Quinta Do Ameal
Vinho Verde Bico Amarelo 2020
Reg. Price $14.99
Sale Price: $9.99
White Wine of the Month
The Aviva Vinho Verde from last month did so well that I brought in their rosé for this month but I also thought it would be fun to do a sparkling and still Vinho Verde back to back. Quinta do Ameal is a newly acquired winery by Esporão, a large pseudo cooperative that has their base in the Alentejo in southern Portugal. Esporão was the first winery I ever got to visit when I visited Portugal about 6 years ago so they hold a very special place in my heart. The wines are all stunning but they previously didn’t have any land in northern Portugal to make Vinho Verde. Quinta do Ameal is a historic property going back to the early 1700’s that is known for their granite soils and sustainable farming. Out of their 30 hectares of land they have dedicated 8 hectares to ancient forests that are up to 200 years old. This still Vinho Verde is a blend of Loureiro, Alvarinho and Avesso that is entirely done in stainless steel but the wine does rest on the lees for 4 to 6 months which gives it a decadent mouth feel. Notes of wet stones, under ripe apricot, lime zest and intense minerality balance out the acidity perfectly and this may just be your white wine of the summer!
Mas de Daumas Gassac
Guilhem Rouge 2019
Reg. Price $14.99
Sale Price: $9.99
Red Wine of the Month
I have been a fan of the Guilhem wines for years and their rosé is always one of my favorites in my set. (The 2021 just landed and it may be their best vintage yet!) My distributor needed some warehouse space and offered me a great deal and it works with my goal of getting southern French reds more attention so I couldn’t pass this up. Moulin de Gassac is the everyday level of Mas de Daumas Gassac, a property in the Langeudoc that was bought in 1971 by Véronique and Aimé Guibert. They had their friend Henri Enjalbert, a professor at the Bordeaux III University who specialized in winemaking geography come walk their property. He declared that the property was mostly glacial sandstone and was comparable to the great Grand Crus in Burgundy. Those words lit a fire in them and in 1972 they started planting vines, mostly different clonal selections of Cabernet. The hard work has all paid off and the entire property is highly regarded. The Guilhem Rouge is a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 20% Carignan that is entirely done in stainless steel so it is lively and bright with notes of bing cherry, raspberry, hibiscus and silky texture.
Opstal Estate
Chenin Blanc 2020
Reg. Price $17.99
Sale Price: $13.99
While I have a tendency to go on and on about the amazing Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet coming out of South Africa it’s good to revisit the white that put them on the map: Chenin Blanc. The Chenin Blanc this month is no joke one of the best ones I’ve had recently and it comes from Opstal Estate in the Slanghoek region within the Breedekloof region within the Western Cape. The region is cooler due to multiple mountain ranges and rivers in the area and Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted grape. Opstal Estate’s history began in 1857 when JC Rossouw bought the estate and in 1950 his fourth generation descendant Carl Everson decided that instead of joining a local cooperative, he would make his own wine. The family is now on their seventh generation and is truly a family run winery. Opstal is also the winery that Tinashe Nyumudoka partners with for his Kumusha label but he isn’t the only one who can make a killer Chenin Blanc! The Opstal Estate Chenin has about 8 hours of skin contact for texture and complexity and also sees some barrel aging so the wine is decadent without being heavy but is bursting with notes of golden apple, pineapple, caramelized sugar, lemon rind and melon.
Bilo Idro
Plavac Mali 2020
Reg. Price $19.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Croatian wine has been slow coming to the market but suddenly there are a couple different companies featuring Croatian and other Slavic country’s wines. Thank goodness one of those companies is Natural Wine Company with my longtime mentor Matej taking the reins as portfolio manager for this section. Matej is Slovenian so he is able to provide incredible insight to the terroir, culture and growing regions that I am just beginning to explore but he can also pronounce all of the names! Plavac Mali is the grape in this wine which is a descendant of Zinfandel and an ancient Croatian grape Dobričić. In Croatian “plavo” means blue and “mali” means small since the grapes are incredibly small with a bluish hue. Bilo Idro is made my Zlatan Otok winery which was established in 1991 and was only the second private winery after the country declared its independence. The winery is in a fishing village called Sveta Nedjelja on the island of Hvar near the south of the country and today it is one of the biggest wineries in Croatia! Plavac Mali kind of drinks somewhere between a Pinot Noir and a Zinfandel. Bright red fruit notes give way to pronounced acidity and tannins with an iron like minerality. Come taste this wine with Matej on Friday, July 8!
Quinta da Lixa
Aviva Vinho Verde Rosé 2020
Reg. Price $14.99
Sale Price: $8.99
Château d’Astros
Aventure Rosé 2021
Reg. Price $24.99
Sale Price: $18.99
It seems like I feature rosé from all over the world but rarely from Provence, one of the most widely known regions for rosé. I am fixing that this month with this wine that is completely new to the market! The history of Château d’Astros began about eight centuries ago how most were started, with passing soldiers planting vineyards. While there are some remains from Roman times on the estate the true beginning was in the 13th century when Templar knights cultivated the land and then in the 17th century the Knights of Malta built the wine cellar. The current owner Bernard Maurel bought the estate in 1963 and breathed new life into it. He replanted the vineyards with grapes more suited to rosé production and the estate is now organic certified. They take their wine making very seriously and actually harvest the grapes at night during the cool temperatures to retain acidity and complexity. The wine is a blend of Grenache, Caldoc and Cinsault and has notes of white peach, watermelon, fresh herbs and balanced minerality.
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
