Kelley Fox Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc, 2020 Willamette Valley, Oregon Brought to us by: Free Run Wine Merchants Reg: $41.99 TWS Sale: $32.99 My preferred at-home culinary endeavors tend to revolve around dishes that are simple and satisfying, so when it comes to pasta, spaghetti carbonara is one of my favorites. When enjoying carbonara, there are lots of directions to take for wine pairings, but I like to do as the Romans do and drink...Oregon Pinot Blanc. That's how that idiom goes, right? Kelley Fox is a badass in Oregon winemaking. Her wines express the vines, earth, and vintage with a clear, honest voice, and her 2020 Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc is a delight. Pinot Blanc for this bottling is sourced from vines in the Freedom Hill vineyard, located in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range, planted in soil laden with ancient marine sediment. The wine sees 5 months in neutral French oak and remains a sprightly, energetic wine. Dry and minerally, this wine shows tart white peach, fresh white flowers, and juicy citrus, and its persistent acidity strikes a lovely chord when paired with the rich, creamy, salty carbonara. High toned and elegant, this Pinot Blanc is airy and lithe but not shy - a perfect foil to a dense, bold dish. Stop by and pick up a bottle, visit our cheesemongers for some pecorino, parmesan, and guanciale, and treat yourself (as the Romans do). -Lauren Loeffler

Fontodi Chianti Classico 2018 Chianti, Tuscany, Italy Brought to us by: Vinifera Reg: $49.99 TWS Sale: $39.99 Wine and food pairings are almost certainly my favorite part about the world of wine and culinary as a whole. A beautiful dance happens when you pair with contrasting flavors - think spicy food with wines that have residual sugar, or rich foods with high acid wines.  Alternatively, when Sommeliers struggle to come up with an innovative pairing of opposing flavors there’s a philosophy one can always fall back on:  what grows together, goes together. A few classics include Muscadet and oysters, Barossa Shiraz with mint; but, the most common examples all come from Italy. A meaty pasta dish with truffles and a perfectly aged Barolo is a grail for a culinary enthusiast! For my pick I chose a Tuscan route of Fontodi Chianti Classico, paired with a classic Grandma’s red sauce spaghetti and meatballs. Like peanut butter and jelly, these two bring each other to life.  Fontodi is a big dog in the Chianti world. The grapes are harvested from “The Golden Shell,” an amphitheater on a south facing slope in the village of Panzano, on optimal Sangiovese growing soil (compact clay, shale and limestone). The wine is comprised entirely of organically grown Sangiovese, fermented using indigenous yeast before going in oak. It’s shy when you pop the cork, as it’s still young, but after decanting expect boisterous notes of sage, thyme, green olives, balsamic, clove, and tart cherry. This wine was still developing and showing 3 days after it was opened, so do yourself a favor and stick a couple in the cellar for date night with some red sauce pasta!  Attached is one of my favorite recipes for classic spaghetti and meatballs. Be sure to finish off your Tuscan dinner right with a generous pour of Cynar Amaro!  Ciao! -Jack Zarecky

Vie di Romans “Dessimis” Pinot Grigio 2018 Friuli Isonzo, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy Brought to us by: Southern Glazer's Reg: $36.99 TWS Sale: $29.99 Pasta is such a versatile fare that brings to mind comfort food or refined cuisine with endless flavor profiles, so I wanted to choose a versatile wine that is a great accompaniment to a broad spectrum of dining. Vie Di Romans “Dessimis” is a ramato style pinot grigio from Fruili, Italy known for beautiful white wines, pork (Prosciutto di San Daniele), and hearty pasta (think gnocchi, cjarsons, and goulash). Ramato style of Pinot Grigio is an ancient way of wine making that results in a copper-like rose to orange colored wine. This process consists of an extended maceration process which imparts qualities of the skins into the juice before it is strained for fermentation, resulting in a more aromatic and structured wine. Vie di Romans “Dessimis” has a nose of ripe peach, red berries, and yellow flowers. The palate is lively and rich with bright acid as well as notes ripe peaches, yellow apples, and pomegranate. Light tannins and a long finish help make this a great food wine. Traditional Fruili cjarsons (flour and potato raviolis stuffed with braised pork) may be a perfect pairing for this wine, but it can also be a great companion for many pasta dishes: spaghetti and meatballs, primavera, or a spicy carbonara. The perfect bottle to have on hand for any occasion. Buon Appetito! -Matthew Supik

