2023 January Newsletter

I always look for the best bang for the buck but especially in January! Life is calming down after the holidays so grab yourself a glass of wine, tuck yourself in with a book and enjoy the quiet! I for one am super excited to use this down time to plan out my garden for the year and come up with a plan for perennials!

I feature a ton of organic wines both in my newsletter and in the store. I think spending time in the vineyards and farming responsibly is more important than spending the money on certifications! As long as a wine is practicing organic viticulture I add a flower sticker on the price tag so you can shop the whole store and not a small, underwhelming organic section.

Cheers,
Sarah

 

Cepas

Chardonnay 2021

Reg. Price $11.99

Sale Price: $7.99

White Wine of the Month

It’s a new year and it’s time to move on from the hatred of Chardonnay once and for all. Chardonnay grows in almost every region that makes wine and it is entirely a product of its environment. California of the last 10 years or so has been an outlier in how late they pick their grapes and how much oak they used in fermentation and aging. Even they have seen the error in their ways and have been toning down their oak usage for the last few years. Most regions let the grape speak for itself and pick when the grapes still have acidity left and they age them in neutral oak, stainless or cement. Cepas is an example of this style from the Uco Valley in Mendoza. Despite being seen as a hot growing climate, the Uco Valley is higher in elevation which brings cool nights and plenty of balanced acidity in the grapes. The Cepas is deliciously refreshing with notes of green apple, pear, pineapple and citrus zest. Balanced minerality and good acidity make this the perfect wine to change your mind on Chardonnay.

Honoro Vera

Organic Monastrell 2020

Reg. Price $11.99

Sale Price: $8.99

Red Wine of the Month

I featured this wine last January and it as one of the most successful newsletter features that I’ve done so here we go again! I have said it once and I will say it again, Spanish wines are the perfect gateway European wine for California drinkers. Spanish wines have that riper, richer style but more terroir and earthiness than a lot of California wine at similar price points. I enjoyed a glass of this recently and when I gave it to Chris to try he guessed it was Cab and he isn’t far off! Monastrell from Spain has notes of dark plum, black and blueberries and spice notes just like Cali cabs. Honoro Vera is made by Gil Family Estates, a large group that has properties and makes wine all across Spain. The grapes for this Monastrell are all organic and come from Jumilla, a hot region on the coast of Spain known for these dense wines! The finished wine is bursting with notes of dark cherry, plum, blackberry and balanced spice notes. At a mere $8.99 this is probably the best red wine value in the store.

San Lorenzo Marche

Bianco “Il Casolare” 2020

Reg. Price $17.99

Sale Price: $12.99

San Lorenzo is from the Marche region of Italy which is on the Adriatic coast just on the opposite side of Italy from Tuscany. The region is known for the white grapes Verdicchio and Trebbiano but it does grow a fair bit of Montepulciano like its neighbor Abruzzo! Fattoria San Lorenzo was founded by master cooper Enrico Crognaletti who handed the estate to his son, Gino. Gino spent his time getting the best clones of Verdicchio from the region before passing it to his son Natalino Crognaletti in the mid 1990’s. Today all of the vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically and are certified organic for wine and olive oil production. The Il Casolare Bianco is 100% Verdicchio that is fermented and aged in cement tanks. The irony is not lost on me that the first generation of the estate was a maser cooper making barrels for a living and both Il Casolare wines are done entirely in cement. The bianco spends about three months on the lees before bottling and I didn’t know that Verdicchio could be so textural! Think of this wine as a better in every way Pinot Grigio and introduce all of your deprived, Pinot Grigio drinker friends to it.

Château St Jacques d’Albas

Le Petit Saint Jacques 2020

Reg. Price $16.99

Sale Price: $13.99

Ok so I agree, the name on this one is a mouthful. Château St Jacques d’Albas is from the Minervois region of Southern France which has some of the best values for red blends. I will continue to say that until everyone is sick of it. The estate is family owned and they let over two thirds of the estate be wild; woodlands and garrigue cover the land and provide refuge for pollinators, migratory birds and other creatures. The land is untouched and left as nature intended it which coexists well and assists their organic farming practices. Prior to 2001 the grapes were all sold to the local cooperative but after the current family bought the property they overhauled it. They went to sustainable and organic farming practices, replanted a lot of the vineyards and improved the soil health. The Le Petit Saint Jacques is one of their entry level blends that lets the fruit come through since there is minimal intervention and no oak. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in cement so it is lighter, more playful and fresher. The wine is a blend of 55% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 10% Carignan and is bursting with notes of dark cherry, ripe raspberries, plum and dried herbs.

Pierre Angulaire

Bordeaux Blanc 2021

Reg. Price $19.99

Sale Price: $14.99

I have been getting more and more creative with Sauvignon Blanc since prices from New Zealand keep rising. I am bringing in more South American, South African and others but Bordeaux has been there since the beginning and has consistently delivered on quality. Sauvignon Blanc from France has those classic citrus notes but is like someone turned down the volume compared to New Zealand styles. Pierre Angulaire Bordeaux Blanc is made by rock star winemaker Michele D’Aprix who makes the Maz Caz wines. She is American born and went to UC Davis for enology and began making wine in France in 2008. While a lot of white Bordeaux has Semillon blended in for texture, the 2021 vintage of Pierre Angulaire is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is organic and is fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts. The finished wine still is citrusy and bright enough for fish, salads and seafood but it can also play nicely with roasted chicken and more savory dishes. Notes of lime zest, melon, green apple and zippy acidity make this incredibly drinkable!

San Vicente

Chianti Riserva 2019

Reg. Price $16.99

Sale Price: $11.99

So we are doing the reds this month is order of body I guess starting with the full bodied Monastrell, medium bodied French blend and we are finishing with a light Sangiovese! Tuscany has a warm, Mediterranean climate and is incredibly hilly which helps the Sangiovese vineyards get their much needed sunlight! Sangiovese is the gem of Tuscany and is the star in Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino, Chianti and more but before you get too excited I should say off the bat that this is not a Chianti Classico Riserva for this price. The wine is under the DOCG of Chianti and does not have the aging requirements of Chianti Classico Riserva. Nonetheless it is a great, complex wine for a killer price! The wine is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo that is fermented in stainless steel and macerates for 10 to 15 days. After that it is aged in large oak barrels for 6 months and has another 3 months of aging in bottle. Sangiovese pairs beautifully with grilled pork, roasted winter squash, chicken with fresh herbs and of course anything Italian!

I can’t wait to explore these wines and more with you!
Pop into the store for all of your beverage needs and don’t forget about our in store tastings!

Beer Tasting Thursday 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Wine Tasting Friday 4 pm to 7 pm