THURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 2019
It's the most wonderful time of the year. The leaves have turned, the sweatpants are out of storage, everyone is wearing flannel, and our activities are becoming a bit more "indoors". Aka we are sitting on our couches, watching Netflix and drinking red wine.

What we are up to this week: Fresh Hop beers have arrived (what are they anyways? see below). We've stocked the cooler with some new arrivals, notably a very delicious line of spiked cold brew and latte drinks from Brown Bomber. Trust us, they are DELICIOUS. Speaking of spiked coffee, we're stocked up on coffee-friendly liqueurs, from Feeney's Irish Cream to Jackson Morgan's Peppermint Mocha and Louisa's Southern Caramel Pecan Liqueur (our fav). And finally - all of those limited bourbon barrel-aged beers are rolling in so make sure you're checking up to see what's in.
IT'S FRESH HOP SEASON!
What is a Fresh Hop beer? A beer made with freshly harvested green, undried hop cones. Think of this method like cooking with fresh herbs vs. dried herbs. Because the majority of hop farms are clustered in Oregon and Washington, Fresh Hop beers are most closely associated with the Pacific Northwest. Its an amazing feat of logistics - as harvest, delivery of hops, and brewing must all be done within about 24 hours, lest the hops lose their fresh quality.

Who started it? We owe the Fresh Hop craze to Sierra Nevada. They'd been making their Celebration Ale since 1981 with fresh, dried hops when someone suggested they brew with fresh, wet hops as some small UK brewers did for special small batch festival beer. Their first batch debuted in 1996 and since then, the style has proliferated and the rest is history.

Why do we love Fresh Hop beers? This style is essentially a celebration of the hop harvest and available only in the fall. Brewing with fresh hops gives the beer less bitter and less bite, but more fresh grassy, herbal tones.

When its gone, its gone! A look at what we currently have stocked: Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest IPA (the OG), Surly Wet, Lagunitas Born Yesterday, Deschutes Chasin' Freshies, Castle Danger Fresh Hop Mosaic IPA, and more...
ON THE TASTING TABLE.
SPECIAL GUESTS POURING THIS WEEKEND:

Friday's Wine Tasting with
Mitch Zavada of The Wine Company: 4PM UNTIL 8PM
Maximin Grunhaus Sekt Mosel
Basa Verdejo Rueda
Lingua Franca Avni Vineyard Chardonnay Willamette
Drouhin Cotes de Beaune-Villages
Selvapianna Chianti Rufina
Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
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Saturday's Wine Tasting with
Jordan Biever of Phillips Wine & Spirits: 3PM UNTIL 7PM
Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley
Neyers Chardonnay Carneros
Markham Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
Chehalem Pinot Noir Willamette
Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Red Blend
Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Amarula Liqueur South Africa

As always, join us on the Facebook to check out other shop happenings and remember that all tasting bottles are 10% off the day we pour them.
Staff Wine Selections
Mary's Pick
2016 Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre - $31.99
As a recent transplant from Hawaii the idea of seasonal drinking is new to me. As it stands old habits die hard and here I am drinking white wine whenever I feel like it! This Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre is one of my absolute favorite's. The wine itself has an intense purity. Grapefruit pith, white orchard flowers and a scent and flavor that can only be described as minerality. As austere as this wine is it also has a wonderful textural complexity. The vineyards for this wine are all sustainably farmed with minimal use of treatments. Michel Reverdy and his family have been farming this land as far back some say as the 1600's. A truly family owned and operated vineyard. 

Dave's Pick
2017 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles CA - $24.99
It can be entertaining to sit back and watch California Cab prices soar. After all, good for them getting the respect they deserve. Good for them, that is, until fall comes trudging in all wet and chilly. Well this is an antidote. Here you have a wine with Paso's usual richness but, perhaps from the influence of elevation, has some structure and complexity to go along with it. Let's be honest here, though, the real attraction is absolutely indulgent silkiness and dense fruit. This opaque wine will block out the waning sunlight and smother you in its embrace.
Patrick's Pick
2016 Sono Montenidoli 'Il Garrulo' Chianti Colli Senesi - $22.99
Of the 7 sub-regions for Chianti, Colli Senesi is my personal favorite. And the 2016 Montenidoli does not disappoint.
Sourced from their own Estate vineyards in the hills near Siena, this Chianti consists of organically grown grapes from clay and mineral-rich solis, with the majority blend being the traditional Sangiovese. The native Canaiolo red constitutes about 20%, with the white grapes Trebbiano and Malvasia adding light aromatics to the mix.
If you drink only Chianti Classico or Chianti Ruffino, I urge you to give this southern most region of Chianti a delicious try. Brambly, dry, complex, and redolent of black fruit, this is a great match for a hearty wild boar ragu!

Doug's Pick
2018 Land of Saints, Chardonnay, $24.99
This is California Chardonnay the way that I often find myself craving it. It's got oak, it's got fruit, it's got butter but none of which throw off the overall balance of the wine. It's elegant, linear but also somehow broad and dense. This is a wine that doesn't require too much thinking to enjoy but should you want to ponder it, you'll see how well-crafted it really is. 
Heidi's Pick
2018 Forlorn Hope 'Queen of the Sierra' Calaveras Cty CA - $21.99
Forlorn Hope is the name given to a group of people who have the odds stacked against them. This lovely little elixir is bound to be a strong survivor. A blend of chardonnay, riesling and verdelho, this wine has a refreshing acidity and a luscious mid-palate that makes it a welcome guest at any dinner party. 
Elevation, limestone, indigenous yeast and 18 months neutral oak give this wine depth, character, personality and a strong yearning for another glass. As we head into the fall season, think of squash or perhaps the spinach empanada from Boludo. Highly recommended!

Beer Tastings - Every Tuesday!
On Tuesdays, we open some of our new releases and old favorites. From 4pm until 8pm, we pour them at the back tasting table and all beers featured are 10% off.