 For the last Insider's Pick before Thanksgiving, we had to of course pick a wine from out Thanksgiving selections email we sent out last week. There are plenty of safer and 'traditional' routes you can go with your red wines, like Beaujolais/Gamay and your favorite Pinot Noir regions, but there are lots of great possibilities out there that can work equally well. Our general 'rules' for choices is looking for reds with less aggressive tannins and/or oak presence, a more polished and silkier palate, something that can work its way around all the various flavors of the traditional holiday table. The Nerello Mascalese grape may not be the first thought for many this time of year, as it usually has a more firm, minerally intensity from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna. But Calabretta is not your normal winery, and Gaio-Gaio is not a normal Nerello. Built for approachability, the grapes get a lot softer and shorter soak to get color and fragrance but not as much tannin. A dark but transparent black cherry color, the aromas are all dusty red fruits that get richer as it opens up, with an almost citrusy mineral energy to them, very soil driven. The first sip is unexpectedly juicy at first, round and full of tangy fruits, but the super-fine tannins sneak in and are very persistent and dusty through the finish. The juicy citrus tones give this the ability to take a light chilling if you wanted, and will do exceptionally well at the more savory Thanksgiving tables.
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 Apologize for not getting out the Insider's Pick email last week. While there will be a BUNCH of wines coming over the next few weeks from those tastings for you to enjoy, that did not help those of you looking for your Thursday/Friday tasting fix. To make up for it we are doubling up for you this week with two wines from one of our store favorites. These are also great lead-ins to our yearly Thanksgiving recommendations email that will be coming out within the next day, as they are both ideal all-purpose food wines. Clos du Caillou is one of the iconic houses in the Rhone, one that genuinely and drastically affected the lines drawn for Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the 1930s. Let's just say that shotguns were involved. They are one of a very few houses whose estate straddles the appellation lines, placing their Cotes du Rhone vineyards side by side with their CNDP vineyards. These are both classically constructed Rhone wines; the White based on Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Clairette (occasionally some Roussanne from the neighboring CNDP-Blanc vines), and the red a classic Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blend with a splash of Cinsault for a hint of rusticity. Balanced, more elegant in style that don't try and pound you over the head with fruit or assertive alcohol, these are a tasty 1-2 punch to have at any time of year, but especially at the holiday dinner table.
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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
January 2026
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