THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14 2019
This week at the shop: we're still dreaming about Thanksgiving, stocking up on bottles for entertaining, and just trying to stay warm. The Gophers are killing it and Miller High Life's Champagne bottles are back. 750ML of your favorite low brow, dive bar beer - all dressed up in a Champagne bottle. What a time to be alive. In other news, we have another weekend of special guests and killer lineups at the tasting table. And...

Coming Up: Out with Black Friday, in with Plaid Friday and Small Business Saturday. Celebrate and shop local this year instead of waiting in line at Walmart. Small shops, venues, and restaurants all around town will be giving discounts and treats to anyone dressed up in plaid on Friday November 29. Saturday November 30 keeps the small biz celebration going, but with maybe a little less plaid (or not?).

How to Buy Wine for Friends and Family
(without going broke)
Its entertainin' season. That means.. whether hosting and supplying or attending and bringing a bottle, you gotta get something good enough for you, but that won't cause a breakdown when you see your drunk uncle mix it with coke. Nice, but not too nice.

For the pinot grigio drinking aunts: The great thing about pinot grigio is that you CAN easily find good bottles for real cheap - leaving more room in your budget for the other stuff. Try Roccodoro's for $10.99 - perfectly delicious, easy drinking (just ask for the one with the sun on the label). OR get them out of their box with something fresh from the South of France. Domaine du Pere Caboche is a Chateauneuf du Pape producer bottling some really tasty Vin de Pay - their white blend (clairette, grenache blanc, roussanne) is exceptionally delicious for $12.99. Gascony is another great place for value whites. Domaine du Pouy's $12.99 blend of colombard/ugni blanc is a bit reminscent of a very refreshing sauv blanc.

Cheap but tasty bubbles: Two birds, one stone - get bubbles that are good for mimosas but also good without. $13.99 seems to be the magic number here - Baron de Seillac's blanc and rose bubbles from France are both fresh and delicious. Belstar Prosecco and Lamberti Extra Dry Prosecco are both our longstanding favorite go-tos: Belstar is made by the Bisol family, famous for making some of the most expensive Proseccos in the world (yes, that is a thing). It's brut (dry), fruity, and floral. Lamberti's Extra Dry has just a touch of refreshing sweetness.

Crowd pleaser reds: There's more opportunity here than we could possibly list. Portugal is one of our favorite areas to look to for tasty bargains: try Monte Das Promessas from Alentejo ($12.99), Casa Ferreinhas' Esteva from the Douro, or Udaca's blend from the Dao. From France, the Perrin family's La Vieille Ferme ($9.99) Rhone blend is year to year one of our #1 reliable bargains. Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon ($10.99) from Chile simply can't be beat if you're looking for a bargain Cab. Lastly, there's always that one person that only drinks Pinot Noir - Monte Degli's Pinot from Piemonte is light and earthy and only $11.99 (insane). For a fuller, fruitier Pinot.. Les Volets ($14.99) from France is the answer.

Don't settle for Two Buck Chuck or any of the cheap but uninteresting big box brands. These are just a few ideas - definitely ask our staff for more suggestions or help packing a case for a big party.
THE WEEKEND LINEUPS: WINE AND SPIRITS
Friday's DOUBLE tasting with both of the Zavada brothers!!!
with Mitch Zavada from The Wine Company: 4PM UNTIL 8PM

Enrico Serafino Gavi di Gavi Piedmont
Tablas Creek 'Patelin de Tablas' White Rhone Blend Paso Robles
Calera Chardonnay Central Coast
Macrostie Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Fattori Valpolicella Col de la Bastia Veneto
Chateau Roquetaillade La Grange Bordeaux
Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma Red
Plus a Secret Sipper:
Bethel Heights Aeolian Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

and.....

