gaining firsthand knowledge of the complexities of each growing season. In 2019, they took over the 1990-planted Barncat Vineyard, an all-Riesling site that they farm entirely by hand. This physical connection to the vines is central to their identity. When they do purchase fruit, it’s exclusively from small, family-owned vineyards—like Dion and Sunnyside—that share their commitment to sustainable farming and environmental responsibility.
Libertine Wines are fermented with native yeast in neutral oak and made without additives, fining, or filtration—just a trace of sulfite at bottling. The result is a raw, unmanipulated expression of place and season, where no two wines are the same. They embrace inconsistency as a virtue, capturing the singular truth of each vintage with honesty and intention.
At New Deal, we’ve always believed in the power of craft, community, and collaboration. That’s why we’re thrilled to celebrate Oregon Wine Month by hosting a series of Oregon Winemaker Pop-Ups at the New Deal Bottle Shop in collaboration with Bottle Trip Wines. These events are our way of lifting a glass to the vibrant winemaking culture that has shaped—and continues to inspire—so much of what we do. Join us on Saturdays in May & June to sample Oregon wines, meet winemakers, purchase bottles and enjoy specialty cocktails featuring New Deal Craft spirits and Oregon wines. For more info on this series of pop-ups, please check out our Living Proof Blog!