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March Wine Picks

December Wine Picks
Holiday Features:
October – Wines of the Month
2019 Santini Collective Macon-Villages, France $33.99
Chris Santini is a French-American who studied oenology at the University of Beaune, went on to work all over Burgundy, and even landed a job with the legendary Kermit Lynch whom he travelled and tasted with all over France. Santini Collective is a relatively new project and was launched in 2013; the winery focuses on making “vins de soif” aka wines that quench your thirst and demand casual enjoyment. The fruit is always sourced from environmentally conscious farmers, the wine is vinified completely unmanipulated, and made in microscopic quantities. The Macon-Villages is as raw as it gets: it is foot stomped and then pressed in a wooden basket press!
Racy minerals, an amalgam of pears, and textural honeysuckle/beeswax components -will be delightful on the table with sunchoke gratin or roast chicken with herb jus & frites.
Fukucho “Seaside” Junmai Sparkling Sake, Japan $26.99
This is an exciting bubbly sake from the Hiroshima prefecture made by toji (master brewer) Miho Imada; Miho is currently one out of 20 women with the title of toji & she is gaining a reputation as one of the best and most creative sake makers in the world. “Seaside” has bright and refreshing elements of citrus, apples, and demure melon fruit from the use of white koji. It is made from Nakase Shinsenbon rice that has been polished away 30%.
This sake was certainly designed for frutti di mare, Kumamoto oysters, and delicate crudos with a squeeze of yuzu.
2017 Rainbow’s End Family Reserve, Stellenbosch, South Africa $47.99
Only the best quality barrels of each variety were selected, blended and aged for two years in French oak for this profound wine that rivals most classified Bordeaux. The blend is based on nearly equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc, & Petit Verdot and will completely sing accompanied by braised lamb shank, oxtail stew, or a creamy wild mushroom pasta.

September Wines
2020 Schplink! Gruner Veltliner, Niederosterreich-Austria 3L Box $31.99
August – Wines of the Month

July – Wines of the Month
2019 Truchard Roussanne, Carneros, Napa Valley $19.99
While Roussanne is typically seen from the Northern Rhone Valley, this expression comes from a 3 acre plot planted in 1998 in Carneros; it is whole cluster-pressed and sees fermentation and brief aging in French oak. It is opulent, sexy, and rich & certainly a fun way to change things up! Think grilled apricot, jasmine, and creme brulee.
Serve it chilled with dover sole, butter mochi, or popcorn on your next movie night!
2020 Jaimee Motley ‘Rorick Heritage Vineyard’ Rose of Mondeuse, Calaveras, CA $22.99
The Rorick Heritage Vineyard sits at 2,000 ft in elevation in the Sierra Foothills. It is organically farmed and one of the most exciting vineyards in California with over 40 varieties represented in its patchwork. This rose of Mondeuse is full of character & finesse with blood orange, sage, & lily to compliment dinner on the patio this week or Indian summer sunsets on the horizon. Pair with fondue or buffalo cauliflower.
2017 Antonio Pereira “Tinto Bom,” Vinho Verde, Portugal $15.99
This is a red Vinho Verde-a relatively esoteric and elusive category that we don’t see super often in the United States. The grape is Vinhao (or Sousao) which imparts a gorgeous dark concentration in the wine that doesn’t necessarily reflect the prickly and playful palate. “Tinto Bom” is made from Certified Organic farming and biodynamic practice; the grapes are foot-trodden and then aged in steel vats for 3 years. This is head-turning raw wine!
Experiment with red-fleshed fish, feijoada, or grilled octopus!

June Wines of the Month
Sophisticated Summer Sippers!
Jon Goenaga Ecological Txakoli G. 1200 DO, Getariako Txakolina, Spain 2019 $25.99
LIOCO Rose of Carignan, Mendocino, CA 2020 $21.99
This 100% Carignan comes from part of the Bartolomei vineyard that was planted in the mid-century. LIOCO is a major champion of minimal-intervention Northern California winemaking and is practicing organic farming. This new release is a stunner with hints of guava, prickly pear, and crushed minerals.
We are getting some great summertime Mexican market vibes with this wine!
Sip this freshness alongside Camarones a la Diabla or Pollo Asado.
Vending Machine Wines “Double Shotgun,” Napa Valley 2018 $26.99
This 75% Petit Verdot and 25% Cabernet Franc was hand-harvested from southwest-facing slopes and saw elevage in 50% new French oak. A great alternative to just snagging an easy Cab Sauv, this wine certainly has the finesse & gravitas you crave with food cooked over a fire.
Summer. Burger. Wine.

May – Wines of the Month

April – Wines of the Month
2019 La Viarte Pinot Grigio $21.99
Hailing from Prepotto, Italy very close to the Slovenian border, the estate’s namesake is Friulian for springtime! This boutique Pinot Grigio is sustainably farmed, textured and elegant with hues of citrus blossom, almond, and honeydew.
La Viarte is certainly enjoyed on its own or with white asparagus in hollandaise or the local Frico Morbido- a crispy golden cheese-potato-onion pancake.
2019 Chateau Simone Palette Rose $74.99
This is a serious rose that completely transcends the category of pink wine. Mind blowing tonight at dinner, yet also insanely rewarding with age.
Primarily Grenache and Mourvedre with accessory varieties Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Castet, Manosquin, Theoulier, Tibouren, Picpoul Noir, and Muscat de Hambourg to impart complexity, Chateau Simone is a trip to the French Riviera in a bottle. Think quince, hibiscus, & Provencal lavender.
1500 bottles imported to the US market.
Compliments a hearty bouillabaisse, carpaccio of chioggia beets, or soup au pistou sitting outside on the patio of course!
2018 Jean-Paul & Charly Thevenet Morgon “Vieilles Vignes” $41.99
This iconic producer of terroir-driven cru Beaujolais is what we call an “original gangster” having learned organic farming and biodynamic practices from a close friend and fellow legend, Marcel Lapierre. The gamay fruit comes from 70 year-old vines from ancient sandy slopes meticulously farmed by Jean-Paul and his son Charly.
Suffice to say this is the best red we have tasted so far this year; it is incredibly compelling and exotic with elements of nori, red currant, and a slight warming madeira finish.
Celebrate Spring and pair with classic chicken with morels in cream sauce.
-Sophie Yoneoka