2022 September Newsletter

We are at one of my favorite times of the year; the Fall chill comes in the evenings, aspens are changing and garden beds are being put to rest but the days are still long and warm! All the wines this month are great for summer dinners or more fall inspired recipes so you are prepared for any weather!
While Riesling and Muscat get a bad rap as only being sweet, I have an Alsatian white blend this month that is stellar with food, especially Sushi, Asian dishes, Indian dishes and spicier foods! Step out of your comfort zone and grab a bottle before it’s gone!

Cheers,
Sarah

 

Cepas

Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Reg. Price $11.99

Sale Price: $7.99

White Wine of the Month

Between increased shipping costs, poor weather conditions for growing seasons and poor yields, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is getting scarce and expensive! Sauvignon Blanc has been wildly popular for as long as I remember and years ago when I was at Superior Liquor Market the New Zealand section was just a sea of multi colored Sauvignon Blanc labels. Over the years other countries have jumped on the bandwagon to see if they can get a piece of the pie and I think the tides are about to turn on New Zealand! I have been saying South African Sauvignon Blancs are going to steal the spotlight but this wine made me wonder if it is actually going to be Argentina. They have interrupted their Malbec river by planting some other varietals and the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay can be exceptional. Cepas is new to the market and I was able to try their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and I was quite impressed! Their fruit comes from the higher elevation Uco Valley so the wines retain their acidity but the grapes do seem riper than their New Zealand counterparts. Instead of gooseberry and green herbaceous notes you get orange peel, papaya, ripe grapefruit and tomato leaf. Well balanced and delicious, maybe New Zealand has been replaced already!

Guiliano Rosati

Rosso Toscana 2020

Reg. Price $14.99

Sale Price: $10.99

Red Wine of the Month

If there’s one thing I’ve really been loving lately it’s when industry veterans decide to get down and dirty and start their own wine label. The La Salita Chardonnay I featured a few months back was the project for Guiliana Imports, Casa de Valor Cava is from an owner of one of the distributors in the state, Scarpetta is Bobby Stuckey and some other Frasca veterans and now we have Guiliano Rosati, products of Regal Wine Imports owners. Regal Wine Imports owners Dan Bada & Charlie Trivinia teamed up with winemaker Alessandro Furlan to pay homage to their own Italian roots. Guiliano and Rosati are family names and with Alessandro they have made wines up and down Italy under the family label. The Toscana Rosso is a blend of Merlot and Sangiovese that comes from 15 year old vines in Tuscany and the surrounding areas and it is done entirely in stainless steel which is hands down my preferred method for light Italian blends. The wine is bursting with notes of sour cherry, red currant, licorice, dried floral notes and a slight herbal note on the finish. It makes you want to see the Italian countryside and perfect your homemade pizza. The only complaint I have with it is that the traditional bottles don’t fit my wine racks so come and stock up!

Argiolas Costamolino

Vermentino 2021

Reg. Price $21.99

Sale Price: $15.99

Try saying that three times fast! Italy is such a vast country with incredible differences throughout its regions. It’s hard to wrap my head around that the lean, mineral driven whites from high in the Alps are made in the same country as the juicy red blends from Puglia and Campania. Considering that Italy alone grows over 350 native varieties of grapes it is time to stop getting the same bottle of Sauv Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay and explore! Some of my favorite white wines are Vermentino and once you try it you will never go back! Vermentino grows in Southern France, Corsica and throughout Italy but you don’t see it too many other places. It can be quite the chameleon and really takes its cues from where it is grown. In warmer areas it can be fat and ripe, dripping with notes of apricot, peach and lemon zest or it can be more mineral driven and restrained in cooler areas. Sardinia is one of the places best known for Vermentino and the Costamolino is a perfect example why. Argiolas was founded in 1938 by Antonio Argiolas and is now one of the most revered Sardinian producers. The Vermentino is fermented and aged in stainless steel and on the nose you can smell the macchia, the mix of evergreen shrubs and herbs that make up the landscape. Notes of peach, apricot, citrus zest and the alpine herbacious par together perfectly and finishes with minerality.

Tyee Wine Cellars

Estate Pinot Noir 2017

Reg. Price $24.99

Sale Price: $18.99

Tyee Wine Cellars is the tiniest little winery complete with a website that takes me back to the first days of the internet. Thankfully their talents lie in their winemaking and environmental pursuits rather than technological advances. Tyee is located in the heart of Willamette wine country on the historic Buchanan Family Farm that was founded in the 1850’s. Earlier generations raised livestock and grew grains before building a dairy and milking parlor that now serves as the winery’s tasting room. Fourth generation Dave and Margy planted the first vines in 1974 and founded the winery in 1985. The stewardship of the land has left a lasting impression on the family and they are solar powered, Certified Salmon Safe and farm sustainably and organically. They utilize cover crops in between the vines to prevent erosion and have plenty of land dedicated to open space, woods and wetlands. The winery only produces 2,000 cases of wine annually so this is not something I typically have on hand! The Estate Pinot Noir is all estate fruit that comes from the original vines planted on the property. The fruit is fermented whole cluster without any pressing, is unfined and unfiltered and is aged for 18 months in mostly neutral oak barrels. Only about 800 cases are produced a year so get it before it’s gone!

Château de Montfaucon

Les Gardettes Rosé 2021

Reg. Price $17.99

Sale Price: $12.99

Both of the rosés this month have quite the pedigree; Bouchard is a Burgundy producer who bought land in the Languedoc and the Les Gardettes is the entry level of Château de Montfaucon, renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Southern Rhone producer. The history of Château de Montfaucon began in the 11th century when the castle’s first tower was built on the banks of the Rhone River to protect against invading forces. In 1657 the original eleven towns in La Côte du Rhône decided to protect the quality of their wines by forbidding grapes from other towns to be added to the wines and in 1737 wine barrels began being stamped with C.D.R for Côte du Rhône. This is recognized as the beginning of one of the first appellations. Fast forward to 1995 when current owner Rodolphe de Pin took the reins and began making wine from the well established vineyards. The Les Gardettes rosé is the entry level wine which means that you get all of that history, old fruit and winemaking knowledge and you get to spend a fraction of the price to get some seriously killer juice. The rosé is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Carignan and Counoise and the estate is practicing organic farming. I have been so obsessed with this rosé that I bought every last bit of it my distributor had so get it before it is gone for the year!

Bouchard Aîné & Fils

Pinot Noir Rosé 2021

Reg. Price $18.99

Sale Price: $13.99

The Pali rosé last month was a big hit and a favorite of mine so I am continuing with another Pinot Noir rosé, this time from some folks who know there way around some Pinot. Bouchard Aîné & Fils was founded in Burgundy in 1731 by Michel Bouchard after he moved to the area to get into the textile business. He quickly pivoted to being a wine broker and the rest is history. The family has had a presence in Burgundy since and have also bought land in the Languedoc area where they source some grapes for their vin de France wines. Vin de France doesn’t have a particular region or appellation named so they can source the fruit from anywhere in the country so for this bottling they supplement the harvest from Burgundy with some fruit from further south. This represents an amazing value since you get all of the winemaking expertise and attention that you would for any of their higher end bottlings but for a fraction of the price. The rosé is 100% Pinot Noir that was grown on limestone soils on the Mediterranean coast and harvested at night to retain acidity. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged on the fine lees so this rosé has quite a bit of texture! This rosé can stand up to some heartier meals so don’t be afraid to drink rosé as we head into autumn!

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