Thursday April 22, 2021
THIS JUST IN (DELICIOUS NEW BUBZ).
This Week: What pairs well with social justice? Everything.
And, Happy Earth Day! Don't forget wine is an agricultural product like any other. Everyday should be Earth Day, but we certainly look forward to this day each year as a healthy remind to respect the land we walk on. The grape farmers who manage their land responsibly for the generations to come deserve your support.


What a week. So many new wines on the shelf. Some selections we are particularly excited about: some cool new finds from Spain, natty and refreshing juice from Northern Cali, and as mentioned last week - a big drop of Paolo Bea's Umbrian gems.

Staff reviews, per usual, are on point. Nick Z. explains Piquette - a tangy, refreshing low ABV wine you're going to need in your life this summer. If you're making G&T's this weekend, don't skip out on Nikola's gin pick. GINRAW Gastronomic Gin from Barcelona is surely one of the most delicious and unique gins we've tasted in awhile.

We're all getting closer to a vaccinated, safe summer but... not yet so. Keep masking and sanitizing!

Cheers,
The Team at NL Wine & Spirits
Celebrating Earth Day
Fun fact: the first Earth Day, observed in 1970, is still the largest single day protest in human history. 20 million people poured into the streets. The idea for Earth Day was proposed in San Francisco at a UNESCO conference. It was celebrated the next year on the first day of spring and grew from there - now observed in 141 countries.
The wine industry is making strides to lessen its carbon footprint, create more environmentally friendly packaging solutions, and farm ethically in a way that allows generations to come to enjoy the Earth as we have been lucky to. Look for green on tags around the shop! We notate wines that are organic, biodynamic and are conscious of sourcing sustainably farmed and made beverages as often as possible. Have questions about organics, biodynamics and what it all means for wine? Just ask :)
A Spotlight on Piquette, by Nick Z.
The most refreshing thing you could possibly drink on a hot day.
Sanctum: Stix & Bugs - Piquette, Red & White $17.99
Lipoglav, Lower Styria , Slovenia

Sanctum is a project from the minds of Vlado Podkubovšek and his son, Marko. They focus on creating wines that show a true sense of place, without manipulation or interference in the winemaking process.  

  The vineyard sites they're farming were planted by French Carthusian monks in the mid-12th century. All of their vineyards are located on steep 45˚ slopes with southern-exposure, ranging from 100 meters to 480 meters above sea level.

These bubbly beauts are both done in the "Piquette" style, which many are unfamiliar with. This style is made by adding water to grape pomace (the leftover skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit) and fermenting what’s left of the sugars. This results in a low ABV (5-10%) frizzante, tart and tangy chugger!

Some might see Piquette as a new Natural Wine "fad" or the next "Hipster Juice" with some good reasoning as it's really only burst into popularity in the last few years within the cult wine scene, and we're seeing more wineries hopping on the train.

Sadly for them they're wrong.. Piquette is the French term but the style is based off of the Ancient Greek & Roman Iora which was the last ditch effort to use the pomace for a beverage (often very low quality) intended for soldiers, slaves and common workers. Piquette then gained popularity in late 19th century France with field hands, poor farmers and the common folk, but lost its luster and popularity as it was seen as a lower quality beverage for the poor.

Now that we're full fledged historians on Piquette it's time to come in, grab a bottle or two and experience wines alternative to hard seltzer for people who actually have taste.
Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should drink.

2019 Siete Vidas Tinto Cangas Spain - $23.99
Green Spain as it is known, lies in just north of Portugal and as the name suggests is vibrantly green, with endless dramatic coastal and mountain views and feels very untouched. Although best known for its cider and cheese, Asturias was an important wine region from the 11th century to the 1950's, when coal mining took over and most vineyards were abandoned. Beatriz Perez and Pepe Flores, owners of Bodega Vidas, are a major force in the revival there. The village of Cangas is also home to some of the most interesting grapes in Spain and this red blend is no exception. This field blend of Albarin Negro, Mencia, Carrasquin and Verdejo Negro is a light-bodied, easy drinking red full of crunchy cranberry, tart cherry and herbal, spicy notes. Drink lightly chilled with pretty much anything off the grill!
-Angie

