Our Wines

savagnin

Savagnin.... not Sauvignon. The star grape of the Jura. If you like this line up, consider yourself ready for the region's really big mac daddy.... Vin Jaune! 2-Pack includes 1 bottle each: Puffeney Savagnin 2008, Montbourgeau Savagnin 2008. Try these two and if you like them, consider trading up to a Vin Jaune. Save over 13% off the regular price of the set.

torigua nacional 750ml

Phones can take pretty darn good photos. Whenever someone comes into the store with a photo of their most recent discovery, I know I can either find the bottle or usually find something from the same neighborhood. Yet, despite having this fantastic tool at my finger-tips I sometimes find myself a week later saying, "What was the bottle I loved?" At the time I thought "Oh, I'll never forget this wine. It's a beautiful example of X from Y bottled in Year Z by what's-his-name." Alas, the details can slip. The bottle I'm drinking now -- Agricultura -- is a red, fruit-forward Portuguese wine with nice light wrapping of oak and a balancing tang of acidity. And it has a big black ant on its label. So if you drink this wine and like it as much as I do, just ask for "the wine with the ant". Do I need to say "Don't let the screw-cap throw you?" No, I didn't think so. There are wines for all kinds of occasions. I waited a few days until I had some friends over to eat some steak, asparagus with hollandaise and rice pilaf. Yeah, I know I could have found some quail eggs or truffle oil, but sometimes the classics on a winter night just hit the spot and that's what this wine does - it hits the spot. Simple doesn't have to mean dumbed down. Simple can mean without difficulty, a pleasure that seamlessly blends with a meal and a conversation yet adds flavor and moments of quiet satisfaction. Ripe cherries and raspberries, tendrils of vanilla spice - at this price, unforgettable: just ask for the wine with the ant.

cabernet franc 750ml

prosecco 750ml

A nice Prosecco is tough to resist. The Althea is our favorite - and honestly, it's been tough to keep on the shelves. Charming, elegant, tiny little bubbles, bright, vibrant, and a touch fruity (but not sweet!) And at a price that will never make you feel guilty about popping it open on a Monday night to go with take out.

bonarda 750ml

albarino 750ml

Wine writer Alice Feiring notes that albariño is one of those wines like beaujolais which have had its body (and soul?) snatched by an industry that dumbs down taste and critics "who should know better." A real albariño, like this Amarte Mas, is tangy (acidic) and in this case with a bit of lemon and green apple. I enjoyed a floral aroma that I couldn't ascribe to any particular flower. I found this wine to have an emergent and enjoyable saline quality which more imaginative writers have called "sea spray aromas." Regardless, there is a lot going on in this crisp, refreshing wine. It definitely pairs well with food. I'm one of those lazy foodies who bakes brie because it is fun, easy and, well, delicious. Amarte Mas would definitely pair well with such creamy, pungent earthy tones. I use apples as well as bread, which slide right into the flavors of this wine. There are producers, like Spanish Vines, who are returning albariño body and soul by using native yeasts and hand picked fruit. Fermented in stainless steel this is a perky, intriguing drink, the tastes the way it was meant to be.

sauvignon blanc 750ml

Not your normal NZ Sauv Blanc--a bit more tropical, a bit fuller-bodied, but still super refreshing. Plush and nuanced white with aromatic honeysuckle, rich citrus and melon flavors. Honeyed and seamless, a must-try New Zealand Sauv Blanc which contrasts nicely with the Marlborough style.

pinot grigio / pinot gris 750ml

Not-boring pinot gris. A wee bit of skin contact adds a bit of texture and flavor. But this is still an excellent, any-night-of-the-week wine. From cool-cali-kid Chris Brockway.