Natura
Chardonnay 2020
Reg. Price $15.99
Sale Price: $10.99
White Wine of the Month
I love Chardonnay and I think there are enough styles to drink all year round but a crisp, unoaked version sounds divine as we make our way into Spring! I have featured a couple of the Natura wines before and I think they consistently give some of the best value for price in the store. Chile consistently makes incredible wine for the money because at least for now the land is affordable but we will see how long that lasts! So many French winemakers have started projects in Chile or Argentina I think it is only a matter of time before the region gets the respect it deserves and the wines command that price they should! You just can’t beat the terroir of the sea on one side and the steep, Andes Mountains on the other side. You get a cooler climate, longer growing season and high elevation, not to mention a drier climate where you don’t have to worry about pests and fungus. The Natura Chardonnay comes from the Central Valley in Chile, a large area that includes some of the best wine growing regions like Maipo Valley, Colchagua and the Casablanca Valley. The wine is a blend of 96% Chardonnay and 2% each Marsanne and Viognier to give it more aromatics. The wine is completely stainless steel but does have some lees stirring for texture so the finished wine is bursting with notes of green apple, pineapple, citrus zest and fresh white flowers. Enjoy this all the time.
Bonina
Vinhão Reserva 2020
Reg. Price $15.99
Sale Price: $10.99
Red Wine of the Month
I am very excited to feature this wine this month, it’s been on my list for a while! While I have featured many wines from Portugal I haven’t done anything like this yet! Bonina is from a cooperative of growers called Ponte de Barca from the Minho or Vinho Verde region in northern Portugal with over 50 years of wine making experience. While the wine is from the Vinho Verde region it is clearly not a frizzante style white wine! Instead it is a fresh, delicious red made from 100% Vinhão which is in a very elite and small club of grapes called teinturier grapes. While most red grapes have clear juice and only get their color by soaking and macerating with the skins, teinturier grapes actually have red flesh and red juice. There aren’t many teinturier grapes in the world and the most notable is Alicante Bouschet which is typically added to domestic red blends to add dark, jammy notes and depth to the wines. Vinhão on the other hand is handled differently and normally is much more delicate than Alicante Bouschet! Vinhão is used in some rosés from Portugal and this is the first time I have seen it as a 100% varietal red wine! The Bonina has just a whisper of oak aging so the wine still drinks incredibly lively and fresh with notes of ripe berries, plum and has a slight spiciness on the finish! Enjoy this with grilled meats, charcuterie and as the days get hotter try it with the slightest chill!
Herència Altés
Garnatxa Blanca 2020
Reg. Price $18.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Grenache Blanc is one of my favorite white grapes and I really can’t get enough of this one. Nuria Altés grew up in the region of Terra Alta in Catalunya, just south west of Monsant and Priorat. Terra Alta is one of the largest wine growing regions in Catalunya but it is widely unknown other than by Picasso who featured the area’s mountains in a number of paintings. Nuria Altés grew up in her family’s vineyards where they had been growing grapes for generations and selling them to local wineries. She wanted to change that and bring attention to the wines of Terra Alta so in 2010 she started purchasing grapes from her father and founded Herència Altés. She and her partner Rafael de Haan have been purchasing vineyards of their own and have gone from 14 hectares to 60 and want to highlight the “panal” soil of the region. “Panal” is primarily a chalk and sand topsoil over a bed of clay and limestone that is low in nutrients but retains water incredibly well. All of the vineyards are certified organic and harvest takes place by hand. The Garnatxa Blanca is 100% Grenache Blanc from a mix of young and old vines that is solely done in stainless steel tanks but like the Natura they stir the lees for body and complexity. The wine is refreshing and deliciously complex; notes of under ripe stone fruit, melon, Asian pear and golden apple give way to balanced acidity and subtle minerality. Drink this with sushi, Asian noodle dishes, grilled pork chops, risotto, salmon and roasted mushrooms.
Trediberri
Dogliani Bricco Mollea 2020
Reg. Price $21.99
Sale Price: $16.99
Oh hey look, another wine that will play well with Asian foods! Asian cuisine is probably the most represented at our house and it can be difficult to find wines that can play nicely with hoisin and soy sauces. Since I could live solely on sushi and Asian inspired noodle dishes it’s always fun to see what pairs nicely but when I want a red I typically go to Piedmont. Trediberri is an incredibly young winery, especially by Italian standards and the wine they are making is incredible. It was started in 2007 by Nicola, his father Federico and their friend Vladimiro and the first vineyards they bought were in Berri, a small area in the westernmost part of La Morra. Since there were three of them and they had vineyards in Berri they decided on the name Trediberri! While they originally set out to make Barolo, the winery has grown and now they farm over 26 acres of land across Piedmont. Starting in 2018 they rented vineyards in Dogliani which is where this gem comes from. The Dogliani DOCG is on the south western part of Piedmont and if a wine is labelled as such it is 100% Dolectto. This Dolcetto is all organic and biodynamic and comes from incredibly old vines; most of them were planted in the 50’s and 70’s! While some Dolcetto can be lean and astringent this bottle will turn you into a Dolcetto lover. Silky texture, integrated tannins and notes of wild raspberries, bright cherry, pomegranate and subtle baking spice notes balance out the earthiness perfectly. Art in a bottle.
Garageland
Pinot Noir Rosé 2020
Reg. Price $21.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Domaine de Pellehaut
Gascogne Rosé 2020
Reg. Price $14.99
Sale Price: $8.99
Domaine de Pellehaut has been one of my favorite producers from Gascony for quite a while because the quality is always outstanding and it always out drinks its price point, especially this time! I love the beginning of Spring for so many reasons, not least of which is rosé closeouts of the previous vintage. It’s always great to get a last chance to buy a favorite at a crazy low price! Domaine de Pellehaut is owned by the Béraut family and after four generations of hiring someone to farm it, agronomy graduate Gaston Béraut took control in the 1950’s. In the 1970’s Gaston and his wife started acquiring more land and doubled the estate from 150 hectares to 300, 50 of which were vineyards. The estate has been committed to sustainability and have used compost and organic matter to fertilize the vineyards for more than 50 years. They are one of the first 300 farms to obtain the highest level of HVE certification which is a certification from the French government that targets biodiversity, sustainability and organic farming practices. The rosé is a blend of Merlot, Tannat, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and this will be your go to, all purpose rosé this summer. It is delightfully fruit forward with moderate texture and will be great in rosé sangria, spritzers, frosé, perfect for BBQ’s and get together with friends or when you want something refreshing on the patio.
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
Wine Tasting Friday 4 pm to 7 pm
