I have had the Vinho Verde and the Sauvignon Blanc for this month on the docket for quite a while waiting for the weather to get warm enough. I’m excited that it is finally time! The GD Vajra Clare Nebbiolo just came back in stock so I am thrilled to have that back as well!
Encostas do Lima
Granite Vinho Verde 2020
Reg. Price $14.99
Sale Price: $9.99
White Wine of the Month
As soon as it gets warm outside I start to crave Vinho Verde, whether it’s white or rosé and while most of it is slightly fizzy this one is totally still. I always consider the still Vinho Verde to be more serious and better quality despite me still loving the fizzy stuff! Vinho Verde comes from the Minho region in northern Portugal which is as far north as the Douro, just on the opposite side of the country. While the Douro is high in the mountains the Minho is right along the coast enjoying the moisture and the continental atmosphere. The Minho region is known for the granite and schist soils they have so Encostas do Lima decided to highlight those qualities in bottlings from each soil type. The Granite Vinho Verde is 100% Loureiro and comes from vineyards completely grown on granitic soils and is hand harvested and has some lees stirring for texture and mouthfeel and thank goodness! This is a lean, mean wine with laser beam acidity that is just begging for seafood or oysters to pair with. I do recommend pairing this with food to best utilize the acidity and sushi, fish or salads will be delicious with it! If you spend some time with it you will realize the wine is absolutely bursting with notes of lychee, canned pear, white flowers and ripe melon. A briny, salty minerality makes you realize it’s from the coast!
Liburna
Nero d’Avola 2019
Reg. Price $14.99
Sale Price: $9.99
Red Wine of the Month
It feels like just a few months ago I was talking about how vast Italy is and how many different regions there are to pay attention to. The amount of grapes they grow there is truly staggering and it seems like there is always another one that’s not nearly as well known as it should be. Welcome to the arena Nero d’Avola from way down south in Sicily. As you head further south in Italy it gets hotter and the wines get bigger and richer so I say that regions like Campania and Puglia are good for new Italian drinkers. Sicily disrupts that trend and produces beautiful, light, delicate wines despite being the furthest south and having vineyards on an active volcano. Cantine Birgi is a wine cooperative in Sicily that was founded in 1960 that is focused on showcasing the terroir of the region and indigenous grapes. The Liburna Nero d’Avola is 100% Nero d’Avola but it drinks slightly riper than some other Nero and drinks more like a Pinot Noir. The wine is wildly aromatic and is bursting with notes of ripe cherries, raspberries and orange peel. The wine will stand up to BBQ and be killer with burgers or roasted mushrooms. Dare I say it this would also be the ideal wine to use to make Sangria! Everything about this wine screams summer and don’t forget to put it in the fridge about 15 minutes!
Downes Family
Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Reg. Price $24.99
Sale Price: $16.99
I have had this Sauvignon Blanc tucked away in the back on the store since February just waiting until it was hot enough to feature it. You should all know by now that I love my South African wines but while a lot of those are a riper style of Sauvignon Blanc this one is lean and zippy! It lacks the overt grapefruit notes of New Zealand but otherwise reminds me more of that style than the rest of South Africa. The Downes Family estate is located in the Elgin Valley in the heart of the Western Cape. Mountains make up the western boundary while the Peninsula Dam makes up the eastern boundary. The region produces about 60% of the country’s apples but the area is quickly becoming the premier spot for viticulture. Between the cooling effect of the ocean and the higher altitude Elgin Valley is actually the coolest region in South Africa. Vineyards grow high up on the mountain sides and cool climate grapes are thriving here! All of the grapes are chilled before pressing to protect the delicate aromatics and are destemmed and crushed. The winery is all gravity flow so the whole process is all gentle on the grapes as possible! A small portion of the wine sees some skin contact for texture and complexity and the wine is only aged in stainless steel. The wine is incredibly complex and mineral driven and drinks like something from the Loire Valley or Bordeaux. Slate and wet stones give way to citrus zest, green apples and a subtle herbal finish.