2018 Don Juan Jose, Tinajas del Monte, Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley, Chile - $17.99
Owner Juan Jose Taraud and wine maker Luca Hodgkinson are part of a "new' movement in wine making that is as old as viniculture itself. Tinajas are clay amphorae from Spain, some 500 liters in size, that are used for fermentation and aging of wine instead of oak or stainless steel. Like oak, the clay amphorae are porous, so the wines can soften out over time but not take in any oak tannins. 12 months of aging after a full hand made operation of natural wine making, with only a dash of SO2 added at bottling for long term stability of the wine, has resulted here in an incredible soft and inviting pinot noir. Aromas of light earthy graphite, bing cherry, and tobacco leaf lead to a palate of delicate red fruit cradled by super soft tannins. This is a great sign for the future of growing pinot noir in a region so close to the equator. For the Casablanca valley is only a maximum of 20 miles from the ocean, where cold arctic air from the Humboldt Current flows into the valley, making such vineyards possible. Pinot noir is thrivingly here. And (especially well under $20 a bottle) this one is a great place to start! 
-Patrick

2017 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico - $29.99
The Isole e Olena Chianti Classico is a very traditional expression of sangiovese, one of the noble grape varietals. The estate is right in the heart of Tuscany, between Florence and Siena. They bottle a number of beautiful, complex, and expensive blends as well (yes, we do carry a few of these more allocated gems here at our store)! Please find one of our employees if you have any sangiovese inquiries, we'll be able to point you in the right direction! 
  -Samuel

2017 Socaire Palomino Fino, Vino Tierra de Cadiz - $25.99
Normally, I like my reviews to tie into Holidays, weather or current events. Recent events in the cities makes that a dodgy proposition. My first instinct was to turn to something familiar and comforting. Instead, I've landed on something intriguing enough to be a distraction. Intriguing and, I should add, highly satisfying to boot. If you've heard of Palomino Blanco you probably know it is the grape of dry sherry. This table wine is grown on the famous Albariza chalk that gives sherry it's superior minerality. It is aged 24 months in old sherry casks but it is not fortified nor does it develop flor, the surface yeast that gives fino sherry its complexity and lean mean structure. Instead this wine companies subtle hints of fino like flavors with a fuller mid-palette and unmistakable chalky minerality. This wine is irresistibly refreshing on its own and a confident partner to any number of challenging foods. So dive in and hang out for a while. It may not distract you from the news for long but it may remind you life is full of exciting adventures to be had.
-David

Del Maguey San Luis del Rio Azul - $129.99
This mezcal is a particularly unique expression of the Blue Weber/Azul agave. From 2000-2004, facing a shortage of Blue Weber Agave, a number of tequila distillers in Jalisco brought espadin agaves north from Oaxaca to supplement their tequila production, and simultaneously planted young Azul magueys in Oaxaca to help guard against the strains of another agave shortage. Now years later, mezcaleros in San Luis del Rio are producing mezcals from these agaves as they reach maturity. This is an excellent example of what tequila may have tasted like when it was still just a regional mezcal while still letting the Oaxacan terroir shine. It blurs the lines between clean, focused, citrus-driven tequila and rustic, earthy, herbaceous mezcal, with a good weight on the palate & an intriguing, peppery finish. Do not sleep on this bad boy.
-Nick S.

GINRAW Gastronomic Gin - $41.99
GINRAW Gastronomic Gin was created to capture the spirit of where it is made, Barcelona. They wanted to express the avant garde and classic beauty of the city. GINRAW uses a traditional copper still distillation to distill the Juniper berries then a low temperature distillation method is used individually distilling all the botanicals. They are all then blended together until they get the taste exactly where they want it. There are Juniper berries and classic mediterranean botanicals such as lemon peel, cedrat peel from Valencia and laurel leaves. Next they go a little more exotic with kaffir lime from Thailand, black cardamom from india and coriander seeds from Egypt. On the nose you get the juniper and a nice citrus bouquet. The palate is full bodied and a bit of the spice comes through as well. GINRAW is great on the rocks, in a gin & tonic or any craft cocktails. GINRAW is a great addition to any home bar.
-Nikola
Cheers everyone!
-The Team at North Loop Wine & Spirits