 Even though we don't really believe in a red wine or white wine 'season' around here (drink what you like when you like it), cooler weather can definitely make certain styles more broadly desirable than they were during the heat of Summer. Richer, more fleshy and full bodied white wines can go better with some of the seasonal dishes, and you just don't need acidity as much as you do when trying to cut through the heat and humidity. Grillo can be just such a variety for you, a native Sicilian grape mostly known through history as one of the primary base grapes for making Marsala. Zesty ripe melon and white orchard fruit aromas pop with a little bit of lime, a bit sunny and hints of coastal salinity at first. The palate is really where it's at, round and juicy with some shots of melon rind for texture, lots of natural mouthfeel that finishes with plenty of citrus. Holds up to richer fish stews, breaded and/or buttery seafood or creamy white sauces without needing oak or sugar to fatten it up.
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 Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc are the undisputed 'King and Queen' of white varieties in the Loire, with plantings of both up and down the entire length of the river. Doesn't mean there isn't room for the odd Prince, Duke or Lord popping up here and there. The Melon de Bourgogne grape, for example, occupies much of the area around Nantes where the river enters the Atlantic, making the noted wines of Muscadet. Romorantin is an ancient grape with a long history in the Loire, but has fallen out of favor in much of the region with only one appellation featuring it, in Cheverny. Only @150 acres devoted to the variety, but boy do they pop when you can find them. Think of it as a somewhat hypothetical combination of the flavor profile of a Sauvignon Blanc and the textural nuances of a Roussanne from the Rhone, and that gets you in the room. Musky white fruits and pear skin aromas with some grassy citrus notes, clear and pretty but definitely something a little outside the norm. The palate is where the grape really jumps out at you, with long lush white fruits, liquid apples, definite notes of grapeskin tannins in the minerally finish. Lots of evidence that this will keep evolving for quite a few more years, makes you wish more vineyards could champion the variety more.
INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 TENUTA BELLAFONTE MONTEFALCO ROSSO 'POMONTINO' (Vinous 91points) $26.999/18/2025  The region of Umbria sits between the world famous cities of Florence and Rome, and most people only take note of it as they pass through it from one city to the other. Largely rural and completely landlocked, it has missed out on a lot of the hype and notoriety bestowed on its neighbors, allowing it to be a mostly unspoiled 'bread basket' of central Italy. The wines here are very under-appreciated as well, especially compared to the notoriety Tuscan wines have accumulated over the centuries. Umbria's native red grape is Sagrantino, originally used mostly for making 'dried grape' wines, but now reaches its greatest heights around the town of Montefalco and their DOCG designated wines. The DOC designated Rosso wines will blend Sagrantino and Sangiovese that gives a wonderful window into the local style. Savory and a bit rustic on the aromas, with a dusty 'Old School' style nose of dried flowers, dark red fruits and hints of cedar. The presence of Sagrantino is most noticeable on the palate, where it has a bit more tannin than Sangiovese and a citric acidity note behind the dark fruits. As it opens up it gets more plump but keeps that classic energy all through the finish. This wants food, such as a hearty tomato-y stew or a classic ragu over pasta.
INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 ANCIENT PEAKS 'RENEGADE' RED BLEND PASO ROBLES (Vinous 92points) $22.999/11/2025  For well over a decade now Ancient Peaks has been one of our very favorite sources in California to get great value AND excellent quality, year in and year out, across many varietals. Their (very large) Santa Margarita Estate supplies the fruit for all their wines, all of which is 'SIP' certified for sustainability in farming and winemaking. Everything is absolutely rock solid from them. About the only thing you could quibble about for this wine is, if you are an absolute purist, this isn't REALY a Rhone blend because they have some Petit Verdot and Malbec-originally Bordeaux grapes- blended with the Syrah. Maybe is you squint your eyes a bit you can imagine them being Mourvedre and Cinsault (which isn't far-fetched, really) and adding that same sort of color to the wine. Or just kick back and enjoy it for being a delicious wine. Dark inky color and fruit character, loads of blackberry and blue tones on the nose, dark spices and licorice pop up an the end. Lots of richness and cocoa-covered fruits on the palate as well, but little bits of dark tannins give it nice energy and some structure, a bit of that Mourvedre vibe. A lot packed in here for the price, great for heartier meals and cooler weather sipping.
 Even with all the things going on that have increased prices on so many things, the Rhone still remains one of the best wine regions in the world for value, quality, and a surprising amount of diversity as well. It's a fairly large area, so there is a lot to go around, and lots of very good producers with generations of experience with their family vineyards. There are also a wider number of grape varieties to blend together, so the wineries have more colors on their palette to paint with and intrigue your palate. Clos du Mont-Olivet and the Sabon family are part of the old guard in the Rhone, described by the Wine Advocate as 'one of the great estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape', and their Cotes du Rhone is just as Old School as their CNDP. A blend of five varietals from vineyards just outside Chateauneuf and across the river in Lirac, this has a lot of the savory rustic side going from the first pour, with lots of pepper and dark cherry skin at first and a gamey, earthy feel to the palate. It rewards patience, even with a few years already under its belt, and over a few hours the red fruits sweeten up and the palate gets more lush and polished. We will leave the cork off this one most of today to help it move along when you taste, and will also benefit from a few extra swirls, but it rewards the extra patience with a higher level of complexity that exceeds its mere Cotes du Rhone-ness.