PJ Zavada with Far North Spirits- POURING ALL SPIRITS + COCKTAILS

Saturday's Wine Tasting
with Allison from Maverick Wine Company: 3PM UNTIL 7PM

Douloufakis Winery 'Dafnios' Vidiano Crete
4 Monos Blanco Vino de Sierra de los Gredos
Sohm & Kracher 'Lion' Gruner Veltliner Weinvertel
Owen Roe 'Sinister Hand' Columbia Valley
Skouras Aghiorghitiko Nemea
Markus Altenburger Blaufrankisch Burgenland

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
Dave's Pick
2018 Black's Station Yolo County Cabernet Sauvignon $12.99
This wine is a unicorn. Minimally manipulated Cabernet for under $15 is a rare thing, mostly they're crafted from a bottle. This wine seems to have a unique personality. Not only that, but the wine is concentrated and has some lovely dark berry, chocolate and tobacco flavors. It has some backbone. There's slightly chewy tannin and acidity on the trailing end that makes it a good choice for the cozy season.
Patrick's Pick
2016 Left Coast Estate Pinot Noir, Cali's Cuvee $21.99
Named for the daughter of the owners of Left Coast (the Pfaffs), Cali, (who is left-handed, by the way!) this Estate-grown Pinot Noir wafts of dusty earth, wood smoke, and dried leafs on its way to a palate of ripe plum, black cherry, and hints of spice to a long, lingering finish. The Pfaffs practice sustainable farming, balancing the vines with a biodiversity of produce and flowers mixed in. One can fully see and taste this sense of place there, on the quiet patio they have outside their estate tasting room, overlooking their beautiful farm. I certainly did, while having lunch there a few years ago. It is, also, easy to see why Robert Parker gave this release a score of 91. A true value!
Doug's Pick
2014 Garage Wine Co, Carignan Field-Blend, $42.99
Garage Wine Co is making waves in Chile by finding old forgotten plots of vineyards in tucked away areas of the country and making incredible wines from the fruit found in them. This Carignan dominant blend is made with minimal intervention and while drinking beautifully now, it could benefit from a long decant or another 5-10 years in the bottle. This would be a great step out of the daily routine for any Syrah or Pinot Noir drinker. We actually have a wide selection of wines from this producer, come in and take a look!
Madison's Pick
2018 Domaine Taillandier 'Viti Vini Bibi' Minervois $24.99
Not your average Languedoc rouge: where many wines from Minervois might tend to be full of body, alcohol, and power, Benjamin is after finesse, moderate alcohol drinkability, and lightness... aka Vin de Soif. Its biodynamic, low sulfite, and what the cool kids are calling "natural" these days. A blend of grenache, carignan, and cinsault, this is indeed very drinkable and very likely to end up on my Thanksgiving table.
NEW ARRIVALS: A Few Highlights
2017 Ridge Geyserville & Lytton Springs
From Lingua Franca: Avni Chardonnay, Hope Well Pinot Noir, and the Estate Pinot Noir
2017 Hall Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
New and returning orange wines: Forlorn Hope Dragone Ramato, Jolie Laide Trousseau Gris, Sikele Grecanico, Denovolo's Dinavolino and Dinavolo
New Chateauneuf du Pape's: Dom. des 3 Cellier, Piedlong
New Bordeaux: 2016 Kirwan, 2010 Leoville-Poyferre, 2012 Ch. Canon, 2015 Ch. Guillemin la Gaffeliere, 2016 Lafleur-Vauzelles, 2015 Paveil La Luze
2015 Massimago 'Marchesa Mariabella' Valpolicella Ripassa
2013 Leonetti Amarone della Valpolicella
Louis Roederer et Philippe Starck Brut Nature (very excited about this!)

... and at least 75 more, too many for this newsletter. It's been a minute since we posted the new arrivals list. Stop in to see what else is new on the shelves.
TUESDAYS ARE FOR BEER.
On Tuesdays, we open some of our new releases and old favorites.
All beers sampled will be 10% off.
Fair State will be pouring this Tuesday 11/19!

Just a Reminder....
We deliver! The Holidays are busy enough - have us drop off your order, any purchase large or small. (Or, at least over $25 before tax.) We happily deliver anywhere in the downtown area for free and anywhere else for a reasonable fee.