Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should drink.
Schramsberg Blanc De Blanc - $46.99
Schramsberg is the iconic American winery that produced our nations first commercial sparkling Blanc De Blanc made entirely of Chardonnay, back in 1965. The Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc was famously served at President Nixon’s 1972 “Toast to Peace” with China’s Premier Zhou Enlai, and is ALWAYS served at official State functions by U.S. Presidential administrations. This traditional method sparkling wine ferments 25% of the juice in barrel, providing a richness, complexity and texture that makes this wine perfect with hedonistic holiday comfort foods and heftier seafood dishes, such as crab cakes. These benchmark bubbles are delightfully ripe and luxurious with enough "meat on their bones" to be enjoyed year round - even in the depths of winter!
-Katrina
Four Pillars, Rare Dry Gin 750ML - $33.99
Nestled in the Yarra Valley near Melbourne, Australia, Four Pillars Distillery make modern gins with an Australian twist. Their Rare Dry Gin uses Tasmanian Pepperberry, Australian Lemon Myrtle and whole organic, oranges blended with classic botanicals from around the world to create a truly rare gin. Small batches are distilled in handcrafted German pot stills and are finished by vapor infusing the fresh oranges, giving each batch a fresh citrus zest. The fresh orange aromas mix with juniper and hints of pepper on the nose, while the palate offers notes of licorice up front, with bright citrus, finishing with floral notes, spice and juniper throughout. Rare Dry Gin is perfect for a gin and tonic garnished with oranges, or a classic Tom Collins!
-Amanda
2019 Domaine de Fontsainte, Rouge, Corbieres - $19.99
The Laboucarie family has been making wine in Corbieres since the 17th century. The current generation is represented by Bruno Laboucarie. As Winemaker, his dedication to both tradition and innovation is a long standing family trait. Fontsainte translates as "Fountain of the Saint". It refers to the founding of the Domaine in Roman times near a thermal spring in this part of Southwestern France, that was later dedicated to Saint Simeon.
For the current release of his Corbieres red, Bruno blends mostly Carignan (harvested from vines that are over 70 years old) with smaller amounts of Grenache Noir and Syrah.
After aging for about a year in a mix of French oak barrels and porous concrete vats the result is a wine aromatic of baking spices and Mediterranean herbs. The tannins are soft and merge with lightly lifted acidity for a lovely succulent palate of black cherry, black olive, and lightly spiced tobacco. The finish is rounded, lengthy, and pleasing. Leading American wine importer, Kermit Lynch, has been committed to bringing us wines from the Laboucarie family for over 40 years, now. And knowing how fair the family has always been on pricing over the years we can continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor at very reasonable prices, indeed. Salut!
-Patrick
2020 Fuso 21 Calx Primativo - $19.99
Though the two are really the same grape, the task of finding similarities between big production Zinfandel and Puglia’s Primitivo can feel like comparing apples to oranges. Where many Zins can be over-extracted, high in alcohol and total palate blasters, this light and elegant expression of the grape can be drunk on any occasion and with a more diverse ability to pair with food. Calx falls under the Fuso 21 label from importer Portovino. This label focuses on native grapes, native yeasts, low sulfur and minor, if any, filtration. All of the wines are certified organic or made with the practice of organic farming. This wine comes to us from the 4-inch heel of Italy’s boot. Limestone soils are of note here, giving the name to this wine—Calx being the ancient Latin word for limestone. The wine benefits greatly from a chill. A super light extraction leaves it with a translucent, almost fruit punch-like color (and a fruit punch-like texture). While tart and tangy red berry characteristics still take center stage, delicate floral aromas are no understudy. Dried rose petals lend themselves well to support the freshness of the fruit in the glass. Drink the whole bottle by yourself (I highly recommend), with a friend and Chicken Marbella, or a whole party and some charcuterie.
-Emily
