If you’re not drinking Loire Valley sparkling wine, you really should start.  I mean, I’m  not saying you’re WRONG, but merely suggesting that you’d be a lot more RIGHT if you were drinking Loire Valley sparkling wine.  In particular, THIS ONE.

I kid, I kid.  I just watched the “Shit Wine Drinkers Say” spin-off of “Shit Girls Say”- where he jests about the Wine Drinker preoccupation with telling people WHAT is GOOD.  There is now precisely one “Shit Whoever Says” You Tube video per every single group of people imaginable.  I admit to watching some of them, many of which are funny.  But the first two Shit Girls Say are still the funniest.  So, the person who did the Wine Drinkers one covered a lot of bases, but I started a list a week or two ago of “Shit Wine Nerds Say”, never intending to videotape it, just write it up in a post and hope to make a few of you chuckle.  I wanted to concentrate on things that Wine Nerds say that sound strange to non-Wine Nerds, and I think I have succeeded admirably.   But first lets talk about this Louis de Grenelle Platine Brut, NV Loire Valley that has captivated my heart over the last week.  It’s. Freaking. Good.

So, to start off- in order to qualify as a Wine Nerd, you MUST love Sparkling wine.  You MUST seek out a sparkling wine made out of every grape imaginable, particularly red grapes.  Remember when I was obsessing over finding a sparkling Gamay?  well, I did find one, but it was sold out and I’ll be forced to wait until early Spring to quell my desire.  Before that, remember whenI found that sparkling Malbec and flipped-the-f-out?  Yes, I did.  That was some killer juice, too… but I’m getting distracted.

If we may, lets go back to WHY you should be drinking sparkling wine from the Loire Valley.  For those that don’t know, this is where the Loire Valley be:

So the Louis de Grenelle Platine Brut is from the Loire Valley, and it is called a Cremant de Loire.  What does this mean?  Well, there is a very long-winded version of this answer, but we’ll try to stick to a short n’ sweet one for today.  There are a couple of different ways to make a still wine into a sparkling wine, but the most traditional (many would say “best”.. some would say “only”) way is called Methode de Champenoise.  This is basically the old school Champagne way of doing it, where the bubbles are allowed to form in each bottle.  The Charmat method, in contrast, is when the juice is fermented and bubblified in one big tank, and then bottled.  Sooo, getting back to the point, Louis here is a Cremant de Loire, which means it is made in the Champenoise method, but it’s not from the Champagne region, hence the -de Loire portion of its name.

Phew.  Hope I didn’t lose you there, let us now focus on how this wine TASTES!!  Ohh, friends.  It tastes like a glimpse of heaven.  I kid you not.  It is made out of mostly Chenin Blanc (a killer grape as a still wine, too), with a little Chardonnay and a little Cabernet Franc (a red grape).  Its bubble content is freaking perfect- the kind that truly “lift” in your mouth (that’s what she said- oh, did I just say that?!), and float along your palate with perfect grace and elegance.  Okay, back to the taste.  I’m easily distracted and a little verbose today, it seems.  So, the Chenin Blanc offers a crisp, fresh palate of pears, apricots and green apples, plus a few flirty, girly notes of white flowers and dried ginger.  The addition of Chardonnay adds a nice sharp zing, and finally the Cab Franc just fills its body out slightly, and brings in a hint of spice and walnuts.  mmmmm!!!  Thirst-quenching as all get-out, people.  It has a most excellent price point- $21, which is not exactly your everyday-bubbly/mimosa-maker price range, but a MOST excellent price range for when you want something exceptional to spoil yourself with, and still won’t break the bank.  Which brings me back to my original point, which is WHY you should be drinking Loire sparkling wine.  If this wine were simply made a few miles east in Champagne, it would probably set you back about $40.  But since its not made in Champagne, you get to pay  lot less!  And secretly (shhhh!!), I love sparkling Chenin Blanc a wee bit more than a traditional Champagne grape.  So let this be a lesson.  Don’t let anyone tell you that the only good sparkling wines are Champagnes.  Doggone it, thats just wrong.

