Thursday September 2, 2021
Taking the masks very seriously here, sorry not sorry.
This Week: Oh, hello Labor Day Weekend! That bittersweet stretch of days where we embrace Indian Summer and mourn the end of actual summer. The flannel and Carharts come out of storage. Some of us start pulling out Halloween decorations (the horror). Some of us start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas (even worse - TOO SOON).

Get stocked up. Toast to the end of summer with a cool Italian white, an ice cold beer, or some genius cocktail Nikola will tell you all about (he's covering a riff on the Gimlet). Note our modified Labor Day hours - we will be open from 9am to 5pm this coming Monday!

One more piece of exciting information: Joel from the Wine Company will be pouring at our tasting table tomorrow (outside) from 4pm to 8pm. Per usual, all wines on the table will be offered for purchase at 10% discount. Don't forget to ask for the Secret Sipper!

But wait, there's more: we're now accepting Apple Pay! Wishing everyone a happy and relaxing Labor Day weekend!

Cheers,
The Team at NL Wine & Spirits
Fresh Pairings for Things Off the Grill
The grilling days aren't over quite yet!
Brewskis are an easy grillside go-to, but if you're a lover of wine the possibilities for pairings are beyond exciting. This Labor Day weekend is the perfect opportunity to try something outside of your typical selection.

At the risk of sounding unfashionable, charred vegetables, seafood, and poultry pair perfectly with oaked Chardonnay and soften the intensity of the charred barrel notes. We love the Keenan Napa Valley Chardonnay ($41.99), a medium-bodied complex treat with mouthwatering acidity, smoky minerality, and soft ripe flavors of apple, apricots, and almonds.

For grilled sausages, pork brisket, or Boursin-stuffed grilled peppers.. you can't go wrong with a more structured Cru Beaujolais, such as Clos de la Roilette Fleurie ($28.99). Clos de la Roilette has the structure and spice to hold up to heavier pork dishes but with the balancing lift of minerality, juicy red fruits, and refreshing acidity.

When it comes to grilled lamb and steak, Argentinian Malbec is an excellent budget-friendly alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon - with the added benefit of also pairing perfectly with 7 Layer Dip (a fun pairing we discovered in the book Big Macs & Burgundy by Vanessa Price). While Catena Malbec is always a delight, we are currently in love with the natural winemaker Tikal and their Amorio Malbec ($35.99) which possesses every iconic element of Mendoza: spicy pepper, oaky richness, and deep black fruit. As we up the ante into lamb, grilled meatballs, and BBQ territory - consider Spanish Tempranillo based wines from Rioja and Ribera Del Duero. You won't regret pulling a cork on a La Rioja Alta Vina Arana Rioja Reserva ($37.99) - and if you hurry we still have some 2009 - a delightfully complex wine possessing notes of red fruits, tobacco, leather, smoke, oak, and earthiness.

If you are keeping things simple this weekend and grilling up burgers, keep the wine bright and fun and try a light-hearted red blend such as Marrieta's Old Vine Red ($16.99). This youthful (organic) Zinfandel-dominant blend is aged in neutral barrel & stainless steel which keeps it juicy yet savory, with a fruit-forward profile of cherry, raspberry, and a little cocoa and black pepper. Last but not least, spicy grilled foods such as chicken wings can be a real doozy to pair with wine. Choosing a wine with tamed acidity can alleviate some pain for you - we love Viognier for a white wine option and Mencia for a red wine option! 

Cheers,
Todd
Playing on the Gimlet: Meet the Southside.

Labor Day, Summer's last blast. It's time to get out and grill and have a nice cocktail before the weight of a Minnesota winter hits us. What to drink? The Southside Cocktail. This is one of my favorite cocktails of all time (I feel I say that a lot). This cocktail I find to be one of the most refreshing there is around. 

It is a small riff on a classic Gimlet. So it consists of Gin, Lime, Mint and Simple Syrup. That is where it starts and you can dress it up any way you like. The cocktail itself dates to Prohibition times with a heavily disputed origin story. One version states that it came from the Southside of Chicago. There is also a claim by the Southside Sportsman Club in the Hamptons. The 21 Club in Manhattan also wants that honor. Anyways, the story behind a cocktail, even if it isn't true, goes a long way in making it a mainstay on many menus.

The Gin: I am using Far North Spirits Anna's Garden Solveig gin. It is a really nice gin with a good amount of juniper but is accompanied by many floral notes, mainly flavored with angelica. It is a good gin for almost all gin-based cocktails.

The rest is pretty simple. Fresh lime juice, a small handful of fresh mint leaves and some simple syrup.