 An excellent American example of one of the earlier 'orange wine' styles, as well as perhaps the best names this side of the craft beer world (where they've been getting away with names like this for decades). The Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris grape will have a very slight bit of pigment to it when fully ripe, only enough for it to show up when the juice is left on the skins for many days, sometimes a couple weeks. The places where it is planted in Europe (including France and Slovenia) have done these rust colored, not-really-a-Rose wines for centuries, but they are time consuming to make and not as tourist-friendly as the fruitier 'regular' versions so not as prevalent. 'Ramato' means copper in Italian, and a very accurate descriptor for a Pinot Grigio left on the skins like this one is for 23 days. From the first whiff this is obviously different from your garden variety Grigio, more orange fruits to the nose with hints at mint and cooler herbs, subdued with a bit of twang. The palate is what really takes this wine and ones like it to a different level with all the natural skin texture present, giving the citrus a deep rind-y persistence, long and rich to a dry melon finish. Different but not funky, this has lots of substance to pair with fuller dishes well into the cooler weather and have you saying 'thank you very much' to the folks at Field Recordings for making such a great wine!
 Carignan is one of the more ubiquitous grape varieties, especially in the more bulk-producing regions along the Mediterranean. High volume and low effort in the warmer, drier climates means it's a favorite for growers looking to sell by the ton. There is also a fine line between 'cheap' and 'good value', so often with even just a little bit of help Carignan can make some very tasty daily drinkers. The grape can naturally be more acidic and a bit rough on the tannins, so on the cheap end it can reeeeeealy need some juicy Grenache blended in to make it survivable. Otherwise it can be like sipping a glass of 40-grit sandpaper. This one doesn't miss any additions in the slightest, showing off all sorts of rosy red fruits and wild sage aromas, getting a bit of a darker cherry and wild game as it opens up. The palate is lighter but not lean (maybe even chillable?), surprisingly fine tannic texture with a nice mix of briary fruits and touches of gaminess. A great Labor Day porch pounder to pair with most anything off the grill, very friendly in both flavor and price point.
 It may seem a little late in the 'Rose season' to be getting excited over something new. This is an 'All The Time' rose, however, one that is just too good to limit to just a few months of the year. Much of the Abruzzo region's past has been dominated largely by bulk wine production and large co-operatives, with little to get excited about with regards to quality. Recent history has seen exceptional improvement, with each generation seeming to elevate the reputation further and further. Initially the region only had DOC designations for white and red wines, but the quality of the local rose wine-Cerasuolo-has improved to such a degree that it was elevated to its own DOC in 2010. Smaller family estates like the one run by Chiara Ciavolich are making wines that challenge well established regions like Tavel for juicy, fleshy dry Rose that are every bit as exciting as those from Provence or anywhere else in Europe. Built from the Montepulciano grape, the first pour immediately calls the name of the wine to mind (literally 'cherry red'), looking like a cran-cherry cocktail at first. Aromas are quickly much deeper and interesting than a cocktail, full of cherry skin, mint stems, and more savory berry notes, generally a bit wilder than usually found in a Rose. The palate is more substantial than expected, lots juicy cherry at first but quickly getting fine tannins and light bitterness that is nicely persistent and fresh. This is also keeping a nice spine of acidity throughout the profile, which is often found lacking by those that tend to dismiss the more ruddy-colored roses of the world. Take this all the way to the Thanksgiving table and beyond this year.
 This is in opposition to my diatribe last week about the flaws and faults of trying to grow a grape in an environment that doesn't fit regardless of how popular the wine is. The inverse is also true, in that the best option for growing in some areas may not be a grape most people have heard of, but making quality wines will help make it popular. Blaufrankisch- or Limberger if you prefer (said nobody, ever)-has a long history and great success over the years in Austria, Germany, and many other alpine winemaking regions in Europe. The popularity has been more local than international, something you enjoyed there but didn't find demand in other parts of the world. The grape itself is durable, can handle a diversity of environments, and still make quality wines in a broad spectrum of styles. German influences in the Finger Lakes has made Blaufrankisch an important staple in the region almost since its inception,and is increasingly prevalent in Virginia and along the East Coast as more people get it into their mouths and get over the mushmouth-y grape name. Deep purple in color and a rich plummy fruit on the nose, the character is cool and savory, almost a bit of Syrah-like black pepper note there as well as some dark cherry skin. Darkly juicy on the palate with some dustiness in the tannins, no hard edges or under-ripe notes anywhere, which can be a danger with red wines in cooler climates. Not a wine for slamming at cocktail parties, there are other grapes for that. This is great for savory duck and pork dishes, consistent and delicious, and something to get into your rotation.
 There are more than a few 'inconvenient truths' about Virginia wines and winemaking that we all have to acknowledge and deal with. One of the most prevalent ones is 'just because you like a grape or is popular, doesn't mean it will do well here and should be planted everywhere'. Our weather here is so varied and unpredictable (as I watch another gully-washer roll past the store...) not every grape variety is built to deal with it and still make good wine season after season. Sauvignon Blanc has definitely been one of those varieties, but when there is success that breaks through, it is good to reward that bravery and commitment. Veritas really capture sunshine in the glass here, full of bright apple and pear skin aromas right from the first pour, more Loire-like and energetic. Plenty of weight to the palate for a Virginia white, lots of zingy green apple and melon with juicy energy and a long lingering tartness to the finish. A great wine to cut through the humidity of Central Virginia, or matched with most any shellfish dish you can imagine.
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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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