And in closing, here is a fun list of Shit Wine Nerds Say.  Special thanks to Danielle, James, Jeremy and Josh who helped me out with a few zingers via my Facebook fan page.  Please note this list focuses on silly things that Wine Nerds say to each other that make perfect sense to US, but might sound strange to other.

Apt Descriptive Words That Sound a Little Strange and You Probably Won’t Read in Spectator.

Slutty.  Busty.  Grapey.  Backwards.  Hot.  Tight.  Flabby.  Malnourished.  Feet-y.  Stinky.  Pencil-y.  Cat Pee-y.  Tar-y.  Asphalty.  Grapey (yes, really).  Girly.  Flirty.  Sexy.  Dominatrix.

Other Phrases I’ve Heard Uttered:

“I feel like I’m committing infanticide on this 08 Barolo!”

“This is like sucking wine out of a 2 x 4!”

“This is a wine only a termite could love.”

“This is like licking the inside of a tin can.”

“It’s in an awkward teenage phase.”

“It’s over the hill.”

“It’s a baby!”

“Too much malo.”

“It’s got some bottle stink… maybe it’ll blow off.”

(upon tasting a new red varietal) “Do they make a dry Rose out of this!?”

Okay that’s all I got for today.  Hope you enjoyed.  I know I’m missing some, feel free to comment with additions!  And come pick up some Grenelle at Cellar!  Seacrest out.

 

A Top Ten List, if you will.  Been perseverating on this post for some time now.  Suffice to say, the last several weeks have been moving at warp speed.  It’s been full-on survival mode, pretty much since Thanksgiving.  Now that the end is nearing, I’m sitting down, focusing, and trying to bust this list out before the day gets away from me with menu changes and wine to be put away and people calling wanting reservations for New Years Eve.  Le sigh.

Upon reflection, I believe this list to be representative of me in general- heavy on the Rose and whites, no monstrosities of overly oaked Reds- as opposed to what our best-sellers were.  Although there are several overlaps.  And pretty much all the wines on the list did indeed sell beautifully, even if they weren’t the best.  I tried to pick wines that I really impressed me for the price point, as it would be pretty mean to make a list of things I loved that I got to try for free (that’s a separate list!).  “This wine’s amazing, now go buy yourself a bottle!  It’s only $250!  Thanks, stupid!”  I also picked wines that sold well despite their “odd factor,”  (A Gamay?  selling well in Columbia, South Carolina?), which makes me swell with pride at the slowly evolving tastes of our regulars.  It’s truly awesome.  So thanks to you, dear person, who ventured out and tried a Gamay, a Muller-Thurgau, even a Rose, when you thought you hated Pink wine.  You’re the reason I like my career.  Really.  So let’s go!  On with the fun.

These are in no particular order… I’ll just start with the sparklers, and move through to pinks, whites and then reds.  Sound good?  okay.

1.)  So, of course I have to start off with a tie for favorite Pink Bubbly.  I live to defy convention.  Charmeroy Brut Rose, NV France ($11) and Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rose, NV Champagne ($39).  Charmeroy is my reining queen of the pink, inexpensive deliciousness.  At $11 I seriously think this one is destined for greatness.  It’s so fresh and perfectly fruity and it goes down soooo easily.  I think this is would be my Desert Island on a Budget wine.  (Full Charmeroy post here).  Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rose, at $39, is… I’m just going to go ahead and say it… a panty-dropper.  It’s so light and ethereal… fleetingly beautiful in it’s fruit and hints of yeast and crisp finish.  Ahhhhh.  Divinity.

2.)  Las Lilas Vinho Verde Rose, 10 Portugal ($10).  Ohhh, yes.  You remember this one.  It literally flew out of here all summer long.  And you DO remember how LONG the summer is in Columbia, don’t you?  This wine is a savior.  Sent directly from Heaven to rescue us from our sweltering inferno of misery that we live in from June to September.  There is nothing as delicious as this wine when it’s hot out.  Juicy and light, with a fruity palate of watermelon and strawberries, and FIZZ!  ohh, fizz.  I love you.  This wine single-handedly turned many-a-Pink-wine-hater into a Pink-wine-lover.  Women flocked to it like moths to a flame.  It went to the pool, the beach, the porch, the lake… it was the epitome of a best friend, in wine form.  When it started to get colder, and my taste for Pink began to wane- I started to look forward to early Summer of 2012 when I could truly appreciate this wine once again. (Full Las Lilas post here).