Zestos Garnacha Old Vines 2019 Vinos de Madrid, Madrid, Spain Brought to us by: Bacchus Reg: $12.99 TWS Sale: $9.99 I don’t think you should buy a bottle of this wine; I think you should buy a case! This is my latest favorite for a wine to keep on hand: it is versatile enough to pair with just about any meal and is a true crowd pleaser. Because the region Vinhos de Madrid does not hold as much prestige as most other Spanish wine regions, gems like this bottling often get overlooked.  The vines that grow these grapes were planted between 50 and 70 years ago in granite and sandy soil. These old vines yield more concentrated and complex berries, and the soil imparts a great florality and minerality to the wine. The juice is fermented and aged in cement and stainless steel tanks. All of this comes together to create a Grenache with a nose of tobacco and candied cherries, and a palate of fresh red berries, mint, and cracked pepper. What put this wine over the edge for me is a backbone of acidity that ties everything with the most mouth-watering bow.  The depth and complexity you get for $10 makes this a perfect weeknight red. Last week I did some quick homemade Chicken Parm with a bottle of Zestos and WOW! The salty, savory bubbly and broiled mozzarella played so well with the minerality and the breaded chicken was enhanced by the fruity herbal notes. The acidic structure allowed the wine to cut through the tomato sauce and complete the symphony of weeknight pasta flavors.  -Jake Groenke

Carl Ehrhard Berg Roseneck Kabinett Riesling 2018 Rheingau, Germany Brought to us by: Free Run Wine Merchants Reg: $22.99 TWS Sale: $17.99 My favorite Asian cuisine is Thai food. The interplay of flavors and textures in my opinion is un-paralleled. One of my favorite Thai dishes is Spicy Drunken Noodles and the wine that I love to pair with it is Riesling. I have chosen the Riesling Kabinett by the German producer Carl Ehrhard. Carl Ehrhard and his family tend 22 acres of Riesling and Pinot Noir spread throughout six prime vineyards around the town of Rüdesheim in the Rheingau region of Germany. The estate has been in the family since 1815 and was taken over in 1998 by Carl, his wife Petra and their three daughters. The Roseneck vineyard is named for the Rosenhecken, or rose hedges that grow on its rocky edges. This wine is produced from steep slopes composed of quartzite and red slate. As evidenced here, this part of the vineyard produces more delicate, mineral driven wines. Select grapes are hand-picked. Fermentation occurs spontaneously and naturally from ambient yeasts. This slow, gentle transformation lasts around seven weeks until the cold winter temperatures stop it naturally, leaving around 50 grams per liter of natural sugar. The wine is then filtered gently and bottled. This is an aromatic yet intense Riesling with pure fruit flavors and delicate minerality. It is off dry but the sugar is not sweet like candy, but fresh like ripe fruit. The finish is balanced by gentle acidity. At 10.5% alcohol, this wine has just the right amount of sweetness to perfectly balance the heat from the spicy Thai noodles. I personally recommend the Drunken noodles (level-2 spicy) from the Thai Restaurant on Greenmount Ave in Baltimore City.  -Dan Zetlmeisl

S. Godme Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV Villers-Marmery, Champagne, France Brought to us by: Passion Distributing Reg: $44.99 TWS Sale: $35.99 For my pairing I am doing Sabine Godme’s Blanc de Blanc Champagne with a chanterelle mushroom fettuccine alfredo  Usually picking Champagne would seem a bit unusual for pasta, but Champagne’s ripping acidity and zippy bubbles would be a wonderful contrast to the thick and creamy texture of alfredo, as well as the savory umami flavors of the mushrooms. Godme’s Champagne has lemon zest and chalk on the nose that gives way to a creamy mouthful of citrus-tinged bubbles with hints of ginger and green apple. Also, due to archaic laws governing Champagne, the area where this wine is from, Villers-Marmery, was denied grand cru status, which means you are getting grand cru taste with a premier cru price tag.  Take advantage of this while you can! -Andrew Thorp

