GOOD THINGS WE'VE BEEN DRINKING
ideas & suggestions for your Super Bowl Sunday.
Brundlmayer Brut Rose NV Austria - $53.99
It's February. Valentine's Day (and Galentine's Day) is quickly approaching. You need a sparkling rose. Look no further than Brundlmayer Brut Rose. Not only is this a great wine for a special evening, but it's a sparkling wine you'll want to drink all year round. Located about 40 miles northwest of Vienna, Austria, Weingut Brundlmayer's Brut Rose is a blend of Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, and St. Laurent. Each varietal is fermented separately and then blended together to create the final cuvee. Once bottled, the wine ages on the lees for 24 months resulting in lovely berries and cream flavors. On the nose, it smells of lingonberries, sour cherries, and red apple with a hint of wild honey and toasted brioche. Grapefruit joins the mix on the palate. It's dry, structured, and a beautiful salmon color in the glass. Enjoy this sparkler with a cheese plate or amuse bouche. Save a glass to pair with poultry or any light meat entrees.
-Claire
2019 Kermit Lynch ‘Colleleva’ Lacrima di Morro - $23.99
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner an obvious choice is flowers, but it’s almost too ubiquitous so don’t be that guy (or gal). How about a wine that bursts with a technicolor bouquet of flowers?! Lacrima di Morro d’Alba from the Le Marche is your answer. This dry red grape is like drinking an intoxicating perfume, in a good way! Lavender, rose water and fresh berries in the glass sounds like a perfect aphrodisiac to me. Serve lightly chilled and imagine spring is just around the corner.
-Angie
2019 Chateau Soucherie Anjou Blanc 'Les Rangs de Long' - $25.99
Taking a break from the barrage of wintery red wines, this French Chenin Blanc is a lively treat to have around the house. This gem is varietaly typical with the added bonus of being estate grown and hand harvested. It's intense flavors of yellow apple and quince are complimented with just a bit of honey and sheeps wool aroma. It's ripeness belies it's ultimate dryness and it's high toned nature makes it a natural food wine. I like it with fried chicken and soft cheeses.
-David
2018 The Furst Riesling - $20.99
Every winter in Minnesota turns me into a hedonist, craving béchamel covered foods and a congruent wine pairing - a full bodied, French blanc. White Burgundy has gotten me happily into February, but diversity is the spice of life - and frankly it’s time to explore some less expensive options that still satisfy! The Furst Riesling is a gem of tremendous value. The nose is a beautiful mixture of petrol, lemon, and yellow apple. The acidity is striking in this Riesling, but the weighty body brings perfect harmonious balance. With a finish that lasts longer than any $20 expectation, you will be left with a smile on your face - and if you’re like me, with some Salmon Wellington crumbs on your second ‘winter chin’!
-Katrina
2017 Patton Valley, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley - $27.99
All estate grown fruit from this small certified sustainable vineyard produces an expression of Pinot Noir that is classic Willamette Valley. Aromas of bright cherries, summer red berries, cola nut, and a dash of spice lead to a palate of lively boysenberry and raspberry. Tobacco notes, fresh herbs, and a ribbon of silky tannins add depth, complexity and balance (a hallmark of the 2017 vintage in Willamette Valley) to this Pinot Noir.
Try pairing it with herb crusted Columbia River salmon prepared with couscous and cherry tomatoes. Yum!
-Patrick
2018 Domaine Bouvet Le Beau Chene Pinot Noir, Savoie - $23.99
Within a small fraction of Savoie wines imported it’s nearly impossible to score 100% Pinot Noir from French side of Alps, and what a rather delicate beast that is. As shy as unicorn, it needs some time (10-15 minutes) to opens up in a glass to release an intoxicating fragrance of violets, sweet and velvety, yet as powerful as Cupid’s arrow. And it tastes like a poison too - luscious sweeties of brandied dark cherries only accentuated by spiciness of as-long-as-10000-light-years finish. It will pairs well with a flickering candlelight, soft touches, whispers in an ear, a beautiful dress, and naughty thoughts. It will demands to take your time! and you’ll be rewarded.
-Alexei
2016 Vajra "Albe" Barolo -$44.99
The 2016 Albe Barolo by Vajra contains all of the classic characteristics of a fine wine from Piedmont without damaging your bank account. American wine critic James Suckling states "The 2016 vintage marks the second great year... following the sensational 2015..." In conclusion, renowned wines from amazing regions grown in outstanding conditions are worth trying at least once in your life! Stop by our store and ask our experienced staff about some great wines from Barolo!
-Samuel
Neversink Gin - $44.99
This distinctive gin comes to us from Noah Braunstein and Yoni Rabino, creators of Neversink Spirits in Port Chester, NY. Inspired by old-world distilling traditions, namely Calvados, they begin with an apple eau-de-vie distilled from New York apples as their base. To that, they select 11 botanicals that complement apples and represent the bounty of New York State, including (of course) juniper, coriander, elderflower, cinnamon, and a diverse selection of citrus. The resulting gin has the depth & complexity of a good calvados with the playful freshness of a New Western gin - it is floral, aromatic, and balances the cooling bite of juniper with a subtle warming spice backbone. Cocktail-wise, the weight & florality of this gin makes it perfect for use in a classic Aviation, or it can be paired 2:1 with a good blanc vermouth for a fuller-bodied Martini riff.
-Nick