GD Vajra
“Claré” Nebbiolo 2020
Reg. Price $27.99
Sale Price: $21.99
GD Vajra is always one of my go to producers for Piedmont, whether its rosé, white wine of Nebbiolo of some caliber. This is the third year that I have had the “Claré” Nebbiolo and it may just be the best I’ve had so far. The Vajra family has farmed the Bricco delle Viole (the highest cru in the Commune di Barolo) since the 1880’s and Aldo Vajra took over in 1968 at the ripe old age of 15. He wanted to focus more on the farming practices and improve the quality of his family’s wine and he was granted the first organic certification in the region in 1971. He also spearheaded the movement to save Freisa, a long forgotten indigenous grape. Today the family has 40 hectares of land that is entirely family owned and Aldo and his wife Milena have been joined by their three children Giuseppe, Francesca and Isidoro. The Claré Nebbiolo is a throwback all the way to 1606 when the wines were much lighter and were meant for being consumed young, the opposite of most Nebbiolo today! The wine is made using some whole cluster fermentation to get a light fruitiness and is bottled quickly after fermentation. The finished wine has a whisper of effervescence and is bursting with notes of cherry, wild strawberry, pomegranate and subtle spices. I threw this in the fridge for about 20 minutes and had it with sushi which was delicious! This would also go nicely with pulled pork, roasted salmon, poultry dishes and fresh herbs.
Skouras
Zoe Rosé 2020
Reg. Price $19.99
Sale Price: $13.99
That’s right it’s back! Finally our best selling rosé is back in the house! George Skouras was born in Argos, one of Europe’s oldest towns with a history of winemaking going back 3,000 years. He went to the University of Dijon in Burgundy to study agriculture but he ended up falling in love with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the area. He ended up getting his degree in oenology and spent time travelling and working in wine regions across France, Italy and Greece. In 1986 he founded Skouras winery in a small village on the outskirts of Argos and George quickly brought the winery to the world’s attention with Megas Oenos, a blend of the Greek grape Agiorgitiko and Cabernet Sauvignon. After the first winery was complete the next step was to have a boutique winery in the Nemea appellation which was completed in 2004. Zoe is the entry level line of Skouras and they make fantastic, approachable wines at an affordable price point and I have happily sold the Zoe red for quite a while now. The Zoe rosé is a blend of 70% Agiorghitiko and 30% Moscofilero that is fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh, fruity aromatics. This wine is bursting with notes of grapefruit pith and crushed roses! It’s always been good but this vintage might just be the best yet.
Château La Mascaronne
Provence Rosé 2020
Reg. Price $28.99
Sale Price: $21.99
This rosé has been a favorite since I started in the industry so it does hold a very special place in my heart. It takes me back to when I was a new buyer at Superior Liquor Market working on one of my first wine of the weeks. I was entirely shocked to find out while writing this that former owner Tom Bove sold the estate in 2020 to French billionaire Michel Reybier. Tom Bove had a passion for buying up old estates, repairing them and restoring them to their former glory. He bought Chateau Miraval in 1993 and restored it before selling it to Brangelina in 2012 and he bought nearby La Mascaronne in 1999. He converted the estate to organic farming and quickly made the estate known in the wine world. The purchase of La Mascaronne has been a long term goal of Michel Reybier who has wanted property in Provence for close to 40 years. He thankfully plans on building on all of Tom’s work as opposed to changed things. The rosé is a blend of 40% Cinsault, 40% Grenache and 20% Syrah this year although the blend does change every year. It is everything a Provence rosé should be; lean, crisp, intensely mineral driven with whispers of fruit notes and vibrant acidity. It is the most serious, elegant rosé and it is beautiful. Enjoy this with seafood and oysters, salads, light fish and veggies from your garden.
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 5 pm to 7 pm *On hold for Covid*
Wine Tasting Friday 4 pm to 7 pm *On hold for Covid*
