All into Pinot Blanc (and Sazeracs) this week! |
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This Week: Don't mind our mess! Construction on our new space is well underway and we're more than excited. We expect the renovation to last 2 to 3 weeks - so please bear with us as we work around the construction. Thank you to all for so many years of support that has allowed and encouraged us to expand! We're so thrilled to be offering an even wider selection of all things beverage related in the near future!
We'll be tasting some great wines, per usual, this Friday from 4pm until 8pm. Tom. G from New France Wines will be guest pouring. Stop by and ask for the secret sipper hiding underneath the table. Don't forget, all wines on the table are offered at 10% off!
We're looking to a warm weekend, but no doubt the nights are cooling and the red wines are getting tastier and tastier. There's just something about the changing of the seasons and the new cravings that brings. The staff has their reviews posted below and we're always here to make suggestions live! Nikola is talking about Sazeracs and Katrina has the lowdown on a very underrated variety - Pinot Blanc!
Stay warm and drink well!
Cheers,
The Team at NL Wine & Spirits
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Perfect for Fall: Pinot Blanc
One of our favorite overlooked varieties.
As we settle into fall, so begins the search for fuller bodied white wines in lieu of zingy patio pounders. Today we turn our gaze to the often overlooked wines made from Pinot Blanc, also known as Weissburgunder in Germany and Austria, and as Pinot Bianco in Italy. Wines of Pinot Blanc are typically dry and lighter in body but with an iconic roundness, showcasing notes of peach, pear, florality, almond, and pronounced minerality depending on where they're from. These wines are lovely pairings with roasted chicken, soft cheeses, and hard-to-pair spiced dishes thanks to the wine's tamed acidity. While Germany and Northern Italy are the most popular producers of this varietal, it is also a popular stand alone and blending grape in Alsace, Oregon, and California where it is also utilized in sparkling wines - and is even featured in Ice Wines of Canada!
A few of our favorite Pinot Blancs for this time of year...
2018 Koehler-Ruprecht Pinot Blanc - Pfalz, Germany $24.99
Far from flabby, this Pinot Blanc showcases surprising acidity, notable minerality, and a lusciously weighted body that goes seamlessly with fall fare: squash dishes, mushroom and sage risotto, and any roasted poultry.
2018 Domaine Michel Fonne Pinot Blanc - Alsace, France $21.99
A more floral expression of Pinot Blanc, the Michel Fonne showcases notes of honeysuckle, orange blossom, white peach, and a flinty minerality. This Alsacian treat pairs perfectly from your first salad course, into savory terrines, and even with robust pork rillette.
2020 Union Sacre Pinot Blanc - Santa Maria Valley, California $22.99
This Cali Pinot Blanc is earthier with notes of soft apple, melon, and white pepper with a kiss of sweet florality. Although it's a vegan wine, it makes a perfect accompaniment to Southern Spicy Fried Chicken.
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This was one of the first cocktails that made me fall in love with the classics. For the initiated, this is your reminder to enjoy one in the near future. For the uninitiated, this is a proper introduction to a favorite and historic spirit forward classic. The perfect way to warm up a cool fall night! |
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The Sazerac is a New Orleans original. It came to fruition around 1830 when Antoine Peychaud, a local apothecarian, made this drink to sell more of his aromatic bitters. It was originally made with cognac, a sugar cube, his bitters and a splash of absinthe. The drink being so popular it started popping up in bars all over New Orleans. In the 1870's, the spirit used was changed to rye whiskey because of the difficulty of finding Cognac. To this day, rye is still the standard (but a Cognac Sazerac is pretty amazing).
I will be using Rittenhouse Rye. Rittenhouse is a great rye for sipping and making cocktails. For the absinthe I'll be using Tattersall Absinthe Blanc. Then of course a healthy amount of Peychaud's Bitters.
