2022 October Newsletter

I want to take a moment and break from our typical, jovial intro to talk about politics. Several years ago grocery and liquor stores reached a compromise to slowly increase the amount of liquor licenses to sell beer, wine and spirits in grocery stores. As part of the compromise they had to purchase at least two liquor licenses and any within a set distance from the store. Grocery stores also are now able to sell full strength beer.
This November there is a ballot measure to make it so grocery stores can also sell wine. That was all coming as part of the aforementioned compromise bill but greed has driven grocery to speed up the process. I urge you to vote no on Proposition 125 to keep Colorado as local as possible and help keep local liquor stores in business. Even if our store is fine a lot of people including sales reps and drivers will lose their jobs. What you will gain in convenience will be lost in selection, knowledge and customer service.
As always, from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate the ongoing support for our store.

Cheers,
Sarah

 

Domaine Cassagnoles

Cotes de Gascogne Blanc 2021

Reg. Price $14.99

Sale Price: $10.99

White Wine of the Month

I feel like there used to be a ton of good quality, affordable white wines from Gascony and in the year of price increases it seems like Domaine Cassagnoles is the only one left! A lot of the grapes grown in Gascony are destined to be distilled and turned into brandy but the region is also great for affordable table wines. While I don’t think anyone will ever group Gascony in with the best wine regions in the world, Domaine Cassagnoles treats their vineyards and land with the respect it deserves. Thirty years ago they joined the group of Vigneron independant which is dedicated to the land, tradition and estate farming. They practice biodiversity in the vineyards and use sustainable practices as well as harvest, make and age the wine themselves. The Cotes de Gascogne blanc is a blend of Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc that is refreshing and citrusy with a slightly rounded texture. All of the grapes are vinified separately and aged in stainless steel but the Colombard and Gros Manseng have some skin contact for texture. This is refreshing enough to enjoy on warm, sunny days and have enough richness to have with comfort food. The acidity will cut through creams and butter well or will complement seafood. Make some fondue this fall and use some to cook and enjoy the rest!

Bodegas Sierra Salinas

“MO” Monastrell 18

Reg. Price $13.99

Sale Price: $8.99

Red Wine of the Month

We are getting right into crock pot and comfort food weather and I am loving it! Whether you are cooking a meal with a bottle of red or need one to drink with it we’ve got you covered! MO comes from Alicante which is right on the coast. The ocean slightly cools the vineyards and keeps the fruit from getting quite so ripe so the wine has more red fruit notes and a lighter body. Bodegas Sierra Salinas was founded in 2000 by the Castaño family and was sold in 2013 to the Miñano and Gómez families, owners of MGWine Group. Since the Miñano and Gómez families purchased the property they have been focusing on the health of the vineyards and are moving to organic viticulture and dry farming. In such a hot climate most wineries chose to irrigate but by transitioning to dry farming you are forcing the roots to grow incredibly deep and strong. Dry farmed vines produce a lot less than their showered counterparts but the fruit they do produce is concentrated and rich. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel so you get a good representation of the fruit and the wine is fresher and light on its feet! The MO is medium bodied and bursting with notes of plum, ripe raspberry, candied cherry and balanced baking spices. Drink this on cold nights with comfort food or grill on sunny days and enjoy!

M. Chapoutier

Belleruche Blanc 2021

Reg. Price $21.99

Sale Price: $14.99

Apparently this month I am revisiting some old favorites! I have worked with Chapoutier wines and Cantele since the very beginning of my career and they have always provided fantastic values and reliability. The history of M. Chapoutier dates back to 1808 but in my opinion what really matters is since 1990 when winemaker Michel Chapoutier took over. Michel is one of the top winemakers in the Rhone Valley and he has expanded his influence as a consultant all over the world. Like any good winemaker he believes that wine is made in the vineyards and that the vines have to be healthy to produce good quality fruit. As a result the entire estate has used biodynamic farming since waaaay before it was a cool buzzword. The Belleruche wines are the Côtes-du-Rhône designated wines that give you a glimpse into the winemaking style and quality of the higher end Chapoutier wines. The Belleruche blanc is a blend of Grenache blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette and Bourboulenc that is fermented in stainless steel and aged on the fine lees for five months. The lees aging gives it complexity but also texture which makes it a fantastic fall white! Notes of golden apple, apricot, pear and lemon rind pair beautifully with the acidity and slight minerality. I had a really hard time deciding whether to do this wine this month or next month for Thanksgiving so if you like it stock up!

Cantele

Salice Salentino 2019

Reg. Price $19.99

Sale Price: $14.99

Whether you are a new comer to Italian wines or if they’re all you drink, you will enjoy Cantele. The Salice Salentino is the ultimate gateway wine into Italy for someone that primarily drinks California or more fruit driven, New World wines. Cantele is from Puglia in southern Italy and a lot of the best quality grapes come from the Salento Peninsula which is on the backside of the heel of the boot. The region gets the hot weather that southern Italy is known for while having the sea moderate the temperatures and bring cooling winds. Cantele’s history began in the 1950’s when husband and wife Giovanni Battista Cantele and Teresa Manara moved their family from northern Italy down to Salento. Their two sons Domenico and Augusto opened the winery in 1979 and now Augusto’s and Domenico’s own children help run the winery. Since 2004 they use more sustainable farming methods and carefully monitor the weather and health of the vines so they can use preventative measures instead of fungicides and pesticides. The Cantele Salice Salentino is 100% Negroamaro that is aged in old barriques for 6 months. The wine is fruit forward with notes of dried cherries and dark plums while still having the undeniably Italian balanced earthiness and acidity. Enjoy this with any red wine lover and any food and it will be a successful night.

San Lorenzo Marche

Bianco “Il Casolare” 2020

Reg. Price $17.99

Sale Price: $12.99

It’s not often that I do double features on the same month so you know I think highly of both of these wines! 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. Under Natalino’s guidance the winery has seen their wines distributed all over the globe as well as changed the way the vineyard is managed. 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.

San Lorenzo Marche

Rosso “Il Casolare” 2020

Reg. Price $17.99

Sale Price: $12.99

I wanted to get the tasting and tech notes in on the white before I ran out of space but I want to get back to the vineyard management under Natalino. He handles all of the vineyard management with his mother, Vera Biondini and their vineyards span multiple communes. He lives with his wife, son and mother in the commune of Montecarotto where he was born and raised. All of the vineyard work is done by hand to preserve the soil, vines and the environment and he tried to draw animals into his vineyards as well. He is a huge animal lover and he views the vineyards in a more holistic sense that they should be a part of the land and be hospitable to animals for the health of the vineyards. He plants cover crops in between the rows to replenish the nitrogen into the soil and has rabbits and geese in the vineyards. He never uses any chemical pesticides so he doesn’t hurt our pollinator friends! The Il Casolare rosso is a blend of 50% Montepulciano and 50% Sangiovese that are vinified separately and blended together. The wine macerates in concrete for an astounding 20 days before fermentation and ages in concrete for 3 months with an additional 3 months in bottle. This is the ultimate, perfect Italian red blend. It has silky tannins with medium body, notes of anise, bing cherry, raspberry and dried herbs. This should be your go to bottle this month and it will definitely be mine!

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