3.)  Albaliza Rose, 10 Spain ($9).  This sturdy lil’ guy was my other go-to pink.  Yes, there’s room in my life for more than one Pink, folks.  Remember how I said Summer is long?  Is is.  I say sturdy because it it a beautiful darker shade of pink, and is a fairly medium-bodied Rose.  We had this on our by-the-glass list for months, and it was one of those wines that I’d forget about for a few weeks, and then I’d re-taste it and think “DAMN!  this is delicious!”  And really, $9?  Insane.  Honorable Mention: Charles & Charles Rose of Syrah, 10 Washington.  This, at $14, was my other other go-to Rose.  Unfortunately it’s sold out ’til next vintage.   (Big fat Rose post here).

4.)  Anne Amie Muller-Thurgau, 10 Oregon ($16).  THIS wine actually made me fear for my own sanity a bit.  I tweeted about my love for it so many times, that I began to think that the folks at Anne Amie might think me a tad looney.  Then in September, I saw Boyd from Anne Amie at a portfolio show and, under the influence of many, many tastes of many, many wines, I once again confessed my undying love for the wine.  And further went on to admit that I feared they might think I’m nuts.  I believe Boyd handled me in my flustered state with nothing but grace… but that, too, is a little hazy.  Anyone who has attended this particular portfolio show will certainly understand my situation.  And to those that haven’t… imagine for a moment being in a gigantic room with hundreds of open bottles of some of the most exquisite wines available to us.  Then stay there for four hours.  I know, I know.  It’s like porn for wine-nerds.  But it’s real.  Like the Velveteen Rabbit.  Anyway back to the wine.    A beautiful pale color, its notes of yellow apples, spring white flowers, citrus, melon, and pears are truly gorgeous.  (Slightly longer past post here).

5.)  Lioco Pinot Blanc, 10 California, Chalone ($19).  Yet another white wine that practically brought tears to my eyes.  We had a small amount of this wine in the early Fall, and it sold so quickly that I never got a chance to write about it in detail.  But thanks to a fortuitous turn of events, we’ve managed to scavenge up some more, and it’s currently being hoarded in the wine room at Cellar, only to be sold to those I deem worthy (okay, not really…).  This wine is freaking amazing.  I’d never met a Pinot Blanc from California before, and I doubt that there’s another one out there that could follow this one.  It breaks all the molds.  It’s the texture that truly gets me- silky and elegant, with enough roundness to fill it out nicely.  I can’t do much better than the notes on the bottle that read “Aroma: hazelnut, lemon pith, crushed gravel.  Flavor: green apple, bosc pear, pie crust.”  All I can say is that the pie crust hints are real. freaking. pretty.  It even smells a touch like fresh pie dough, too.  The finish is unnaturally long and delicate.  The precision with which it is made is almost deafening.  Really, if there’s one wine I suggest you come in today and buy, it’s this one.  We were one of the few accounts that got any, practically outside of California itself.  The Slanted Door in San Fran pours this by-the-glass.  Need I say more??

6.)  On to the reds!  Verdier & Logel Gamay, 09 France, Cotes du Forez ($13).  This wine was my sneaky little Fall favorite.  And made me the most proud when it sold well.  Because who would’ve thought that a Gamay by-the-glass in Columbia would’ve garnered any affection at all?  Well, this one hit the right note, because once people tried it, they loved it.  And it was a runaway hit!  I think the timing was just right.  The stars aligned, and it just worked.  It made me happy and also made me feel smart- because I sensed that the time was right, and that I could get people to love this wine.  I’m revisiting this as I write, and gosh-darn if it still isn’t damn good!  Light, jubilant, a little spicy, tart, high in acid and totally thirst-quenching.  Gorg.  Really.  Freaking KILLER.  Am I making myself clear?  DID I STUTTER?   We’ve moved on to the 2010 vintage as of right now.  (Past post here).

