Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff wants you to drink.
2018 Gulfi 'Valcanzjiria' white wine, Terre Siciliane IGP - $21.99
Up on the central highlands of Sicily, this white wine is a blend of Chardonnay and Carricante, organically grown on volcanic solis. The result is a brightly fruited but savoury wine with a honeyed floral nose and a palate of ripe pear, golden apple, and hazelnut, The rich fruit is supported by the rocky minearlity and taut acid structure inherent in the native Carricante. This is a great wine to ease out of winter towards summer and makes an ideal choice to drink with sea bass or truffled risotto!
-Patrick
2019 Monte da Ravasqueira Flor da Coutada Tinto - $11.99
Do you enjoy ripe, generous reds with tons of fruit expression from the New World? Are you looking to expand your horizons? Look no further than Alentejo. Its steadily hot temperatures and inland location make it the perfect place to produce juicy, boisterous, but complex red blends. You can often find Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in the mix as well. As for this bottle, my guess is that it is a blend of Aragonez (aka Tempranillo), Alicante Bouschet, and Alfrocheiro. The notes of plum, blackberry, and cherry notes made this an easy-drinking wine, but what kept me coming back was the slight bite of tobacco and the inky, briny taste of black olives. Try this with a nice steak on the grill and some charred vegetables. You can afford to splurge when you find a wine of this caliber for $11.99.
-Claire
2018 Clos Cibonne Tibouren Rosé Cotes de Provence, France - $31.99
Forget everything you know about "patio pounder" rose and pick up a bottle of rose made from the Tibouren grape grown in the South of France. Tibouren is synonymous with the Clos Cibonne estate and the Roux family ripped out it's Mourvedre and planted the rare, native varietal in the 1930's, and has special permission from the A.O.C. to list the grape on it's labels. Weightier and more serious than most roses, it spends 12-18 months in large 100 year old barrels before bottling. Full-bodied with notes of citrus peel, dried apricot and herbs with a hint of spice. A perfect match for all things Provencal; pair with grilled fish, olives and fennel over saffron rice or anything with a Meditarranean flair while we wait for the weather to cooperate so we can get back to sipping rose on the patio!
-Angie
Niolaihof Zwickl Naturub Grüner Veltliner Wachau - $31.99
Nikolaihof is the oldest winery in Austria, with their cellar dating back 2,000 years. The Saahs family took the reins in 1894 and went biodynamic in the early 1970s. 'Zwickl' is a reference to the unfiltered beers of Germany (Zwickelbier), and this is the unfiltered version of the Nikolaihof Hefeabzug. This wine shows aromas and flavors of white flower, fresh peach, and pollen notes. The texture is richer and has a greater mouthfeel due to the winemaking process which creates a beautiful harmony with Gruners naturally high acidity and minerality. The winemakers recommend gently shaking the bottle to stir up its natural haze before serving.
-Nick Z.
Vikre Amaro Superiore - $35.99
Vikre Amaro Superiore made in Duluth is a really great bittersweet amaro. It is a blend over a dozen herbs, roots and citrus peels. The Amaro Superior has a nice orange sweetness with hints of baking spices and cinnamon. There is a herbaceousness that leads to a clean bitter finish. Vikre amaro Superiore is great on its own, over rocks and also mixes great in cocktails like boulevardiers and negronis. It's a great option to take your cocktails to the next level.
-Nikola
Arette Artesanal Suave Blanco Tequila - $51.99
This tequila comes from fifth-generation distillers Jaime & Eduardo Orendain, whose family has been producing tequila since the early 1900s, and runs one of the last remaining family-owned tequila distilleries in the town of Tequila itself - in fact, their grandfather Eduardo was the mayor of Tequila at one point. All of their tequilas are produced from estate-grown Blue Weber agaves in the lowlands of Jalisco. In all of their lines, they use no additives, chemicals or yeast accelerators. For their higher-end 'Suave' line, fermentation takes place in century-old concrete tanks, which promote a slower, longer fermentation, which, when combined with selective cuts, produces a complex, raw expression of the lowland terroir. This is an excellent sipping tequila, with an herbaceous, full-bodied grassiness that is balanced by bright blue & tropical fruits.
-Nick
