Staff Picks - What to Drink This Week
Try these special, staff-selected libations!
Giesen 'Dealcoholized' Pinot Grigio, New Zealand - $17.99
From the Giesen brothers of New Zealand comes this refreshing non-alcoholic option for enjoying a glass of wine while staying true to a commitment for Dry January. Sourced from vineyards in Marlborough, Waipara and Hawke's Bay, this is a fully fermented Pinot Grigio that then goes through a gentle spinning process to remove the alcohol. The Giesens then blend in a small amount of aromatic juice from unfermented grapes to build the desired flavor profile without the alcohol. Aromas of white flower blossoms, lychee and red apple lead to a palate of pear and peach with a creamy and off-dry finish. We also carry Giesen's other N/A wines; their Red Blend and Sauvignon Blanc. Altogether great options for a Dry January or other non-alcoholic festivities. Cheers!
-Patrick
Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Company Lyserod - $31.99
As we roll into Dry (or for me, Dry-ish) January, here at the shop we are always upping our game in the Low and No departments. The Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Company is a favorite for us wine geeks. It was the brainchild of award-winning sommelier Jacob Kocemba when he couldn't find a suitable wine for a dessert, despite having a wine cellar with more than 1,700 wines, so he found the solution in a homemade tea extract. The organic tea blends are bottled together with a dash of grape must in a proper bubbly bottle and are perfect as aperitifs or to pair with food. The Lyserod is a blend of Silver Needle, Oolong and Hibiscus teas and is both dry and fruity and pink in the glass - like sipping an aromatic
glass of sparkling rose without the booze!
-Angie
2020 Château Les Croisille Cocoricot - $19.99
January for me is about value-priced wines and lower alcohol, rather than eliminating wine completely. The Les Croisille Cocoricot comes from Cahors region of southwestern France. It is an approachable, easy drinking blend of merlot and malbec. With no oak used, just a few months in concrete, it’s fresh and food friendly with bright flavors of blackberry and currant. Adding to the freshness is that it’s made using 100% carbonic maceration. It’s affordable enough to be my Tuesday night burger wine and
also happens to come in under 13% alcohol.
-Sean
2020 Diochon Moulin-a-Vent 2020 - $29.99
This classic cru Beaujolais is drinking off the charts. Wines like this are the reason to come back to cru Beaujolais as one of the best red wine values out there. This cuvee is produced from old vines, some that date to 1920! The wine shows lovely aromas of rose petal and candied cherry fruit. The medium-bodied palate delivers rich raspberry fruit and mineral characteristics, balanced by a well integrated tannin. Pure class.
Try this elegant red with beef stroganoff or a roasted chicken.
-Rob
2021 Ovum Old Love, Newberg, Oregon - $24.99
If your resolution is to find love in 2023, one easy way to do it is to seek out Old Love. This vino from Ovum Wines (John House and Ksenija Kostic) is a dry, white blend of 80% Riesling, 10% Early Muscat and 5% Gewurtztraminer that “dreams of capturing the summer sunshine in a bottle of wine.” It’s not your usual white, with aromas of fresh-cut blood orange, salty lemon, aloe vera and ripe apricot, resulting in a racy and texturally rich wine that remains crisp and lively. As it does with its sister wine, Big Salt, Ovum aims to produce old fashioned wines for the modern world, with the differences coming mostly from the terroir of its premium vineyards in Oregon and Washington. Old Love is aged in four different vessels — cement eggs, large Austrian casks, neutral oak and amphora. It is a versatile wine which will pair with crab or lobster or if fine drunk on its own. Love it quickly, it’s a limited run!
-Karen
