Vinofiles

Upcoming Tasting, and much More

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Until recently, there were about a half dozen major beer/wine distributors operating in Vermont. They may serve all or part of the state with various wines and beers. Some service a very small niche, others try to “do it all.” One micro-niche that fits right into our philosophy, and is as yet under-served, is the organic/sustainable/biodynamic part of the wine business. That is, until recently. Drum roll, please!

Now there’s a seventh wine distributor, Artisanal Cellars, headed by Rafael Flores and his brother Miguel. Although they carry some conventional wines, organic and biodynamic is their focus. Countries favored are Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France.

The expected styles are represented, but each wine has a unique character that seems to step an inch or two outside the usual varietal box. A 2000 vintage Syrah, Serendipity, comes from Ch. Complazen.    It’s a great surprise, with solid Syrah character, for under $10. I put it on sale for a mere $8, but only till June 30. A “bigger” Syrah, more complex and bold is Domaine Barou,  a smooth red from the edge of the St. Joseph area in the northern Rhone. Only 14.99. The list goes on and on, and we hope to see even more wines added to it, especially the organics.
We look forward to our first delivery from the folks at Artisanal Cellars and wish them all the best.

And Still Another New Face in the Neighborhood (with all apologies to the Bard, the Beatles, and Ferlinghetti)

Mead is misunderstood. Say the word and what comes to mind? Kirk Douglas urging on his fellow Vikings to fermented-honey-induced mayhem? Or perhaps the Bard himself, all inky fingers, sitting in an English garden, waiting for the UPS guy to deliver some more mead, along with his latest galleys of “Too Mush Ado About Hugh Who?” Or a murky, motheaten image of Nixon, Nixon, bush-league president, mumbling to himself, staring up at a portrait of JFK, with a sweating tankard of mead in his oily, slipping grip. With friends like this, mead needs a little PR.

Enter the Honeybee! No, not a Bruce Lee flying kick-flick, but an alternative beverage that’s as much medicine as it is a controlled substance. Hippocrates said, quoting the literature provided by Jake Feldman, the Melissa Sparkling Mead/Honey Garden Meadmaster, “Your food shall be your medicine and your medicine shall be your food.” This tastes way better than Romilar CF, and if it can cure anything, like my spring and summer allergies, I’d consider an IV drip. But seriously, nothing quite tastes like mead.
    Made from fermented honey, which reveals the source in the aromas of the flowers that the bees have been visiting as they gathered the nectar, mead reminds me of the atmosphere in a greenhouse, about midsummer, when a million blossoms are competing for our attention, as well as that of the bees. Serve it cool, like a good Belgian ale, but not too cold. Only 10.99, in the cold beer case.

Wine Tasting on Friday, June 29, from 3-7 pm, in the Community room.

More fun and frolic, within reason, of course, will be on tap as you partake in the upcoming in-store wine-tasting. As always, the State of Vermont allows only four legal age adults in the room at one time to taste any or all of six wines chosen for excellent taste and value. Looking forward to serving you, Hugh and I will be dressed as our favorite styles of grape, or perhaps as a corkscrew, or maybe a Pinot Noir glass...

New Wines for Old

The inflow of new wine continues. Be sure to try these:
But first! We're almost sold out of Bieler Rose. Two cases left. And La Croix Rose, with the sophomoric label, is down to two cases. And, boo-hoo, only five cases of Secret de Campane, at 8.99/bottle.

Ch. Pesquie Rose--12.99
Ch. Valcombe Rose--14.99
Dom. la Manarine Rose--14.99
Vilosell Red (Spain) 15.99
Ch. Luxeuil Red Boreaux--7.99--save $3.00
Organic Natura Chardonnay--10.99
Organic Natura Carmenere--10.99
Organic Ch. Complazens, ‘La Garrigue’--12.99
Dom. la Garrigue, ‘Cuvee Romaine’--10.99
Newhaven Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) --9.99--save 2.00
Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc (Australia)--14.99
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay (Australia-Margaret River)--Tastes like a baby Meursault, at a quarter of the price. 24.99