7.) Evesham Wood Pinot Noir, 2010 Willamette Valley ($22, while it lasted).  Unfortunately this one has gone bye-bye til next year, but it was great while it lasted.  The real reason it was so amazing is because of its PRICE for QUALITY!  $22 for about 1000 case-produced Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is practically unheard of.  Now, I will readily admit that the reason I might have liked this one so much is because when I drank it I was on a mini-vacation in Edisto, with 75-degree sunny skies, a new book, a back porch, and not a care in the world.  I might have liked Apothic Red on that particular day (ha!  who am I kidding!  never.).  But this was the first 2010 Willamette I tried, and it struck me as being lean-yet-sexy, nicely peppery, with a perfect amount of musky-mushroomy earthiness.  Pretty darn delicious.  (past post here).

8.)  Mas del Perie “Les Escures” Malbec, 2009 France, Cahors ($16).  Another top “freakout” moment of 2011.  The first time I tried this wine, it was the 2008 vintage, and I literally almost fell out of my chair it was so good.  Unfortunately, a restaurant in Greenville bought it all before we had a chance to buy it.  So I waited.  The 2009 is jut as good, and we scored a decent amount.  I love French Malbec, and this one is such a good value, it’s almost silly.  So flooded is the market right now with $12-14 Argentine Malbecs, that this one really is really in a class of its own.  A God among insects, if you will.  Deep and dark, with hefty fruit, yet a pleasant balance of acid that keep it from being weighed down or flabby.  A nose of blackberry liqueur and something vaguely metallic, plus a distinctly French amount of terroir make this one a winner.  I forced this on almost everyone that walked in the door.  It’s been a staff favorite for some time, too.  Come give ‘er a whirl.

9.) Badenhorst “Secateurs” Shiraz blend, 10 South Africa ($15).  Yet another one of my sixth sense sort of moments.  I had a feeling that if we found just the right South African Red, it would be our best-selling Fall Red.  Well, I was sort of right anyway.  Because once it landed, it started flying.  Even if it wasn’t the “best” Fall Red, it was right up there in the top five.  Or maybe it was just that my obsession was so intense, that it wore off on people.  I might never know, nor do I really care.  This wine rocks.  It’s pure South Africa at its best.  Smoky, spicy, with hints of tar (sounds gross, but its not) black cherries, raspberries, and a nice touch of citrus peel that really brightens it up.  It even got 90 Points from Robert Parker (ahem, AFTER I decided I loved it).  I still love it.  And its still by-the-glass, so come see for yourself!  (Past post here).

10).  Aaand, my top Higher-End Pick of the year- Orin Swift “D66” Grenache/Syrah/Carignan, 09 France ($42).  This one wins the “top-searched” award of 2011, as it got more hits from Google search than any other wine I wrote about this year.  Not surprising, when you consider that Orin Swift Wines are highly coveted in the wine-world, and usually limited allocation.  Which needless to say, adds to their appeal.  This wine, to me, was a study in unique.  Orin Swift is usually the King of lush, Cali fruit-bombs (albeit, good ones-) and then they go and make THIS!  A wine from FRANCE!  Whaaa?  But pull it off, they did.  I originally posted that this reminds me more of a Spanish wine, and it definitely does.  Sort of like a second-cousin-once-removed to the amazing Clio.  Which reminds me… I haven’t seen or heard much about Clio this year…. hmmmm.  An Honorable Mention to the Orin Swift “Machete” Petite Sirah blend, which was pretty darn fantastic, but the D66 just had me, hook, line and sinker.  (Check out full post here).

So, as the last day of the year begins, I hope this list brought back some fond memories of wines past!  It was a good wine year.  Now let’s drink some more in 2012!  Thanks for reading, Happy New Year!

Freakout. of. the. week.  !!!

I’m actually still freaking out, and I first tasted this wine on Wednesday.  It’s a freakout that can only be caused when a wine is extremely delicious AND extremely affordable.  And it couldn’t be better timed- we tend to overspend during the Holiday season, and this wine will firmly re-plant you back to reality, where we live within our means, and- SHOCKER!  our means CAN be amazingly delicious!  It’s like finding out your life really isn’t so bad.  Why desire a life where you can spend $50 on a bottle of wine and drink it on a Wednesday while you watch Modern Family?  Who has that life?  No one.  Well, a few people do.  Are they happier than you?  No.  We all live delightfully average lives, full of mundane activities.  But then this wine comes along and at $12 a bottle, is completely un-average and un-mundane!  So read on!