Selvapiana Chianti Rufina 2019 Chianti Rufina, Tuscany, Italy Brought to us by: Winebow Reg: $19.99 TWS Sale: $15.99 One of the great pleasures of wine is the opportunity to explore. Now more than ever we have access to a never-ending variety of new grapes, regions, and styles. That said, certain occasions call for a comforting return to the classics. When I think of a wine to accompany a simple, mid-week red pasta sauce, the first thing to spring to mind is a well-priced Chianti. This is a perfect example of the “like with like” pairing. The Sangiovese grape, from which Chianti is made, is naturally high in acid (thus matching the citric sharpness of tomato) and often shows beautiful herbal notes that highlight the simple herbs and seasonings used in pomodoro or puttanesca sauces. My favorite Chianti under $20 has always been Selvapiana’s. The Selvapiana estate is nestled high in the foothills of the Apennine mountains to the East of Florence, within one of Italy’s best kept secrets: the Chianti Rufina sub-zone. This area is unusual for many reasons: it is the smallest of Chianti’s sub-regions, the highest altitude, most inland, and best regarded. The altitude and climate results in unusually light, fresh, pretty Chiantis. The 2019 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina has a beautiful light cherry color, with the nose showing dusty old spiced wood, ripe red and black cherries, dried cherries, dried cooking herbs (especially sage and bay leaf) with faint beef jerky. The palate is soft and plump but light-bodied with faint tannins. Clean, high acid is present, with all the aforementioned notes on the nose, as well as dry earth and faint bits of red licorice, leather, and iron. Great pasta wine for $15.99. If you fall in love with this bottling- we carry two other wines from Selvapiana, both of which offer superb value. The Petrognano is their Super-Tucan blend ($15.99) while the Bucerchiale is a riserva only produced in excellent years. ($29.99). -Kasimir Bujak

Elektrisch Riesling Kabinett Reinhessen, Germany Brought to us by: Potomac Selections Reg: $18.99 TWS Sale: $14.99 When I think of pasta, what first comes to mind is Mediterranean cuisine. While that palette is delicious and widely beloved, it is not a cuisine I eat often. I tend to eat Asian style noodles more and Pad Thai is one of my comforting favorites. So what kind of wine pairs with the harmonious combination of acid, spice, sweet, herbs, and (usually) fish sauce? Riesling! Riesling? Yes! The Elektrisch Kabinett Riesling from Seehof was my recent companion to carryout Thai, and it proved to live up to its name. The clean and bright nose of citrus, pear, and sharp Granny Smith apple was nearly the exact opposite of my dish. The palette was the perfect combination of a bit of residual sugar to subdue any spiciness followed by a refreshingly crisp acidity and minerality to cut though the meal. The perfect balance was also delightful when drunk alone later in the night. Elektrisch is produced by fifth generation winemaker Florian Faust in Reinhessen, Germany’s driest wine producing region. The limestone soils lends minerality, levity, and purity to the wine, while the sunniness allows for concentration. With the majority of the grapes from his estate, Faust also sources from friends in the village, making the price pretty accessible for a Riesling of this classification. -Sheena Callage

Daou Pessimist 2019 Paso Robles, California Brought to us by: RNDC Reg: $24.99 TWS Sale: $19.99 Two months have passed, but the sting of England falling to Italy in the Euro cup has yet to subside. While England may have been the tournament’s villain, it doesn’t soften the blow that England came as close as they had ever come (in my lifetime, at least) to gold, only to fall short in the most predictably England way possible. My pessimism and despair knows no bounds, so you can imagine my dismay when “pasta pairing” was decided upon as the next topic for the wine team. Undeterred, I have deigned to give Italy as little credit as possible. Pasta is one of those simple, hedonistic pleasures that is equally enjoyable in all its many forms. While you can spend an entire day making your own homemade noodles, simmering sauce, crushing herbs, etc. to make a beautiful and delicate pasta dish, you can spend less than 1/10th the amount of time and effort glooping some ricotta on premade noodles and Bolognese sauce, et voila…lasagna: a pasta that commonly owes little other than dubious cultural lineage to Italy. Perfect. Portion out a thick slice roughly the size of your own face, and consume your woes until you lose consciousness from a super-human caloric intake. But what to pair with this dense, savory dish? A wine that must taste delicious, but also satisfy my dour outlook. Why, Daou’s Pessimist, of course! While Chianti may be a textbook pairing for lighter, more classic pastas, a juicy Paso Robles red blend really matches the density of a dish like lasagna. Comprised of an unconventional blend of Petite Sirah 64%, Syrah 23%, Zinfandel 10%, Lagrein 2%, Tannat 1%, Pessimist exudes ripe black fruit with hints of mint and lavender. Truly a decadent and lush red at a reasonable rate that is perfect for weeknight pasta.   It also pairs well with despair and shattered dreams. -Andrew Sayers