Sorry I took so long

Mirrors on the Ceiling, (and Thunderbird on Ice), plus Even More New Wines

If you’ve ever attended an airport-sized trade show, you understand the phenomenon of being lonely in a crowd.The roughly 43,000 attendees at the Anaheim/ExpoWest/Natural Foods Show were packed in cheek-by-smile, taking the pulse of the industry. If you met someone you knew, (Remember, Brattleboro is a mere 13,000 souls), all the better. Fortunately, I had arranged to meet one of my favorite people in the wineworld, Katrina Frey, who had convinced me to make the trek westward. She informed me that a huge, all-organic beer and wine tasting was to occur, and that an impressive number of producers would be showing their wares. Many names on the producer list were unknown to me, so chances were good that these new and emerging wineries were seeking representation in New England. It sounded like a dream come true.

Alex, our stalwart manager, stamped my passport, and off I went, with Meg McCarthy, veteran of many wine-scavenging hunts, hard by my side. You’ve already heard too much about my San Francisco blues, so let’s talk about the part of the trip that really worked, namely the tasting in Anaheim. The crowd filled a huge ballroom, and libations were being served California style, straight out of old cowboy boots. (Organic leather, naturally.) Here’s a short list of some of the folks we met, making organic wine and beer: Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Organic Vintners, (huge collection of wines, some of which we are carrying already), The Organic Wine Works, (John Shumacher at the helm), SBS Imports, Frey Vineyards, (Katrina’s Gram was from Brattleboro!), the Stellar Winery of South Africa, La Rocca Vineyards, Peak Organics (Great beer!), Casa Barranca Wines, Butte Creek Brewing, Sogno Winery, Barra Wines of Mendocino, HoneyRun Meads, and Girasole Vineyards, to name a few. Judging by the roar of the crowd, I’d say the event was a success, and I’d love to go back. Dale, Katrina’s dad, was helping pour their wines, and even though he’s at least ninety-seven, he only seems to be getting younger. It must be the organic wine.

Because the wheels of bureauracracy spin slowly, we have seen only a few entries from the new folks, but I have patience, and before long the organic wine and beer offerings will be even more replete. Actually, we have four new wines from Organic Wine Works; Surfin’Syrah, Cote Zero, StoneCold Cabernet, and Viperous Viognier. All in the recently re-located organic section, facing the deli. Keep your eyes peeled for more gems, including some Fair Trade wines.

In other related news...Way back last year, the coop introduced a line of wines from the Morgan Winery, based in Salinas, California. Their Rhone-style red Cote-du-Crows made a big splash, soon to be followed by their Twelve Clones Pinot Noir, Franscioni Vineyard Pinot Gris, Metallico Un-oaked Chardonnay, Highlands Chardonnay, SunPower Sauvignon Blanc, and the recently added Lee Family Farm Verdelho and Rose. All incredible wines, and at great prices. To find out how they do it, Meg and I disguised ourselves as honeybees, and hung around outside the winery, humming “Red, Red Wine,” by Neil Diamond, really loud, whilst wearing signs that read, “Will Work for Pollen.”

Suddenly, Morgan’s national sales and marketing manager, the suave and dashing Brad Martin, pulled into his private parking space in a brand new, tangerine-metalflake Bentley. (This guy is smooth.) Brad saw us, and because he’s allergic to bees, reacted faster than a super-hero, and hosed us down with some chardonnay juice with a really bad case of stuck fermentation. My antennae wilted, Meg’s wings were blown away, and my stinger was history. Brad immediately saw through our pitiful ruse, and took us to Gonzalez, to his favorite Mexican restaurant, for some squid tacos to cheer us up. We had such a great time. Then we went out to the Double L vineyard, to meet some real bees, and get buzzed with enthusiasm for their organic vineyard program, and even taste some new wines back in Salinas. It was a truly special day, and all the folks at Morgan are doing a fantastic job.

After waving goodbye to the Morgan family, we headed up the road, way up the road, to the top of a plateau near The Pinnacles National Monument, home to Chalone Winery. We were tired, and needed a wing massage. The masseuse had the night off, so we sat on the guest house deck, and watched the sunset. Eventually the stars came out, and shone down on our little piece of high chaparral heaven. We couldn’t see or hear any evidence of civilization from our perch. As we ate the last of our picnic-style dinner, a single microscopic fleck of interstellar spacedust scraped briefly against the troposphere, an incandescent wink that semaphored hello and goodbye to the fireflies huddled together for warmth in the oak tree over our head. It wasn’t Vermont, but it was close enough.

