One of the Founding Partners of Noble Riot Now Runs Unrooted, a Natural Wine Club

Joel Kampfe, a founding partner of RiNo wine bar Noble Riot, wants to continue spreading his passion for natural wines through Unrooted, a monthly wine club that he launched with Ted Carrick.

Natural wines have no preservatives or additives and are made with minimal intervention in the process, Kampfe explains. “You get what you get – you get what the year of the vintage gives you,” he adds. Generally, natural wines mean more bottle variations, increased experimentation and unique styles, such as orange wines, Pétillant-Naturel (also known at Pét-nats) and chillable reds. To curate the selections available to Unrooted members, Kampfe has traveled to Chile, Argentina, Italy and France, visiting vineyards and talking to farmers and winemakers.

“They’re fun wines with great stories,” he says. “It represents the next generation of wine makers.” Each month, four natural wines are selected and delivered to members’ doors for $119 per month. There is also an option to have eight wines delivered every other month for $218.

Kampfe shares the story of each wine, often with an educational component and illustrations. He says members appreciate that they aren’t getting the typical wines, but ones that will push them to try something new – something they want to bring to a dinner party to share and talk about.

Kampfe has been in the wine industry since he was 21 years old. While studying business at California Polytechnic State University, he happened to take an elective on fermentation and fell in love with the process. “After taking a few wine classes, I had to know everything,” he says. He added a minor of wine and viticulture, became a certified sommelier, made wine in New Zealand and beyond, and took a role as a wine buyer.

Before he relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to Denver, Kampfe says people questioned his decision to move from California, a state known for its wine, to Colorado. But despite the state’s reputation as “beer country and whiskey country,” as he puts it, he wants to grow the wine industry here as much as he can. “I always want to push the industry, especially in Colorado,” he says.

Since being a part of Noble Riot’s launch in 2019, he’s noticed more growth in wine throughout the state, including restaurants that have wine-focused menus and greater availability in wine selections. “I feel like there’s more and more talent developing in Colorado,” he notes.

Part of his goal with Unrooted is to help people navigate the wine world, whether they are just getting started or are longtime enthusiasts. “It can get overwhelming,” he says. He strives to make natural wine approachable and fun.

Each month is tied together with a theme, such as an upcoming ode to Halloween, with black and orange wines. Other months have featured micro-wineries that only make a handful of barrels, female winemakers from around the world, wineries that focus on sustainable employment in the vineyard, and regional themes, such as Eastern Europe or Santa Barbara. Wines have come from all over the world, from small West Coast wineries in Washington and California to Croatia, Uruguay and South Africa. In February 2024, Colorado winemakers will be featured.

Kampfe has also received a lot of appreciation from featured winemakers. “We love supporting the small guys, because we are a two-man team and know what it’s like to hustle in a competitive space,” he says.

For more information and to sign up, visit Unrootedwines.com.