Whites

Producer: Maddalena
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Monterey, California
Vintage: 2020
Points:
Tasting Notes: Toasted Oak, Tropical Guava, Meyer Lemons, Freshly Squeezed Oranges.
Vintner Notes: Coming from almost exclusively cool climate vineyards, this chardonnay enjoys grapes grown in a maritime climate of foggy mornings and sunny but cool afternoons. 60% of this Chardonnay was barrel fermented in small American oak barrels with the remainder fermented in stainless steel barrels. Produced from a CSWA certified sustainable vineyard.
Staff Notes: I wanna sun bathe on a patio barefoot next to a cool kiddy pool with this wine.
Chef Pairings: Roasted root vegetables. Goat cheese. Maple glazed macadamia nuts. Toasted Walnuts. Mussels.
Category: Monthly Featured Wine.

Producer: Kuranui
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Vintage: 2022
Points:
Tasting Notes: Pale Straw, Pineapple, Lime Leaf, Passionfruit.
Vintner Notes: Crafted from a single vineyard in New Zealand’s beautiful Awatere Valley. The vineyard sits on north-facing slopes at 850 feet above sea level, where the elevation and loess-covered gravel soils stress the vines, forcing them to sink deep in search of water and nutrients. Maritime winds act like an air conditioner, extending the growing season to promote a bright, citrus-infused complexity in the grapes.
Staff Notes: This wine feels like a breezy bike ride through a lemongrass field on a warm day.
Chef Pairings: Honey glazed buratta. Cured Meats. Carbonara.
Category: Monthly Featured Wine.

Producer: Lyrarakis
Varietal: Blend - Moscat of Spina and Vidiano
Region: Crete, Greece
Vintage: 2022
Points:
Tasting Notes: Rose Petals, White Blossoms, Fresh Citrus Peels, Vibrant Acidity.
Vintner Notes: Crafted from indigenous and international grape varieties that have been perfectly acclimated to the island growing conditions. Grapes are hand-harvested in mid-August. More than half of the grapes remain with skin-on for two days and are kept chilled.
Staff Notes: I thought I knew what this would taste like based on the label but was pleasantly surprised. Like walking in on a surprise party you half-saw coming.
Chef Pairings: Saffron. Risotto. Creamy Seafood Pasta. Parmesan Cheese.
Category: Monthly Featured Wine.

Reds

Producer: Scarlet Vine
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Upper Maipo Valley, Chile
Vintage: 2019
Points:
Tasting Notes: Ripe Berries, Toffee, Vanilla, Mocha, Cloves. French Oak.
Vintner Notes: Born on a forgotten century-old vineyard halfway up a mountain in the famed upper Maipo Valley. Earthquakes, snowmelt and wind have stripped away soil and nutrients, leaving behind bare ground that is seventy percent rocks. The ungrafted vines seem to will themselves to endure and produce berries that are small and dense.
Staff Notes: This is the wine I’m buying for my mother in law on her birthday.
Chef Pairings: Slow Roasted Pork. Fresh Cherries.
Category: Monthly Featured Wine.

Producer: Opaque (Darkness)
Varietal: Red Blend - Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah, and Petit Verdot.
Region: Paso Robles, California
Vintage: 2020
Points:
Tasting Notes: Blackberry Jam, Mahogany, Cedar, Tobacco, Black Plum.
Vintner Notes: Aged in the darkness of French oak barrels, and emerging into the light with deep, dark, and rich flavors. The head-trained vines grow on calcareous shale soils that impart a distinct minerality to the wine. The resulting Opaque wines are heady and unapologetic in their undaunting flavor profiles.
Staff Notes: This is the wine I’d grab when I want to snap along to a slam poetry night in a darkly lit jazz bar.
Chef Pairings: Extra Funky Bleu Cheese. Lamb.
Category: Monthly Featured Wine.

Producer: Lava Cap (Reserve)
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Region: Sierra Foothills, California
Vintage: 2018
Points:
Tasting Notes: Wild Licorice, Blueberry, Oak, Vanilla.
Vintner Notes: Sourced from grapes grown at two vineyards: Granite Hill and Leahy. The soil in the Granite hill is a granitic loam giving the grapes plenty of water and nutrients that allow the vines to develop complexity and depth with a lengthy growing season. The Leahy vineyard grows in decomposed, iron-rich slate, the perfect medium for a low yield and high stress vineyard, resulting in grapes of intense dark-fruit flavors.
Staff Notes: The kind of bottle I’d buy my friends who like bourbon but I don’t, so I brought them wine.
Chef Pairings: Roasted and Deglazed Vegetables. Filet of Beef.
Category: Monthly Featured Wine.