 At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
With as hot as it has been around here the last few weeks, we ALL deserve a wine that does well with a nice chill on it, perhaps relaxing with some snacks because nobody wants to stand in front of the grill and sweat all over the food. This should be at the top of that list for most people. A lengthy name, but the thing to remember is that Verdicchio is one of the champion grapes in the Marche region of Italy, and Castelli dei Jesi is known as the premiere areas. For many years Tavignano has been on the very short list of consistently excellent producers that have helped build their reputation among American consumers, cluing us in on just how versatile and affordable their wines are. Unless the entire Eastern edge of Italy just falls into the Adriatic, these wines are super clean, fresh, and reliable. Aged in steel on their lees for 3-4 months before bottling, the Villa Torre has a wonderful pulpy aroma of citrus skin and white fruits, with a bit of grapefruity zest and cooling savory green herbal tones. On the palate the flavors are equally snappy and mouth-filling, with a cooling mintier side with a heavier chill that gets juicier and more tropical as it gets warmer (so, within 2-3 minutes if you're outside). This is a classic antipasto wine, working with salty and savory as well as citrus and fruit, or even a cheese tray if you like, but also can follow through to fish or poultry dishes.
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 At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
Usually with the R Wines we have to wait until the Fall or Winter to find out what new surprises 'the Mind Behind' has created, but we have a special mid-Summer treat this year. For the first time this side project label for the winemaker at Lovingston Winery has released a Rose. In their own enigmatic manner, they are short on information regarding the 'what' and 'where' of the wine, but have plenty to say on the 'how', which is what always makes the R Wines so interesting." We go for a very hot maceration, 25-28 degree celsius with foot trodding to maximize flavor. No So2, no cold soak, no enzymes, no Lab yeast !!!! This is extremely risky cause we simulate a traditional mid red wine fermentation extraction method without the protection of carbon dioxide or alcohol because we haven’t even started fermentation yet. Also at these temps you can growth bad bacteria, bad yeast and fight oxidation and that’s why most wineries chill their fruit before they start and sterilize it with So2 additions and inoculate with enological yeast (fear base winemaking rightfully so cause they don’t know the circumstances of the vineyard or the condition of the fruit till the day it lands on the crush pad ). We make artistic, authentic and original wines cause the R brand is small, finance ourselves, have intense experience, work hard and diligent in our vineyards to create one of a kind, right brain wines!" (Edited for punctuation only to preserve the stream-of-consciousness vibe) If you enjoy the unique naturalist style of wines and want something that takes great strides to not taste like every other Rose on the market, this is one you have to try. Only 50 cases total made, so don't expect it to last.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
For most of winemaking history in the southern part of France, Ventoux has been the lesser achieving neighbor to the Rhone, sitting in the shadow of Chateauneuf and Gigondas as much as they do of Mt. Ventoux itself. In recent decades that reputation has started to change, especially at the lower to middle price ranges. The costs of investing in and developing a vineyard or winery is less here than the Rhone, perfect for new, ambitious winemakers or people that may not have the historical connections to family vineyards. Though the actual Chateau dates back to the mid 1700s and there are records of vineyards on these lands since Roman times, the winery itself started only in 1989, and was discovered shortly after by importer Eric Solomon/European Cellars. Since then they have been instrumental in elevating the reputation of Ventoux and the potential of the lands around them, constantly getting very positive press and reviews. This white is from their most value oriented 'Terrasses' line of wines, built primarily from Viognier but also containing healthy amounts of Roussanne and Clairette. The Viognier definitely shines through on the nose with the flowery perfume and aromatic white fruits, but the other varieties keep it from being overwhelming and introduce some nice cooling citrus notes. The palate also has the fullness from Viognier but maintains a vibrant mineral feel that freshens the flavors and brings a needed zesty tingle to the finish. A great wine for flavorful lighter dishes, things that may have a small touch of unusual spice to them.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
For most of its history the Puglia region has been outside the fame and fortune of the rest of Italy, more remote and without the major cultural or economical centers that draw the world's attention. Masseria Li Veli dates back to the 1600s and was an important model for farms in the region, but like so many fell into disrepair several times during its history and especially after World War II. Reinvestment from other parts of the country has been key, and at the turn of the century the Falvo family (famous former owners of the Avigonese winery in Tuscany) returned to their family roots to develop and expand the quality of the Li Veli wines. Fiano is a recent addition to the portfolio, more noted in Campania on the Western side of the Apennines mountains, but in there hands has shown quite well. Juicier and less mineral driven than the Campanian version, this still shows lots of zest and citrus skin character behind the fresh pear and melon tones, warm and inviting on the palate with lots of mouth-filling flavor and texture that carries no sweetness but also shows little to no astringency. A great pair with seafood or 1st course dishes that may carry some Mediterranean spice.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
A little All-American Rose for the All-American holiday this weekend. Skinner Vineyard has routinely become a favorite source here for Rhone varietal wines out of California at very fair prices, and their Rose definitely continues the trend. Their version mimics the better quality wines of Provence and Bandol moreso than ones from Tavel, going for vibrant minerality instead of juicier fruit. The blend is dominated by Counoise, Mourvedre, and Cinsault over Grenache, which are varieties that have more natural acidity and savory tones behind their fruit. They also build the wines with a bit of a 'hands off' style, not fully naturalist but using native yeasts as well as using very little manipulation into bottling. This means the wine does have a touch of sediment in the bottle, unusual for a rose, but keeps the fruit characters snappy and fresh as well as leaving a bit fuller texture on the palate that would have otherwise been lost. A great meld of red and white fruits on the nose, almost crunchy raspberry and strawberry leaf notes, and the bright acidity on the palate brings out an almost minty cool note especially when the wine is at its coolest. When warmer (or at least not right out of the fridge cool) you get more into the juicier cherry and red berry tones, but still delicious no matter when or how you enjoy it. |
The Best of the Best.We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday, and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try! Archives
February 2025
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