For anyone who doesn’t know, Kermit Lynch is sort of a boss.  He first opened a retail wine shop in California in 1972, right on the cusp of  the California wine explosion.  I don’t have a exact timetable, but he soon began importing and distributing wine, and developed an excellent reputation especially with French wines.  If I had to surmise, he might have been one of the first Americans to make French wine accessible and not scary.  Which is pretty cool.  Here’s the link to his website if you want to check out more about him.

 

 

 

Here’s the image that is found on all his wines, which became (and still is) an easy, identifiable way for wine shoppers to be sure they’re getting a high quality wine, even if they hadn’t tried it before.  Moving on to the fun part!  This Vaucluse Rouge is a blend of 55% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Merlot and 10% Marselan (remember that one?  a funny grape I wrote about earlier this year?  or maybe it was last year…).  Vaucluse, to the best of my google-ing ability, is a little south of Rhone and a little north of Provence.  Which accounts for it’s interesting and fun grape makeup.  It’s a lush a velvety little wine with a firm palate of blackberries and black cherries.  A hint of violets, cedar, and anise are found on the nose, but it’s the finish that really gets me- a perfect amount of salinity/limestoney-minerality/acidity make this a true lip-smacker.  Smooth, classy, and can’t be beat price.  The bottle even looks sophisticated!  You could definitely fool someone into thinking you paid at least $20 for this wine, if you really wanted to.  But I would only reserve that kind of thinking for someone you didn’t really like.  Because your true friends will appreciate that you only paid $12.  And if they don’t- well, get some new friends.  Not to be harsh.

You can find this wine open at tomorrow’s Giant Wine Sale from 12-2!  Yes, there’s one again this weekend- since the last Saturday in December is Christmas Eve, we decided just to throw down and have a sale every other Saturday in December.  We have about a case and a half to sell, and I anticipate it will go rather quickly.  Other yummy choices tomorrow include the St. Francis Red (now they call it the “Splash”, which I think is silly), always a decent house red for $9, the Ostatu Crianza- another fave of mine, lots n’ lots of Charmeroy Brut Rose (you know you need some), and several other newbies that I will leave to the element of surprise.

If I can keep my act together next week, I’ll be posting a “Favorite Wines of 2011” entry, which I know you’re all just dying to hear about.  But it’ll be fun, at least.  And keep an eye out in The Shop Tart next week, as she filmed a Shop Tart Tuesday segment about the perfect Holiday Case of Wine here at Cellar this morning.  Should be a good one!  Happy drinking!

Okay, let’s cut to the chase: I love South African wine.  Now.  I didn’t always.  I got burned once or twice on some less-than-stellar South African wines, and they left a bad taste in my mouth (get it?!).  But as Fall approached, I felt a burning desire to find the perfect South African red to share with our dear Cellar clientele.  I knew that if I found the perfect one, you would all embrace it.  Alright- maybe that’s overstating the case just a tad, but I really was on a quest of sorts to find a great by-the-glass red from South Africa.

And then- lightening struck!  I found not one, but two perfect little South African reds in the span of two weeks.  And they both arrived this past Wednesday.  Let’s start with this one: Tormentoso Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 Paarl…

This is a surprisingly smooth and easy to drink little Cab!  Warm and friendly notes of blackberry, cassis, red plums, and herbaciousness (is that a word?  it is now) are up-front and honest.  The palate is focused and tangy, with a hint of sour cherries mixed in with an abundant amount of figgyness and toasty vanilla.  A familiar palate and flavor profile, delivered with an unmistakably South African charm.  There’s a light hint of smoke that reminds you of just that.  Now lets get a closer look at that cute little fishy on the bottle.  At least I think that’s what he is:

“Tormentoso” means “Cape of Storms”, which is what Portugese explorers first called to-be-named-later Cape of Good Hope.  So it appears this aquatic vertebrate with teeth is most likely braving the rough seas that surround the Cape of Good Hope.  He looks ready to bust some shots at people who should cross his path.  Perhaps that is indicative of the sturdy and reliable nature of this wine?  Or maybe he’s just fun to look at.  Either way, I’m fine with it.  I like him.  I’d be really interested to try the Tormentoso Mourvedre, as well- check out their website here, for a look at how beautiful the wine country is and what else they offer.