Sazerac
2 oz Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
.25 oz simple Syrup
3-5 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters
rinse of Tattersall Absinthe Blanc
Fill a rocks glass with ice and add about .25 oz of absinthe. Give it a quick stir to coat the glass with the absinthe. Next add the rye, simple syrup and bitters into a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Dump out the absinthe and ice out of the rocks glass. (save the absinthe to drink. It's good) Then strain the cocktail into the chilled cocktail glass then garnish with a lemon peel.
It's the best.
Cheers,
Nikola Govich
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Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should drink.
2018 Alois Lageder ‘Haberle’ Pinot Bianco Alto Adige - $31.99
Founded in 1823, Alois Lageder is a family estate known for its highest standard of quality in viticulture and winemaking, based on a holistic approach to produce wines with authentic character while leaving the natural environment as intact as possible for future generations. The Haberle bottling is Pinot Bianco from two different sites within the Alto Adige. Aromatically, notes of fresh, leafy herbs, soft, tropical fruits and flowers. On the palate the wine has bright, salty acidity with lush peach, white stone minerality and almond. Pair with pork pate or rillettes, quiche, crab or scallops!
-Angie
2019 Domaine Anne-Sophie Dubois L'Alchimiste Fleurie - $41.99
Anne Sophie Dubois is a young female winemaker whose Domaine consists of a small 8 hectares in central Fleurie. She hails from the Champagne region but fell in love with the granitic soils of Fleurie, where she organically farms electric Gamay from vines as old as 60+ years. The elegance of her wines are often compared to Burgundy, but in my humble opinion there is a verve and playful liveliness that speaks to and champions Fleurie. Expect soft tannins balanced by an intensely rocky minerality and a surprisingly dark fruit characteristic in this juicy Cru Beaujolais.
-Katrina
2019 Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Blanc - $22.99
Hands down, the best entry level bottle of Chardonnay from one of the last great Burgundy vintages we will see for the next couple of years. Fruit profile demonstrates concentration of crisp apple aromatics, almond, and lemon curd on the palate with plenty of structure to stand up to richer fall dishes, like mushroom risotto.
-Rob
2018 Cottanera, Barbazzale, Etna Rosso - $19.99
Volcanic soils, bright sunshine, and cool high elevations up the north slope of Sicily's Mount Etna help make possible the rare grape, Nerello Mascalese. This is a grape that produces high-quality light bodied red wines that share a number of characteristics with Pinot Noir. But its natural home is truly on the slopes of Etna. The Cambria family, of Cottanera, give us a great value expression of this wine to enjoy with every day simple food, like pizza topped with aged mozzarella cheese. Their Barbazzale is 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio. The small amount of the second grape adds more aroma and helps to soften acidic edges, common to Nerello Mascalese. Here we have a very inviting wine that opens with aromas of raspberry, fresh herbs, with a light mineral touch. The palate is of black fruit lifted by solid acidity, tamed just enough by the addition of the Nerello Cappuccio. The tannins are fine, supple and long, without being encumbered by any use of oak in aging. It's all about the beautiful fruit and aromas inherent to a wine of a particular place. Salute!
-Patrick
Laphroaig Quarter Cask - $68.99 (750ml)
Now that we have finished celebrating Bourbon Heritage Month it is time to move into Scotchtober. As we begin to experience more consistent Fall temperatures flannel shirts and bonfires begin to occupy our time. One of my favorite additions to my bonfire experience is a good, smoky Scotch. Laphroaig Quarter Cask is a regular choice for that experience. This whisky is aged first in ex-bourbon barrels, then in smaller quarter casks. The practice of using quarter casks dates back to the first whisky makers in Scotland, they would use the smaller casks for ease of transport. The benefit to us is the smaller cask provides more direct contact between the oak and the whisky, providing a powerful finish. Laphroaig Quarter Cask is complex and smoky on the palate, but provides a subtle sweetness. If you have a good nose you might also pick up some aromas of banana and coconut. The finish is long and lingering in a pleasant way, providing a nice experience of spice and smoke. Best enjoyed neat, by a fire on a cool Fall evening.
-Todd
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VERY IMPORTANT: Furry Friends That Visited This Week |
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Cheers everyone!
-The Team at North Loop Wine & Spirits
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