Chalone vineyard from the guest house deck

In the morning, we had an appointment with Michaelson Waller, who showed us the ropes around Chalone. We tasted some wines from barrel, which I always enjoy. There’s something indefinable about barrel sampling, in that the wines always taste extra fresh, with nothing else mediating the experience. Chardonnays sing, cabernets coo, pinots purr, and merlots aren’t mum. Then it was off to the tasting room for all the new stuff, which you’ll find on the shelf at the coop. Chalone, now owned by a company called Diageo, is also proud of their chardonnays from the Edna Valley Vineyard. We didn’t have time to stop there on our way north, but maybe next time.

PS. if you’re in Salinas, there’s a great wine section in the Star Market, around the corner from the Carl Jr.’s. Found an interesting Zinfandel called “Poizin”, with a red skull and crossbones painted on the label. Avast!

I’m a little sore from chainsaw work, so the Herman Melville in me has to take a break. But first, a brief listing of new arrivals. But even before that, we must announce the “Bye-Bye Barn”. This is our brand new spot for closeouts, and small lot wines. The prices are low, quality high, and they’ll go fast! So, check it out, and enjoy the bargains. To wit: Save $4 on Rocking Horse Zinfandel (regularly $14), with scratched labels. See the rest for yourself, next to the Spanish wines, under the “barn” sign designed and drawn by my dog, Pearl.
New Arrivals

Reds
Dominio de Tares--(Bierzo, Spain)--9.99 In the Bye-Bye Barn, while it lasts.
Oops! Carmenere/Cabernet Franc--(Chile)--9.99
Bieler Rose-(Provence)--9.99
Toscolo Chianti--(Tuscany)--10.99
Razor’s Edge Shiraz--(Australia)--10.99
Grande Cassagne Rose--(France)--11.99 New rose, quite elegant
Lee Family Farm Rose--(Monterey California)--12.99 You might mistake it for French.
DiPaolo Aglianico--(Campania, Italy)--14.99 Not as earthy as some, smooth and dry.
Babich Pinot Noir--(New Zealand)--14.99
Ladakis Greek Red--17.99 A big, bold, smoothie, with a huge spice nose.
Petalos--(Bierzo, Spain)--19.99 A Mencia monster! Huge flavor and aromas to die for. Rated 90 pts.
Coppola ‘Director’s Cut’ Zinfandel--(Alexander Valley, California)--19.99 Hot new zin.
Yard Dog Red--(Australia)--9.99 Shiraz and more, and lots of Petit Verdot. Excellent value!

Whites
Grande Moulin Chardonnay--(France)--7.99 An affordable white to quaff all summer! In the Bye-Bye Barn.
Peche Imperiale Bubbly--(France)--11.99 A wonderful aperitif, excellent with Huevos Rancheros
Lee Family Farm Verdelho-(Alta Mesa, California)--12.99 Snappy, crisp, and smooth, Sauvignon style
Babich Sauvignon Blanc--(New Zealand)--14.99
Coppola ‘Director’s Cut’ Chardonnay--(Russian River, California)--19.99 For serious fans of the grape.
Indaba Chenin Blanc--(South Africa)--8.99
Biso White 1.5 liter--(Italy)--9.99
Yard Dog White--(Australia)--9.99 A dry blend so smooth...

And soon, soon...A Sauternes for under $20, a German Eiswein for under $20, and new vintages of the fantastic Ole! Imports wines, such as Ipsum, Portal, Ludovicus, Zestos Especial, and their new M series, of Monastrell wines. It’s looking pretty great out here! Bag some briquettes and get cookin’!

Weeks pass...I absolutely have to post this! Please don’t miss the splits of French white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a fabulous Chablis. Also, a fantastic closeout on a $25 white Burgundy for 9.99. PS Ipsum is back, 2006 vintage, and we still have the awesome low price of 7.99, save 2.00. Summer’s here! Ride a bike. Paddle a canoe. Entertain your friends. Write a poem. Enjoy being you.