Next is a really wild and crazy little red blend from Badenhorst called “Secateurs”, 2010 vintage from Swartland, slightly north of Cape Town.

This might be one of the better wines I’ve tasted in a while.  Perhaps my fanaticism just stems from the fact that as soon as I tasted it, I knew my prayers had been answered and I’d found my perfect South African red by-the-glass pour.  The Secateurs is a blend of 74% Shiraz, 10% Cinsault plus various amounts of Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre.  It is a focused and detailed wine, opening with a bouquet of ripe raspberry, red licorice and blackberry liqueur.  A peppery and spirited palate with a touch of cedar and graphite.  Finally, it finishes with fantastic grip, nice acidity and a dry sort of finesse and vibrancy.  It’s a lip-smacker.  The sort of wine that upon completion of a sip, you have no choice but to smack your lips and say “day-um!”  Or maybe that’s just me.  The 2010 vintage just got 90 points from Robert Parker, and the 2009 was given 89 points by Wine Spectator!  It appears I’m not alone in my love of this wine.

The thing I really appreciate about South African wine in general is that it just offers something a little different than the norm.  At least from my perspective, it can be monotonous to taste, see, and hear about the same California (just as an example) wines over and over.  One of the more fun aspects of my job is finding something that will just nudge people’s tastes in a slightly different direction.  Its wines like these that can really broaden your tastebuds, and open your eyes to just how many different tastes there are out there.  It’s somewhat mind-boggling, really.  But that’s in essence what I really love about wine.  Even if you’re a master sommelier, there’s still something new to learn about and be tasted.

In summation, you can find the Tormentoso Cab in this week’s Mystery Case selections, the Secateurs as a by-the-glass pour, and BOTH are likely to make an appearance at this Saturday’s WINE SALE from 12-2!  Tormentoso retails for $14 (probably a slight drop for the sale) and Secateurs for $16 (ditto).  Also keep an eye in your inbox this afternoon, as our annual Thanksgiving Wine Packs are coming out!  We’re all about options here.  Cheers!

With Fall in full swing, I’ve come to accept that my fanaticism with Pinot Noir is also in full swing.  It was a struggle to narrow down todays post to just four wines, in the spirit of full disclosure.  It seemed like every day that a new Pinot arrived at our door at Cellar on Greene, and every single one I opened, I fell madly in love with.  All price ranges, all kinds of deliciousness, all adding fuel to the fire of my obsession.

I think the weather is partially to blame- it is, of course, PERFECT.  And these warm days and cool nights are sublime for a wine like Pinot Noir that takes kindly to a slight chill.  When it’s 4:00 and still a balmy 75 degrees, a lightly chilled red will make your heart sing.  But when it cools down slightly, it’s still a red wine that you’re drinking.  And if you’re like me, and you spend the months of June through most of October drinking white wine because of the suffocating heat, the first red of the Fall is a true celebration!  I don’t think you’ll ever meet a more elated group of people than Columbians in the Fall.  The excitement is truly tangible.  So long are we oppressed by the heat, that at the first sign that we can exit the house without sweating, we literally break out into song.

So let’s start with this one!  The Contempo Pinot Noir from California wins the Pleasantly Surprised award from me.  With it’s retail cost being a mere $12, I expected it to be exceedingly average.  Many of the Cali Pinots that I taste at that price range are just that.  Often overly fruity, sweet, and manipulated.  This one is a people-pleaser, with an extremely friendly personality- lively notes of strawberries, cherry cola, raspberries, and a little hint of fennel, all balanced out by a decent amount of acidity.  This makes a very nice late afternoon sipper, house wine, party wine, pretty much any day to day activity that is made better by the addition of a glass of wine.