Southside Cocktail
2 oz Far North Anna's Garden Gin
.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.75 oz Simple Syrup
7-9 mint leaves 
1 dash of Bittercube Orange Bitters
1 dash of Angostura Bitters (as a garnish on top)

Add Gin, Lime, Simple, mint and Orange Bitters into a shaker, add ice, Give it a good hard shake and strain it into a cocktail glass. garnish with mint leaf and a dash of angostura bitters.

You can also add a couple slices of cucumber and muddle them in the shaker before adding everything else to take the cocktail to another level. Delicious.

Cheaters Method: Owen's Craft Mixer's makes a Mint, Cucumber and Lime mix. Basically, you would just need to add the gin to. It isn't going to taste as if you made it fresh but it cuts out the mess and the time to make the drink. It is also really easy to make a pitcher of to take on the boat or have outside by the BBQ. I suggest still adding bitters and garnish with a fresh lime wedge, so you can make it a little tarter if you want.

That's what I am feeling this week. Hope you are too.

Enjoy,
Nikola Govich
Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should drink.

2018 Triennes, Sainte Fleur Viognier, Vin de France (but from the South) - $21.99
As we approach Labor Day Weekend, we turn our attention to the grill. Spicy chicken wings, grilled sweet corn and creamy side dishes such as Mac & Cheese pair famously with Viognier - my personal favorite being the Triennes Sainte Fleur. Triennes is a project spawned by two Burgundian heavyweights (Jacques Seysses, founder of Domaine Dujac, and Aubert de Villaine) in the hope of producing great wines from the Var region of Provence. The cooling Mistral wind from the NW fosters a surprising acidity in this organic Viognier, which is aged in 100% stainless steel to preserve its apricot and honey-suckle aromatics. A perfect seasonal wine as we begin our flirtation with fall! 
-Katrina

2019 Zantho, St. Laurent, Burgenland Austria - $15.99
The wines of Zantho are the result of a very happy cooperation between Josef Umathum and Wolfgang Peck. The grapes come from Umathum's famed vineyards and the wine making magic happens at Peck's Winzerkeller Andau co-op in the Burgenland, near to the Hungarian border. They work with only Austrian grape varietals. While St. Laurent is certainly Austrian (as well as grown heavily in the Czech Republic), the origin of the grape is shrouded in mystery. It is believed to be the offspring of Pinot Noir and a mysterious second parent. I love that the second parent is unknown. It lends an air of romantic intrigue to viniculture. "Who is the father?!" "It was a blissful night of love during the travails and uncertainty of war that such a beautiful child was conceived." That Pinot Noir was a tramp! (Lol). Whatever it's cloaked origins were, this St. Laurent (in the hands of Umathum and Peck) is a winner. Intoxicating aromas of smoky blackberry and cherry draw you into a palate of black berries and chocolate caressed by light and smooth tannins with good retention of acidity to lift it all to a satisfying lightly spiced dry finish. And it comes in at a very reasonable price, too. A steal of a deal, if you will. Try this wine with duck confit and wild mushroom risotto!
-Patrick

2020 FUSO, Filippo Cassano "Calx" Primitivo Puglia, Italy - $19.99
Summer is coming to its inevitable end with the Labor Day weekend and that means we are all cramming in that last backyard blast with friends and neighbors. My favorite crushable red at the moment is the perfect grilling companion, Primitivo! This wine is part of a wonderful project called FUSO, which aims to bring organic, small production, daily drinking Italian wine to the US. Fun fact; Primitivo and Zinfandel are genetic twins, clones of an ancient Croatian varietal and the Italian rendition (from the heel of the boot of Italy) is a much more light-hearted, easy-going sister to the big-fruited and boozy California version. Put a slight chill on it and BBQ is its best bud. Zingy red fruits and dried figs in the glass, you've found your new fall crush!
-Angie

Fulton Brewing
Founded by four friends in 2009 Fulton Brewing quickly became a staple at stores and bars around the Twin Cities. Their first two releases, Sweet Child of Vine IPA and Lonely Blonde Ale remain favorites among craft beer drinkers throughout Minnesota and across the United States. The brewery has grown, developed new recipes, and helped a lot of people through charitable efforts. If you haven't had Fulton in a while I highly recommend picking some up this weekend to remind yourself what classic grilling beers taste like. For me, I'll be cracking open a few cans of Lonely Blonde while I fire up the grill.

Fulton Lonely Blonde 12 pack cans - $19.99
Fulton Sweet Child of Vine 12 pack cans - $19.99
-Todd
Cheers everyone!
-The Team at North Loop Wine & Spirits