Next up is this sleek and sexy bottle of Simple Life Pinot Noir, 09 California.  Just $13, it also fits the bill for an everyday Pinot.  This is an extremely new wine to South Carolina.  I’m a fan of the packaging and I think it will have mass appeal.  Plus it’s one of my favorite wines; a wine that actually lives up to it’s cool packaging!  I was pretty stunned by how good this was for the money the first time I tried it.  Light and ruby-colored, with a little more tartness than the Contempo, it’s a classic Pinot Profile of strawberries, cherries, and rhubarb, with a nice finish of cranberries and cloves.  Ummmm… cranberries and cloves??  That makes me thing of Thanksgiving!!  Which is rapidly approaching, by the way.  So, have I just picked out your Thanksgiving Pinot for you?  I think I did.  Well, there’s room for more than one at your table, I’m assuming, but this is one you can serve everyone, even your aunt and uncle who think Carlo Rossi is the only wine that exists.   You’ll show them.  You’ll make them like it if it kills you.

This is one bottle you’d probably want to save for yourself.  The Evesham Wood Pinot Noir, 2010 Willamette is a true gem.  It’s special for a couple reasons, but the number ONE reason (is actually threefold) 1.) it’s from Willamette Valley 2.) it’s very small production, at only 1650 cases made and 3.) it’s $22!!  If you add those three things together, it’s almost like a perfect storm of awesome.  It’s also practically unheard of.  1650 case Willamette Valley Pinot for $22??  That’s almost like a cruel joke to play on someone.  Except it’s true!  I’ve heard from other winemakers in the area that they actually question the people at Evesham Wood’s sanity (in a good way) for selling their wine at such a reasonable price.  I think it pays off in the long run to keep a consistent price, because that sort of consistency builds customer loyalty and appreciation by a landslide.  No one likes to have your favorite wine go up in cost every year.  I consumed a bottle of this… okay, I shared a little… about three weeks ago in Edisto, and I think it was what started my obsession with Pinot.  It’s light and beautiful, birthed from a long, cool growing season.  Graceful and yet rustic, it offers nice fruit (blackberry, black cherry) and exciting earthy notes of bay leaf, wild thyme, and a light floral finish.  Lean and sexy, and light alcohol at 13%.  Now here’s the kicker; we have about a case left, and that is all we’ll be getting.  It sells out in two shakes of a lambs tail.  It’s currently by the glass at Cellar, so pop in a try some.  If you like it, take one home on the spot because it will likely be gone soon.

And last, I’m throwing this one in the post because I’m slightly. in. love. with. the. label.  How did I not realize my love of owls until I saw this bottle?  This wine arrived last week, and was stashed in our wine room.  I peeked at it and noted how cute the owl was.  Then throughout the days that followed I found myself thinking of the owl a lot.  I sneaked a few more peeks.  Whenever I saw him, I smiled.  He makes me happy.  He’s so playful and adorable, yet somehow ponderous and soulful.  I suspect that if I met a real Saw-Whet Owl (which come to find out, is what sort of owl he is), he might claw my eyes out.  But I can still love the pic.  So this is the Haden Fig Pinot Noir, 2009 Willamette.  Turns out this is a bottle made by two people who have worked at Evesham Wood (remember that one, from a few short seconds ago?) for the past three crush seasons.  They must get along quite well, because they let these two make and bottle the Haden Fig at the winery.  It is organically, biodynamically and sustainably produced.  I have yet to crack this bottle, and at $28, I might have to do something really nice for Ricky before he’ll let me open it on a whim, but lots of great winery notes can be found on their website, here’s a quote: “Our 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot noir reflects the warm vintage making it very forward and enjoyable now while maintaining it’s structured acidity. This year’s blend has a larger percentage of Cancilla Vineyard fruit in it (a major component of the 2008 Reserve). Cancilla Vineyard lies in the northern part of the Coast Range and this site offers dark berry fruit flavors, while holding onto the acidity. An inviting bright nose of cherry and strawberry leads you to a supple mid-palate of berries and dried herbs, with nice length on the finish.”  We have a decent amount of this wine in stock, and it will be going out as a wine club offering this afternoon.  Click here to subscribe to our wine club emails!   Also likely to be found at our wine sale this Saturday, November 12th from 12-2!!  

This was sort of a long post, so hopefully you made it through, had a laugh or two, and are inspired to pick up a new bottle of Pinot (or two!) sometime soon!  Happy Drinkin’!